Ask Robin Hobb - Thursday, April 11th! discussion
Ask Robin!
Hi Robin, I'm a big fan - I love how your books whisk me away to the rich and wonderful worlds you have created. I find the stories inspiring and often they give me food for thought.I would like to know what authors and books inspire you?
Hello Robin,I've enjoyed the Farseer Trilogy and the first two books of the Liveships Trilogy (reading the third soon!), as well as the short story collection The Inheritance.
My question: How do you keep up the energy/inspiration to continue writing in one "universe"?
Thanks for taking time to answer our questions!
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I've been readin..."
Jerry, thanks for the kind words.
When I write a character, I try, as much as I am able, to be in the skin of that character. To express the thoughts and ideas of that character is my goal, even if I don't agree with him/her or if I know the character is absolutely wrong about something. I think that situation and upbringing and culture influence all of us just as much as whether we are male or female. After all, those roles can vary quite a bit from culture to culture. But with that said, I have a wide spectrum of male relatives and friends. Unsurprisingly, they are very quick to offer helpful advice on what a man might do, think or feel in any given situation!
Robin
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What are your reasons for writing under a pseudony..."
Hi Apollo! Jerry jumped in for me, with a very helpful link! It's a question I am often asked, so I'm relieved not to type it all out again here.
When it comes to pseudonyms in general, I think they are great fun. I truly enjoyed creating 'Robin Hobb' and I think it was a freeing experience to do so. Some writers have to step aside from other professions when they write, and hence they adopt pseudonyms. Others do it to avoid conflicts with family over what they might write. Or to have different names for different genres. If you decide to go with a pseudonym, I hope you let yourself enjoy creating it!
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Here she talks about why she used a pseudonym.
http://buzzymag.com/robin-hobb-interv...
Good interv..."
Oh, on the business end of pseudonyms! That can be tricky. Make sure your 'extra name' is on your business license and fill it in as a DBA (doing business as) on your income tax returns. Make sure that your bank knows you will be depositing checks made out to that name; that's why it's good to have a business account with that name on it. And research enough to be sure that no one else is already using the name you decide upon!
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Wrestling a bit with this Q and A format. I wish my replies would stay near the question I'm answering!
On characters in general, I don't think any of them remain exactly as I imagined them before I began to write them. As I write (and I've heard this is true for other writers) the characters change based on the experiences they have. They develop and sometimes I'm startled to find that they react to events differently than I had anticipated. It's one of the joys of writing when that begins to happen.
Robin
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Elizabeth, I think the answer is the same for any character or setting. If I come up with a truly compelling tale that relates specifically to that character or setting, I won't hesitate. But I won't return to a character or setting simply for the sake of writing more. That would cheat me, the reader, and the character!
Robin
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I think I'm going to start mentioning the number of the post I'm replying to! Ben is #41. Typically, when youngsters say, "I want to be an actor, poet, writer, artist", the advice given is to be sure that you have a back up career. Seriously, that is still good advice. It's rare that a person begins in the arts and makes a living wage immediately. So if you can wait tables, pull coffee or design rockets, you have a better chance of being able to eat while you are learning to be a writer. The additional benefit of that is that you are around people doing what most people actually do in their lives. You hear dialogue, you see how people react, you pick up all those interesting little bits that make a character fully fleshed when you write.
And I think it's pretty obvious that being educated in something besides 'how to write' is a huge benefit, even if you gain that education via the School of Hard Knocks rather than at a university.
Just keep writing. Write between customers or while the kids are in the bathtub or on your commute to work. That's what it takes to be a writer. The writing.
Hi Robin,I've been reading your books since '96, and in my opinion you're one of the very best living authors the genre has to offer. You build great worlds, you have very convincing characters, and I really like your prose; it toes the line between concise and beautifully written, which can't be easy to pull off! I also follow your blog, as I cue up new books to read mostly through recommendations by authors I respect. In this way, you have brought to my attention such varied and wonderful authors as Steven Brust and Virgil, and I thank you heartily for that!
Anyway, gushing aside, I suppose I sort of have two questions. The first has to do with the availability(or lack thereof) of your Lindholm-penned material. Where would you recommend I search to find this stuff in paperback(I live across the border from you, in Vancouver, B.C.)? The second question is about Nevarre. I've read some negative reaction to the Soldier's Son trilogy, but I must say that it's my absolute favorite series of yours. It seems to me as if you intentionally left some loose ends in Renegade's Magic, and so my question is whether or not you're ever planning on revisiting Nevarre and telling more of his tale? I'd love it if you would!
Thanks for taking the time to connect with your fans like this. It really means a lot.
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1. What did you have to keep in mind when writing YA (with the Dragons quartet) as opposed t..."
Leane is message 42.
I don't think I specifically tried to write YA with the Dragon quartet. I think it may be seen that way because many of the characters are adolescents. So there was no deliberate shifting of gears in my writing style, other than to have the characters think and react as I imagined younger protagonists would in those situations.
As for the abrupt ending, well, it seemed to me that things such as that would happen very quickly. And sometimes, not leave a great deal of evidence. So that was how I wrote it. :)
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Message 45 from Alex. Who is my favorite character in my own work? That's like asking a parent to name a favorite child. I think to write a character well, the author has to love that character, unconditionally. Villain or hero, weak or strong, when you write from the character's POV, you have to love them. So in that sense, all my characters are my favorites.
Favorite characters from other writers. Oh, impossible to name them all. Mowgli leaps to my mind. As does Sam Gamgee. Arthur, as he exists in The Once and Future King. Merlin in The Chrystal Cave. But you know, I also love Sam-I-Am and Peter Pan, and a hundred other characters I've been while reading a book.
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Some events in a book are inevitable. The current of Story is so strong that the writer knows that he/she will end up going through that event, willy nilly. The hero does not always get the girl, sometimes the bad guy does irrevocable damage, and so on. The writer torques a story away from that event at peril of dumping the reader out of the story. I think we've all read tales that end 'And then he woke up and it was just a dream'. Or suddenly the magic does what it could never do before, and they all live happily ever after. Those stories never work for me as a reader or a writer. I have to go where the story leads.
Robin wrote: "Jerry wrote: "Hello everyone, I'm Jerry, in California. Other than re-reading LOTR every 3 - 6 years, I haven't read fantasy regulrly for decades (let's not get into the fine details, here). I'..."
Thank you Robin, for your time in responding. So, since you're getting all of this excellent advice about how men **>>REALLY<<** think, has your opinion of men, um, EVOLVED since you started writing RotE?
Hi Robin, I'm a huge fan. I'm pretty sure I've read all your books written under Hobbs. Just recently I've finished The Soldiers Son series and was surprised how hard it was for me to like Nevare! I've never had this problem with any of your heroes before. Was this done on purpose? You definitely attacked all types of prejudice in these stories, but what inspired you to focus so much on obesity? Also, what exactly was the message you were trying to convey about Nevare being split into two? Cause I thought I was starting to understand it when he became whole again, but then he became divided again. It was a very thought provoking story for me and it still has me reeling.
Hi Robin,Before I ask my questions I just wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your books and I think they are quite unique but still typical fantasy stories at the same time, something I think very few authors have been able to do. I am now beginning to read some of your Megan Lindholm works and I'm loving them too!
So to my questions :)
In several of your books you write a small excerpt at the beginning of each chapter (e.g. The excerpts of writing in the Farseer and Tawny Man Trilogies, and the letters in the Rain Wild Chronicles). I was wondering what made you decide to add these and why.
Also, do you think you would ever set a book/trilogy/short story in the Outislands. Or somewhere we don't hear about much like the Icy Shores, Glacier Plains or the Spice Isles in the south. And do you think you would ever set something during the time of the Elderlings?
Thank you for your time :)
Aden
Hi Robin, I'm currently reading Assassin's Quest and I really love the trilogy so far.
I have a quite specific question about Assassin's Apprentice. At one point around the middle of the book, Fitz is at the market, running some errands. There are two foreign women and one is staring at him and repeating a word. Was this his mom? I wonder if that was his real name, but this was never mentioned again (this far).
Thanks
Hi there,thanks for inviting me to join this group, I'd would love to use this opportunity to ask you a question:
In 1992 you co-wrote the amazing "The Gypsy" with Steven Brust. (For those of you who don't know the book, here's the link.)
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...
Would you be willing to repeat the co-writing experience as Robin Hobb? And if so with whom?
Hi Robin - I'm just curious about some of the scenes in the Soldier's Son trilogy. They had a visceral dream like quality. I was wondering if some of the scenes may have been based on actual dreams?Regards
Craig
Hi Robin, I apologize in advance but I have only been able to read your Farseer Trilogy. I really enjoyed it. What inspired you to write this amazing series? I plan to read the Rain Wilds Chronicles and all your other books. Last year, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and lost my job. I pass my time listening to your books and others while enduring the pain. The stories get me through each day. thank you!!!!
Your Fan from Colorado Springs, Colorado USA,
Amy
Hi Robin and all,B & N emailed me saying my copy of Blood of Dragons is on its way, so I've started re-reading Rain Wilds (quartology?). In the first part of Dragon Keeper a character builds hope within that persons self (please forgive clumsy grammar: trying not to SPOIL here), then is utterly disappointed. It's so devastating I almost feel embarrassed to be privy to the characters arc of emotions; you did such an excellent job portraying this. This characters development after this disappointment is important to the plot of the series.
Did you foresee the completeness of what this character experienced, or did you start with the idea that this character simply would be dissatisfied with the "situation"? There are few characters I've read about whom I have felt so sorry for.
Best, Jerry
Dear Robin!First of all, thank you for all the hours of pleasure your books have brought me! The Farseer and The Tawny Man are among my all-time favourite series in the fantasy genre. You create fantastic worlds and I´ve rarely come across characters with so much depth and "live" to them as Fitz, I´ve read the books about him several times and when I finish, I miss him sorely, he´s like an old friend and I wonder how he fares and what happened to him and his family after the events in the Tawny Man trilogy! As a result I regularly prowl the net in the hope of finding announcement about brandnew publications about Fitz or his heirs in the Farseer-realm! So now that I have the opportunity to ask; do you have any new plans regarding The Farseers, now that The Rain Wild Chronicles have come to an end? :)
If you were to recommend one fantasy-series that in some way reminds you of The Farseer, what would that be?
My best regards,
Helga (from Iceland)
I have a million questions, since I'm a huge, huge fan, but I'll just ask the ones I haven't seen asked by others and the ones I'd most like an answer to:1- Are there no skilled/witted people in Bingtown/Rain Wilds/Chalced/etc? At some point it looks like Selden might be skilled, but that's never talked about again.
2- When Fitz teleports with the stones, did he go to Kelsingra? Or was it another great city that hasn't been mentioned?
3- How did Fitz revive the stone dragons? Just a little bit of witted blood or what? That didn't make sense to me, since Verity had to make such a huge sacrifice to revive just one.
Thank you for taking us to your wonderful world of Elderlings!
Please keep writing!
Hi Robin, I started reading your book about 6 months ago and finished all off your books under Robin Hobb except City of Dragons wanted to wait for the fourth one to come out. Starting to read your Megan Lindholm books and love them just as much, just struggling to get hold of them all. I won't be asking many questions, just watching what everyone else are asking. Just one question: Are you planning to continue writing in this 'world' for example Bingtown, the Six Duchies, Jamalia or are planning to explore something new. I would like to read more about the Outislanders and their culture.
Thank you
From Cape Town, South Africa
Kimster
Dear Robin I enjoy reading your ebooks. I'm a big fan But i must ask if you can join Bookshare, so that i can continue to read all of your books.Are you planning to go back to the solider son world?
I'm currently reading city of dragons but I am wondering if you had more stories planned for this world?
Hi Robin/Megan,I've read and reread all of your books I could get my hands on, and have loved them. I just wanted to give a special shout-out to Cloven Hooves, which I adored and which made me sob and want to run away to the woods. Many, many thanks and please keep writing as fast as you can.
Amy Osterholm
QUESTION for Robin Hobb from Catherine in Merlin, OR: I find your detailed descriptions of food and physical pain especially vivid. Can you talk a bit about if those subjects are particularly inspirational to you?P.S. I absolutely love your books and always recommend the Assassin series to anyone who will listen, to get them on the path. Thank you for your time <3
~Catherine
Hi Robin,You seem have created a very large and complete world in which you have placed your novels which I enjoy immensely.
How did this world come about? Did you create a world and then start telling stories in it or do the novels spin out the details as required?
Did you always know that Fitz's journey was incomplete at the end of the Farseer Trilogy?
Thanks and please keep writing in this world when you can. There is so much more I would like to see.
Hi Robin,My question concerns The White Prophet's purpose in this particular age, which as far as we are aware was to see that dragons were returned to the world. Which he did by ensuring the return of Tintaglia and Icefyre. Since reading the Rain Wild Chronicles though I have felt that the return of Icefyre and therefore everything that The Fool achieved / sacrificed in Fool's Fate has become kind of unnecessary. In which case was The Fool mistaken that that was his great destiny? Did they go through all that for nothing? Or are for some reason Tintaglia and Icefyre's offspring integral to the future of the world in a way that subsequent dragon offspring are not?
Thanks a lot, your adoring fan.
Hi Robin,
I read the Farseer books and I was wondering how you come up with names for your books? Did you look up popular names on the internet? Did you know someone with those names? My other question is did you plan out the ending for the last book in the trilogy or did it just pop into your head?
Thanks a lot, keep on writing!
I read the Farseer books and I was wondering how you come up with names for your books? Did you look up popular names on the internet? Did you know someone with those names? My other question is did you plan out the ending for the last book in the trilogy or did it just pop into your head?
Thanks a lot, keep on writing!
HelloI have enjoyed your brilliant writing since my father randomly bought me the first two live ship trader novels from a charity shop (a first as he normally buys books 2 and 3 of a trilogy!) which lead to a comedic quest to track down the third book from the countless charity shops in my home town, after finishing the first two ( my father could not remember where he bought them). The noble quest was a success, and a new fan was born.
So to my two questions:
Question 1
As you have already skipped ahead 15years in one of your series, would you consider skipping ahead further, say a few centuries? It would be interesting to see an industrial revolution take on your worlds, or simply the introduction of printing presses and flintlocks to the world. The effect of freely available knowledge on the skill. or perhaps The tension between magic and machine; but rather than the usual 'the magic is dwindling' take have both facets of society thriving, like MAC vs PC or ANDROID vs IPHONE.
Question 2
As there are sailing /ocean going ships, in the elderling / farseer novels it would be interesting for there to be a voyage to a non 'European' setting, say a proxy of china, India, tonga or the Arab states. To see another cultures view on the magics discussed, how they are perhaps more integrated to society, or an accepted part of art or even warfare. Or perhaps even another magic.
Anyway thanks for the stories, I have the soldier son and dragon books in my 'to read box' in the loft......I like to space out what I am confident will be great books with new untested authors, and charity shop randoms from my dad!
Thanks again
Matthew
Hi, Robin!Like all of the others here, I'm a big, big fan of yours. You're my favorite author, and I have recommended your books to so many people! I'm a member of the Yuku board (FoolFarseer there), and you graciously read and responded to an essay I wrote in college comparing Vivacia to The Nike of Samothrace, and you met with some friends of mine in Washington last year over coffee (Susan and company), and she mentioned me as a big fan and a strategy game alliance I made called "Catalyst," and you sweetly autographed my copy of CoD "To the original Catalyst." What a treasure!
SO - with that, I've been brainstorming questions, and hopefully you'll find one of these interesting enough to answer:
1) Did you mean for Tintaglia to be, essentially, a matured version of Sintara? For all of Sin's pride by the end of CoD, so careful to only appear strong and act heartlessly, she shows envy for the life Tintaglia has (a mate, the ability to fly, physical strength & beauty). Meanwhile, Tintaglia is unhappy with her life (her mate, for example), and while she is also proud, she does have the capacity to see beyond herself in some way. For as haughty as Tin was straight out of the cocoon, she tirelessly fought for her species and actually held humans in regard. Was that intentional, and is there a connection you were trying to make between those Queens? It puts me in mind of the evolution of Malta from absolute brat to incredible heroine - in my opinion, that's the best character development in the business.
2) The dragons seem to hide their thoughts even from the reader. Was that because that's how they communicated to you? Or do you know their secrets?
3) Have the Elderlings completely changed in your mind, or did you see them evolving this way on purpose? That's assuming the creatures the keepers are becoming, or Malta/Reyn etc, are early versions of the Elderling that Fitz first saw in his room. Did you imagine reviving the Elderling race at the time you wrote AA, and if you could go back, would Fitz's interpretion of that painting, or of his walking on the Skill Road in AQ, or his use of Skill Pillars, be written any differently?
Hi - James in the UK here!I was so lucky a friend of mine queued for hours to get a signed copy of 'The Dragon Keeper' for me when Robin was visiting Norwich a few years back, she explained to Robin I had been a bookseller for many years before moving to work in libraries (lucky me!) and am always recommending Robin Hobb to anyone who stands still long enough. On the front page Robin wrote ‘thanks for sharing the books!’ it’s a treasured possession now!
I have LOVED the latest series soooo much and just finished Blood of Dragons last week – I thought it was brilliant. I’d like to know if you would write more about the fool / amber who is definitely my favorite character, closely followed by Alise Finbok (so disappointed she didn’t get turned into an elderling though )
Thanks for all the great books!
James
Robin wrote: "Rebecca wrote: "Hi all I'm Becca from Maine and have been reading all of Robin Hobb's series since I was in highschool (that was over a decade ago!) Not to jumpstart the questions but I was wonderi..."It doesn't seem like the plenty wiki is working...
Hi RobinDo you think you'll ever come and visit Melbourne on your book signing tours?
Your books as Robin Hobb are amongst the best I have ever read ever and you are my favourite fantasy author of all time. Your books have the ability to render me to tears at times, especially all those that feature Fitz Chivalry, but my question is this? Will you ever return to the world of Soldier Son or is that chapter of your writing closed forever? I really enjoyed Soldier Son and would love to read more stories set in that world. BTW, I have a few copies of your novels signed and even met you once at a book signing in the U.K and my signed books are amongst my most treasured possessions!Lovin' your work, more please!
Sparky xxx
I was wondering how much is planned ahead. So much stuff gets come back to later, whether it's the Liveships or the city of Kelsingra. Did you create an abandoned city and decide to come back to it later, or did you decided to do it years after the fact?
Dear RobinThanks for taking the time to answer questions. I hope you'll come out to Australia again soon, my partner and I got to meet you in 2011 in Melbourne, where you very patiently signed every one of my first editions.
I have one thing I have been wondering about for ages
(view spoiler)
What can I say that hasn't already been said? Robin, I love your books (especially the Fitz & Fool books). For the first time in 20-some years (ever) I have had to replace the #1 position of my favorite authors of all time! Without giving away too much, I just have to say that the last hunt with Nighteyes is the single most beautiful chapter I have ever read in any literature. Also, I have to say that I sincerely hope a rumor I heard is true (but I won't ask for a response from you) :-). Like many others, I was heart-broken at the end and I just can't bring myself to believe that's all there is. But I'm patient, most really great things are worth the wait and I still have to re-read the Rainwild series before I read BoD.
My question for you is from the Farseer series. I can't find it right now, but I seem to remember a passage about how the Farseer name actually came from what would happen in the future & Fitz was the impetus for this. The way it sounded was that just using the skill the way the royal family had been, wasn't actually 'far seeing', but I can't think of any specific thing the Fitz did to make this clear. Am I just reading too much into this or was this possibly foreshadowing into something else?
Thank you for the wonderful writing and also or being active in social media like this!
Do you have any odd writing habits? Such as writing on index cards like Vladimir Nabokov, or the 500 words Hemingway claimed to write a day. Also, what do you usually use to write? An old typewriter? A specific program? Thanks for the great books!
Margo wrote: "Welcome to the group! Robin will be answering questions on Thursday, April 11th! In the meantime if you have a question for Robin or just want to introduce yourself feel free to do so in this thread."Two questions for Robin:: to what extent do you think that narrative resolutions and character contentment can only come about through pain, suffering and distress? So many of your main characters go through such a horrid time, visceral and at times brutal, and I wonder if you see this is just 'character development' or something more philosophical/ethical/religious? Second question: the symbiosis of creatures in your works is captivating and seems to be another common thread: Witted and their companions, Dragons and Elderlings, etc. Can you comment on this theme throughout your work?? thanks!
Hi Robin, I have no questions but just want to say thank you for the many enjoyable novels you have written.
I enjoyed reading about Fitz and the human- wolf friendship as I love the elements concerning animal friendships and communication in a story. I also have to say I cried a lot in those books. Although I loved the Farseer Trillogy my real love is the Liveship Trader novels. The first I read of your work. I thought the concept of the dragons and wizard wood was very original. I couldn't put the books down and thought it was an epic story. I fell in love with the characters and was gunning for Althea every step of the way. You seem to be able to make me really love a character or really hate a character and that is brilliant or kind of evil to toy with my emotions like that (especially when things don't go my way haha) :) cheers for the books. please keep up with the novels :)
Rachel wrote: "2. When you wrote The Fool, was your intention to deliberately write a character who does not fall into the gender binary, or is this just part of the character's air of mystery?"I'd like to know this as well. Reading about The Fool was one of my first experiences with gender fluidity, and really helped me figure out a lot of things about my own life.
Hey Robin! Long time fan, loved your Fool and Farseer Trilogies, will soon read the other books. Keep up the great writing and thank you for doing this open discussion!
Hi again Robin,I have a bunch of questions for you, but I'll keep it down to two ;)
First, as a writer I have a question regarding your writing process. You are a very prolific writer and finish your books on schedule, it seems to me, so I would really appreciate some insights into your writing process and schedule.
As a reader, I'm really curious whether you knew, while still writing the Farseer trilogy, that you might want to one day return to the same characters and world. When I first read Assassin's Apprentice, I got the impression that the Fitz writing his story was a very old man, and not just a thirty-five year-old. Though when I reread the, there seemed little enough reason why I should have made such an assumption :)
Thanks again for this opportunity!
Greetings! Robin, you are on my list of top 20 writers of any genre. You simply inspire me.
As a fellow fantasy writer (albeit unpublised), I too would like to know more about your writing process.
For example, do you have a particular daily/weekly writing schedule? Can you write anywhere, or do you prefer a specfic physical space such (i.e. home office)? Do you use authoring software (e.g. Scrivener?
FYI, I'm an American who is currently living on a small farm in Ireland. I find that being in an environment similar to the pre-industrial world I'm writing about helps a lot. So, one last question: Do you spend a lot of time communing with nature or are you a bonafide city girl?
Continued good luck and health to you.
Hi Robin,Love your Rain Wild Chronicles. I'm excited about Blood of Dragons! I met you (and Jana Oliver) last year at the Decatur Book Festival in Atlanta. Your Flights of Fantasy discussion was excellent and I learned so much from you both.
Just wanted to say hi and congrats. I just don't want this series to end!!
Hiiiiii Robin!!!!!Do you carry a lunchbox?
I met you in Melbourne at Supanova a couple of years ago. I don't know if you remember me (I was wearing a blue hijab - Islamic headscarf) I was totally starstruck so I didn't really tell you how much I love your novels so I'll tell you now. I loooooooove your work! :P When life seems a little dull your stories always give me something to look forward to. The only thing I don't like about your stories is that they end!!! Thank you!!!!
Samira
Hi Robin,I am a fan from Australia. I have enjoyed your books for many years. I absolutely loved your Liveship Traders series and then you wrote The Rain Wild Chronicles. They are amazing.
There are so many aspects of your writing that I admire, but I am particularly in awe of your character development.
My question is how do you go about planning your character development or do you not plan that aspect and allow it to develop more organically as you write?
Thanks for sharing such wonderful worlds and characters with us.
Catherine
PS: I'd love it if you could make it down to Brisbane some time. We have a GenreCon coming up in October ;)
Ask Robin Hobb - Thursday, April 11th!
Books mentioned in this topic
The Dragon Keeper (other topics)Dragon Haven (other topics)
City of Dragons (other topics)
Blood of Dragons (other topics)
How different was the arc of the rain wild chronicles from what you initially envisioned at the story's genesis?