I have no idea where the time has gone since my last post except that I know I've been busy but I don't now recall exactly what it was that I've been busy doing. . .
That aside, I am currently reading Shadow of a Dark Queen (Volume I of the Serpentwar Saga) by Raymond E. Feist and quite enjoying it. I've had the second book in the series, Rise of a Merchant Prince, for a couple of years but had not read it because I wanted to read the first book first.
Whenever I begin reading a new author (new to me) I always check for an author website; I do love to find out more about the writers whose work I'm reading and also learn more about what other works they've written.
Raymond Feist has a wonderful article on his website concerning the history and genesis of Midkemia, the land in which the series is set. I especially love this quote: "I don't write fantasy. I write historical novels about an imaginary place."
This very much falls in line with what I've stated earlier about my own philosophy regarding worldbuilding and novel writing. I am most drawn to novels where it is obvious that the setting of the story is fully developed and not contrived to accommodate the characters.
Yes, I prefer character driven novels to plot driven ones but I want to see how the characters react to the world into which they are placed as opposed to the world in which they live meeting their needs. Isn't that how we, in the real world, must live?
Five days left until Christmas; I am so not ready.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
On Worldbuilding - Thoughts from Raymond E. Feist
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Hello my Mississippi neighbor.
What a coincidence. I justed posted an article called "A Storm's a' Comin'" about storms, serendipitous moments, and life in New Orleans in August. I hit "Next" to take a break and read someone else's blog, and yours came up. Nicely done. And I see that you are a fan of juicy stormy weather.
OK, back to work...
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