I'm fantasy author Patrick Rothfuss - AMA

Question: Pat's Beard - do you sometimes feel Pat is holding you up, and what other career paths might you have chosen if you hadn't elected to keep Mr Rothfuss' chin warm?

Mark: This isn't actually my first gig as a beard. I used to work with Brian Blessed. Those were good days. Shakespeare. Black Adder. Flash Gordon....

While working with Pat isn't nearly as glamorous, there are some perks. I see a lot more catgirls these days for one thing....

When will your next novel, The Doors of Stone be released?

There is no set publication date right now. I'm not being coy. We honestly don't know.

I've got a lot riding on this book, and I really want to make sure I get everything right. I don't want to pull a Matrix on y'all.

He will ignore this. But seriously. It would be so much more fun waiting for the book if I had any slight idea of when it comes out. I love your books, and wouldn't take it as a deadline, get angry or whatever, I'd just like some information.

^{If you send it to me as a message, no one will know and I'll have no way to prove it.}

Unfortunately, you're a bit of an anomaly. Generally speaking, if people hear a date, they assume it's the gospel truth. Then if they find out it isn't the truth, they get pissed.

Like, super pissed.

That happened a lot with book two, and I'm really not eager to repeat the experience.

Rest assured that when there is news about this, I'll announce it publicly on my blog.

if you could know only 1 name, what would it be? why?

My name.

Is there anything close to sheet music or some such for any of the music that Kvothe plays throughout the series? I'd love to hear some of these songs.

Not yet....

^ (That's called foreshadowing, just in case you're wondering.)

I just want you to know I let out a kind of high pitched girly shriek of excitement at the implication of what you are saying here.

Heh. My work is done.

Going off this, is there any band/artist/composer/performer you would specifically want to write and/or play the songs, if they were ever adapted to an album or soundtrack?

I'd love to see what Bare Naked Ladies would come up with for Tinker Tanner....

And some stuff from Leo Kottke. He's a wizard on the guitar.

And I'd love to geek about a bit with Andy Mckee and come up with some stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvar4ZsqsEo

What is your favorite book you have read in the last 3 months?

Sandman Slim.

If all the fantasy authors in the world were actually Highlander style warriors then whose head would you want to chop off first to get their powers?

Fffffffffg...

Gech. I hate going for the obvious answer. But probably Gaiman.

Though now I think of it, I should probably pick someone whose writing strengths would shore up my own weaknesses.

In that case, I think I'd pick Sanderson. He's a much better drafter than I am. Plus he's great at third person. Plus he's great with Plot. I could use more of all those mixed in with my mojo.

Aaaaaand... now that I read the comments below this one I feel kinda unoriginal....

Will we see more of Kvothe after the conclusion of the trilogy? Even if he isn't the main protagonist of any other books that you write in the same universe, will he perhaps feature in some other way?

From the way I've seen Pat evade this question in the past, my guess is that the answer is a spoiler for book 3.

Confirmed: Kvothe dies in a fairie orgy.

Confirmed: Death by Lesbian Unicorn.

ding

That is meant to be the gratifying chimelike noise that indicates someone has given the correct answer to a question.

Mythology seems to be an extremely important factor in your world-building. I'm curious - did you start with the world's mythology, then build a history, then a story? Or did you build mythology as it felt appropriate or to help deepen the story? (I'm guessing a mix?)

Yeah. It's a real chicken and egg situation as to what gets done first. Sometimes it's one, sometimes it's the other. Most times I look back on what I've done and think, "Where did all of this start?"

Mm, I love this question, I hope Pat answers it! On a related note, Pat, I really like how you come up with idioms and other cultural/linguistic quirks ("How is the road to Tinue?" "What does that have to do with the price of butter?" etc.). It gives a lot more authenticity to the world. Did you come up with these completely on your own, or were they inspired by some other book, or real life phrases from other cultures?

"What does that have to do with the price of butter?" is actually a real-world expression.

Back 50-60 years ago, if you grew up in a farming community, like, say, in Wisconsin, the price of butter was really important. Important to everyone.

If you were away from home, and your parents sent you a letter, that would probably be part of the important news they'd include. If the price of butter was high, you knew things were good at home.

That's the world my mom grew up in. When I was in college, and she sent me a card, she'd include how much butter cost at the grocery store. It was a little joke between us.

But yeah. Butter. Important.

Idioms. Also important. They reflect a lot about a culture.

Hey, Pat. I'm not sure if this has been answered, but I remember reading somewhere that Auri wasn't originally part of the story. In a sentence, why did you decide to include her?

There is no rational reason I could give you that would be satisfying. I could explain to you some of the functions she serves in the story. The role she fills.

But that wouldn't be the real truth. Not the true truth.

That doesn't mean there isn't a reason. Merely that it is not a quantifiable, rational thing.

Some questions are not in the realm of raw logic. Art is one of these things. And so is Auri. You might as well ask, "Why a butterfly?"

This is not a question, but it’s something you need to know. When I describe your work to anyone, it can be summed up in one word: deliberate. Whether or not you painstakingly choose each word and calculate for hours on how to best arrange each syllable of the sentence, it feels as if every single statement has intent. I’m not sure if that is something that you have to work hard on, or if it just comes out that way, but that’s how it comes across.

I often find myself reading lines out loud because they sound so completely bad ass that I need to hear them.

I would happily read your writing if it were about a tea party or the proper way to separate laundry. It’s just a bonus that your subject tends to be the love, feel, and joy of performing music, kick ass fighting moves, and two completely different magic systems that could stand by themselves. It’s like you took everything that I secretly wanted in my heart and put it to paper just so I could enjoy it!

I want to thank you for the hours of entertainment. Because of your writing, I have laughed awkwardly in public places, cried (just a little) during breaks at work, and stayed up way past my bedtime just marveling at the world that you dreamed up. Of course everyone is going to be chomping at the bit to read your next book, but feel free to take as long as you want. We aren’t going anywhere.

Thanks much. That's really nice to hear.

Out of curiosity, do you read my blog by any chance?

If you do, do you get the same feel off the writing there?

yes

100% yes

Three times yes.

Heh.

If by some miracle HBO decided to film the Kingkiller Chronicles with your help and blessing, are there any actors you feel are perfect for your characters?

Also, please write a slutty romance novel.

Stay tuned to the blog for info on the slutty romance novel....

Seriously.

Hi Pat. I've been wanting to get your thoughts on pacing for ages. A lot of longer fantasy novels seem to have a lot of padding. But despite the length of your works, there is significant forward momentum. I realize that part of the way you accomplish this is through inserting mysteries and questions for which the readers want answers (pulling us forward with a hook). But I get the sense that I'm simplifying. What else are you doing to pull the reader forward, and what do you keep in mind as you're drafting to accomplish that?

It's a little-known fact that each page of my book is lightly dusted with medical-grade heroin.

Seriously though. You've got the heart of it.

For me to go into the nuts-and-bolts of it here though.... it would be a long, dry, probably pointless explanation. Pacing is a very ephemeral thing. It's sort of like saying, "How do I do the foreplay thing?"

Truth is, there's a lot of good ways to do it. And a lot more bad ways. But there's no formula to follow.

More's the pity.

Modern eReader track their users. Amazon can see how long someone reads a book, which passages they highlight and where they stop reading. They already collect this data on their servers.

Therefore: Do you have access to this? Is this something you would be interested in? You could see which story elements bored your readers, which they really loved and so on.

I'd love to know that shit.

Alas. I don't get access to the data.

I have really enjoyed your books. I am astounded at the number of things you did in your books that just felt right, the non-forced realities of a fantasy world.

What part of The Kingkiller Chronicles makes you giggle with the pleasure of self-realized genius the most? (I know if I had written anything close to these works, I would still be laughing, and would have been committed long ago.)

I don't know if I can point out the thing I'm most proud of, but on my last read-through of the book I hit some parts that surprised me. Made me laugh. Impressed me, even. I found myself thinking, "Wow. I guess there's a good reason people like these books...."

This is probably an incredibly morbid question, so not meant to be offensive. I was impressed with how well Sanderson has stepped into finish Jordan's WOT. I believe I read George RR Martin has expressed that he would not want someone else to finish ASOIF. If something tragic happened would you want your work to be completed or would you be disturbed by the idea of someone else handling your characters?

EDIT: Though maybe this is implied by asking the question, I think you are a terrific author and love your work. So thanks so much for sharing it.

It really depends on where I'd managed to leave the story.

And it also depends on how I ended up making my great exit. If I was hit by a bus.... I probably wouldn't want anyone to just fake their way through more Kingkiller books. Just guessing and making up bullshit.

But if I had time to pick out someone that would do the work after me, and give them a solid cluing-in the way the Jordan did with Brandon. I might be more up for something like that....

One of my favorite things about your books are the poems. I feel like they give real depth to the story. What inspired you to put poems in your books and how long does it take you to write one?

Sometimes it takes a ridiculously long time to get some of the poetry right. There was one day in particular where I was working on one the chapters with a lot of verse in it. I think I spent about 6 hours working on it, I changed things. Moved things. Changed them back.

The end result? Over those six hours I probably tweaked about 3-4 words.

I'm fully willing to admit that I'm a little obsessive.

If a fan wanted to try their hand at writing some Eld Vintic poetry, are there set rules to this form?

Read some of the old Norse Eddas....

Do you think Kvothe, at the height of his power (End of Wise Man's Fear) could beat a seventh-year Harry Potter in a fight to the death?

I'm not the most impartial judge, of course....

That said, I'm guessing Kvothe would eat Harry's lunch.

With the Cthaeh, you invented possibly one of the most ingenious villains of all time, and even now, years after having first read your books, I find myself still thinking about it and just boggling. Some of my friends, however, feel like by introducing this entity, you removed all sense of free will from Kvothe. Is that why the creature plays such a seemingly small role in the story? Because you were afraid of how powerful it was?

I'm glad you like the Cthaeh. I'm rather proud of him....

As for your questions though, I don't think I can answer them in the time/space I have available here.

I will say though, prophecy is a dangerous thing to bring into a story. I handle anything like that very carefully and with much deliberation.

Will a leather-bound version of your novels be available? My apartment smells like rich mahogany and I'm kind of a big deal...

Hopefully yes.

What do you think about George R.R. Martin, specifically the way certain fans insist that they are owed a book being released in a timely fashion? Do you feel similar pressure?

Also, thanks for being a phenomenal writer.

I felt a bonecrushing amount of pressure with book two.

These days it's better. Now the pressure is merely horrifying.

Hi Pat, are there any plans/desire to write novels out of phase with your previous work? A crime drama? A Western? A Reference Manual?

I would read Pat's shopping list

He just released his last shopping list, so we may have three or four years to go before we get another one.

Heh.

Yeah. Eventually.

Book three first though.

We are doing a sequel to the Princess book soon, too. You'll see that before too long.....

Which character is the one that got away from you the most (the one you had plans for that had to be changed a lot during the writing process)?

I don't go in for that sort of thing.

Do I love my characters? Yes.

Are they in control? No.

If I were inviting Kvothe and Harry Dresden over for dinner, what should I cook?

Humble Pie. They both could use a little bit of that.

Hey Pat, thanks for doing this. My question: have you read Jo Walton's incredibly detailed re-read of your first 2 novels over on Tor.com? And if so, is there anything there that surprised you - something they got completely wrong, or something you didn't think they'd figure out, and so on?

Edit: just read the post linked below, so I know the answer to the first question... but I'm still curious about the others. Thanks!

He has.

I haven't, actually. I just did the interview with them.

I was flattered that they did the read-through. But I didn't want to tune in for all the speculation. I worry that it would crapulate my writing process.

If you woke up tomorrow and The Doors of Stone was totally complete on your computer, completely edited, exactly how you would have hoped (and why not? in 20 different languages... as long as we're dreaming).

What would you do? With that burden off your shoulders what would be the first thing you'd do to unwind?

Good question.

I'd probably spend a good couple months just goofing off with my little boy and playing the new X-Com. Which I haven't even dared buy yet, because I've been so busy...

Sorry I can't be a little more rockstar with my answer. But that's honestly what I'd do....

That's right, ladies and gents; he would spend a few months playing X-Com instead of getting the thing to the publisher. We may now weep.

Heh. I kinda failed that little test, didn't I?

Hello Mr. Rothfuss! I would just like to thank you again for doing this AMA, as well as all the fantastic work you are doing with Worldbuilders. Its always nice to find out your favorite authors aren't assholes. Anyway! My question is What makes copper so darn handy in your books? Its mentioned time and time again, especially in conjunction with Namers, but I can not find a single scientific property that makes copper unique. The only theory I have is related to human history and metallurgy, or is copper just a random element you picked as a foil to Naming. Thanks again!

Good question.

Dear Pat,

Elodin's you, innit?

[deleted]

True.

“It is the questions we can’t answer that teach us the most. they teach us how to think.” May I just quickly add a question to this real quick? What are the first few novels you are going to introduce to Oot? Or will you just let him discover reading on his own?

We read to him all the time. Many, Many books. Sarah's already read him some Roald Dahl. I've already read him chunks of the Hobbit.

What is your favorite dinosaur?

Brontosaurus.

What are your favorite books of 2012? (Fantasy or otherwise)

I review books all the time on my goodreads profile...

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/108424.Patrick_Rothfuss

I go into much greater detail there than I ever could here.

Do you feel that pants, or the lack there of, are an important part of the creative process?

Generally speaking, pants are an impediment to creativity.

Which is why I'm not wearing any right now....

Don't you write in your office? Isn't there some rule about wearing pants in offices? Do you scare your female staff? or are they quite used to and quite pleased to see you pant-less every day. Personally, I'd prefer you topless as well.

When I hire people, I pretty much say, "There's a good chance you're going to see me without my pants on. Are you going to be okay with that?"

My wife and I had a tenant move into our house/my pottery studio. Since she had known me for a while her first rule was that I had to wear pants... I thought I could handle it... I was so very wrong...

Pants are the harbinger of civilization.

That said, true art is rarely civilized.

If you could have a pet from a fantasy setting (not necessarily yours) what would it be and why?

EDIT: Also, I'm a huge fan. Thanks for writing, and thanks for joining us tonight.

Catgirl.

Because reasons.

Hi Pat, thanks for writing such awesome books.

We know that you are a huge Joss Whedon fan... now that you are starting to have connections (such as Felicia), can we expect any project involving you both in the future, or it's still just a fantasy?

Oh god.

The problem is this: Joss is brilliant. Amazing storyteller. Musical. Wired in with Hollywood.

What do I bring to the table other than a manly beard and a nice baritone?

Please let this be more than a dream! You two are my favorite wordsmiths. I just did a Google image search on you two and there's no immediate result with you two meeting. Has this actually not happened yet?

We haven't met. He's the one person I'm actually a little scared of meeting in real life. I might not be able to maintain my calm.

I first heard of your novels via an open letter you wrote to Nathan Fillion offering to buy the rights to Firefly and continue the series. Since that didn't work out, did you ever buy the abandoned missile silo??

Nah. I decided to run a charity instead.

http://blog.patrickrothfuss.com/2012/11/worldbuilders-2012/

Did you base any characters in The Kingkiller Chronicle off of personal heroes? If so, could you tell us which characters and which heroes of yours?

Do you have any desire to start a bar like Kvothe in your later years? I think an Eolian style bar would do well in Nashville with so many musicians living here. Shall we make this happen? I promise beer and money will runneth over.

What should I name my next batch of home brew beer? It's a Czech pilsner.

1. Nope.

2. Not a bar. I'd like to run a used bookstore.

The Kingkiller Chronicle seems to focus heavily on storytelling, especially oral storytelling. Is this something that you're personally interested in? Or do you think it's just a really effective device?

I am all about the story. Story is king.

How extensive are your outlines, world building documents, and character sketches?

Pretty thin compared to most authors, I'm guessing. I don't have tons of notes like Herbert and Jordan left behind....

Hi, Pat! Big fan of your books and your beard. I've noticed that in many conversations between Kvothe and Denna, Kvothe says a lot of 7 worded sentences that tend to be very charming or important to their relationship. Was this an intentional easter egg?

Things like that don't happen by accident.

Have you sold any rights for film or television adaptions of your works yet? :)

Not yet.

You have access to a jukebox with every song ever created, but only one quarter. What song do you pick?

Is anyone else around? Because if they are, I'd pick "Love Shack." Just so I could sing along in an overenthusiastic way.

Thanks for being great! On a scale from 1 to 10, how much is the shit going to hit the fan in book 3?

It might go up to eleven....

Okay this one is something I just came across yesterday while reading a book for a college course. I came across the word Skraeling a term that the Vikings used for Eskimos and was wondering if they had any relation ship to the Scraeling ("Spider Demons") in NotW? Just curious.

Wow. What a crazy random happenstance....

Duel time. Who wins in single combat, all weapons/skills allowed.

Dagon vs Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane

Taborlin the Great vs Dumbledore

Elodin vs Marvin the Paranoid Android

Kvothe vs Cinder coughcough

Denna vs Navi the fairy (from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)

This cracked me up.

Do you currently suspect Doors of Stone will turn out to be longer or shorter than Wise Man's Fear? Or about the same size?

No longer. Maybe even a bit shorter.

You mentioned in a blog post that you were looking into having a Four Corners board game made. Did anything come of that?

In process.

Hi Pat, Has any of rampant internet speculation surrounding the future direction of The King Killer Chronicles made you change anything that you had included in the original manuscript for "The Doors of Stone"?

Nope. I don't read the speculation.

Who do you think is the most interesting character in the Kingkiller Chronicles and why?

Hopefully? Kvothe.

Second place? Denna and Bast.

Pat,

I found my first copy of your book Name of the Wind in a free book bin while in Afghanistan. Do you still get feelings of giddy and wonder when you find out how far spread your books have traveled?

Yeah. It's more than slightly mind-boggling at this point. Translated into 34 languages and such. It's strange to think of how many people have read it all over the world....

Can you tell us anything about the new fantasy series you recently sold?

I'm unreasonably proud of "How Old Holly Came to Be."

Coming out in the Unfettered anthology.

Have you ever thought about making your world available for a D&D/Pathfinder campaign or something? Or maybe even making your own tabletop game, with its own rules and everything?

Yeah. It will happen eventually. But right now I just don't have the time.

Not in the D&D system though. My world just doesn't fit into that class and level framework....

what's your favorite part about being a dad? has this impacted your writing style or what you choose to write in any way?

My favorite part of being a dad is everything.

I put off becoming a father for a long time because I was worried I wasn't mature enough. I was worried about what I would have to give up.

I didn't realize how much it adds. How easily it dovetails into your life.

Little Oot is the best part of my day. He's the only thing that always makes me happy.

Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what genre and/or artists are playing most often?

Absolutely not. Silence. Focus. Solitude.

Because you've been writing the Kingkiller Chronicles for so long, do you ever feel creatively frustrated by not being able to branch out and work on different projects?

A little bit. I try to scratch that itch by working on smaller things like short stories or joint projects like The Adventures of The Princess and Mr. Whiffle.

Where is Newarre located?

It's just down the road from Rannish. Just head down that way points you can't miss it.

So, there's that amazing scene where kvothe and felurian switch into rhymed tetrameter. Should we read that (and the similar scene later with denna) as plot significant or stylistic? feel free to whistle innocently by way of answer.

Whistles in an innocent yet slightly sinister way

Hello Pat :) !!!

What are some of favorite fan creations based off your work ? (drawing, fan fiction, craft, etc etc).

I relentlessly stalk Deviantart for fanart of my books.

http://kvothe.deviantart.com/

I can't draw worth a damn, so I'm a geek for fanart.

So no spoilers, I just want to know if this world will exist or have other stories set in it beyond the third book.

Yes.

Any plans of limited edition set when the third one is done?

yup.

For a couple of years you've made passing references on your blog about an updated website. Any ETA on that?

July?

July-ish?

Hey Mr. Rothfuss! I love your books and look forward to The Doors of Stone.

Question: If all of your characters were real people, which one would you and your son probably enjoy hanging out with the most?

I personally would befriend Count Threpe.

I think Oot and I would have a good time hanging out with Elodin.

Would you rather see your books as movies, with their higher production values, or as a cable series, with their ability to tell longer story arcs?

TV, probably.

I was at your reading/signing/Q&A at Virginia Tech last February, and my friend and I had you sign "Go Hokies" on our books. My question is: what is the funniest/most unique thing that you someone has asked you to write in their copy of your book?

Someone had me sign a book to his friend. It was something like, "Joe, you're a dumb bag of dicks" or something like that.

I thought that was pretty funny....

The system of magic in your Kingkiller series is one of my favourite in fiction - a very impressive and unique creation. What's your favourite aspect of sympathy?

Slippage.

First, thanks for writing such amazing books. My brain has been going nuts with speculation for the last couple of years, so my questions are from the select few which I think don't yield spoilers but which are also nice and short.

1. Does the prefix "rhin" (as in rhinata, rhinta, rhintae, and rhinna) mean "shape"? Do the words in the parentheses share a connection through its meaning?

2. Does "cyaerbasalien" mean something along the lines of or close to "put air in the copper in the basalt"?

3. How do you pronounce "Sithe"? Is it like "seethe" or like "scythe"?

4. On the vase that Nina showed Kvothe, was the Amyr using his left or right hand for the sign of rebuke?

Thank you for your time!

Good questions.

1. It's pronounced (unfortunately) like the dark-side-of-the-force Jedi types.

Do you have any advice or examples to learn from when it comes to conveying physicality? I'm trying to write short stories where physical activity is central to the characters and I'm having trouble properly conveying it.

Bonus question : Is the Ketan inspired by Wing Chun or a similar 'soft' martial art?

The Latantha is absolutely a soft martial art. Other Adem forms are not.

I think of it as closer to Yang style Tai Chi Chuan though....