Day: February 13, 2004

Letter from Kelly

Letter from Kelly

Hi,
I had a great idea for another book. Maybe you could do a book where Lessa or Jaxom jumps between time back to Earth when the stories of dragons do not exist yet and they would start those legends. And if they don’t, the legends of dragons would not be there to inspire the first colonists to make fire-lizards bigger so they could flame Threads more effectively.

What do you think?

kelly

Kelly,

Thank you for the suggestion but I can’t use it. For one thing, there are all sorts of ethical issues involved in taking someone’s story idea and expanding on it.

For another thing, it’s not a story I’d want to tell, although I’ve heard it suggested many times, sometimes as a joke (it wasn’t Uter Pendragon, it was Uter Perndragon).

Besides, I’m not worried about running out of stories. Off the top of my head, I’ve got another six more novels in the Third Pass that I want to tell soon. I’ve also been asked by Mum to consider writing about the Nathi Wars, which would be more military-sf type books than standard Pern fare.

Cheers,
Todd

Letter from Michelle

Letter from Michelle

I visited the Anne McCaffrey site and found you…how does one become a draft reader–that’s always been a dream job in my eyes.

Michelle,

I don’t think being a draft reader is a dream job.

As a writer, no matter how hard I try, I know that I’ll never write the perfect book. My next book will always be better than the one I’m working on — because I’ll have learned more about writing. (Writers never stop learning about the craft of writing).

A draft reader has to understand that the writer still has work to do on the book and be willing to make her opinions known gently to the writer. It requires both honestly and tact. It also requires that the writer knows the draft reader, understands that the draft reader will be both honest and supportive, and that the writer can rely on the draft reader’s insights.

So, I guess the short answer to how one becomes a draft reader is get to know writers who can trust your judgement and your tact and are looking for draft readers! And, of course, the draft reader must be able to keep her knowledge of the book to herself — because the book will undoubtedly change (for the better) before it gets published.

Cheers,
Todd

Letter from Novashannon

Letter from Novashannon

Todd,
Just finished reading your collaboration with your Mum. Dragon’s Kin (shouldn’t that be Dragons’ Kin?) kept up the grand tradition of yarnspinning that your mom began. I look forward to the next installment!

Novashannon,

Well, it could go either way “Dragon’s Kin” meaning “Kin of Dragon” or “Dragons’ Kin” meaning “Kin of Dragons”. It wasn’t the original title, by the way. I suck at titles and my first title rarely sticks with the project.

The next installment will be a bit aways, as I’m finishing Dragonsblood. Dragon’s Kin is actually a prequel to Dragonsblood which begins when Kindan is about twenty-six. Mum and I are talking about more books to fill in the gap between the end of Dragon’s Kin and the beginning of Dragonsblood.

Cheers,
Todd