Q&As with Christopher: The Soothsayer, Saphira’s Parents, Writing Notes, & More!

Soothsayer

Christopher regularly answers fan questions about his latest projects and future works on Twitter. This month, we’re catching you up on some of the exciting information he’s shared:

SCI-FI BOOK

@Twelvepips: Just wondering, what kind of stuff did you research to prepare for this crazy sci-fi novel?

Everything. I researched everything.

@LILY_SAPHIRA: You’re writing something about space??

Yup, full of lasers and explosions and all sorts of fun things.

BOOK FIVE AND BEYOND

@Freelieseven: At one point in the Inheritance Cycle we had a chapter from the point of view of Saphira. Is there any chance we will get that again?

Possibly.

@Navyguywandell1: Just finished Inheritance with my wife, when will we be able to see what happens next? It’s killing us!

Things. Things happen . . . . Lots and lots of things.

@LahaieSpencer: Any relation between the Soothsayer mentioned during Nasuada’s interrogation and Angela? It says neither Elf nor dwarf…

Good question . . . but no comment. 🙂

INHERITANCE CYCLE

@Kamaalnasir: Was Galbatorix a Rider and a Shade?

Heh. No comment.

@Gabehidalgo21: Is it possible for a dragon to mate with an elf, dwarf, human, Urgal, or Ra’zac? If so, is there a record or tale of it in Alagaesia?

Heh. No. 🙂

@Gabehidalgo21: Is the world in which Alagaesia resides the only world?

No.

@Ramziyahh: What happened to Morzan’s estate in the Spine? Did Murtagh claim it as inheritance? Did he ever visit his birth place?

It was being held for Murtagh by Galbatorix until Murtagh came of age. And yes, he’d been there many times.

@Serioussurvivor: If eggs took as long as Saphira did to hatch, how would the elves or Varden know to which child it hatches?

Normally the eggs hatched pretty fast. Plus a Rider would monitor the dragon inside to tell if it was ready to come out.

@GallowayParkerR: If a Rider’s dragon dies, would that Rider lose their immortality because he is no longer bonded with a dragon?

Yup. Brom is an example of this. He was aging slower than a normal human, but he was still aging.

@Margaretlva972: Brom didn’t go through the Agaetí Blödhren ceremony. That’s why he doesn’t look elf-like…right?

Yup. He also wasn’t bonded with a dragon for very long.

@WilHippo: Question: what happened to the Eldunarí of Sapphira’s parents? I would have thought that she would have been excited about that.

They didn’t survive.

@WilHippo: Galbatorix could have taken Saphira’s parents’ Eldunari, so why didn’t he?

They hadn’t disgorged their Eldunari at the time. Plus, sometimes the fighting was so intense, there was no chance of recovery.

@Chacquitic_raid: Can you tell us what spell Angela used to kill the guards under Dras-Leona? What is time but motion? What is motion but heart?

Wibbly wobbly timey wimey.

@Ramziyahh: How did Selana/Brom work exactly? I can’t see grumpy old Brom being romantic in the slightest. As someone who is capable of wooing.

Lol. Brom wasn’t always that grumpy. Besides, dark and brooding always works in the romantic novels!

@Firestar92: Why did Eragon, Saphira, and Arya attack the magicians instead of the man who they were turning into a Shade?

Easier to kill them because they were occupied with their spells.

@Heartspirit902: Sometimes novels get adapted into great video games, like the Witcher series. Do you see that happening for the Inheritance Cycle?

Love to, but Fox has the rights at the moment.

MISCELLANEA

@Youngbl0ods: What do you do when you’re trying to come up with the right name for a character but you’re stuck?

Baby name websites.

@Bigtimejimijam: Do you ever have to tell yourself not to rush it when you’re getting close to the end of a chapter/arc?

Only at the end of the book. Otherwise . . . RUSH IT! Get that sucker done!

@Jddash007: What’s your favorite writing music? Any favorite go-to album or soundtrack?

At the moment, writing to the Blood Dragon soundtrack. Love Tron Legacy, Waterworld, Conan (original), LotRs, & much more.

@AngelinaRMcCork: Do you read other authors’ books? My sister tells me she doesn’t read other books cause it affects her writing.

Depends on the author. Some of them have such strong voices, I can’t read them without starting to imitate.

@Twelvepips: Do you take notes and such while researching?

My assistant and I built a wiki just for my books. So yeah. Notes.

@Margaretlva972: How many times have you read your own books (individually, or as a cycle)?

Too many times.

@Margaretlva972: Have you ever considered writing screenplays?

I’ve actually written a few, yes.

Fans searching for more may be interested in our Q&A archive, in addition to our comprehensive FAQ page. You can also find Christopher on his official Facebookand Twitter pages.

 

Mike Macauley

Mike Macauley is the founder of Shurtugal.com, editor in chief of Lytherus.com, and author of The Inheritance Almanac. Mike can be found on Twitter at @mikemacauley.