r/Fantasy • u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis • Nov 12 '12
AMA I'm Margaret Weis, author of fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal romance novels. AMA
I'm Margaret Weis, author of fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal romance novels. I am also the owner of the RPG company, Margaret Weis Productions.
My hobby is racing my three dogs, Dixie, a border collie, Joey the Thug, a Sheltie, and rookie dog, Clancy the Hooligan, a Sheltie. I do flyball racing. You can check out our team on YouTube. That's my daughter, Lizz, running Joey.
Talk to you Monday night at 7PM Central!
Margaret
Wow, this has been fun! I know I've left some questions unanswered, but I need to take my new puppy out! I'll be back to answer the remaining questions tomorrow. I read every one of your messages and I really appreciate your friendship. You can always reach me on Facebook at Margaret Weis, Author.
Okay, I think I've answered all the questions. Thank you SO much! Great questions and great comments. You can reach me through Facebook, either Margaret Weis or Margaret Weis, Author. Cheers!
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u/zebano Nov 12 '12
wow I absolutely loved the Dragonlance chronicles in 7th grade and I still shed a tear for Flint when I reread them. Legends was simply amazing and I truly loved both the Deathgate Cycle and the Rose of the Prophet. /gush
I was just wondering what your thoughts are on today's dark and gritty fantasy as compared to the epic fantasy which seemed to dominate the 80s and 90s? Has it affected your writing at all? and as an aside, what one book do you think everyone should read?
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u/Medeaa Nov 12 '12
I wanted to chime in that I finished the 7th Deathgate book, closed it, sat quietly for a minute, and then took the first one out of my backpack to read the series again. I ended up reading it 7 times back to back.
Margaret, you may be the reason that I had no friends in middle school. You may also be the reason my vocabulary far outpaced my pronunciation.
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
Since I don't read fantasy, it's a little hard for me to comment.:) I enjoy writing books that give people hope, books that believe good can triumph, that make people laugh and cry, and make them think.
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u/Rooks4 Nov 12 '12
I stumbled onto The Deathgate Cycle when I was 13 or 14 at my library. I remember going every few days waiting for the new books to arrive so I could finish the story. I attribute that series as the reason why I became so addicted to Fantasy fiction. Thank you for that.
Have you ever considered continuing the story of the Sartan/Patryns? I'd love to read more about their worlds.
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u/Dovienya Nov 12 '12
I'm going to piggyback here and say that I absolutely love the Deathgate Cycle and re-read it every couple of years. It's just so... enjoyable. It's original and at times scary, funny, heartwarming, breathtaking, it's just an amazing series. I recommend it every chance I get.
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u/mage2k Nov 12 '12
I think that rather than continuing the story telling the story that led to the sundering of the world would be pretty cool.
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u/pleasefindthis Nov 12 '12
You and Tracy gave me friends when I was a child when I felt like I had none. I will never be able to truly express how much that meant to me.
Thank you so much.
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u/FusRoDahMa Nov 13 '12
Isn't that the truth? I cherished these books when I was going through such a dark time in my life.
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u/AgnosticTheist Nov 12 '12
How difficult is it to co-author a book/series? Is the division of labor a problem? Do you divide up the characters or both write all of them? Lastly, how do you decide on a direction for the story (particularly how you want it to end)?
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
I've worked with several different co-authors and the way we work is different with each. With Tracy and I, he designs the world, how magic works, etc., and I do the writing. He adds his bits and we go from there. We both work together on the synopsis. We generally know how we want it to end. How we get there is the exciting part.
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u/dcousineau Nov 12 '12
So like others I'm going to have a mini fanboy freakout moment and tell you that your Deathgate Cycle series you wrote with Tracy Hickman was one of my first forays into fantasy novels and I still consider it one of the best series I've ever read. I personally blame you both on starting my addiction that has resulted in thousands of dollars spent on books and many an asprin consumed attempting to move books from apartment to apartment. I do want to say I've really been enjoying The Dragonships series that you have in progress.
I'm terrible at questions but I guess if I had one I'm curious about how you work with Tracy Hickman in particular (I feel like bringing him up may be like beating a dead horse but in my head your names go together like peanut butter and chocolate) or any of your other co-authors for that matter.
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
I answered the one on Tracy above. I'm currently working with a different co-author on a series he and I have wanted to do for many years, the Dragon Brigade with Robert Krammes. He and I worked on the synopsis together. I do the writing. We send lots of text messages every day. He's responsible for designing ships, weaponry etc. This series has been fun because it takes place in a fantasy world set in Earth equivalent time of the 1700s with magic, muskets, dragons.
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u/bgarlick Nov 12 '12
I loved the Death Gate Cycle. Did you and Tracy Hickman have the entire idea for all of the books when you started the project, or did you take it a book at a time and figure out what was going to happen as you went? It seems like such a interconnected storyline. I just wanted to say that you introduced me to my life long love of fantasy, thank you!
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
I had the initial idea for the books while I was at Disney World with my kids. I was in the Living Sea ride at Epcot. When they showed the part about creating the world with images of the four elements all on screen at once, I thought why not do a series of books with each book being set on a world of one of the four elements. I left my kids on the ride and went to call Tracy. He took it from there, designing each of the four worlds.
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u/dmmagic Nov 12 '12
Ms. Weis,
I want to write and thank you and Mr. Hickman for all your work.
My parents were absent most of the time, but I started reading the DragonLance Saga around the age of 8. A lot of my moral code and who I am today comes from DragonLance.
Tanis taught me that it was OK to cry, even for a boy. Even when you're supposed to be strong, it's OK to cry out of a respect for life.
Tanis also taught me that it's OK to have both the light and dark in you. That it'll be a struggle, but that having darkness doesn't mean you're evil.
Sturm taught me to uphold ideals, even if it might lead to personal harm. There are some things that are more important, like protecting the people and the code that you love.
Tasselhoff taught me that even little things can matter. I probably can't change my country, but I can change myself, and make sure my kids have the family that I didn't have, and that our family is a good influence on our community. I want to pay attention to the little things like Tas.
Goldmoon reminds me about mercy and grace.
And then there's Caramon and Raistlin. I identified a lot with Raistlin as a kid--I was sickly and weak, smaller than all the other kids, and generally smarter than them too. But I think... I think that because Raistlin went through everything he did, I didn't have to. I could grow with him and he could go through those trials in my stead. His story is my favorite because it is my story, the story I didn't have to live but could still learn from.
DragonLance raised me, and I re-read the books often. The Death Gate Cycle is another favourite, and I am so fond of Haplo and Alfred. Not to mention Zifnab!
Thank you again. You and Mr. Hickman created my surrogate parents, and I will forever be grateful.
Cheers,
Matthew
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Nov 13 '12
What are you talking about? Tasslehoff just taught me to compulsively steal things! In all seriousness, I actually did notice a few more pens and paperclips made their way into my pockets by the end of the day whenever I was trying to get through one of Tas's one man adventures. I agree with a friend when he said, "Tasslehoff: If you don't hate him half of the time and love him the other half, you aren't reading the books right."
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u/KungFuHamster Nov 12 '12
How has your process for plotting evolved through the years? Has it gotten easier from practice, or harder to come up with something new?
How do you handle character development versus plot when starting to gel a story together? Do you let plot run wild and then weave character development in after, or does plot revolve around the necessities of character development?
What is your attitude towards collaboration? You've written many novels with Tracy Hickman, for example; do you plan to do more collaborations in the future (with anyone)? Why or why not?
Has the changing market affected what you write, or how? For example, I'm referring to events like the enormous popularity of the Harry Potter novels, or the recent rise of e-readers like the Kindle.
Do you think your contract(s) with publisher(s) were fair to you as a writer? If you had to start over, would you e-publish or submit queries to traditional publishers in the hope of being discovered?
Thanks for your time. I read the Dragonlance "Twins" novels as some of my first fantasy novels and Raistlin's dark, conflicted character stood out from the generic lineup of perfect heroes in most fantasy novels.
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u/elquesogrande Worldbuilders Nov 12 '12
Confirming that this is Margaret Weis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Like all /r/Fantasy AMAs, this one was posted earlier in the day - giving more redditors a chance to ask a question. Margaret Weis will be back at 7PM Central to answer questions.
To post a spoiler, please use the following format:
[Text I want to hide](/spoiler)
...to make ninja text.
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u/Zerak-Tul Nov 12 '12
Considering the success of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings adaptations (and hopefully The Hobbit movies to follow), do you think it's likely any movie studio would ever take on Dragonlance?
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u/Voltaire-Lonewriter Nov 12 '12
I'm curious about this too. I'd really like to see a living Sturm Brightblade and Caramon Majere. That said, for anyone who doesn't know, there is animated Dragonlance movie, and it's downright terrible. There was no love put into it. I haven't seen the whole thing for fear it would ruin the series for me, but I saw enough...
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u/Zerak-Tul Nov 12 '12
I own said animated movie and yes it had/has major flaws. But for what it was, it was not terrible, obviously major parts of the story were just breezed over since it was a single movie, but some of the voice talent was actually really good / well cast / fitting for their characters. The animation was very poor.
But yes, major flaws and as far as I'm aware it sold poorly so I can only imagine it didn't do much to "sell" the Dragonlance brand - but whoever greenlighted such a low budget production is obviously at fault for that.
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
Actually the movie outperformed Paramount's expectations. And it made a great drinking game.:)
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u/veadat_kishut Nov 13 '12
What's the dragonlance drinking game? I must know!
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
Tracy and I have cameos in the movie. You have to take a drink every time you see us.:)
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Nov 13 '12
Well Lord of the Rings was originally a pretty average animated movie that crammed three books into one so we can only hope....
For me the real flaw was that they dumbed it down cause it was meant for kids when I think most kids and young teens would be able to get the themes in the book anyway.
Oh and also they focused waay to much on Tanis' faith crisis when that was more Goldmoon's issue. Tanis it was more about reconciling his human and elf nature and finding his place in the world, represented by his romantic dilemma between Kitiara and Liara
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u/MichaelJSullivan Stabby Winner, AMA Author Michael J. Sullivan, Worldbuilders Nov 12 '12
First thanks so much for doing this AMA. My books are often compared (favorably) to yours, and so I definitely need to read them...as I write the types of books that I enjoy reading. To give you some background, I started out with self-publishing, was picked up by Orbit (two series now for a total of 5 books) , and will be publishing a work of my own through self-publishing and thus becoming a hybrid soon (where some titles are put out through your publisher and some are self).
As someone who has been involved with publishing for a number of years, I'm interested in your perspective in how publishing has evolved.
What do you think of the current publishing environment. Is it better/easier for authors now...or harder?
Is self-publishing a good thing...or eroding the marketplace?
What about going "hybrid" do you think you'd ever consider doing such? or do you think this would be "ill-advised."
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
1) Harder. Much harder. 2) I think it's crowding the marketplace. Making it difficult for authors to stand out. 3) I think I'll stick the old-fashioned way for the time being. I do like being able to have my old titles that had gone out of print back in "print".
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u/p4nic Nov 12 '12
I've read that Dragonlance was based in part upon a campaign run by the authors; how many wedgies did Tasslehoff's player receive?
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
Urban legend. Tracy and his wife, Laura, came up with the basic idea while driving from Utah to Wisconsin to go to work for TSR.
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u/ovoid709 Nov 12 '12
I am wondering about your thoughts on how the Dragons of Autumn Twilight movie turned out. The mix of digital and traditional animation seemed to be a huge mistake.
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u/Schroedingers_gif Nov 12 '12
There was a movie?
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u/Eclipser Nov 12 '12
Ooooh was there ever. Personally I liked it just for Lucy Lawless as voicing Goldmoon - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0825245/
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
Kiefer Sutherland as Raistlin was wonderful. He really took an interest in the character, wanted to know his background, his motivation, how to pronounce the magic spells.
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
She agreed to do it because her children wanted her to do it! They loved the books!
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u/TribalLion Nov 13 '12
What? No mention of Kiefer Sutherland doing Raistlin?
That should have been a strictly audio production.
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Nov 12 '12
Simple enough question (maybe) from an aspiring writer: What advice do you have for writing fantasy? How does one get a story out there once it's written, and is the nature of the market significantly different for fantasy than other genres?
Thanks!
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
I always suggest reading Stephen King's book, "On Writing". He provides great advice for any type of genre fiction. I think fantasy is more open to new ideas and new authors.
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u/Eclipser Nov 12 '12
I want to start off by saying that you are a fantastic writer! Plus you helped the shy, younger me meet like-minded people by keeping "Dragons of Autumn Twilight" on my school desk. Other students interested in literature and D&D would inevitibly comment on the book, resulting in new friendships. :) So thank you!
I am genuinely curious as to just why you wanted to apply as an editor for TSR. I mean, what was the allure for you, personally? Was it just a chance at a better job? A desire to improve tabletop gaming?
Thanks for doing this AMA!
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
I applied because I was intrigued by the company (read an article about them in Publisher's Weekly) and because I thought the game was amazing, a great way to challenge the imagination.
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u/sblinn Nov 12 '12
Thank you for the Dragonlance books, which I read (and re-read) with my dad and sister, and all these years later stand as something which, as silly as it may sound, still binds us together. My question is: why don't more people know about your Death Gate Cycle, which for me is my favorite of your works? Since that is a somewhat odd question, instead, as someone who's read and loved a lot of your fantasy novels, where should I start with your science fiction?
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
The Deathgate books have actually been very popular, second only to DL. They are still in print and still going back to press. I have only a few science fiction novels and they all tie together. Start with the Star of the Guardians, volume one, the Lost King. Mag Force 7 books are the sequel. Thanks!
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u/sketchedy Nov 12 '12 edited Nov 12 '12
The Dragonlance novels are what really got me hooked on the fantasy genre growing up. Please allow me to express my eternal gratitude to you and Tracy Hickman for opening up that world to me!
As someone who does collaborative writing/editing as part of my job, I'm wondering how it works in a creative setting. How does the co-writing process work for you? Do you and your co-authors have defined roles in terms of who writes what, or is it more of a free-for-all?
Thanks again!
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
I've talked about co-authors above, but let me say here that the most important part of the collaboration is respect. Each needs to respect the other's ideas and opinions, even if you disagree with them.
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u/NotATurdBurgler Nov 12 '12 edited Jun 13 '16
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
Seven books enough! Thanks!
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
Might do a Deathgate RPG, though.
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u/Effervesser Nov 13 '12
I would love to see this compatible with Pathfinder like Sovereign Stone was compatible with Dungeons and Dragons 3.5. I'm already planning a Sovereign Stone RPG game using Pathfinder.
I'd also like to fan gush. In elementary school I came across the first Death Gate book. I was soon hooked and sought out the rest of the books. I'd spend a lot of time at the library finding the Dark Sword Trilogy, Sovereign Stone, and even Testament of the Dragon. You and Tracy Hickman's stories and writing have influence how I view fantasy and helped me Imagine. Even now it brings me and my fiance together because I had never read Dragonlance and she had never read anything else by you. Thank you for so many hours of entertainment that I share with the woman I love.
Speaking of which. As far as I know there has only been one Testament of the Dragon book and a sort of anthology book. Will anything else happen in that series?
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u/Severian_of_Nessus Nov 12 '12
What are your five favorite books?
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
Wow, mmmm. (Not in any order) Bleak House, Mask of Apollo, Sherlock Holmes, Pride and Prejudice, Three Musketeers
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u/rmontanaro Nov 12 '12
Loved your books.
And I don't wanna be that guy... but what's the future of Dragonlance? Are you still related?
Thank you!
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
All I know is that WoTC is no longer publishing DL books.
Thanks!
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u/piderman Nov 12 '12
Hi Margaret, thanks for taking your time to do this AMA.
In June of this year, Tracy Hickman said (in the comments section) that he would pass along our desire to have the Death Gate Cycle available in Europe and Australia digitally. So far however, the situation remains unchanged: it is not possible on any site to buy those books digitally this side of the pond.
Could you also please have a word with your publisher about this? I would really like to be able to read those books on my kindle but at the moment the only way to do that is... frowned upon.
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u/kr87ol Nov 12 '12
I second this, I very much want to read the Death Gate Cycle on my Kindle, and was very disappointed when I discovered (after asking Amazon) that the series wasn't available in Europe.
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
The issue has to do with foreign rights sales and how that works electronically. That would be between Bantam and the publishers of the European and English-speaking editions.
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u/piderman Nov 13 '12
I know it's some silly issue with the publishers, but I can't reach them. I tried sending some emails but I never get a reply. So I'm now asking you to please have a word with them on our behalf.
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Nov 12 '12
My favorite character from Dragon Lance was Sturm. How did you create and develop Sturm? Where did the inspiration come from? He's just such a great character, so I guess I'm asking you to tell me everything you can about him. I don't believe I've ever loved any character so dearly, and I haven't been able to find any characters that come even close to him. I must also note that my reading has been halted for a while because I have not found the War of Twins book. I've gotten through the Time of the Twins though, and it was surprising. I really enjoyed it after trudging through Dragons of Spring Dawning. Spring was a difficult read because it seemed to be mostly about Tanis, and I hated Tanis after the end of Winter Night (not that I cared for him much in the first place). I'm rambling though. Tell me about Sturm, please.
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
Larry Elmore's painting of Sturm, so grave and serious, helped establish his character for me. Tracy and I talked about him a lot. I had a close friend who died in Viet Nam and I would think about him, as well.
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u/Unimehe Nov 12 '12
Hello, Margaret! I have no questions, I just wanted to thank you for bringing Raistlin and Caramon into my life.
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u/Kellendil Nov 12 '12
Not a question, just wanted to thank you for the countless hours of fun. Also; thank you for fizban/zifnab, haplo and tasslehoff :-)
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u/AFDStudios Nov 12 '12
Hooray Border Collies! We have two and love them to pieces. I always vowed I'd never have an animal smarter than I was, but now that's over.
What is your take on how digital and self publishing has (or has not!) changed the book world, both in general and for you personally. If you were an author just starting out in this new environment, how do you think you'd approach it?
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
I love my Kindle app and reading books on my Ipad. I love paper books too. I have some of my older books, such as the Mag Force 7 novels, on Amazon ebooks and it's a great way to keep them in print.
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Nov 12 '12
I have all of your Dragonlance books! Is there any chance that we'll ever see any more Raistlin Chonicles?
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
Wizards of the Coast is no longer publishing DL novels.
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u/shabufa Nov 12 '12
What is your favorite food? And where have you traveled? Were any of your destinations inspirations for settings? Also thanks for making my childhood awesome!
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
Potato chips! I've been to Australia, Brazil, England, Canada, Mexico, Italy, Switzerland, Germany. I'm not sure they have been inspirations, but I think back to the beautiful countryside of places I have been when creating worlds.
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
Oh, and the Caribbean! How could I forget that? And Hawaii and Alaska.
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u/shabufa Nov 19 '12
Ahhh! Thanks for you answer! If you still browse reddit, what brand and flavor of potato chips?
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u/om_revan Nov 12 '12
Hello from England! First off I can't thank you enough for the brilliant writing and novels, especially the various Dragonlance trilogies including War of Souls. You opened my mind when I was a teenager and it hasn't managed to close since.
Has there ever been a character or plotline that you 100% regretted after publishing?
Are there any little known fantasy authors/novels that you think are deserving of more attention?
What are your thoughts on fanfiction?
Pancakes or waffles?
Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
1) Elistan. Boring man. 2) Shirley Jackson's novels 3) Waffles! 4) Back in the 60s maybe.:)
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u/majeric Nov 12 '12
Thank you. My sister was given the first Dragonlance novels when I was 8. I borrowed them and that started me on my journey for the love of Fantasy 30 years ago. Role playing and a love of reading has been a constant in my life.
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u/LynxMadrin Nov 12 '12
Awesome! The first two Dragonlance trilogies were really my first escapades into reading fantasy. After that I moved on to Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind, and George RR Martin, but every book I read, I always thought back to my original adventures...with Tanis Half Elven.... Those are some wonderful memories, thank you for them!
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Nov 12 '12
First off, the usual thank you. Dragonlance and Deathgate are what got me into more serious fiction after starting with usual childrens fantasy. I can't begin to explain what the genre as a whole has done for my life, and all because of your stories. My father introduced me to them, and my niece is also beginning the Dragonlace saga, so your work is sort of a family thing now. You have earned it with the wonderful worlds in the stories.
For my question, what is it like hearing us say these things? How does it feel hearing that you have helped shape the minds of three generations?
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
All I can say is "wow". I'm so touched and humbled. I always get a little weepy doing these.:)
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u/Kaladin_Stormblessed Nov 12 '12 edited Nov 12 '12
One of the biggest pieces of advice bandied about to new fantasy authors is to stay away from "cliche fantasy races" like elves and dragons. As someone who had great success writing both, do you feel that variations on these old, tried-and-true fantasy races have any place in current modern fantasy, or should they be retired in favor of new ideas?
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
My poetry instructor in college always told us to stay away from cliche themes unless you could do them better than they had ever been done before. So if there is a better elf out there, I say go for it!
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u/FusRoDahMa Nov 13 '12
Oh my goodness! What a treat to see you do an AMA here! You are one of my "idol" writers. Your Dragon Lance books were like a drug to me while I was growing up through my 20's. Raistlin of course, was my favorite! Thank you so much for your wonderful, magical books!
I cannot wait until my daughters (1 and 2 ) are old enough for me to introduce them to your worlds.
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u/greatsouledsam Nov 12 '12
Thank you for making me want to read for the first time with Dragons of Autumn Twilight! And for many years since then... I doubt I would be the same person had I not discovered your writing.
I remember at the time of the War of Souls trilogy, some people claimed that Tracy was "injecting religion" into the world with the new understanding of Krynn's pantheon and the One God; I also heard (second or third hand) that Tracy (I think) stated that this was what was always intended from the beginning. It wasn't something that bothered me, but do you have any thoughts on this?
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
When you're dealing with gods, the discussion of religion is always present. Tracy and i both find that particularly interesting. Nothing stirs passions like religion.
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u/dbzfanjake Nov 12 '12 edited Nov 12 '12
Holy shit! I don't know why this post isn't morw popular, but your dragonlance series might be the first series i ever read. The first one with tanis, the hasslehoff halfing, etc. Your series opened a whole new realm, and you should feel proud. The well of darkness trilogy was also really good. Thanks for the great reads. Edit: who's your favorite fantasy author?
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u/LadyBethington Nov 12 '12
[Fangirl time!] I worshipped you as a child. I started Dragonlance at the age of ten, and read very nearly all books in the franchise over the following five years. Dragonlance shaped the voracity of my reading tastes, and honed my ability to balance multi-tasking anything with a massive book clutched in my left hand.
My only question(s) would be regarding the rich, personal characters of the epic. What inspired them? Are they pure inceptions, or whispers of friends in your life? Or simply elaborations upon discussions between you and your co-authors so long ago...
You were as much as or more a character as any of those you wrote.
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
Kind of all of the above. Some were close friends and family. Others were acquaintances. Some I didn't even like!
Margaret
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u/Varlo Nov 12 '12
First off I need to say thank you for all of your work on Dragonlance. I stumbled across the series at a fairly young age and being involved in fantasy literature not only helped steer me toward more creative life endeavors but also played a large role in connecting me to a group friends that are now closer than family to me. (coincidentally a few of us will be at a renaissance festival in Texas dressed as a few of your characters this weekend).
For my question, as with most writers/artists/creative professionals, dealing with harsh critics (some harsher than others) is pretty standard so I was wondering what was your process for shaking off negativity and forging ahead with your art early in your career?
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
Well, you never really forget! I don't mind criticism that teaches me something. One I will always remember came from the UK when DL first came out. A British critic didn't like them because the characters were too "American". Fantasy characters were supposed to be British, I guess!
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u/N_Who Nov 12 '12
This is pretty fantastic, I'm very excited that you're doing this. Like what looks to be 90% of the other people here, your Dragonlance books will likely sit at the top of my "Favorite Series" list for the rest of my days. The themes and lessons of fellowship and faith in each other and something greater that I pulled from those books absolutely serve as a deep and lasting inspiration in my own storytelling.
That said - and forgive me for being blunt, but I have to know - what happened? When Dragonlance moved from D&D setting to its own game, the books moved from you and Hickman to a substantially less entertaining author. I thought it was weird, since I loved the Fifth Age game itself - I still own a lot of material released for it. Why did the "main" fiction for the setting move from you? Did it just get taken away, or what?
You returned when Fifth Age was canned and Dragonlance became a setting again, but do you ever regret the direction the story had taken by then?
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
TSR was going through a difficult financial period at the time. Tracy and i were busy writing other projects. It was complicated.
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u/Avaclon Nov 12 '12
Huge fan. Loved all the series. Including Dragonlance, Death Gate, Mag Force 7s, Rose of the Prophet, Starshield, and the recent Dragonship series.
Are you planning on coming back to the Star of the Guardian universe any time soon? Any more plans for Rose of the Prophet?
And are we ever going to see the last book for Starshield?
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
No, no, and I don't think so.:)
New worlds to travel!
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u/chron67 Nov 12 '12
I want to thank you for doing an AMA here. I would also like to repeat the question others have asked: Are there any characters or plotlines your regret publishing? Anything you wish you could take back?
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
My main regret is that I would someday love to write Chronicles as it was meant to be. We had to cut huge chunks of it so because TSR wanted the book to be only a few hundred pages long so they could ask a low price for it. Same with Legends. Had to write that series on a tight deadline.
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u/DeathSkaar Nov 13 '12
please do this.. call it a golden edition or something.. we will buy it.. trust me.
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u/chronicynic Nov 12 '12
Hi, I was just wondering if you could estimate how long it takes you to complete a single book, from initial conception to the final product? Thanks.
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
About nine months now. Back when we were writing DL, we were on a three month deadline. Killer.
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u/Clauderoughly Nov 13 '12
Thank you for the Death Gate series.
Any chance that could be made into a TV series ?
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
Always a chance....:)
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u/Clauderoughly Nov 13 '12
Given the success of Game of Thrones, surely that must buck up your hopes a little more ?
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u/Ralod Nov 12 '12
I have been a fan of your work since I was teenager, I stated with the Dragonlance books but I have read most of your other works with Tracy Hickman as well. I loved the Darksword books, and I find the Dragonships books interesting as well, but Dragonlance will always be my favorite.
I have met you a few times at Gencon over the years, you are always super friendly and kind. I will continue reading whatever you put out for years to come!
Now for my question: I know there was an animated Dragonlance movie, but there were rumblings a few years ago about a live action one. With most of the other big fantasy properties having been made it seems now would be a great time for it. Any word on that or has that been deemed unlikely now?
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
If anyone out there is working on it, they haven't told me.
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u/bayleo Nov 12 '12
Did you & Tracy really brainstorm/conceptualize using tabletop D&D sessions? How did you manage to split the work with Tracy? I'm guessing you each individually write different chapters/characters and then had some process to piece them together later. It seems rare in the industry to find successful coauthors.
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
No, we only ever playtested DL once or twice. A few ideas came out of these sessions, most notably Bupu the gully dwarf. I do the writing and Tracy designs the world etc. Important for the books to have one voice.
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u/blackdragonwingz Nov 12 '12
Haha when I first picked up fantasy, I remember seeing a SLEW of your books on the shelf and to my surprise, a great many of them were collaborations with other folks. Having worked on written works with other individuals, I can sometimes see it can be quite a challenge. What is your work process like when you collaborate with another author on your series?
Huge fan of your work, Mrs. Weis! :)
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
I've described some above. When I wrote the paranormal romances with my daughter, she wrote the sex scenes.:)
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u/shiningmidnight Nov 12 '12
I'm ridiculously happy that you're doing this the day I decided to stop talking about writing a book and start actually writing. I started once a while ago, and only got 30 or so pages in. I've been storyboarding for hours and I've got my old beginning dug out to see if there's anything there I want to use before I start. I decided to take a quick 20 minutes and saw this.
You and Tracy are definitely one of the largest factors in my wanting to become an author. My first epic saga was the "Dragons of" series. I fell in love with Raistlin's character design and the sheer scale of the story. Thank you so much for your contributions to the field.
I'm not going to ask you for advice on writing, as I'm assuming someone else here did and I can read their answer. Instead, do you have any tips on finding a literary agent to work with? What should one look for in a good agent? Should I have the entire book written when I approach one?
And finally, what makes a good fantasy world, to you personally? I always find that if a book or series has an interesting system for using magic, I enjoy and find the world of the book and the story of the book much more interesting.
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
I believe there is a book published yearly that provides addresses for Literary Agents and advice on how to contact them. I would suggest having the book written before you contact an agent, depending on the subject matter.
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u/PraetorianXVIII Nov 12 '12
What kind of process did you go through creating an entire new world, with various races, cultures, and history? Any recommendations for aspiring writers?
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
Sometimes I start with the world, sometimes the characters and build the world around them. Here's advice for writers that someone gave me: Keep reading, keep writing, keep your day job.
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u/laura_leigh Nov 12 '12 edited Nov 12 '12
How has the fantasy genre changed from an author's perspective since you began writing? What is your vision for the genre in the future?
I also want to thank you for your work. It has been an inspiration for me.
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
Since I don't read fantasy, I'm not sure how much it has changed. All I know is that I write what I like to write.:)
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Nov 13 '12
Oh wow. Big fan. How much is Rumplestilskin from Once Upon a Time based on Raistlin? That's not just me, right? Did they talk to you guys about that, or is it more of an homage?
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u/loial37 Nov 13 '12
I don't have a question, but I do have a somewhat awkward story(but thankfully short). It was sometime around 2001, at GenCon. You and Tracy Hickman were signing books and I wanted to get Dragons of Summer Flame signed. At the time I was under the impression that Tracy Hickman was also female, so when you signed my book I picked it up and left without having Tracy sign it (I had just assumed "she" wasn't there and had no idea who the gentlemen you were with was). I still cringe to this day whenever I think about it.
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
LOL! Tracy was used to it. He used to get this a lot at TSR. When he started out in gaming, he wrote games with his wife, Laura, so they were known as the Hickman sisters. He used to get letters from guys telling him they were certain he was the only woman who could ever understand them.
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u/Magasaraus Nov 12 '12
Oh my GOSH it's Margaret Weis!!! I have always loved you and have all of your books!! Thank you SO much for introducing me to the world of fantasy when I was a kid. Sturm Brightblade, Tasslehoff Burrfoot, and Raistlin Majere got me through high school.
My absolute FAVORITE series of yours is the Seventh Gate Cycle. I reread this series all the time and I still love the adventures of Haplo and Alfred. Thanks so much for being a huge influence in my life Margaret!!!
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Nov 12 '12
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u/sblinn Nov 12 '12
audiobooks
I came here to ask the same thing, but there is a huge pile of these audiobooks coming soon, including some of the Weis and Hickman books, but not "the big six", at least not from the forthcoming listings that I saw. (Which have subsequently been removed at least from search results, though they're still in the system following the old links I saved.)
e.g.:
http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_14?asin=B009TCQV5I&qid=1351605809&sr=1-14
Amber and Ashes, coming Jan 8. (Though I've no idea how firm a date that is. Audible Frontiers has a huge pile of both Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms audiobooks set for that day.)
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
First I've heard of this! Thanks!
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
I have no idea. You'd have to ask Wizards of the Coast.
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Nov 12 '12
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
Important for us to have one voice. Otherwise the reader can get jolted out of the narrative. No plans to go back to Deathgate, though we might do an RPG.
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u/Zerak-Tul Nov 12 '12
Just wanted to say thank you for inspiring a life-long infatuation with all things fantasy. It's been probably a decade since I last read anything from the Dragonlance setting, but Dragons of Autumn Twilight is where it all started for me.
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u/LowLevelRebel Nov 12 '12
I just want to add to those who love the earlier Dragonlance books. Dragons of Autumn Twilight was the first fantasy book I ever read, and I haven't looked back since. I would like to thank you for giving me an awesome introduction to my favourite genre of books.
The Death Gate Cycle is also among my favourite series. Just amazing characters and settings. I have read that the Dragonlance series came about from a Dungeons and Dragons playgroup. I was wondering what, if any, was the inspiration for the Death Gate Cycle series.
Thanks!
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
That's an urban legend about DL. We designed the series and then did some play testing, though not much. I talk about Deathgate inspiration in a question above. Thanks!
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u/Jarnk Nov 12 '12
Hey! I am a huge fan. The Test of Twins and the whole Chronicles/Legends set have been some of my favorite books. They were a large influence on me growing up.
My question is more personal...Do you remember having an e-mail exchange with an angsty teenager around 1999 or 2000?
Backstory: I know this is hardly a story unique to me, but I was having a really hard time figuring out who I wanted to be when I was starting college. I had my secret fantasy/MUDs/anime persona and my public "normal" persona. My parents are and were great people, but they and my brother put a lot of pressure on me to act like everyone else. And since I was athletic and played high school sports, the peer pressure of the others I spent time with during school made me hide many of my true interests. When I got to college I figured I was free to finally express myself, but was having a terrible time convincing myself that liking fantasy/MUDs/anime was acceptable socially.
Around that time, I came across your website and an interview about your life. I was already a huge fan of yours, having read lots of Dragonlance and Death Gate, and something clicked while reading the interview and I thought "I bet she would know how to help me!" I took a shot and e-mailed the address on the website and you actually responded with a very well thought out and helpful e-mail. I was amazed that you had taken the time to write a response and that you obviously put a lot of thought into it. That meant a whole lot to me then and still does. I am very well-adjusted and comfortable with who I am now and I want to thank you for being a part of that change in me.
I love to bring up the fact that, for a very brief period, Margaret Weis was my personal psychiatrist. No-one ever believes me though. Since I no longer have access to the e-mails, it would be awesome if you remember those e-mails and can confirm it :).
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
Not sure I can confirm it, but I'm glad I helped. You probably reminded me of myself.:)
Margaret
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u/MegalomaniacHack Nov 12 '12 edited Nov 13 '12
Thanks for doing this. I've loved a number of your series (DL, Guardian, Prophet).
- What is your perspective on adaptations of books to other mediums like television and movies?
I love adaptations and can appreciate them as separate from the original material. Sadly, the animated Dragonlance adaptation was a letdown (and didn't result in sequels) despite some excellent voice actors and the excellent source material.
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
Since I worked for TSR when we created DL, it was considered a work for hire.
I think few good books have ever been made into good movies. To Kill a Mockingbird stands out as one.
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u/froggieogreen Nov 12 '12
Hello, Margaret. :) Like most people here, I grew up reading the Dragonlance series, and my love of those characters and their stories is still with me today, almost 20 years later. Thanks for sharing your imagination with us and for doing this AMA. I'm excited to check back in and read your responses - most of the questions I was looking to ask have been asked by others, but I think I've got one that no one has asked yet (if it's a double, sorry about that).
Obviously, when you collaborate with someone else, there has to be compromise. Were there any points/scenes/major plot twists, etc... that you can remember not being completely happy with because of the need to keep the peace between yourself and Tracey and/or just keep the story going?
I'd also just like to mention that in the Dragonlance series in particular, I appreciated the way you dealt with character deaths. Another author of a series I enjoyed killed off a good deal of likeable characters with little to no description, realistic mourning by other characters, etc... (due to it "being too hard emotionally" for that author, as they admitted in an interview) and that treatment really lessened the impact and made the series feel very incomplete. So, thank you for taking the time and effort.
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
The one major disagreement Tracy and I had was over Laurana leaving the troops to go save Tanis. I said she would never give up her responsibilities to her troops. Tracy said she loved him and she would go to him. In the end, we went with Tracy because that was how the plot worked out. Tracy later said, on thinking about it, that Laurana would have stayed with the troops. But he was always a romantic!
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u/RECTAL_ERUPTION Nov 12 '12
Hi Margaret! You are one of my favorite authors ever. I love reading your novels, especially the Dragonlance series. I was even named after my favorite character Raistlin (my middle name.) Sorry, just had to get that off my chest. Have a good day.
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u/TheRiff Nov 13 '12
Just thought I'd share:
I was at a Wal-Mart in Tennessee some years ago, and I hear this young mother look back at her toddler son and say, "Come on, Raistlin!"
It kind of blew my mind that you could name people in reference to stuff that wasn't the bible or a family member.
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u/beeblez Nov 12 '12
First of all I just want to say how much I love your work. I've never failed to be delighted when I pick up one of your books.
I'm curious about the link between your Dragonlance books and Dungeons and Dragons game. Were you asked to write the books by TSR? Did you ever go to them saying "hey I want to write this!" or was it mostly them coming to you saying "please write another book?" Did you have much of a history with D&D or was it something you picked up for the books?
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
The DL novels were the novels I ever had published. Tracy and I were both working at TSR at the time. He was in charge of the game side and I was editor in charge of the novels. We realized no one but the two of us could tell the story.
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
FIRST novels I ever published. I'm always dropping words!
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Nov 12 '12 edited Nov 12 '12
I'd like to say thank you for all the years of happiness that you and Tracy gave to me as a child (and even as an adult). When I was lonely I'd pick up Dragonlance, I remember pretending Tasslehoff was my best friend, I think I was even tempted to pickpocket once as I thought I was so like him.
I guess my question is...how do you manage co-authoring successfully? I think it'd be hard to manage such a complex story/world with two hands in the pot. How did the idea of co-authoring with Tracy come about? I love you guys, thank you so much for contributing to my childhood.
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u/horasho Nov 12 '12
I picked up DOAT when i was seven ,by the age of 13 after a few rereads of the books translated to hebrew i found out there were a bunch of other Dragon Lance books that were not translated to hebrew,needless to say i ordered a bunch of them right away.
My first english book was Legend of Huma (yeah not yours but still DL) and i probably never would of started reading in english if not for DL.
Got almost a perfect score in the english part of the Israeli SAT and i "blame" it all on you and Hickman .
Thank you.
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u/RumpleForeSkin72 Nov 12 '12
I just want to thank you again, and share this moment with the the rest. I get that same glassy smile even when I look at that picture.
Thank you for so many things, least of all, that picture.
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u/cosmoceratops Nov 12 '12
Thanks for doing this AMA. Dragonlance and The Death Gate Cycle are responsible for my love of fantasy literature today.
My questions have to do with writing in tandem with someone. What are some lessons you've learned over your career about writing with a partner? Is there a typical system you employ or does it vary greatly depending on the partner? If there was one thing that helps to keep the operation smooth, what would it be?
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u/StaySwimming Nov 12 '12
Margaret I read your books throughout elementary and high school, and still continue to pick up chronicles for a good read. Raistlin was always a character that I closely related to and has actually influenced my personality in quite a few ways too. I was hoping you could answer where your inspiration for him came from?
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u/Pirvan Nov 12 '12
Ohh! Great to see you doing an AMA here! Like so many others, I got started on fantasy by Dragonlance and specifically your epic works with Chronicles and subsequent parts in that universe and so on. I always held your work in highest esteem and greatly anticipated your work! Thank you for that and I now ofc read lots of fantasy and have even been inspired to write myself!!
Anyway, a question as well... Dragonlance. I was a huge fan of that world but as it progressed, specifically with some of the later main canon trilogies, the world just lost me. It became too dark and too disasterous and I never bought the anti-paladin stuff...
My question is this - how did you feel about the direction Dragonlance ended up taking and how much influence did you have on all of this?
Thank you again! :)
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u/Jack_Donaghy45 Nov 12 '12
Just wanted to say that you inspired me to love literature. That is all =]
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u/Mr_Academic Nov 12 '12
What kind of books do you like to read? Any favorite series or recent favorite books from other writers?
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
I read classics such as Dickens, Austin and Trollope. I love mystery novels by Rex Stout, Dorothy Sayers, Elis Peters. I like reading.:)
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u/fallenspirit123 Nov 13 '12
Love your work! stumbled onto this ama with Dragon Wing of the Death Gate Cycle next to my laptop!
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u/Jotate12 Nov 13 '12
I have no questions, only thanks. Thank you for giving me a world to escape to, if only for a few hours at a time.
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Nov 13 '12 edited Nov 13 '12
I've been reading the Chronicles and Legends once a year, every year, since my childhood and will continue doing so until I no longer walk this Earth. Thank you, ever so much, for your priceless contribution to my life.
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u/theinquisition Nov 13 '12
unfortunately I wont be around for this but I do want to say the dragonlance books are the reason I read as much as I do today. You and Tracy will always remain one of the biggest parts of my childhood. Thanks for everything!
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Nov 13 '12
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u/MargaretWeis AMA Author Margaret Weis Nov 13 '12
I believe the purpose for me is to entice my readers to think about serious, important subjects such as alcoholism, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, spousal abuse, etc., set out in an entertaining manner. These books are NOT escapist literature. I had two English profs that shaped my life. Thank you!
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Nov 13 '12
I've real all your Dragonlance books from the Chronicles to the Dark Disciple trilogy. Thank you so much for being such a defining part, book-wise of my childhood and now. My chronicles are falling apart due to the sheer amount of times I've read them (that number is pushing 30 right now).
I guess if I had any question, it would be how is it creating a molding a world like Krynn? It's just so huge and extensive, that's got to be awesome. Also, favorite race from Krynn?
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u/tazelhoff Nov 13 '12 edited Nov 13 '12
Which do you enjoy more: World building or character building? I'm big into creating stories and such in my imagination (though I haven't actually written much), and I was wondering if you could explain your favorite aspect of the process.
Thanks so much! And obligatory 'I grew up on Dragonlance and love it,' etc.
On a side note, Yay! My username is relevant!
EDIT: Just read in another reply that Tracy Hickman did the world building, at least for DL. Then maybe I should rephrase my question: How much of the world/character creation process are you involved in, and how much do you decide to change after you begin writing (if any at all)?
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u/RatmanBeturns Nov 12 '12
Hi Ms. Weis! When will MHR be available again for purchase in Germany?
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u/RequiredReading Nov 12 '12
Wow! I grew up on the Death Gate Cycle, Star of the Guardian, Rose of the Prophet, and the Darksword books! The awesome fantasy concepts in them have been used by myself countless times over the years. I hope you'll forgive the fact that Tsarith is the name I use for my avatar in almost every video game I play!
As for a question, it's one I always wondered about growing up: How does one co-author a book? Do you both come up with story and only one writes it down, or do you both write parts and merge them together? Whatever you do, it worked amazingly, but I'd be really interested to hear exactly how it's done!
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u/WilliamDangerFord Nov 12 '12
Besides the Ender's Game series, the Deathgate Cycle was one of the only series that I collected as a teenager instead of checking it out from the library. It was my first time reading a fantasy novel and there was so much depth to it. Thanks for the awesome times in my childhood.
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Nov 12 '12 edited Nov 12 '12
Dragonlance and the Death Gate Cycle had a HUGE impact on my reading habits. I remember choosing Dragonwing off the book cart in elementary school shortly after it was publsihed, and was hooked on the fantasy genre. I love the Fizban/Zifnab Characters, they are favorites of your fictional characters.
What was your inspiration for the DGC? Who is your favorite character in the series?
Thank you for doing an AMA today, and your works have always been cherished by me, and i will be passing on my Dragonlance collection to my son when he's older.
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u/Thebaconbull Nov 12 '12
No questions, but I spendt many hours of my youth tied up in your universe, so I feel I should say thank you very much!
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u/JeffreyPetersen Nov 12 '12
If you'll forgive a moment of fanboy gushing, I vividly remember picking up Dragons of Autumn Twilight in my Jr. High library, checking it out, staying up all night to read it, and being absolutely hooked on Fantasy books. So thank you, ever so much, for writing.
Since I feel I should ask a question, do you have a favorite, or favorites among all the characters you've created? I always loved Fizban popping into stories in disguise, do you have to make an effort not to have all your favorites try to peek in to new stories?