Community

READER: “How do you write dialogue and make it sound real?” 

Ed Greenwood (author of Elminster Must Die): Avoid anachronisms and anamundisms, first and foremost (no medieval-era characters saying, “Cool” or “Yep”). Then, keep it as simple and unpolished (except for truly formal moments, with pedantic speakers) as real conversation usually is. Then, read it over for pace and flow; it shouldn’t sound abrupt or halting unless the situation warrants.

Erin Evans (author of The God Catcher): My favorite part of writing! I think what makes the biggest difference is LISTENING. Eavesdrop on everyone, frankly, and get really used to the patterns of people’s speech. If you’re getting all your speech patterns from movies,

READER: “In a fantasy story, what historical inaccuracy has most made you grind your teeth?” 

Ed Greenwood (author of Elminster Must Die): An inaccuracy I’ve read several times, from different modern American writers, who in their various medieval-era castles, swords, and dragons settings, have had things bought and sold (and assassination contracts arranged) in . . . DOLLARS. Presumably good old greenbacks. Wince.

Erin Evans (author of The God Catcher): I’ll mostly swallow historical innacuracies—it’s a fantasy world; I can buy that they have language/tech/culture that real world medieval societies didn’t---but anthropological illogicalities drive me bonkers.  Cultural decisions have repercussions. Landscape and resources

READER: “What sport do you follow? Or which sport at least holds some interest for you?” 

Ed Greenwood (author of Elminster Must Die): Football (both North American kinds, plus “Australian rules”), hockey, polo, and cricket. Plus “Huntdown/Dangerous Game” (the sort of across-bush-country manhunt seen these days in such television shows as MANTRACKER), if you consider that a sport. Caving/spelunking, which I did a lot of in my younger days, if you count that as a sport.

Erin Evans (author of The God Catcher): Football. I don’t really watch it regularly, but it’s the only sport I know all the rules for and I can watch without getting bored. It’s like ritualized warfare. (Friend Erin)

Christopher Rowe (author

READER: “If you were the DM and I was a PC, what could I expect in our adventure?” 

Ed Greenwood (author of Elminster Must Die): It depends on the context (tournament adventure or for charity at a convention, or my own “home” campaign). I always encourage ham acting, and “playing out” conversations and confrontations in-character. In a tournament adventure, there’s usually going to be a linear plot (task/mission to be done), but in the original Realms, with my original players, it’s all about intrigue and the unfolding of endless complex subplots, not monster-bashing.

Erin Evans (author of The God Catcher): Puzzles. Lots of Skill Challenges. Very deep world.  Coordinated monster attacks. Me yelling at you to look

READER: “Do you go to any Cons? Which is your favorite?” 

How well do you know your FR Authors? Every Monday you can expect an update to the author roundtable, featuring many of our best Forgotten Realms authors’ answers to the world’s most important questions, right here on this blog. Submissions for new questions welcome through private message. 

Ed Greenwood (author of Elminster Must Die): I go to half a dozen cons in a given year, these days (in my younger, more globetrotting days, the annual number was higher). I love a lot of cons for different reasons, but my most frequent favorite, year in and year out, is GenCon. I get to visit with most of my gaming friends there, once a year.

Erin Evans (author of The God Catcher

READER: “What naughty little writer habit do you have that you try to get rid of but just can’t?” 

Ed Greenwood (author of Elminster Must Die): Not saying “No.” Taking on endless projects, all at once, and not writing with the blazing speed I once did, to do justice to them all. I begin to understand the lure of lichdom; I will have to live forever to get around to all the things I want to do or write.

Erin Evans (author of The God Catcher): I never seem to put a period at the end of a paragraph. And I’m terrible at keeping my blog updated. (Friend Erin)

Christopher Rowe (author of Sandstorm): Procrastina… You know what? I’ll get back to you later on this one. (Friend Christopher)

Mark Sehestedt (author

How well do you know your FR Authors? Every Monday you can expect an update to the author roundtable, featuring many of our best Forgotten Realms authors’ answers to the world’s most important questions, right here on this blog. Submissions for new questions welcome through private message. 

READER: “Do you listen to music while writing—what kind?” 

Ed Greenwood (author of Elminster Must Die): Years ago my answer to this would have been all sorts of music, from Gregorian chants to roots folk through symphonic rock, ragtime, blues, and full-on symphonies. However, some years back I discovered that the mood of the music wasn’t getting onto the page, but was instead starting to make my writing spartan and flat. So now I listen

READER: “You just sold a novel for a million dollars. What do you do next?” 

Ed Greenwood (author of Elminster Must Die): Go right on writing about the Realms. Doing that is my life. Seriously.

Erin Evans (author of The God Catcher): Write the next one…from a tropical resort. (Friend Erin)

Christopher Rowe (author of Sandstorm): Pay some bills, go to Europe for a couple of weeks, come home and start the next novel. (Friend Christopher)

Mark Sehestedt (author of The Fall of Highwatch): I manage to mumble, “Wake me up at the bank,” before passing out.

Richard Lee Byers (author of Unholy): Travel. I love traveling, and I haven’t been able to afford to do much of it in recent years. (Friend Richard)

READER: “What is the most memorable/ridiculous stunt a character of yours has ever pulled off, in a game and/or in your writing?” 

Ed Greenwood (author of Elminster Must Die): Long ago I wrote a short story that followed a farfetched, ridiculous chain of events precipitated by a snooker game shot that went wrong (the ball bounding up off the table to upset a decanter, that when it toppled dislodged a wine bottle from its rack that rolled across the floor and tripped up a man who fell and crashed through a door, upsetting a table that plunged down a flight of stairs, and on and on . . .). Thoroughly ludicrous and improbable fun, which is also an accurate description of much of my life.

Erin Evans (author of The God Catcher): In gaming, I played an Eberron