Hello there, I'm R.A. Salvatore, a fantasy author for more than a quarter--century now. Ask Me Anything.

How many times did you use the phrase "six hundred pounds of flying panther" across your Drizzt novels?

Six hundred. Duh.

Hello Mr. Salvatore!

I loved Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, and was disappointed with the way 38 Studios collapsed on itself shortly after the game's release. Can you share your thoughts on what you felt during that time and is there any other Kingdoms of Amalur stuff you wrote that won't see the light of day that you can spill right here?

Devastated. Still am. Haven't played a game since. So many people got hurt, so many untrue stories got put out there.

Yeah, it hurt a lot.

And no, anything I said would get me seriously sued. I don't need that!

Hi Mr. Salvatore, I've been a longtime fan and am mod of /R/ASalvatore (/r/ASalvatore ) here on reddit. My questions for you today are: What is the current status of the long desired live action Drizzt Do'Urden movie finally being made? And if you could have a say in casting, who do you see playing the world's favorite dark elf? Thank you for many years of entertainment.

Well, it's all up to Hasbro, as they own the Realms. As for casting, I'd never answer such a question for a couple of reasons. First, they probably won't ask me for input, lol. And second, if I named an actor and someone else was chosen, the internet would light up with "He wasn't the author's first choice!!!!!!"

Nothing good comes of that.

Thank you for the reply and the AMA. Best of luck with the new release!

Thanks!

The status is whatever Hasbro deems it to be. If something's brewing, I'd probably find out about it when I saw the trailer in a theater!

even though you created these characters and stories, you would still be unable to say, start a kickstarter for something like that? anime/movie/show

Oh yes, the lawyers would hunt me down, hold me upside down and relieve me of everything of value.

What is your advice for writers just starting out?

Worry about the writing. Finish something, find your voice, love your characters, THEN worry about how you're going to publish it. Writing is a way of life, a journey...publishing is a business.

Per your Wiki page, it appears that you were a bouncer at one point. Any good stories from that period in your life? Or any real bad ones?

How are you doing today? And how is the weather where you are at?

Wedding party from South Boston...20 of them, 5 of us...an hour of pain before we finally got them out of the door.

And out htere, ont he other side of a trio of police cruisers, they taunted me and the other bouncer...so we ran out, too angry to be smart. I jumped on the back of a State Police car and leaped intot he crowd...almost. Those cops are good.

I was cuffed and in teh back seat before I knew what hit me. So was my companion. We yelled at hte cops about how those idiots had just trashed the club...they told us to shut up while they dispersed the crowd.

I protested and the cop turned around and said, "There are 20 of them!"

"But why are we getting arrested?"

"You're not - and where do you want to eat?"

And the Staties took me and Lee out to dinner.

Statie: "Solitary!"
Salvatore: "Why?!"
Statie: "For protection!"
Salvatore: "We don't need protection!"
Statie: "Protection for them!"

No, I'm pretty sure they saved my Italian butt...

Hello Mr. Salvatore. I'm just wondering if you have any plans for bringing back Cadderly and friends anytime soon?

I don't plan much beyond the book I'm working on. At this time, nothing to report, but who knows?

yes! i would love to see some more pikel!... wait.. what?

More Pikel...interesting...

Knowing now how Kingdoms of Amalur was received, and given the chance, would you do it all over again? What would you change?

How was it received? It outperformed expectations and was pretty solid on metacritic and such.

I wouldn't call it "mine," however. I made the world of Amalur, with a 10,000-year history, but I was working on the MMO up in Massachusetts. KoA was built in Maryland by Big Huge Games. I had a side-role (approving story lines, helping their writers shoehorn their story into the bigger world themes - that sort of thing).

I sorely wish things had turned out differently. I don't really know what I would personally change, but I wish different business decisions had been made. I try not to look back, and I won't see it as 4 years of my life wasted for no pay or anything like that. I made a bunch of friends for life in the team at 38. Wherever I go now, I try to drop in on any major computer game companies in the area, because I'll surely know a handful of people there!

I loved KoA and still play it fairly regularly. It's an awesome and fun game with an extremely interesting world. I'm always bummed I won't get to spend time in it as an MMO. I hope someday we get to see something else out of that universe.

The other 38 guys and I always imagine that our world is alive in a server universe in some warehouse in Rhode Island.

Mr Salvatore - First off, THANK YOU! The Icewind Dale trilogy were honestly the first books I'd read all by myself and actually ENJOYED reading them. I instantly loved the characters and have been hooked ever since. I missed a few of the recent books while in the military (I'm trying to catch up on your work, it's been an exciting time!) but I recently read something I wanted to ask you about.

In an excerpt from....oh my gosh this is embarassing, I'm blanking on the book name (I'm at work! Sorry!)...but Drizzt had a "journal entry" about how hard it was to out-live the original band of heroes...and his friends. While reading that, I could almost see you writing those words. It felt very personal and, to me, it felt like you were saying those words to us readers.

Anyway, I have two questions.
1) Am I way off in thinking that those were were really from you to your readers, kind of explaining how you felt about moving on?

2) Either way, those words felt very honest even if they were coming from a character in your head. Do you think Drizzt will allow himself to connect with others in the future, as much as he did with the old friends? (I'm still catching up on reading your work so I'm sorry if you literally answer this in a book haha)

Love your work and I bet you have a pretty cool family too! Take care of them and yourself!! I lost Robin Williams yesterday, can't handle not having anymore Salvatore books to look forward to! (until you retire...that is ok.)

A little of both, honestly. When I'm writing those essays, I'm seeing the world through Drizzt's eyes. It can get very emotional.

And of course, the real world is always there, making me laugh and making me cry. You can't ignore it. I wrote "Mortalis," which I still consider my best work, while watching my best friend and brother wither away with cancer.

Writing is my journey. You can't make assumptions about an author through his/her characters, but neither can you divorce the two completely.

Thank you! I didn't know about the cancer, I will check that book out immediatly and I'm sorry for that loss...for what that's worth from a random stranger. Take it easy!

You too!

Okay, I have to run here. I've got to get packed for GenCon.

Thanks to everyone for participating or lurking, and I really appreciate the kind words I received here.

Thanks for walking this journey beside me.

Peace, Bob

ps. Check out that audio book! Some of my favorites are on there...including Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton, two convention friends!

pps. DemonWars: Reformation ships to kickstarter backers next week. It's available at my wife's on-line store (RASalvaStore.com), where you can get it (or any of my work) signed and even personalized.

ppps. Thanks again.

Your books are amazing!

Did you play D&D? What did you play as?

A monk, usually (1st Edition!). Always loved monks, which was why I wrote DemonWars in the first place.

Hardcore

I like the creative freedom. The DemonWars: Reformation game is based on mental agility, too.

Hey there, Bob. I'm loving the new books. The direction the story has taken is awesome! I also recently started the Demon Wars saga, and anyone that has not read them should check them out.

My question: Any thoughts/updates on a prequel series with Zaknafein and Jarlaxle? I know you've mentioned the idea of it before.

The most-asked question...if I ever get the time and we're not pushing forward, I would love to do it!

The world demands more of Jarlaxle! The flamboyant, manipulative, violent and evil piece of rainbows and unicorns that he is <3

Artemis Entreri and Jarlaxle have grown to be my favourite characters. At points I noticed I started skipping so I could read more about their actions :)

I agree.

Hi Mr. Salvatore. I have been reading your books since I was an early teen and would like to thank you for all the hours of entertainment and excitement you have provided to me. I got chills reading the final scene of the Companions!

My question is, is there any character or storyline that got left on the "drawing board"? I've always wondered if there were places you wanted to take Drizzt and Co. that never ended up working or characters you had developed that didn't make it to the page.

Thank you for this AMA!

Oh there are plenty that get lost in the unending shuffle (Belwar?). There aren't any that don't get into the book, but if they bore me, I kill them early on.

Kind of like Tracy Hickman's "Killer Breakfast."

My God Daughter is named Catti-Brie, and you were awesome by E-Mailing her parents when she was born. She's an amazing and mischievous little blessing! Does it happen often that people name their children after your characters and can you talk about how you come up with character names?

I close my eyes, hit the keys and hope enough vowels come up.

Seriously, I've heard of several kids named after characters now. I always cringe on "Drizzt" and hope he's a good fighter, because he'll probably have to be.

The other thing I'm seeing all the time now are tattoos of my characters - and that's really cool. People post them up on my Facebook page.

Mr.Salvatore, where is the best place to start your Drizzt books?

"Homeland."

I have one question for you that has both boggled and amused me for years: HO HO WHAT?

Avelyn ftw...

New DemonWars novella, by the way, as part of the kickstarter I ran for DemonWars: Reformation, a P&P RPG.

I just finished listening to the DemonWars saga. 3rd time I've gone through the books; I love that world.

Me, too!

Always wanted to ask you this.. What was it like to write the Yoda vs Count Dooku fight in Attack of the Clones? To me this was a significant Star Wars moment as no one has ever actually seen (or read) the true power of Master Yoda, until the book, which came out about 2 weeks before the movie.

Oh, I had a blast with that one.

it also occurred (in the movie) in the middle of my biggest disappointment with that book. I worked off the original screenplay, with edits coming in fast and furious from George Lucas.

On my tour, I stopped through Skywalker Ranch and they let me see the Director's Cut (the movie came out 2 weeks after the book). I was shocked at the end to find the last half hour devoted to the huge battle scene - none of that was in the screenplay!

I then received many letters from angry Star Wars fans telling me that I didn't know how to write a battle, because I had screwed up the ending so badly.

Ah well.

I thought you did a great job with the fight!

Yeah, but I ignored the BIGGER battle all around, because I didn't know there was one (on screen)!

Hello, how do you feel about being the man that killed chewbaca? Are you proud of succeeding where smith lords and admiral Thrawn failed?

Are you relieved that under the new cannon you didn't really kill him? Or angered that your work and the work of all the extended universe authors was so thoroughly undermined?

Do you want to see new Star Wars?

Sincerely, A Star Wars fan

PS I sometimes I hate what you have done to DnD. Way to many people want to be some kind of dark elf ninja. But kudos to you on influencing the need community so strongly.

It's my biggest regret as a writer (and it wasn't my choice, by the way, and I didn't even know about it when I signed the contract).

I'm glad he's back.

And yeah, I'll go see it - why the heck not?

Who would win, Gimli vs Bruenor?

Who's writing it?

Because that person would decide.

Mr Salvatore, what would you say is the greatest single challenge facing an author of fantasy fiction, as opposed to an author of "regular" novels?

Making the world/races consistent and believable enough for the reader to suspend disbelief. That's the challenge for books and games, by the way.

Hey, thanks for dropping in! Have you tried out the 5th edition rules yet?

Only some playtest rules - haven't seen the final!

Congrats on getting passages from your books as example text too! You are now canon forever :)

When I saw that a player named "bob" was making a "Battlehammer" dwarf I couldn't help but laugh.

I saw that and laughed out loud.

I'm a fairly new fan, considering many of your readers have followed you for over a decade. I was loaned the Icewind Dale trilogy by a friend in February and loved it, and he mentioned, "There's a sequel." So I hopped on that and he loaned me the Dark Elf Trilogy, and that was when I found that I was not going to stop reading your books. Being the rather fast and very obsessive reader that I am, I have in these last glorious months read all 34 of your Drizzt novels (including Sellswords and Cleric Quintet), literally just finishing Night of the Hunter yesterday and wondering now what to do with my life. So, while I might be a new fan, my life has definitely been changed for the better thanks to you, and I cannot express enough thanks for the amazing new world I have been missing out on.

In previous interviews or AMAs, you had mentioned that Drizzt was the character you always hoped to be and Regis was the one you sometimes feared you were. While I used to shared that sentiment, I changed my mind in the last two books. No longer is Regis who I fear I am, but who I hope to be, even more than Drizzt--one who can recognize his worth and through hard work alone (not inherent talent or skill) become someone better, someone worthy and someone strong. I truly admire the character and deeply appreciate the level of work you put into him (he could have easily been looked over as Wulfgar, and no one would have questioned it). Is the growth of your characters inspired by personal growth? And is Regis still someone you fear you sometimes are?

Finally, one last selfish question: Could you please use your legendary prowess in this matter to name my new kitten? (It would most certainly be Guenhwyvar if she were a black cat.)

Regis was an absolute joy to write in the new series. he met Oliver deBurrows, I guess (those who have read "Crimson Shadow" will understand).

Name her Guen anyway - that's the Welsh spelling of Arthur's Queen and it means "shadow." She'll shadow you...when she feels like it.

Oh, and if you're bored, go read DemonWars!

No questions here, just really, really enjoy your work. Keep up the amazing stories!

Edit: I hear Terry Brooks is getting a fantasy show on MTV in the near future (Elfstones of shannara)... any idea when Drizzt will appear on the big/little screen? I was thinking if the whole "live action" part doesnt fit, maybe a Animated movie or show/Anime?

Can't wait to see Shannara come to life - and it couldn't happen to a nicer guy than Terry Brooks. He's a dear friend and was one of my biggest inspirations (yeah, he's a lot older than I am...had to say it).

And any shows in the Realms are Hasbro's domain.

Hi Mr Salvatore, thank you so much for making my childhood full of adventure and amazing character.

My question to you would be what inspires your characters, or do they just take a hold and run wild in your mind?

Writing is my journey - it's how I make sense of the world. So the characters are there for me to throw questions. I hit them with all kinds of stress and look for their answers.

Because their answers teach me what I already knew, only didn't know I knew.

There are a lot of video games that use motifs from your work. Have any recent video games done a good job wit your ideas?

Demon Stone was fun. Mor recently, Neverwinter...

Who are you reading right now and have you read a book recently that made you wish you had written it? I know Rothfuss recently said he wish he could write as quickly as Sanderson and was just blatantly jealous of Butcher after reading "Skin Game"

Tracy Hickman's "The Immortals" - I hate him for writing that!

And Erin Evans is starting to make me angry because her characters are so danged cool.

Hi, Mr. Salvatore! I and my family have been a big fan of your writing for many years. My question for you is this: With the semi-recent “popularization” of fantasy writing, eg. Game of Thrones hitting it big, LOTR movies, Harry Potter success, etc, do you feel some sort of satisfaction for the mainstream success in your field?

Not really. I don't mind being different, if that's what it is. I do what makes me happy.

That said, I'm not surprised that the geeks are winning. Took too long, but here we are.

Hey Mr. Salvatore!

(spoiler warning)

I'm a huge fan of the Legend of Drizzt series and am currently halfway through The Last Threshold. I gotta tell you, I literally teared up after reading The Ghost King when Cattie-Brie and Regis succumbed to the spellplague and Drizzt and Bruenor were left drained, angry and filled with sorrow all at once. You could not have done a better job at hitting me with all the feels. My question to you is: what was the creative process like when the Companions of the Hall slowly came to an end? and, what was it like creating a new era with mainly new characters for Drizzt to encounter? Also, is there talk of a supposed Dark Elf movie coming out?

Once again, sir, I am a huge fan and can't wait to experience more of your talent with words.

Keep the tissues handy and DON'T STOp after "The Last Threshold," whatever you do.

And the new characters were critical to Drizzt's development.

You are stranded on a desert island with a mermaid for company. Do you want the top or bottom half of her to be fish?

If it's a desert island, she's getting cooked anyway, so either would suffice.

Hi Mr.Salvatore! We met about 3 years ago at space city con! You are such a great guy and really nice, and very friendly! I love your books very much and i hope you continue to write for a very long time! My question for you is: Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

Edit: Proof we met :D http://i.imgur.com/Qa87Bpx.jpg

Hopefully still alive.

And if so, writing with an Ipad in one hand, a chi-chi in the other on Ka'anapali Beach in Maui.

Yeah, I could get behind those plans.

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"Homeland" or "The Highwayman" or "The Demon Awakens."

Hello Mr Salvatore! I love you! Artemis Entreri is so awesome.

This one is for my boyfriend who is writing a D&D novel: If you could go back in time to when you were a novice writer, and give yourself advice, what would you say?

"Plastics."

Old people might get that.

I would say, seriously, find your voice, follow your heart, and write for yourself. That's what worked for me.

Hi there! I love your books - as my reddit name probably indicates! Thanks for taking what was always my favorite D&D race and giving them more of a background and soul than just 'mindless generic bad guys'.

My personal favorite character of yours is Jarlaxle - the way his mind works is fascinating, you never quite know what he's going to do next. Will we be seeing more of him anytime in the near future? Or maybe some prequel action, how he got to where we was when we first met him?

He's all over the place in the new books - center stage...well, off to the side, but in control, kind of...

Is there any particular reason why you're making more than one Drizzt books per year now? Ive been a fan for ages, always waiting for October. I feel like a kid in a candy store getting 2-3 books a year now.

It was just a short burst of energy as I ran away from 38 Studios and tried to get my bearings. Drizzt is a good place for me to get my bearings. And with 5th Ed coming, WotC was really happy about my decision.

Mr. Salvatore! I missed your last AMA by like an hour so I have this bit saved from way back then.

First, a bit of backstory, but it is related to my questions (skip if you're pressed for time). I started reading your Drizzt books about 10 years ago, and at this point they're pretty much the only books I will buy blindly. I've heard people criticize your writing style/story choices or whatever, but honestly they hit a spot that I abosolutely love: it feels like playing D&D but with much better plots than an anyone in our group can come up with. I like having a group of (usually) good people going on an adventure and taking on all sorts of interesting challenges.

Questions!

1) I'd say starting around the Sellswords trilogy, your books have taken a much darker tone. Media today is crowded with "gritty" and "mature" stuff, but I liked your books originally because they were generally very upbeat and positive. I was wondering what prompted this shift? Was it just media trends, or do you feel that the story has to go this way to progress?

2) I guess this goes with #1 a bit, but honestly, why so much sex? I don't really have a problem with it, it's just a little weird because I think your first ~10 Drizzt books had about the same amount of explicit sex as a single recent one. There was a lot of implied/referenced sex in the past, but it seems that recently you've been more upfront about it, and to me some of it just seems unnecessary/gratuitous. Is this some GRRM influence leaking out?

3) This is more of a complaint than a question, but in the Companions and Neverwinter books, there was a fairly large page count spent developing the villains. This bothered me a bit because I don't pick up your books for the antagonists, I pick them up because I want to read about Drizzt and co.! For example, with Quenthel I, thought that her extended development hurt the character because a) it seemed like the scenes were just constantly people telling us how powerful and intelligent she is rather than letting us see that for ourselves, and b) we can see her plans coming a mile away rather than experiencing the heroes' surprise. So I guess the relavent question would be: why all of this villain development? Is it in response to some sort of criticism about underdeveloped villains, or maybe you have future plans for them?

Sorry if these all seem like "negative" questions or complaints or whatever, again I love your books. And sorry for the length.

Regarding criticism...if everyone liked the same things, the world would be a boring place.

To the questions:

1. It's a roller-coaster ride...the highs seem higher when the lows punch you in the gut. I don't think the story has ever been more hopeful now, with "Rise of the King" coming out in September.

2. There's really not that much - except for the parts that I thought important - Drizzt and Dahlia, for example - to the character arc. I mean, go back to the graduation ceremony in "Homeland" - all kinds of strangeness there. And I don't get very explicit at all compared to today's standards.

3. Artemis Entreri and Jarlaxle were both villains. Now they're favorites. I don't like nameless, soulless Eeeeeeeeeeeevil. The machinations of Menzoberranzan become very important later on in the story arc. THey're also important for the other media being used 9Neverwinter MMO, for example).

Where can we see you at Gen Con this week?

My schedule is posted at my Facebook page (see link above). The Tyranny of Dragons party is a good place to find me (if it has the word "party," I'm probably nearby).

Hi there! First of all, I am a big fan. Thank you for your work. The Drizzt series especially resonated with me during a particularly lonely time, and I continue to hold the books close to my heart. As for my question, what are some strategies you utilize to combat writer's block? Thank you again!

I don't believe in writer's block. Writer's block is a lack of confidence, and no professional writer can survive with that. So shut up, sit down and type!

Even if you have to throw it all away tomorrow, you have advanced your story and creative process.

Are there any characters from the Drizzt characters you regret killing when you did? I always thought Shoudra had a lot of missed potential.

Also, are there any plans to release a novel or short story recounting the adventures of Drizzt, Bruenor, (oh my god I'm blanking on names), the gnome mage, and the half-orc cleric? I always wanted to know more about that and was sad when the book jumped forward in time and the gnome and half-orc were both dead.

Only when I forget that I killed them and start writing them into a new book...then I regret it a lot!

I was sorry I had to say goodbye to Josidiah Starym (from the short story about Guenhwyvar). I didn't kill him, but someone else apparently did...and I had so much to say.

I felt bad about a lot of the endings of characters in DemonWars. I really must have been in a Martin mood when I wrote those...

Greetings Mr. Salvatore,

My friend and I, both avid readers of the Drizzt series, were talking and came upon a question-

Do you ever use DnD, as a system, to aid in writing your stories set in the Forgotten Realms?

Have you ever played any of your characters in a DnD Game?

Thanks for doing an AMA again! Best of Luck!

No, but I tried to write a true-to-form 4th Edition battle (Effron and Entreri in the forest against some Ashmadai).

It nearly killed me.

Mr. Salvatore, you are the reason I got into fantasy. The first book I read that was fantasy based, (high fantasy, anyway) was The Demon Spirit. I loved it, and had to read the rest of the series, and then anything else like it that I could find. It spawned in me an even deeper love of the written word, and a desire to become an Author myself.

I was super thrilled to hear that you were bringing that world to the realm of Roleplaying Games - Your stories also made me want to get into D&D.

I wanted to say "Thank You", because really, I can't think of anyone who has been more important to my love of reading than you. (Followed by K.A. Applegate and Levar Burton.)

Also, Thank you for signing my friend's book with a sardonic phrase that I came up with - he loved it; it was the best Christmas Present he's gotten.

You've been writing in the Realms for years, and fantasy in general for most of your work. Is there another genre you really want to break into?

Well, thanks for the kind words.

If I went into another genre - sociological, theological current day science possibilities, maybe? - I'd use a different name.

Maybe I have...

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"Would you please take care of my '70 Cuda for me?"

Seriously.

Also, "How is it possible that someone so young has written so many books?"

As you can see, I got nothing...

You have killed off a lot of villains in the Dark Elf series

• Which ones do you wish you could bring back for another round?
• Do you have any that you would rather not write again?

(though technically Wish could probably bring any of them back :)

Uthegentle Armgo and Dantrag Baenre...just to watch them kill each other.

Hi Mr. Salvatore. I started reading your books just after the Dark Elf trilogy and you've been my favorite author hands down ever since. Thank you for many great tales, inspirations, and stories with friends through the years.

My question is, from the reader's perspective we've seen the Companions age, evolve, and die over the course of many novels. This goes for many other great characters too. How do you, as the author, make the decision for "what's next" and also, from your perspective, what's it like to witness those same evolutions we read about? I've grown awfully attached to some of these characters myself.

Thanks for your time!

I just continue the tale through their eyes and let them take me where they will. I really don't plan ahead that far, and most of hte outlines I submit at the beginning of each book are woefully off-base by the end. It's like I write books the way other people read them.

Makes it more fun!

Huge fan of yours, thank you. I've been wanting to get an autographed book from the rasalastore for awhile now and just haven't pulled the trigger. Thank you for letting your wife run that service for fans.

Thank you for the free audiobooks, that is awesome.

Is your wife your first reader and does she enjoy the fantasy genre as much as you?

Nope. If she reads my books, I don't want to know about it.

She was a huge DemonWars fan and has been pestering me about going back to the world for years.

She's winning.

She usually does.

Bob!

Your Gencon panel last year was a blast. It was so much fun to just have all the fans there and chat. It was almost surreal (my husband has always been a lifelong fan, so he was being a big ol' fanboy).

We also call Kickstarter, "Kickstata' " with your Boston flair. ;)

I always wanted to ask how you create a character for any table-top game. Since you're so involved with writing, do you roll the character and create a story around what you have? Or do you have a narrative in place then create the character to fit your idea?

Thanks for all you do. Keep being awesome!

PS- Wubba wubba

Hey, watch where you're pointing that thing!

I don't use games for my writing and don't know the "stats" for a novel character.

But for the game, yeah, I let the stats fall where they may and find character motivations in the strengths and weaknesses.

That's great about the Ice-T thing. Also, The movie MUST happen damn it. The question: What was your first story about, and how long was it (before you got published legit). I start a project, and never finish it. What advice can you give aspiring writers with ADD? :)

"Echoes of the Fourth Magic," published now by DelRey, was my first novel, based on a short story I wrote in high school.

Writing is discipline - period. You do it or you don't. There are no tricks or shortcuts. You put in the hours or you don't.

Hello Mr. Salvatore, big fan here! My question to you is if you have any advice for managing working at home(assuming that you do). How does a typical day look for you? Do you have any routine of sorts that you follow every day?

Please keep writing, love your books!

It's harder than it looks!

You have to be disciplined and you have to try to get out of the house every day. Otherwise, you walk around and realize you're eating something (and wondering what you grazed out of the fridge or cabinet).

You need to build a routine around your work schedule!

When you are at Gencon this week, how much will your signings cost? And how many books can I bring to get signed?

Signings don't cost anything.

They usually let me sign 2 or 3 at a time (you'd then have to go around), because at GenCon, the lines can get pretty long.

What's your favorite storyline in the Forgotten Realms universe that doesn't focus on Elminster, Drizzt and Co, or Cadderly?

Bonus question if you could, what do you think of the Shannara books?

Darkwalker on Moonshae.

And I love Terry's work.

I just finished reading all of the Corona books. First I read the DemonWars and now I just finished up with the Highwayman series. Do you have plans for returning to Corona soon? Either to fill in the gaps years or to continue with Reformation.

I wrote a novella for the DemonWars: Reformation Core Rule Book, so yeah. I love that world.

Just a hello. We spoke many years ago at a book signing in Meriden CT. You signed my copy of echoes of the 4th magic. You hung out and talked for a while. Seemed like a great guy. Thanks for being a great guy. You ever play Magic: The Gathering?

Actually, I'm not a Magic player. (Don't tell WotC!)

My two sons came into their own as players right as I was beginning to learn the game. They are both game designers and extreme tacticians and they made me feel old and slow. So I went back to softball.

In the new, free audio book of Guen, is it the same story that you wrote in your Drizzt Short Stories collection (the one you said in the preface that it couldn't be Guen's origin because of a conflict with the world story) or is this a new origin story?

Not sure what you're referring to, but yes, these are the stories from the Collected Stories anthology.

Bob! If/when you envision one of your stories brought to life in a series of films or a TV show, in what style do you imagine them? I, personally, imagine a sort of hybrid between the joy and fun of the LOTR or Hobbit films mixed with the gritty and realistic tone of Game of Thrones. Particularly with the Drizzt series or Highwayman. They, of course, would take on their own style, but I'd like to know what your thoughts are despite the possibility of this ever happening being out of your hands. Thank you for everything you do!

DemonWars - dark and foreboding on HBO would be a dream come true.

Hello Mr. Salvatore!

Thanks for being so involved in the fantasy world. I think your work has been influential enough that it has drastically altered the genre, both in literature and video games.

My question, though, is why this genre? What initially attracted you to fantasy, and what are some of your favorite things about the genre?

When I was a Math major in college, Tolkien reminded me that an imagination is a great thing. So when I ran out of fantasy books to read (there weren't that many to be found back then), I wrote one.

Mr. Salvatore, I picked up the Drizzt books later in their existence and fell in absolute love. Read 30 of your books the first 6 months I started. What are the odds I can get you to come up with a character to use in a 4e game I'm running set in baldur's gate :)? I just want to be able to brag to my fellow gamers that R.A. Salvatore designed this character. I honestly don't care how short a blurb it is, it would be epic regardless.

Hehe, if I came up with one worth writing (playing), I'd write it!

So the odds are pretty long, I'd say. but hey, you can bug me on Facebook.

Mr. Salvatore, first I want to thank you for the hours and hours I have spent reading and enjoying your books.
1) My question to you is simple...with the progression of the Drizzt Tales you have always said that the characters tell the story, this makes me wonder do you ever have differences with the characters? 2) how is the Kickstarter going?

Differences? Not really, but they surprise the heck out of me all the time. I just trust them and roll with it. Regis and Bruenor both shocked me in "The Companions," to tell the truth, and I was almost done the book before I realized that each of them had approached the situation thrust upon them in very different ways.

The kickstarter books are in - we're gathering and signing them now and they should be shipping next Monday (and they look really, really good!).

What is your writing process? I know many authors have different tactics, and s there a certain ritual or process that you usually stick to?

There used to be. Now, I just freelance it. I write when I feel like writing, which seems to be most of the time. Since I gave myself permission to slack off, i don't. Weird, huh?

One thing I still do: before I start, I open up one of several Youtube videos - Sarah Mclachlan's "Building A Mystery" (the DemonWars theme song), or Fleetwood Mac or maybe Linda Ronstadt). Then I put on the headphones - George Winston, Jon Serrie, Loreena McKennitt - and go away to the world I'm writing about.

Hi Mr. Salvatore. I just wanted to write and tell you I've been a fan since my early childhood (31 now). Your books have been and continue to be my favourite; the only ones I rush to preorder. Thank you for giving me two decades+ of a wonderful story and characters that bring my imagination to life. My wife and I are currently expecting and I'm looking forward to introducing my child to these stories!

In The Companions, Bruenor's journey (especially the last few sections) brought me to tears. (There've been other times throughout the stories, but this one was especially emotional to me.) It was so emotional... Do you feel the same roller coaster of emotions when you're writing the story that we as readers do?

I certainly do, and yeah, Bruenor wasn't happy about any of it. He had the same reservations I had about writing it!

Think about it.

Hello Mr. Salvatore.

I'll be honest, I actually have no idea who you are. How would you introduce or describe yourself to someone completely unfamiliar with your work?

Well, Bob Salvatore and R.A. Salvatore are two different people. When I meet someone on a personal level, the last thing I do is push my work on them!

But if the topic comes up...I'd tell them to read "Homeland" or "The Highwayman" and let the books talk for themselves.

Hey Bob, we've spoken many times on Facebook (you may know me as the annoying guy who loves Orcs and has a mercenary game in Luskan running currently).

Unfortunately most of my burning questions would require spoilers so I can't ask those haha.

So my question for you is, if you could write for any license that you haven't already written for, what would that be and what would the story be about?

Star Wars! I'd kill Che...

Err, never mind.

I wish I had written books for the world of Norrath back when Everquest first came out!

Bob, First of all thanks for all you do. Your books have kept me company on lonely nights, and been an inspiration for my DnD sessions.

I want to know, where do you draw your inspiration from? Do you write about games you've played/ran, or is it straight from your head?

Straight from my head, which is a jumble of everything around me: the people I meet, the stories I hear, the music I hear, the sights and sounds of life.

Writers take it all in, chew it up into little pieces, and spit it back out, hopefully in entertaining ways.

Hey Bob! Love your books! The journey the Cleric Quintet took me on in particular was fascinating. Just a quick question. Who is your favourite character, in any of your books, to write for?

Drizzt.

Any chance of Artemis, Jaraxle, or a Matron Mother ending up in a Ravenloft novel?

I don't think there are any Ravenloft novels anymore...

Hello Mr. Salvatore! We met a few years back when my friend's father was doing an interview of you for a local paper at Fort Bragg, N.C. and you signed my whole Paths of Darkness collection. I wanted to thank you first off for the encouragement you gave me with my writing and let you know I am nearing completion on my first fantasy novel all thanks to the support and advice you gave.

As for my question, what do you enjoy most about being a fantasy author?

The people I meet. I love fantasy conventions and the folks at book signings.

Thanks so much for the free audio books! A lot of writers talk about being able to "hear" their characters telling them what they want to say or do. Does this happen for you? Can you describe how that works for us?

They write the books, I just take the notes.

Hello Mr. Salvatore! I became a fan a few years ago when I read the Dark Elf Trilogy. I was wondering...which one of your novels was the most fun or satisfying to write and why?

Most fun? "Homeland" or "The Companions."

Most important to me? "Mortalis," hands down.

Hello Mr. Salvatore, thank you for being here again to answer questions!
Was there a character that has appeared in your books that you wish you could write a lot more about?
During one of your previous AMA's, you mentioned about trying to write some about Jaraxle and Zaknafein, is that something still on the horizon?

Zak, definitely. And it's still out there, hanging around, but no time to do it right now.

As a kid I absolutely loved The Spearwielder's Tale books. What gave you the inspiration for those books?

it's autobiographical, except I was kidnapped by a Hobbit, not a leprechaun.

Truth.

Could you delve a little into the decision making process, whether it was yours or someone else's, to bring back the original Companions of the Hall?

It seemed to me that Drizzt was always trying to move on but he discovered that he couldn't. And it was only after he came to that realization that he was able to be reunited with them. Was it always planned this way?

It was mine. I always knew it might happen (I was mad about the forced hand with 4th Edition), but always figured I would do it, if I did, in the LAST Drizzt book.

Then came the opportunity to remake the Realms with "The Sundering."

I couldn't resist.

Mr. Salvatore, I was wondering, as an aspiring fantasy writer myself what words of wisdom or encouragement would you give to a novice just entering the world of writing?

Fall in love with your characters and let them tell you the story. See the world through their eyes!

Wow, I'm late! There are already so many good questions. Hopefully this one will be easy to answer.

From the Drizzt books published so far, what was the hardest scene for you to write for whatever reason?

The hardest one for me to read was The Ghost King. Wonderful book, but I was devastated all weekend after reading. And then devastated again after I listened to the Audiobook.... And that was after I'd read the Companions! Beautiful work.

Thank you for sharing your stories with the world!!

The scene in "The Halfling's Gem" where Catti-brie fell in Tarterus. Crushed me.