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Welcome to the group! Guy will be answering questions on Tuesday, April 30th in this thread only. In the meantime if you have a question for Guy or just want to introduce yourself feel free to do so in this thread.

I have enjoyed all your books immensely. One thing that differentiates your work from a lot of fantasy is your lyrical style (I wasn't surprised to learn you are a poet). I was happy to see that your books are now available on audio, as I always thought they were crying out to be read aloud. I also appreciate how your use of real cultures as a backdrop makes your worlds rich and evocative. I have 2 questions. Thank you for your time and your wonderful books!

1) In preparing to write about a new culture, such as you did in Under Heaven, it seems you immerse yourself in the legends and literature as well as history and geography. Can you tell us anything about how you go about that?

2) Are there any movie or TV plans? Your books would be at least as cinematic as Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones, and could change the fact that you seem to be a well-kept secret among readers!

I have been begging for Mr. Kay's work to go audio (wonderful news). I too, agree his books have such rich characterization and landscape that they would make excellent viewing in the hands of a great producer. He is certainly a well kept secret, but I have been reading his works for nearly 30 years.

Hello Sir Guy.

I can't express how moved and happy i feel to be able to ''talk'' to you even like this. I am a big fan of your work, i find it exquisite and every book of yours is a pure treasure full of emotions. Since the first book of yours that i read, you became my favorite author and always suggest you to my friends.
Should your books ever become a movie(which would be amazing movies) i am perfectly sure that you will become known worldwide but i always be proud that i found out about you long ago.


I have many questions for you and i would be honored if you would answer them

1. How do you write a book? Do you just have the need to write one so you sit and think what you would like to write about, or is it like scattered images that come randomly to your head that you feel the need to combine them in one story.

2. How long does it take you to write a book? And how long to study about the culture of the people involved in it.

3. You know the complete story from the start or does it evolve in your head while you are writing it?

4. Have you ever felt sad about killing a character in your books? How do you deal with that? You just know that you have to do it for the best of the story, or you try to avoid it?

5. Have you ever been stuck? Not knowing what to write next?

6. Have you ever thought about writting a book that takes place in the era of ancient Greece?

I am really sorry if i made you tired, and no matter how many of my questions you will answer i will be happy all the same.

It was my honor and again i am really happy to have talked to you.

Lila

Just a quick question. I loved Under Heaven and have River of Stars as the next book in my queue, if I were to read one book that influenced the setting/story for these two novels, what would that book be? It could be historical or another fictional book.

Thank you for your time.
Tyson

Guy,

You and Liz Hand are two of my favourite writers; you both draw on the subject matter of Carlo Ginzburg's Night Battles, you in Tigana and Hand in Waking the Moon, respectively. Would you return to this subject? I love Tigana, and have found the dream battle sequence in particular moving.

When Peter Jackson is finished with Tolkien, somebody should lend him a copy of Summer Tree ;)

Thanks!

Hi!

Who's your favourite character in the The Fionavar Tapestry series and why?

And which one of your books are you most proud of?

Guy,

Tigana is perhaps my favorite novel of all time, though I have enjoyed immensely every book of yours I've read. The character development unfolding in such a rich historical background is absolutely riveting. Do you have a favorite character from Tigana? Also, which was the hardest to write?

I look forward to many more of your works, keep up the excellence!

Thank you for your time,
Russell

Greetings Guy!

Thank you for listening and responding to your fans. It seems common-sense to say that but these days authors are pulled in many directions.

I have read your work up to "Lord of Emperors" and plan to continue to explore your imagination. "Lions of Al-Rassan" is one of my favorite novels.

I have been waiting for a mythical tale in a setting based on pre-confederation Canada instead of something Eurocentric. The Canadian civilisation is four hundred years old. It's time for our cultural amnesia to end.

Do you have any plans do write in a Canadian culture inspired world?

Thank you.

I love your writing and I'm excited to get this chance to ask you a question because there is something I have often wondered about when I read your books. Like so many others have said, it's not just the stories, as rich as they are, but the lyricism of the prose which makes your stories so unique. Your books always make me think of the music of Leonard Cohen so my question: does music influence your writing in any way?

Guy,

You frame your stories through the lens of family. What is it about family that you find enhances the messages you are trying to convey?

Also, who is your favourite character, and why?

Guy,

I am an enormous fan of your work. I have enjoyed all of your books, but the Sarantine Mosaic is two of my all time favorite books. I am currently in the middle of River of Stars and cannot wait for classes to end for the semester so that I can finish it.

My question: How do you go about choosing the geographical settings and corresponding time periods that your stories are based on?

Thank you for taking the time to do this and thank you for the extraordinary gift that is your writing.

Sincerely,
Daniel

Guy,

Who is your favourite writer, either of fiction or non-fiction?

Have you ever considered writing a book set in the near- or far-future, instead of the past? Speculative fiction writers often remark on how science fiction gives them greater freedom to comment upon the present, by bypassing some audience prejudices and preconceptions; do you find the same true when it comes to historical fiction?

And if you have read the seminal Taoist book, the Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching), do you have a preferred translation?

Thank you!

Diana (Li Wen)

Guy,
You've been my favorite writer since I first came across Tigana, and I have read all of your work multiple times. I've always been enthralled by the characters you develop. My question -- How do you manage to create characters that are so exquisitely competent and yet manage to feel so real, with such emotional depth and texture? Do the characters achieve such depth before you draft, or does that develop throughout the drafting process?

It's an honor,

Christopher

Guy,

I've read most of your books and consider you one of the best 'stylists' around.

My only question really doesn't have to be answered. That said, why don't you write more books faster. 'Can't get enough.

The Fionavar Tapestry was an amazing tale. I became so emotionally involved with each of the characters that by the end of the last book I was sad to see it end. It felt like when I graduated high school and said goodbye to all of the kids I had grown up with, knowing we would all go our separate ways, not knowing when or if we would ever see each other agian. By the end of The Darkest Road I felt as though my favorite people were leaving for bigger and better things and I knew I would miss them.

When you write stories, do you become emotionally attached to your characters as you create them? Do they become emotionally real to you? Do you miss them when your tale is done?

Well, all of the questions I wanted to ask have been asked already (how do you go about writing a book, who are your favorite characters, etc.) so let me just say that I first bought "A Song for Arbonne" because the title was so poetic. I disliked the stylized cover of the paperback but bought it anyway because the title drew me in, then the summary intrigued me. I read the Fionavar Tapestry next and it is still my favorite.

The one thing I like the most about your stories is the way you wrap up all the loose ends -- there is something from the beginning that makes sense only at the very conclusion, and I appreciate the sense of closure as well as the craftsmanship that goes into constructing a book so well. (The riselka at the end of Tigana did not present closure so much as a thrill of anticipation, but even that was satisfying in its own way.) I also love the symbolism that is woven through each story. Although I'm a slow reader, I hope to someday finish all of your books.
Thea

I'm going to second the question from Daniel and expand a bit: what is it about the history/historical figure or the location in space/time that draws you in? Poetry and art in general often seems to play a large role, so is that something that influences the attraction?

I'm also curious about the role of art in your stories, but also as it relates to the world. In the Sarantium novels, the artists work on commission and what they create is in part dictated by the patron. In River of Stars the poetry is both an amusement for the emperor and a way to voice dissent. There is a price to be paid in both novels if the art is not well received, but there is also the feeling that we might not love or respect these artists as much if they did not take risks.

I'm not looking for a conclusion so much as trying to continue the discussion I think your books create about art. Should all art have a purpose? Can it exist on its own? And what makes it so worth it to these artist characters to create something that might be destroyed, or might destroy them?

I'm entirely irrationally exuberant about this! I'm a writer today because of reading Kay's books growing up. I can't wait until my daughter's old enough for me to pass my Fionavar Tapestry set down to her. I knew my husband was marriage material when we had so many overlapping Kay books.

My question is this: given your intricate, multi-woven plots (reference entirely intended), how do you chart out threads to ensure you keep everything straight and manage to bring them all together when necessary?

When I was a teen I pictured your writing studio filled with coloured threads pinned to walls. I'm sure that's not the case but I'd love to know how you do it.

Further: how has technology altered your research and charting methodologies, if at all? Surely certain aspects of research are easier now online, but I can imagine that tried-and-true old school techniques may fail to replicate digitally.

Dear Guy Gavriel,

I love your work, specially Tigana. I've always recommended your books, and when I do it I ask to myself...

How, on earth, is your name pronounced?

Dear Guy,
I've been been a fan of yours since the Fionavar Tapestry was recently out, and when I re-read it a few years ago I enjoyed it even more.
A Song For Arbonne made me cry. On the subway.

My question is: what is next? What is your next project? What is the inspiration for it? Will it be connected to a world you've already written about, or will it be a new beginning?

Thank you for taking the time to read our questions!
May your road go ever on,
Neil

Thank you kindly for your time and the opportunity to ask questions.

Dear Mr. Guy Gavriel Kay, as a Manitoban, I am curious if you have ever taken any inspiration from the landscape, culture, history, or people of our province (or from any of the prairie provinces) for your books? Do you think your prairie roots have influenced your writing in any significant way?

Thanks again!

p.s. The library in Weyburn is fantastic. Love your books!

Hey Guy,

Like most of the people here, I am thankful to you for amazing books that you have written. I particularly enjoyed Tigana.
Not delving in wordy essays, I will like to know do you plan to put more concrete basis to the magic element (like some crude sci-fi explanation of how how all the abra-ka-dabra works) in any of your future works? I will personally like to see it very much.

Thanks again for sharing your time with us.

Thanks!

Are you going to return to the world of and write some more about this wonderful creation.

Hello Guy,

I have loved your work since reading The Fionavar Tapestry when it first came out. I want to thank you for all your fabulous novels!

To my knowledge, no fantasy writer has ever really explored a Jewish-themed world, though some have focused on a particular historical Jewish context. I was wondering if you've ever considered doing either of these, though I realise this could be complicated given how many different cultures Jews have been a part of, and given the complex relationship between religion and culture in any case.

Finally, is there any chance you might one day visit Australia (specifically Melbourne!)?

Thanks for being willing to answer our questions!
Roslyn

Dear Mr Kay. If I could pick an author who embodies all that I could want it would be you. Your plots, lyrical prose, humanity of themes and your ability to weave a story that captures my heart each time I read or in most cases reread your books is in and of itself a kind of magic. I don't have a question, but if I did it would be : do you feel that your protagonists always in their own way have an element of the antagonist's flaws as well, and thus give us another window into the driving forces of both good and bad, or do you depend on the ancillary characters to illustrate this principle. Thank you for giving us in your reader fan base the pleasure and joy of joining you in your fantastic stories.

I feel a bitter sense of loss at the end of every one of your books, knowing that there's only about a 50% chance that we'll ever return to that society - less if it's already a sequel to an earlier book. I could beg you to return to any of your worlds, but am heartened by the knowledge that the next story will be as good or better!

I can only ask that you not, under any circumstances, let Peter Jackson do for you what he's done for Tolkien...

Dear Mr. Kay, I've been a fan of yours for over 20 years when I read Tigana in high school.

How did you get involved with working on the Silmarillion and what was that experience like?

As a comment, I read the novels in the Sarantium Mosaic novels in reverse order (first Last Dying of the Light then Lions of Al Rassan then the first two) and enjoyed them just as much.

Love your works and I hope to get to meet you one day.

I just wanted you to know how much I've enjoyed your work. In fact, I was reading the Fionavar Tapestry when I was pregnant with my second son and we decided to name him Darien after a character in the series. :-)

Hello, Guy. I want to thank you for a kindness from many years ago - maybe 20? It was in the old days of communicating by Canada Post and a student at the high school where I was the teacher-librarian had written you as part of the research he was doing about a chosen author. I had recommended you to him. Luckily, our library had its own phone - a rarity at the time. You telephoned, and because the student was unavailable, you spoke to me for a considerable time. I felt so lucky! You gave me plenty of information for my student, and you gave me a reading tip: to try Charles de Lint. Thanks for your time, your thoughtfulness, your great books, and a terrific bit of reading advice.

Peter in Brandon, Manitoba
p.s.: I have family history in Radville - not that far from Weyburn.

Mr. Kay,

As many others have, I must start by thanking you for your words. No other writer has given me so many powerful and lasting memories - Dianora's dive, Paul on the Tree, Diarmuid's and Sharra - and I am sincerely grateful for each of them.

I have always been curious about the paths you set for your characters. Each of them exists so fully, yet every choice and action must be balanced between the reality of the character and the inevitability of the story.

How do you separate the love you feel for your characters (an assumption, that, but a fair one, I think) from the necessity of the plot? Which comes first, the journey or those who will take it?

Thank you again, for the worlds you've given us and the people who inhabit them.

Sincerely,

Daniel

Dear Guy,

I have to say, thank you for your books.. I fell in love with The Fionavar Tapestry instantly and they definitely are some of my favorite books! I got to know each character so well and it was always so upsetting when they died and I felt truly lost at the end of the books and wished they'd go on forever.

I really love all your character names and wondered where you come up with such amazing and interesting names?

Do you have any useful tips for starting and writing one's own book?

Thanks,

Hi Guy!

I adore your books. I always read a new Kay book with a real sense of trepidation because I know someone I will undoubtedly come to really care about may be heroically sacrificed at any moment.

Do you decide who is not going to make it to the end from the outset or do you sometimes off a character as the story progresses?

Thanks!

Hi, GGK. Widening out from one or two of the other questions above, do you have plans to creatively venture off the Eurasian land-mass, into cultures of Australia, Africa, Oceania or the Americas? What is it that draws you to a particular place and period?

Dear Guy,

Thank you for such wonderful stories. I always enjoy reading your books. My first and favorite so far is probably Tigana.

I think people have already asked questions on your research and endings above, but I wanted to expand on those two topics a little.

Research: I know this plays a heavy role in your writing process, but when does this come into play for you? How much research do you do, and when do you feel you have enough to write with? Do you continue to research as you write?

Endings: I love your endings, and how they wrap up loose ends and provide closure. This is a skill that I'm still struggling to master. Do you have your ending in mind before you start writing, or does it come to you as the story progresses? What is important to you in crafting your ending? Do you have any tips for writing good ones?

Thank you! I'm really looking forward to this discussion!

I just want to say that River of Stars was/is a fantastic read. I have read all of your books and am thrilled whenever a new one comes out. You develop characters, setting and plot in a riveting manner. I can't put the books down once I start reading. Thank you for your attention to detail and point of view!!

Dear Guy,

I've always thought your books have been incredibly effective in enveloping the reader in the culture about which you're writing. It has been a particular pleasure to read stories that involve various interrelated societies in a common world.

Do you find that you're led to your next project by characters, events, or histories that you have just written, and that you want to explore further, or do you have your journey planned out in advance?

Thank you,
Phil

Dear Guy Gavriel Kay,
I liked "Ysabel" very much, and was pleasantly surprised when 2 characters from the Fionavar Tapestry showed up toward the end of the book. What made you decide to bring them on board?
A request: please write a continuation of Tigana, even if it is only a short story or novella. I've always been curious as to what happens to the 3 characters at the end of the book, who dies, etc.
Please keep writing. I enjoy your books immensely.
Angela

I enjoy the wonderful complexity of the books you write. I am wondering how you manage that complexity without it becoming overwhelming?

I wanted to ask about the undertones of loss and grief that I have always felt when I read your writings. I'm always a little sad when I've finished one. I have always felt that most of your stories are about loss : of a time, a person, a place, a family ... and even when your characters build a new life at the end of the story, a feeling of pensiveness remains. What has led you to explore this theme? And is this a deliberate style? I don't see it nearly as much in your poetry.

I have enjoyed all your books and would list Tigana and Lions of al Rassan as my favorites. I enjoy the mix of history and fantasy that pervades your books. I have two questions:
1) Do you have any plans to revisit the worlds of Tigana or Lions of al Rassan?
2) Can you give us a teaser on what culture(s) you are thinking about for your next work?

Hi Guy,

Thank you for more than 20 years of pleasure since I first discovered Tigana in our local library as a teenager.

My question, as a fellow writer: How much of the complexity and interwoven narrative in your books is present in the first draft? Do you know before you start how all the threads will interact, or does the book reveal itself to you as you write?

Dear Mr. Kay,
Thanks for taking the time for the questions of myself and others. You are one of the few authors whose new books I always make a point of reading.
My questions are:

1- While many of your books are based on specific historical eras/locations/cultures, some of your books use more of what would be called magic than in others. There's a good bit of magic in Tigana, almost none in Lions of Al-Rassan, etc. When you're writing in a historical framework, what helps you decide when to use magic in the narrative and to what degree?
2- When you are studying history, is there any identifiable criteria or aspect of a particular era/culture that makes you think "Now this would make a great book" ?

Guy

Firstly thank you fr the many hours of enjoyment I have got from reading and rereading your novels over the years.

I am just curious if as an author you reread your earlier novels? If so would you like to change them or do you they remind you of how and why you were writing at that stage or you sometimes surprised at the path you took?.
Please note as a reader I don't want anything changed)

Regards

Paula

Howdy Guy,
Thanks for the fun reads, man. You've written heartbreaking moments of pristine tragedy and fantastic moments of glorious triumph that I cherish as unforgettable, particularly in the Fionavar Tapestry. But onto the question!
One of my favorites sayings about being an author is "The hardest part about writing is writing." How do you keep yourself interested, entertained and driven? And in turn, how do you think you share that excitement with your readers?

Cheers,

Leo

Hi Guy,
how do you get inspiration for your characters? do they just pop out in your head? do you take notes on them? how much do you think of them? more or less than the narrative itself?

Best regards,
Ivana

Mr. Kay,

Thank you for taking the time to speak to the many fans of your work through this goodreads discussion.

I randomly picked up a copy of "The Lions of Al-Rassan" at a used book store a couple years ago and have been hooked on your writing ever since.

A questions I have always wanted to ask you is this:

Have you ever started research on a new book and found the subject matter either too daunting, mundane, or uninspiring a task to complete?

Many Thanks,
David

Dear Mr. Kay,

I read the Silmarillion a lot of years ago and that was the first time I have heard of you as I'm from a very little country in South America.

Since that I looked for your books and even though it was incredible difficult here (it took me two years) I bought the trilogy of The Tapistry of Fionavar, and since then you have been one of my favourite writers along with Ursula K. Le Guin.
I am really thrilled that you will make some time to reply some of us and I hope you will enjoy our comments.

If you don't mind I would like to ask the following questions:

How do you manage to create caracters with so many values ​​and virtues? I can appreciate you do a lot of historical research but what I love about your stories is the example of virtues your characters left me in my childhood and I would like to know, Which experiences influenced you or where does your inspiration comes from for the constructions of your protagonists?

I hope you could forgive my english.

Thanks in advance for your precious time,

Maia

Hello!

Mr Kay, I really love your books. Your writing style is really beautiful. Except Oscar Wilde whose every sentence is like poetry and infinitely quotable, I can't think of anyone who rivals you in that department.
Tigana is my all-time favorite book. I have read it 3 times thus far and I'm preparing to read it again.

My questions are

- when you're describing a character, do you have a specific face in mind or is it kind of blurry?

(I love your descriptions of women and that's why I'm curious)

- which character of yours is your favorite? (if you have one, that is)

- if Lions of Al-Rassan are made into a movie, who would you like to do the soundtrack for it?

That's all, thanks for being such an awesome author!
Greetings from Croatia,

Vedrana

Mr. Kay,

I came to your writing through "Under Heaven", which I'm currently rereading before I jump into "River of Stars". First let me say that your writing is elogant and almost melodious, and you really have a way of immersing your audience in the story. The review I have here in Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ of "Under Heaven" is far too harsh and I'll be ammending it once finished this reading.

My question is in regards to "Under Heaven" (as it's the only book I've yet read - this may pertain to others, too; I don't yet know). Throughout "Under Heaven", the scenes and chapters with a male POV character are told in past tense, but the female-centric ones are present-tense. Was there some literary benefit to structuring the book like this?

Thanks,
Zeke