Theoryland of the Wheel of Time

This is the translation of the report made by one Italian fan after meeting Robert Jordan for a Q&A session in a Mondadori bookshop in Rome, Italy.

The original can be found here.

Today at 18:15 I arrived at the Mondadori bookshop near Fontana di Trevi, Rome (Italy). I asked for directions and I went to the café area while waiting for Jordan's arrival. At exactly 18:30 Mr. Jordan came in, together with his wife, with Sergio Fanucci and Valeria Ciocci [the translator of the Italian version of WoT books, at least until the 5th book]; the evening started after a few minutes.

First of all, Sergio Fanucci gave an introduction both "pro domo sua" and for Jordan's sake; afterwards, Jordan himself answered the questions of the (few...) fans which were there, while the priceless Valeria translated.

Many questions were asked; out of the ones I remember, I will especially quote mine.

translations

I asked him where the phonetic choice in the naming of characters, names, places came from, given that they are so "unheard of"; he replied that for some of them he got his inspiration from American "mythology" (...), as with Nynaeve which is the name of a really existed historical figure, while for other ones he created them out of nowhere, trying to keep consistent.

wot influences

,

nynaeve

,

arthurian legend

I then asked, as (plot-wise) the 4th book is clearly different for the three previous ones, if it was planned or if it just happened; he answered that it was planned.

the shadow rising

,

the dragon reborn

,

the great hunt

,

the eye of the world

,

plotting

Someone else asked if while writing the Aiel he got his inspiration from Herbert (re: the native inhabitants of Dune [the Fremen people]); he answered that it was not that, that the real source of inspiration is the Cheyenne people, originally shepherds and forced to became warriors and to flee into the desert when the white man came.

aiel

,

wot influences

He was asked which one of the characters he prefers; he answered "nobody in particular", and that he'd like to be like Lan, but that he's more similar to Perrin, while his wife said that for what concerns her, he is Loial ...

favorites

,

harriet

Someone else asked if he reads in his free time, and what kind of books, and if he reads fantasy books; he replied that he reads anything, and fantasy too (but not while he's writing! else he gets angry if he reads things he could have written better) and he gave some names (Pratchett, Key [sic] ...).

rj on reading

,

rj on fantasy

,

rj on writing

Last question I remember, as his characters are so well defined and rounded, if he got his inspiration from real persons or if he studied psychology; Jordan replied that he never studied psychology (if his father teaching him to play poker can be excluded...) and that he doesn't write his characters after real persons, but that he tries to make them as real as he can, even the ones that only appear for a few sentences, trying to keep them consistent.

rj on writing

,

rj on life

,

characterization

Thanks Cuthbert! A life-saver again...did you see the very short report that was a couple of posts later?

LINDA TAGLIERI

That was to answer someone's question about what Harriet was like [translation below]:

I too had the [good] fortune to be able to participate in the meeting with the great Robert (thanks again Sergio Fanucci) and I can say that his wife is a gracious distinguished lady of a certain age, that we knew to be an important editor of a major American publishing house and the person who "discovered" RJ's talent: thanks also to you my dear...(mmm I cannot remember his name, maybe Raven).

harriet