Nocturniquet
With this interaction with the readers who constantly point out things they notice, or suggest ideas or desires for the plot...do you find yourself affected by it in such a way that you change your plans for the plot at all?
Like suppose something in this post sounds great but you change your mind about doing it. Is it because of your own plans or is it something a reader said, or a combination of both?
Will Wight
I do change my mind based on reader response, but it's usually not a direct correlation.
When I hear from readers, it gives me an idea of what they expect from the series. Which helps me better understand how to play on those expectations.
For instance, let's say I was planning to kill Lindon in Book 3 and have a new main character take over (I was at no point planning on this). Reading all of these comments might at first make me go "Ha! No one expects this! I'm doing the unexpected!"
...but I would very shortly realize that the reason they weren't expecting it is because they're reading for Lindon's progress. If he stops making progress, they'll stop reading.
Then I would change my mind.
As for suggestions, I can't remember ever hearing someone suggest something that I hadn't already considered. However, sometimes hearing it out loud makes me reevaluate; maybe someone will suggest an idea I've already rejected, but they make it sound workable, so I'll consider it again. Or they'll suggest an idea I'm actually planning on doing, but hearing it from someone else makes it sound lame, so I reconsider.
It's a very fluid process.
John
How far do you outline?
Will Wight
I always have a plan, but often I leave details vague just in case I have a better idea or change my mind later. Gives me some elbow room.
I do a TON of world-building before I start, but a lot of it is fluid. When I'm writing the book, if what I planned doesn't serve the story as well as I imagined it would, I'll change the planned backstory as needed. Nothing is set in stone until it shows up in a book.
As for parts that are more narrow than world-building elements--like characters, scenes, twists, etc.--most of those I design as needed when I'm working on the book. I don't determine their fate several books ahead of time.
However, that's for MOST characters and scenes. There are a few incredibly specific elements that I've already determined way ahead of time, including several that are still four or five books away.
TL;DR - Me setting up a specific character twist two books ahead is uncommon, but not terribly rare.
Questioner
When will Underlord be released?
Will Wight
This was by far the most common fan-submitted question.
...
The time approaches when ravens cry with the voices of men. I see a day when lakes and rivers reverse their flow, when dogs and cats merge into the perfect pets, and when the moon cackles and stares at the people below while blood leaks from the corner of its mouth. Ia! Ia! These are the signs that the time of Underlord is nigh!
Questioner
What is your favorite knock knock joke?
Will Wight
Knock knock.
Who's there?
To.
To who?
To whom.
Questioner
What five things could you not live without?
Will Wight
1.) The four elemental crystals that keep nature in balance, without which all of humanity would be scoured from the face of the planet by constant natural disasters.
2.) The ring I inherited from my great-grandfather that tells me what every child wants for Christmas.
3.) My artificial heart.
4.) The collar that keeps me from transforming into a werewolf every night.5.) Terraria on PC.
Questioner
If you could only have one app on your phone, what would it be?
Will Wight
I don't know, Safari? I'm not very good at these social media-type questions. If www.WuxiaWorld.com had an iOS app, it would be my most-used app and the one I would keep above all others. I spend most of my time on Safari reading web novels.
Questioner
Who is your favorite Disney character and why?
Will Wight
Disney owns too many characters now. I can't be certain my own characters aren't owned by Disney somehow. But my real answer: Carl Fredricksen from Up. I aspire to be him when I am older, but with an even more tragic backstory.
Your Benevolent Dictator
What about warlock punch?
Tievel
Not sure what that is
Will Wight
The superior Falcon clone
Your Benevolent Dictator
The only character I use in smash is ma boi ganon
Will Wight
Yeah, I’m a decent Ganondorf. He’s my go-to heavy
SomeWhoCallMe... Tim
You do really well at writing the nuttier characters
Will Wight
I mentioned the other day that, in my D&D campaign, I chose to play a human fighter because it was the character I would normally choose last. This is why: I'm way better at playing nuttier characters, so I'm trying to stretch myself so that I can play the "normal" grounded characters more convincingly.
SomeWhoCallMe... Tim
Will, do you write because you're good at it, you like it, or a mix of both? Like, is it a way for you to pay the bills, or did you dream of being a writer when you were a wee lad?
Will Wight
There's a combination of factors, but the main thing is that I love stories. I always have. I'm just very passionate about storytelling. And this is the storytelling medium I'm best at, because I've always been skilled at writing.
I never expected to be able to write full time. I thought I would be scraping by for a publishing contract that would, someday, if I worked very hard, eventually land me a full-time writing position.
Lil' Blue
Do they ever let you sleep?
Will Wight
Occasionally they pump some Red Bull into my IV
Lil' Blue
Also how come you don't have the special Stabby flair on r/fantasy?
Will Wight
I probably won mine before they were doing the flair.
Lil' Blue
Srs question, how was your game?
Will Wight
That last game was impossible to win. I did pretty well, but our bot lane fed like crazy. They had given up thirteen kills by fourteen minutes.
Otherwise, doing pretty well.
Hjorth
Who is your favorite LoL character, and why is it Udyr?
Will Wight
Are you ghosting me right now? I've literally been playing nothing but Udyr since the book was out, because he's busted this patch.
I'm playing Udyr
right now.
Lil' Blue
We can see who you're playing on Discord. Discord is creepy.
Will Wight
Oh, for real? I've only ever seen "playing League of Legends."
Thanks, creepy Discord!
STINK
The one and only most important question of all: Will, are you a :thinking: man or a :thonking: man?
Will Wight
*reacts to message with :thonking:*
Lil' Blue
Will, what's the most recent show/movie that's made you cry?
Will Wight
I can't think of any that ever has.
Devilman Crybaby punched me in the gut, as you'd expect.
Tievel
Hey Will, have the additional region releases helped the book numbers significantly?
Will Wight
No, the regions have not helped the book numbers significantly. 90% or more of my sales come from Amazon.com.
I was never concerned that the absence of the UK and the other regions would jeopardize my bottom line, but I still want fans in those regions to have a better experience at launch.
Your Benevolent Dictator
Why did you choose the name Uru
Will Wight
Uru has been one of the names I’ve used since high school; I thought it was cool that it was short, spelled the same forwards and backwards, and made up of two letters that are also words.
Originally, I used the name for a character in a short story I half-finished. He was a wizard that acted as an intermediary for a pantheon of warring gods that couldn’t move against each other directly. He would hire him out to the god that would reward him with the most powerful artifact.
Decadakon
Did you watch deadpool 2 yet?
Will Wight
I did. It was okay.
Decadakon
Did you review Infinity war? if not how did you like it?
Will Wight
I haven't reviewed it yet, but I did like it.
I intended to review it, but the book launch made that timing awkward.
