WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — It's been almost a decade since readers of Christopher Paolini's "Inheritance Cycle" have enjoyed new stories from the world of Alagaësia.
The New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author visited Great Day Washington to chat with hosts, Markette Sheppard and Kristen Berset-Harris about his new novel "The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm".
Sheppard: What inspired you to follow your passion so young?
Paolini: I loved reading and writing, I loved fantasy, I loved stories with dragons and battles and I wanted to write about the sorts of things I enjoyed reading. And I was very fortunate to have a family that supported me and encouraged me. As a result of that I've been lucky enough to tell stories as a living.
Berset-Harris: Bestselling author, books, movies, video games, has this gotten to be more than you ever imagined?
Paolini: I never imagined any of this when I started I thought that I would be lucky if my parents read the book and I would be really lucky if my sister read it. But I never imagined that people all around the world would be reading the books and for that I'm very, very grateful.
Sheppard: How do you create a whole new world that readers can follow?
Paolini: I'd say you need your initial idea, whatever that might be, and the trick is to treat it realistically.
Berset-Harris: What made you come back to the world of Alagaësia?
Paolini: Like a lot of the readers I love the characters and the world [of Eragon] and over the years I keep thinking of what's happening to the characters and I couldn't get those stories out of my mind, so I actually started writing them. One of the stories [in "The Fork, the Witch and the Worm"] in fact was inspired by a tweet from a fan.