Apart from the Empire Series , Honoured Enemy is def my fav :) Read it at
least 7-8 times :)
----- Original Message -----
From: Raymond E. Feist
To: feistfans-l
Sent: Saturday, April 14, 2012 5:01 PM
Subject: Re: Collaborations
On Apr 13, 2012, at 11:55 PM, Tim Hickey wrote:
Ray,
Two questions...
I may have missed it, but how did the opportunities for your collaborations
come up and how did the mechanics of the collaborations work out (who wrote
what, did you have overall decisions on what was written, etc)?
Thanks!
The first collaboration with Janny was my idea. I asked and she said no, and
after I worked on her for almost a year, she finally said OK. That series was
100% give-and-take. I'd write something and send it to her; she'd edit and
rewrite, and the reverse as well, she'd write, I'd rewrite. Etc. There are
parts I can point to and say, "That was Janny's. That was mine." But there
are parts I can point to and say, "I have no idea who did that."
The other three came about because another publisher wanted me to do a series
written by other writers from my outline. Harper said "No one else publishes
Feist," and gave me a three book deal. I refused to do a "big name/little
name" or "I direct while they do the work," and insisted it would be a full
collaboration. I visited Bill, Steve, and Joel, and we came up with ideas.
Then they went to work and did the 1st draft and I did the rewrite. Different
results from different writers. Joel, God rest him, handed me a murder mystery
where the three guys got the right results the wrong way, so it was a lousy
murder mystery but otherwise a fun book. Steve handed me something that looked
absolutely nothing like the book we agreed to, two weeks before deadline, and I
scrambled like crazy to beat it into submission. Bill handed me a book that
read like something I would write and it was as easy to work on as revising one
of my own first drafts. Of the three, I'm happiest with Honored Enemy.
Best, R.E.F.
----
www.crydee.com
Never attribute to malice what can satisfactorily be explained away by
stupidity.
