It’s hard to believe it’s only been eight years since your debut novel, Elantris , was released. You’ve accomplished so much in less than a decade of work: the Mistborn saga, your Alcatraz series for young readers, finishing the Wheel of Time, beginning The Stormlight Archive, the Writing Excuses podcast, and now the Hugo Awards…. In a career of high points, what is your most proud moment so far?
You ask some tough questions, Paul! By the way, thank you for that very nice review and spotlight you did of Elantris many years ago. I’ve always remembered and appreciated that.
How can I pick a high point from my career so far? I mean, getting to work on the Wheel of Time, that’s like a once-in-many-lifetimes opportunity. Normally, I would have to pick that, though the fact that this year I also won a Hugo Award kind rivals it.
Ten years ago, I was writing books furiously, trying to get published, and dedicating my life to this art. If you’d asked me then what would be the high point, I would’ve said that it had to be that first moment when an editor called me and said, “I want to buy your book.” Everything since then has been awesome, amazing, and wonderful. But after over a decade of work, writing thirteen novels that had never seen the light of day, I don’t think anything can ever rival the knowledge of finally being told, “All right, kid, you’re going to get a shot at doing this thing for a living.” Nothing will ever be able to parallel that professionally.
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