When one starts a series like The Wheel of Time, one most likely doesn’t know that it would will take over nine book and 6000 pages to tell the complete story.
No. When I started this series, there were only two commonly used means of publishing: a single book or a trilogy. I, however, told my publisher: this won’t be a trilogy, but a series of at least four or five volumes, possibly even six. At that time I knew the overall content of the story, I knew what events I wanted to put in them and also had the final completely ready-made in my head. But I soon discovered that I could fit much less in the first book than I thought. That first book was actually supposed to hold the story of The Great Hunt and at least a part of The Dragon Reborn . At that point, I though: “Okay, it will probably be six or seven books.” Exactly the same thing happened to the second book. At this point, I no longer dare make predictions how long the series will eventually become. It will end sometime, I swear, but I don’t know when exactly that will be.
So there will be some more volumes?
After Winter’s Heart , there will be about three volumes. At least, I hope that it won’t be much more.
Why do you hope that? Because you’re starting to get enough of it, yourself?
Absolutely not! But because it feels like I’m still working on the same book. What people consider nine volumes of a series, is in fact one huge novel. And it feels like I am only at three quarters of the story. It won’t be finished before I have typed out that final scene. And I really want to finish it. So it’s really not a case of me not liking it anymore. Quite the opposite: I love doing it. When the series is finished, I might miss it more than I can imagine right now. For fifteen years, I have been working on the Wheel of Time series. And that’s a hell of a long time for one project.
Most readers will be excited at the prospect of at least three more volumes!
People have told me that before, and every time I feel a great relief. They might just as well have gotten fed up with it. But that is not happening. People are, like you said, actually excited that it will keep going for a while. In fact: they’re already asking if there might be a sequel! But on that, I have to disappoint them…
There must be an enormous pressure on you to continue. For many people, the series has become a part of their lives; something they’re very attached to.
People will miss it. And I do expect pressure from every side to continue, including from my publisher. It is very tempting to come up with more of the same after this, but I think I am strong enough to resist that.
Your colleague Terry Brooks has succumbed to the temptation and has returned to Shannara with his latest series.
Correct. There are more writers that do that. But what I always tell my readers, is this: I don’t write for you, I write for my own enjoyment. I already have a clear picture of what I want to do after this, and I hope that by that time, my readers will be willing to follow me there.
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