Working on the Wheel of Time was an extremely rewarding but extremely difficult process for me. These were hard books to write–probably the hardest project I will ever work on in my life. Having loved the series since I was a youth, I feel thrilled, excited and just humbled to have been part of this, and it is exciting to me that people can finally read the ending that Robert Jordan himself wrote, that I got to read in 2007 sitting in his chair, at his computer. When I first went to Charleston in December 2007, I asked Harriet (Mr. Jordan’s widow) for two things. 1) The paper that explained who killed Asmodean. 2) The pages from the ending that Mr. Jordan had written.
I read them all in one sitting. That ending was fantastic. Honestly, I’m not just saying that. I was VERY satisfied with how things turned out, and this is speaking only as a fan, one who had read and loved the series for many years. I wouldn’t change a thing about it.
Working on this series has been amazing. There is a lot of weight behind these books, pushing them forward. So much foreshadowing, so much character development, so much worldbuilding. I’ve loved reading the books since I was a kid, and while it’s surreal to work on some of them myself, it’s also incredibly engaging. I’ve never been part of anything like this. Being able to see into the master’s mind, being able to help the project along and try to bring out the conclusions he set the groundwork for…it’s just an incredible honor.
It was a big task. Fortunately, I got a lot of help in the form of Mr. Jordan’s assistants and his wife (who was also his editor). They know this series like nobody else. I’ve also got the notes and materials Mr. Jordan himself left. None of that means this was easy–but it did make the books possible.
One of the first things I did when I was brought on to write A MEMORY OF LIGHT was request the audio-books of the Wheel of Time from Tor. They were very helpful in understanding the rhythm of Mr. Jordan’s writing and understanding the pronunciations of some of the harder names (Though I have been informed that a few of those pronunciations are off). Either way, I’m very impressed with the readers, and am glad I had the audio-books as a resource.
I’m humbled that many of you enjoyed my work on the Wheel of Time. I’m never quite sure how to respond to people liking the books, as I honestly feel that Robert Jordan would have done a better job. That set aside, however, I can say one thing with certainty: I have found it an honor to be part of this, and to interact with the Wheel of Time readers.
Thank you so much for your good will and your good wishes. May you find water and shade.