The short answers

[rolanni]

Kyrstellaine asks:

Is the lacework that Theo does based on some real-world lace technique, or is it Liaden-world only?

We didn't know about it when we started Theo on her lace work, but it turns out that there's this, and this, and this, among other similar projects; so plainly other minds work in like fashion.

* * *

Judy asks:

Do you ever find yourselves talking like some of your Liaden characters? I.e., “All joy…”, etc.

Sadly, yes.  It seems to come most easily when I'm Very Annoyed.  I'm inclined to view it as a Good Thing, because if I'm using the energy to speak in Rolling Periods, and Broad Irony, I'm not throwing things.

* * *

Betsy asks:

Which of you writes dialogue and which one writes plot? Or do you divide up the writing in some other fashion?

Oh, we both write the dialogue; I'm not sure who writes our plots, but I'd sure like to have a word with them.  I know that some collaborators split the writing tasks, or certain characters will only be written by one writer; other characters by the other. . .we don't do that.  Whoever is on-point has to do the Whole Job of Writing -- Voice; Description; Plot; Ripping Out the Stitches when something didn't work, and Setting In New Ones.

The reason this works for us is that we role-play the characters and the scenes and talk constantly about where we think the story's going -- lamentably, a moving target -- so we're both on-board with what the characters sound like; their motivations; their vulnerabilities and their goals.

* * *

Lacey asks:

Will there be a backstory on the norbears? (Much more about them, please.) Or on the dea’Gauss line and how they linked to Korval?

For norbears -- have you seen Out of True?

On dea'Gauss -- that's a possibility -- everything's a possibility -- but it's not something we're planning on writing soon.

* * *

Amanda asks:

Will the “5 book dash” bring the current Liaden storyline to a close? and related (but not exactly the same), what are your plans for retirement and will your current backlog fund such?

It's our intent that The Five Book Dash will bring closure to the combined Agent of Change/Theo story arcs.

Retirement -- no writer I've ever known has actually -- or wanted to -- retire.  Andre Norton had a novel published the year she died -- at 93.  Anne McCaffrey was still writing when she died  -- at 85.

I can't speak to their personal affairs, but, unless A Miracle Occurs, we're not going to be able to afford to retire.  I hope to avoid spending my last years under a bridge, but it's possible that I will.

* * *

And, finally, OtterB asks:

It’s a minor point, all things considered, but it nags at me. What does Surebleak use for power when Pat Rin first arrives? Presumably the port has its own generators (or whatever), but what about the streets? It doesn’t seem like there’s enough cooperation to allow an electrical generation and distribution system, but on the other hand, I don’t get the impression from the description that they’re using, say, oil lamps either. Can you (heh) shed some light on this?

I'm thinking Handwavium, myself.

* * *

Thanks to everyone who contributed a question!  Even though I didn't get to them all, I appreciate the time you took to ask!

Comments

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Isn't Surebleak likely to be Timonium powered? I mean, they were mining it there, surely it would be the most easily available power source. Now whether they had a central plant or used the local generators, I'm not sure. And we know that timonium powered gadgets run for a while, right?

The Writing Team

[catherine ives (from livejournal.com)]

Thanks for all the info on how it's done. Definitely an art. And then, of course, we can't forget the cats.

[pedanther]

I thought we'd already had the story of "the dea’Gauss line and how they linked to Korval", in Crystal Dragon.

[ariaflame.livejournal.com]

Concur on the dea'Gauss. What I want to know is where Luken's heir went, and exactly what was the mystery cargo that Er Thom put on that trader's manifest in Local Custom.

[otterb.livejournal.com]

Thanks for doing these. I enjoyed them and hope you will do them again some time.