How are you able to give your characters such depth, and histories to make them utterly believable?

Isobel MacLean, 14

I try to think about my characters as if they were real people. So whenever I put them in a certain situation (facing a mob of angry Urgals, for example), I ask myself how I or the people I know would act in that situation.

Is it true that you didn’t go to school?

Harley Shaw, 10

My parents taught me at home. My home-school education contributed to the creation of Eragon, as it gave me the freedom to explore subjects that caught my interest — such as dinosaurs, Icelandic sagas, and Egyptian pyramids. It allowed me to work at my own pace, and it gave me time to think, to daydream about adventures, to create the world of Alagaësia.

Did you come up with Alagaësia by thinking about a real place that you have been to?

Georgia Greengrass, 13

Much of Alagaësia is based on my home in Montana, USA. From my office window I can see the soaring Beartooth Mountains that pierce the sky and the winding Yellowstone River below. This natural beauty helps me envision Eragon’s world.

Why did you write one more Inheritance book, so it was a cycle and not a trilogy?

George Grange, 11

While writing Brisingr, I realised that I had too much plot to fit into one volume and that I would need a fourth novel to complete the adventures of Eragon and Saphira as I originally envisioned them.

Would you like to be a dragon rider?

Paul Witherow, 13

Of course! Or better yet, a dragon. Then I would fly over the soaring Beartooth Mountains that have inspired my writing. I would swoop through the narrow, tree-covered valleys between the peaks, and I would playfully dip in and out of puffy white clouds. I sometimes think about these things when I’m writing Saphira's character.

How did you come up with such awesome names and the vocabulary of the languages?

Darren

When I was writing the first draft for Eragon, I needed to invent a word that meant fire. I flipped through a dictionary of word origins and eventually found an Old Norse word, brisingr, that meant fire. I loved it so much, I decided to base the rest of my language on Old Norse. Some of the names of my characters and places are invented through jokes or wordplay, such as Eragon, which is dragon with one letter changed (it also means era-gone, as in a time gone by), and Saphira, which was inspired by sapphire.

What happens in the next Inheritance book and are you going to write even more?

Samantha Tibbetts, 14

Once the Inheritance cycle is finished, I plan to take a break and catch up on my reading. I have many other tales to tell, in fantasy and other genres. As for writing more books set in Alagaësia . . . all things are possible.

What is your favourite film?

Sam Worsley, 11

I love all sorts of films. My family and I usually watch a movie with dinner every night. Some of my favourites are Spirited Away, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Brazil, Terminator, Alien(s), Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and They Live.

Do you ever read your own books?

Emma Downham, 14

No. Once the writing and editing are done, I’m ready to move on to my next project.

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