Christopher Paolini at the Dallas Museum of Art

Right now, Christopher Paolini is having his last book tour for the Inheritance Cycle. He has recently published the deluxe edition of the final book in the series (which includes a great deal of goodies, including artwork of Shruiken and extra content) and he is going on a book tour to promote this version. Fortunately for me, one of his first stops happened to be at the Dallas Museum of Art.

I found out about his appearance, so close to where I live, via an email from the museum. I immediately called all of the Eragon fans I knew and purchased my ticket. When the day came for the event, my close friend Andrew and I drove up to Dallas, both of us definitely fangirling as we awaiting the beginning of the event. Both of us are aspiring writers and big Eragon fans, so it was a very exciting prospect for us.

The fans present filled a small auditorium that seated about three hundred or so and nearly all attendees were under fourteen or the parents of those kids, but that didn't put a single damper on the event, nor did Paolini let that dictate how he presented himself and his material in the slightest.

Christopher Paolini, author of the Inheritance Cycle series, was home schooled and graduated at the age of fifteen. Following his graduation, he tells us he was extremely bored. Not having schoolwork was fun for about two weeks and then he realized there was now nothing for him to do. After digging himself a nine by nine foot hole in his backyard and fashioning it into a Viking Mead Hall, he realized he needed to focus his efforts on something worthwhile. He chose to write the kind of fantasy novel he enjoyed reading.

Andrew and I with our tickets.

So Christopher Paolini set to work creating Eragon, the first in the series of four rather large books, and finished it within the year. Then he went back to read his work for the first time . . . and marveled at how terrible it was. It was so bad, he told us during his time onstage, that the main character's first name wasn't even Eragon. It was Kevin. And, to be honest, who would have read the tale of Kevin the Dragon Rider?

Instead of giving up, Paolini went through the tedious process of editing and rewriting the first draft, as all authors must. From that came the book we all know and love. When it was complete, the Paolini's chose to self-publish. Christopher's sister, Angela (inspiration for the character of the same name in the series) drew up the cover while he drew the map and eye that remain in each printing of the book to date, while his parents helped him self-publish and draw attention to the book through numerous events and engagements they secured for him. In order to garner attention during that time, he often attended those engagements in medieval clothing consisting of knee-high boots, a red pirate shirt, and similar items of clothing.

After a Q&A forum, during which he confirmed plans for further books set in Alagäesia and the fact that his current novel is sci-fi, he gave a few tips for aspiring authors that I took notes on and will share here:

-Good readers are good writers. Read as much as you can. The things you don't like can help improve your writing just as much as the things you do, even if it's only showing you what you shouldn't do.

-Learn as much as you can about the English language. The more you know about spelling, grammar, and writing in general, the better you'll be able to communicate what's in your head to your audience.

-Write about whatever it is that you care about most. If you aren't interested in what you're writing, you won't do a very good job at it and writing won't be nearly as enjoyable. Even if what you care about isn't that popular, there are a lot of people on this planet and there are bound to be plenty of people who will find what you love just as cool as you do.

-Write EVERY DAY. It keeps you in practice and helps you maintain your relationship with the material so that writing will come easier to you than if you write once a week and have to take the time to get back into the world of what you're writing every time you sit down to it. "Persistence beats out talent almost every time," he reiterated. If you keep putting it off, you'll never finish. Writing every day keeps you focused on finishing what you've started.

-Have fun. If writing isn't enjoyable to you in the slightest, you're probably pursuing the wrong thing. Enjoy what you're doing and do it well.

My signed copies of Eldest and Inheritance.

Overall, it was a wonderful event and Christopher Paolini is really quite an engaging speaker. I loved hearing everything he had to say. He's quite friendly and very relatable. Afterward, he signed books for everyone. I brought Eldest and Inheritance for him to sign and he seemed rather excited about the fact that I had purchased the European editions, which was pretty cool for me.

Christopher Paolini is a master when it comes to the skill of writing and I definitely suggest his books to anyone looking for a fantasy that will keep you hooked from beginning to end. He's a pro at his trade and a wonderful person, definitely worth seeing if he tours in your area. I'm incredibly thankful he came to Dallas and grateful that I had the opportunity to see him.