Trouble In The Writing Room?

[epistler]

Well, once again reading between the lines, it looks like we were right. He's fighting with the writing team.

 
And then admits to infodumping without a trace of irony, after lying about all the "revision" he does on his books. God this is just getting better and better. 

Comments

Transcription

[pangolin20]

Tweet 1:

Christopher Paolini @paolini May 4

Heh. Funnily enough, it's gotten close to the book over this process. Sometimes I just want to say, "I told you so..." Lol.

In reply to:

Moot/ムート @Mootmonthly May 4

Replying to @paolini

don't let them revise TOO much 😅

Tweet 2:

Christopher Paolini @paolini May 4

Btw, for any of you who are authors... the amount of revision in Hollywood is Insane. Totally eclipses what we go through in publishing (and I do a LOT of revision on my books).

Tweet 3:

Christopher Paolini @paolini May 4

Writing about the War of Iron right now. Was cut from the Inheritance Cycle (too much info-dumping as-was). Good stuff. Fun to be writing original story material in Alagaësia again.

[torylltales]

I KNEW IT.

I mean, I'm not exactly psychic, but the Paolini who doesn't fight with the writer's room is not the Paolini who lives in this universe.

[torylltales]

In a reaction series to the Hadestown soundtrack, someone commented "the Orpheus who could walk out of Hades without looking back is not the Orpheus who would have gone there in the first place."

I'd say the same is true of Paolini and arguing with his editors or co-writers. The Paolini who is able to not argue with his editors is the Paolini who would not have published the Inheritance Cycle or Fractalverse as they are.

It is his Fate. His geas. Arguing with his editors is so deeply embedded in his personality that I cannot conceive of a version of Paolini who would not.

[epistler]

In a reaction series to the Hadestown soundtrack, someone commented "the Orpheus who could walk out of Hades without looking back is not the Orpheus who would have gone there in the first place."

I'm getting this weird feeling that you're somewhat of a fan of that show.

And yeah, it would be a major piece of mind-blowing insanity if Paolini actually behaved himself and didn't keep insisting he knows best when it comes to his all but non-existent "canon". You know, the "canon" he himself constantly changes and contradicts on a whim.

[torylltales]

I'm getting this weird feeling that you're somewhat of a fan of that show.

I have no idea what you're talking about.

You know, the "canon" he himself constantly changes and contradicts on a whim.

The canon that is the Fantasy Canon equivalent of three miniature Frankenstein's Monsters in a trenchcoat.

[epistler]

The canon that is the Fantasy Canon equivalent of three miniature Frankenstein's Monsters in a trenchcoat.

🎶Late one night before the tavernkeeper shut his door
A wobbly gentleman came in, his footing was unsure
Moustachioed and handsome, and his clothing touched the floor
He was no man at all, he was three kobolds in a trenchcoat🎶

And given that inconvenient fact, if the series lasts long enough people are going to be laughing themselves stupid and complaining about all the ridiculous inconsistencies and blatant retcons. TV audiences aren't going to interpret things the same way readers are, and they aren't going to be doing what readers do, ie headcanon things into making sense without realising that's what they're doing.

[minionnumber2]

Unfortunately, this means they are probably actually working on the series. To be a fly on the wall and see what all he's fighting to keep in there.

Fortunately, this means any fuckers is entirely in his hands and he can't blame the machine for "ruining it" this time.

[torylltales]

I vote for the baby head on a spike. That's definitely gotta stay.

Edit: ooh, and Eragon casually having roast chicken for breakfast on a non-Feast Day day, while also complaining about how poor and meatless his family is.

[pangolin20]

It was a whole baby, I feel compelled to point out. My own vote would go to Brom ragging on Eragon after meeting the Urgals outside of Teirm; I'd be interested to see just how Paolini hopes to convey that as Brom being in the right.

[epistler]

Actually seeing the characters' awful behaviour on screen would be FAR harder to ignore/headcanon into acceptability. An easy example being Eragon's behaviour in the movie, where we actually got to see him being a selfish, arrogant jerk whose stupidity gets Brom killed. And who smiles creepily when he finds out he killed a bunch of Urgals. Say what you will about that movie, but it kept Eragon 100% in character. And audiences hated him.

[torylltales]

I want to see Eragon sniffing the unconscious Arya right after they rescued from the torture chamber.

[epistler]

The Eragon and Arya actors right before shooting that scene: "I'm sorry, you want us to do WHAT?"

[pangolin20]

Well, that does sound better... though I do wonder how Brom and Saphira (in my eyes considerably worse than Eragon) came off. Then again, I suppose I'll see once I'm done with Eragon!

[epistler]

I do wonder how Brom and Saphira (in my eyes considerably worse than Eragon) came off.

I agree; in book one I didn't like Eragon, but I hated Brom and Saphira. The only times I ever sympathised with Eragon was when he was being bullied and constantly condescended to by those assholes - I was bullied and treated like an idiot as a child, so it was actually possible for me to relate to him a bit despite disliking him for being a whiny entitled moron.

[pangolin20]

Yeah, I can see that... though I can't really bring myself to dislike Eragon that much; he's just doesn't do enough bad stuff yet, and is all too bland for that.

[epistler]

Yeah, in book one he's mostly just an annoying brat with no personality. I only disliked him because he was a whiny dumbass, and he could have had the opportunity to grow out of that if he was in the hands of a mature author who knew what he was doing. Instead, Paolini ended up becoming the kind of person who thinks being a whiny self-centred bully is "mature".

[minionnumber2]

These abusive training tactics are an important part of Eragon's journey, as well as Saphira insisting on eating all animals encountered.

[pangolin20]

As is learning to read in a week (I wonder if and how Paolini plans to bring that to the big screen?)! For the latter... yes, if he were to keep it faithful, he'd have to show Saphira nearly getting them all killed by trying to eat the message dove, wouldn't he?

[epistler]

*nods solemnly* Oh yeah, no question. After all, without the abuse he wouldn't have become the hateful little incurious bastard we all know and love.

[epistler]

Fortunately, this means any fuckers is entirely in his hands and he can't blame the machine for "ruining it" this time.

But you can bet it won't stop him trying to do just that.

In a weird way I'm actually kind of excited now. Maybe I'm going to get the massive trainwreck I've been secretly wishing for after all! And let's face it; a TV show that's just as bad if not worse than the movie, made with his very public involvement including having it on the public record that he insisted on getting his own way, is going to do WAY more damage to his career than a TV series that gets quietly canned. And for which he could pin the blame on Disney. A second embarrassing fiasco would be all on his head.