AMA Questions that might actually be answered (Gathering topic)

[Snark Knight]

1. Confirmed that who you are plays as much into opening a Way as where you are. Plus every wizard has a unique magic signature, Cowl and Peabody's are 'mildew'

Then ... why is Harry's mother's map any use to him?

[Dina]

It was not a comment about quality Dina. I will say that I think that a new reader coming on to this is going to feel shorted. Peace Talks doesn't resolve anything. There is no denouement.  To this point all the books had a resolution to the central conceit. Even a book as convoluted as Proven Guilty.

You said:

Six years with no new income source.

I am saying that is not accurate (it's 5 years without books,but he received money for the short stories too) and that I don't think the book is too expensive. ¿quite messy? yes. But it is clear that is "part 1" of a book. It's like when they did the last Harry Potter movie split in two. I did not think the theater ticket should have been cheaper for movie 1 because it was not complete.

[Con]

Then ... why is Harry's mother's map any use to him?

Presumably because they come from the same school of magic. Ebenezar to Margaret Margeret to Harry.

[vultur]

Since it shouldn't be plot-relevant going forward:
Where did the Red King come from in the first place to start the Red Court? Was he a wizard who transformed himself, or a Nevernever demon who "adapted" to the mortal world, or an actual god, or what?

Why did the Red King run away from Morgan, rather than just smashing him to the ground with his "overpowering will" and having him killed? Did Morgan have some counter to the "will" attack, or did that only work at Chichen Itza?

[TheCuriousFan]

Presumably because they come from the same school of magic. Ebenezar to Margaret Margeret to Harry.

Doesn't work with the council having standardised ways.

Since it shouldn't be plot-relevant going forward:
Where did the Red King come from in the first place to start the Red Court? Was he a wizard who transformed himself, or a Nevernever demon who "adapted" to the mortal world, or an actual god, or what?

Why did the Red King run away from Morgan, rather than just smashing him to the ground with his "overpowering will" and having him killed? Did Morgan have some counter to the "will" attack, or did that only work at Chichen Itza?

Oh good one, the closest I've got is that Morgan seemed to have will shenanigans of his own going on with the tree cutting bit.

[Direwolf513]

I just meant that he received money for them. And in the post I've read from Priscellie, she said that she did not know what happened about the changes. I don't know if she said something else after that.

That's.... actually a little concerning. If the betas found issues with the text and reported them, why would they not be corrected? What's the point of having betas otherwise? Was it simply a question of time - there wasn't time to update the text and still make the publication deadline? Did Jim straight up disagree with the betas? That's certainly his prerogative as the author, but hard to imagine that the notes they sent were that off after years of doing this.

I feel like there's a story with how these books got written and it would be interesting to hear, but we never will.

[morriswalters]

You said:
I am saying that is not accurate (it's 5 years without books,but he received money for the short stories too) and that I don't think the book is too expensive. ¿quite messy? yes. But it is clear that is "part 1" of a book. It's like when they did the last Harry Potter movie split in two. I did not think the theater ticket should have been cheaper for movie 1 because it was not complete.

Okay, five years.

[Mira]

That's.... actually a little concerning. If the betas found issues with the text and reported them, why would they not be corrected? What's the point of having betas otherwise? Was it simply a question of time - there wasn't time to update the text and still make the publication deadline? Did Jim straight up disagree with the betas? That's certainly his prerogative as the author, but hard to imagine that the notes they sent were that off after years of doing this.

I feel like there's a story with how these books got written and it would be interesting to hear, but we never will.

I fear it is a matter of "Dresden burnout."  Simply spreading a series for so many books for so many years is very difficult.  Clearly Jim seems to want to move on to other subjects, for a while now, and I mean since Changes, he seems to be merely going through the motions to appease us, but not satisfy.  He had five or six years to write Peace Talks/Battleground, but cannot make the corrections the Betas suggested because it cannot be gotten to the publisher in time?  He has began a whole new series in those five or six years, writing a pretty long novel, Dresden was clearly on the back burner.  If it is due to burnout, I wish he'd edit and finish up the series in a satisfactory way then move on to new projects.

[morriswalters]

I fear it is a matter of "Dresden burnout."  Simply spreading a series for so many books for so many years is very difficult.  Clearly Jim seems to want to move on to other subjects, for a while now, and I mean since Changes, he seems to be merely going through the motions to appease us, but not satisfy.  He had five or six years to write Peace Talks/Battleground, but cannot make the corrections the Betas suggested because it cannot be gotten to the publisher in time?  He has began a whole new series in those five or six years, writing a pretty long novel, Dresden was clearly on the back burner.  If it is due to burnout, I wish he'd edit and finish up the series in a satisfactory way then move on to new projects.

I don't know that I would jump off that bridge. Cold Days was pretty good and Skin Game showed us a more adult Dresden.

In terms of the beta readers, I don't know what to think.  It's odd the she would bring it up as his, well, kinda, spokeswoman, I guess.

[Mira]

I don't know that I would jump off that bridge. Cold Days was pretty good and Skin Game showed us a more adult Dresden.

In terms of the beta readers, I don't know what to think.  It's odd the she would bring it up as his, well, kinda, spokeswoman, I guess.

Perhaps you are right, but I am nearing the edge.. 

[Con]

Since it shouldn't be plot-relevant going forward:
Where did the Red King come from in the first place to start the Red Court? Was he a wizard who transformed himself, or a Nevernever demon who "adapted" to the mortal world, or an actual god, or what?

Why did the Red King run away from Morgan, rather than just smashing him to the ground with his "overpowering will" and having him killed? Did Morgan have some counter to the "will" attack, or did that only work at Chichen Itza?

1. Answered in the Paranet Papers RPG Booklet. At least partially, they managed to capture Gods from another tribe feed on them to boost their own power. Repeat across South America.

There was a tribe conquered by the Inca who worshipped gods that were very real—these gods walked among the people of this tribe and ruled them directly. They granted boons to the faithful and they protected their people, but they were cruel gods who demanded regular sacrifice. Their people were little more than tools and chattel to them, to use and discard at their whim. When the Inca conquered this tribe—whose name has been lost to time—their gods allowed it to happen. It’s likely they did this because they knew that they would become a part of a larger pantheon and thus gain more worshippers and power. As their influence grew, so did their potency, but it was not to last. The Red Court soon infiltrated the Inca, posed as their gods, and usurped the entire pantheon just as they had the Maya. Already very powerful and much more numerous than these old gods—who numbered thirteen—they
were able to capture them and bind them. The vampires drank of the blood of these gods and kept them alive so that they might continue to do so. The Red Court averted what could have been a catastrophic event but, in so doing, engineered their rise to power. This event, it turned out, was not much better for the people of South America. The spy told Lisa that this was how the Lords of Outer Night gained a large portion of their power, leeching it from the blood of gods

2. I think the 'will' thing required all of the Lords of the Outer Night together in one place and yeah probably drawing off a ley line centre of power.

[Direwolf513]

I don't know that I would jump off that bridge. Cold Days was pretty good and Skin Game showed us a more adult Dresden.

In terms of the beta readers, I don't know what to think.  It's odd the she would bring it up as his, well, kinda, spokeswoman, I guess.

I was thinking that, too. Kinda throwing Jim under the bus in a way.

"Well, hey, we caught a bunch of stuff that was inconsistent and told him about it, but he decided not to correct, so.... what can ya do?"

[Direwolf513]

1. Answered in the Paranet Papers RPG Booklet. At least partially, they managed to capture Gods from another tribe feed on them to boost their own power. Repeat across South America.
2. I think the 'will' thing required all of the Lords of the Outer Night together in one place and yeah probably drawing off a ley line centre of power.

Yeah, that's part of the answer. I'd be interested in knowing where vampires (of any Court) came from originally. How did the first Hunger demon attach itself to a human? Were Red Court vamps creatures that evolved naturally(ish) and learned to make flesh masks to pass as human like another animal would find ways to lure its preferred prey? How did the Black Court obtain its power - straight from Drakul/Dracula, or was something else involved?

[Dina]

I was thinking that, too. Kinda throwing Jim under the bus in a way.

"Well, hey, we caught a bunch of stuff that was inconsistent and told him about it, but he decided not to correct, so.... what can ya do?"

No, she did not say anything against him.
Here you can see an example (I know there are others, but I could not find it) about an specific discontinuity

https://www.reddit.com/r/dresdenfiles/comments/hvhzmz/spoilers_peace_talks_did_jimhis_beta_readers_miss/

Particularly, she said:
"The betas caught it. I was one of them. I have no explanation of how the scads of errors made it into the book".

[Direwolf513]

No, she did not say anything against him.
Here you can see an example (I know there are others, but I could not find it) about an specific discontinuity

https://www.reddit.com/r/dresdenfiles/comments/hvhzmz/spoilers_peace_talks_did_jimhis_beta_readers_miss/

Particularly, she said:
"The betas caught it. I was one of them. I have no explanation of how the scads of errors made it into the book".

Sorry, I wasn't clear. The "quote" I gave was made up and intended to be tongue-in-cheek.

That said, in the quote you provided, she clearly said that the betas caught a particular error and that there were "scads" of errors, for which she had no explanation. Given that Jim has control over the manuscript as the author, logically that would seem to suggest that he ignored feedback from the betas. What's surprising is that she offered up that information at all as it does point a negative finger at the author.