This evening was a big deal to me. I met one of my favourite authors, Raymond E Feist. Brisbane Square Library, with Brisbane Writers Festival hosted an event featuring the man himself, the discussion facilitated by John Birmingham.
My relationship, I suppose you could say, with Raymond Feist’s books began when I was in my mid-teens, when I threw myself into reading and studying, following the closure of a big part of my life. Admittedly, reading his books allowed me to escape (and not face) the troubles I was experiencing at the time. For the last 10 years I have enjoyed progressing through the ages on the world that is Midkemia. More recently, the joy I have experienced in immersing myself into the world of Midkemia and being endlessly fascinated by the strings of plot Feist weaves together, has been nothing short of wondrous. The connections I had made with characters that continued to endure with each book, have added depth and meaning to stories beyond the pages. Lessons of honour, duty, imagination, trust and faith magnify the qualities I’d like to see in myself and others. I love the way Feist explains the cosmology when the story comes to a critical point, the need to understand determining the end or the survival of the world and what it means to exist.
The event tonight had Raymond Feist at the centre, speaking about his writing beginnings, how he realised a skill set for writing he didn’t know previously. Feist is character-driven saying “characters are important to structure, narrative is organic”. He spoke about his characters as he saw them, as well as character development and the roles they play. A few announcements were made about books coming up and he shared his experiences with collaborating with other authors.
I’ve compiled a Storify from the event which highlights some of Feist’s key points from the discussion. I managed to have a book signed, his latest entitled “Magician’s End” and a photo. 
[View the story "Meet Raymond Feist at Brisbane Square Library, 24 June 2013" on Storify]
