Meeting Terry Brooks (again): One of My Writing Heroes

On Sunday night, I got to talk with one of my heroes and biggest inspirations for the third time: legendary fantasy author Terry Brooks.

My big dream in life is to be a published author of my own series of epic fantasy novels. I fell in love with writing at the age of ten, and I started writing my first novel in high school. My interest in crafting worlds and telling stories grew out of my love of reading.

My introduction to fantasy was with The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. Even at the age of six, when the Return of the King was released in theaters in 2003, those were already my favorite movies. That hasn't changed. At the same time, the Harry Potter series was out, and these two worlds helped form my love for the genre.

After reading children's fantasy books like Harry Potter and Redwall in elementary school, I turned to YA and adult fantasy in junior high.

The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks was the first of these novels I read in 2009. It took me a while to get into it, but once I did, I fell in love with the characters and the story. I quickly read the entire series, catching up on all of the Shannara books published between 1977 and 2013 by the time I was in high school. Since then, I haven't missed a release. I even watched the short-lived Shannara Chronicles TV show when it aired.

As an aspiring fantasy author, I take inspiration from everything I've ever read. That includes the Shannara series.

I first met Terry Brooks at a book signing in 2023, where I probably gushed about how big of an inspiration he is to me and my own writing. Then, I got a chance to meet him again at another book signing in 2025. After talking with him this second time, he expressed interest in reading my book when it's finished. He also gave me some advice, and I went into overdrive, dedicating much more time to my craft than I had in some time.

The novel still isn't finished (it's at 199,600 words as of tonight), but that conversation was a much-needed wake-up call that I should prioritize working on it.

On Sunday, I was surprised to see that Terry Brooks was going to be speaking on a panel at a bookstore just a few blocks from my apartment. I had just gotten home from staying at my parents’ place overnight, so I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go out or just stay in for the evening. But I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t, so I walked over, braving the cold in just a bomber jacket. I didn’t take the most direct route, relishing in the fact that it was still light out after 6 p.m. thanks to Daylight Saving Time. 

I arrived at Elliott Bay Book Company about 20 minutes early. I’d been to the shop only once before, so I killed time by browsing the sci-fi and fantasy section. Then, I headed down to the basement reading room to claim a seat.

The panel, hosted by Bookborn, started shortly after 7 p.m. It was an entertaining discussion, with Terry Brooks appearing alongside author Ryan Cahill. 

I hadn’t heard of Ryan until Sunday, when I saw the post on Terry Brooks’s Facebook page. Hearing him talk about his writing, his journey as an independent author, and how he’s dealt with criticism was fascinating. During a conversation about more traditional fantasy with heroic, uplifting stories versus the darker grimdark fantasy subgenre, Cahill mentioned that he’s found a balance in his books, where he writes heroic characters who suffer trauma and go through challenges, but are good at heart. 

By the end of the event I found myself buying his first book in his series and getting it signed. It was a pleasure to meet him, and I was honest about having not heard of him until then, as I was excited to hear from Terry Brooks again. He seemed thrilled to have found a new reader! I’ll probably tackle it once I finish reading Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive, as I’m nearly caught up. 

After meeting Ryan Cahill, I got in line to talk with Terry Brooks for the third time. One interesting conversation I overheard was between Terry and the person in front of me in line. They had never read any of his books and bought Sword of Shannara there on the spot. It was really cool to hear that interaction and to know that readers are still discovering his work after all of these years.

Terry and I didn’t talk long, as I didn’t want to take up too much of his time (and with this being our third meeting, I feel like I’ve said a lot of the important things already). We chatted about how I didn’t bring any books for him to sign because I wasn’t sure if he was going to be doing that, and he encouraged me to bring the rest that he hadn’t already signed to a future signing after Brona releases later this year. I assured him that I wouldn’t miss it. 

I mentioned that I had read the first book of the Landover series in 2025, and that I was hoping to finish those books this year. He expressed his love for those books and his hopes that he can find an author who wants to carry those books on. He also shared that the books were about himself, a lawyer, who ends up ruling a fantasy kingdom (which is something I clocked right away while reading it). We also talked for a moment about my writing, and how I hope to join the ranks of all the fantastic up-and-coming fantasy authors right now. He encouraged me to keep going. Then, of course, we took a selfie.

It was a fun event, and I’m glad I decided to go instead of staying home. Moments like these remind me of why I love fantasy in the first place. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have met one of my heroes not just once, but three times. And, I walked away with a copy of Ryan Cahill’s Of Blood and Fire, which I can’t wait to read.

I’m currently working on two fantasy novels. You can follow my writing journey here on the blog.