Whenever I use an uncommon word, I try to indicate its meaning within the text.
If I had any real idea of exactly where inspiration comes from, I'd go there, find the foolish thing, bottle it, sell it, and retire to Tuscany.
I have six or seven 'what to name the baby' books, the Oxford dictionary of names, and a fabulous tome that's 26 languages in simultaneous translation - French, German, all the European majors, plus Esperanto, Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, and so on.
Part of the appeal of fantasy for me is that I don't get bored. If I want to write quasi-Medieval, that's what I write. If I feel like doing contemporary for a while, then I'll do it.
When Jennifer Roberson and Kate Elliott and I were noodling up 'The Golden Key,' we had pages upon pages upon pages of notes about everything to do with our little universe. Much of this material was used; the rest was there if we needed it. But it all had to be consistent within itself and adhere to its own logic.
My interest in fantasy began pretty much when I started to read.
The first fantasy books I can remember reading were 'The Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek' and the series of 'Mushroom Planet' books.
I enjoy theatre tremendously, and there's nothing like a live performance.
