In 1977, the New York Times trade paperback bestseller list -- back then the exclusive province of self-help guides, cartoon collections, and any number of cat books -- played host to its very first work of fiction: The Sword of Shannara, an epic quest through a mythical land, by first-time author Terry Brooks. Nineteen New York Times bestselling novels later, it would be easy enough to just say: "... and the rest is history." But when it comes to quests, everyone knows that getting there is half the fun. Now, Terry Brooks tells the story of how he got there -- from beginner to bestselling author -- and shares his secrets for creating unusual, memorable fiction.

Writing is writing, whether one's setting is a magical universe or a suburban backyard. Spanning topics from the importance of daydreaming to the necessity of writing an outline, from the fine art of showing instead of merely telling to creating believable characters who make readers care what happens to them, Brooks draws upon his own experiences, hard lessons learned, and delightful discoveries made in creating the beloved Shannara and Magic Kingdom of Landover series, The Word and The Void trilogy, and the bestselling Star Wars novel The Phantom Menace.