Childhood & Early Life
Salvatore was born in Leominster, Massachusetts, in a big family of seven members. He attended the Fitchsburg State College and since he was increasingly becoming interested in writing and literature, he changed his major from computers to journalism.
He graduated from college in 1981 with Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications and later in English. He did not take up writing right away after graduation but worked as a bouncer for some time to support himself.
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Career
It was in 1982 that Salvatore became more serious about writing full-time and wanted to devote all his time to it. He wrote a manuscript called ‘Echoes of the Fourth Magic’, which he famously wrote in longhand by candlelight.
After he finished the script for ‘Echoes of the Fourth Magic’, he decided to send the work for consideration to TSR, Inc., which is an American game publishing company, and to other publishers as well.
Since TSR was looking for a new writer to write along the lines of ‘Forgotten Realms’, Salvatore was asked to audition for it. He cleared the audition and was hired to write a second book to ‘Forgotten Realms’ in 1987.
In 1988, Salvatore’s first novel was published by TSR--‘The Crystal Shard’. It is a part of ‘The Icewind Dale Trilogy’—the tale of the celebrated drow, Drizzt, the barbarian warrior, Wulfgar, the halfling Regis and a dwarf king.
Other two books from ‘The Icewind Dale Trilogy’ are: ‘Streams of Silver (1988)’ and ‘The Halfling’s Gem (1989)’. ‘The Halfling’s Gem’ appeared in the New York Times Best Seller list in the same year that it released.
In 1992, Salvatore’s ‘The Legacy’ was released; it was TSR’s first hardcover novel. The fantasy series included: ‘The Legacy (1992)’, ‘Starless Night (1993)’, ‘Siege of Darkness (1994)’, and ‘Passage to Dawn (1996).
TSR's board decided to hire a new author to write stories about ‘Drizzt’ after ‘Passage to Dawn’ came out in 1996 but Wizards of the Coast acquired TSR and they decided to retain Salvatore to write more stories about ‘Drizzt’.
Salvatore began writing about ‘Drizzt’ and released the book ‘The Silent Blade’ in 1998. The book won the Origins Award in the same year and he went on to publish several series of books on ‘Drizzt’.
In 1999, he wrote the first installment of the New Jedi Order series set in the Star Wars universe, titled ‘Vector Prime’. The novel became a part of Star Wars Expanded Universe—includes officially licensed, fictional background of the Star Wars universe, like books, video games, etc.
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Besides books, he created the plot for the video game ‘Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone’ in 2004. He worked with the design team at Stormfront Studios and it was nominated for awards by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences and BAFTA.
Salvatore got into collaboration with Larry Hama for Devil's Due Publishing’s comic book about a U.S. government anti-paranormal investigator called ‘Spooks’ in 2008. Hama created the military characters and storyline, and Salvatore came up with the monsters.
In 2010, Wizards of the Coast signed a new deal with Salvatore to write six more books focusing on Drizzt—a drow or a dark elf who kills off a country of malevolent enemies with his swordsmanship and valor.
Facts About R. A. Salvatore
Salvatore created the popular character Drizzt Do'Urden, a dark elf ranger, who has become an iconic figure in the fantasy genre.
Salvatore holds a degree in communications and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing, showcasing his diverse academic background.
In addition to writing novels, Salvatore has also worked on video game projects, including developing the story for the popular game "Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning."
Salvatore is known for his dedication to his craft, often engaging with fans on social media and at events to discuss his work and the fantasy genre.
He is a strong advocate for literacy and has participated in numerous charity events and initiatives to promote reading and education.
