Timewaster's Guide Archive

If you use a black light, then Vaseline Uranium marbles glow in the dark...plenty of them on sale on Ebay.  Not too expensive, either, but they just glow...they don't have a color chip in the middle, and I'd expect the chips would glow the color of their gemstone.

1.  He's conducting a seminar on "how to make fantasy readers think your characters are swearing without using a single swear word."

2.  He's writing Christian romance novels for Heartsong.

3.  He's developing an exclusive deck of Magic cards.

4.  He's been tapped to host at the Academy Awards.

5.  He's developing a new line of Mistborn cosplay clothing for Halloween.

6.  He's secretly building a granite vault somewhere in the Rocky Mountains.

That was the indication that they gave when I talked with them.  I'm sure it's not a hard and fast rule, but it makes sense.  If you pay attention to a particular store, you'll find out about certain events more often, and they build a regularity that brings more people out.

One other thing Brandon mentioned at the signing...he IS planning on publishing Elantris II in the next few books (not next year, though).  The crowd cheered when he mentioned that.

Quote from: calvin on September 09, 2010, 03:05:59 PM

Take Magic cards if you want to stick around afterward and play him (he plays everyone at once...and gives prizes if you beat him...usually hints and secrets).

Hmm.

Anyone know what kind of deck he plays? Now that there's something on the line, I really want to win.

He plays the Archenemy variant where he takes on all comers at once...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archenemy_(Magic:_The_Gathering)

I'm not sure what deck he uses, but as the EUOL, I'm pretty sure he plays from the black aspect....can anyone confirm this?

I don't know the answer to this, but perhaps Peter or someone else on here has insight.  What is the real financial benefit to book signing tours?  Obviously Brandon (or any other author) will sell extra books at each signing, but a lot of those would have been purchased anyway.  Considering travel and hotel costs, as well as the bookstore's staff and the author's "handler" at each location, it seems that most of those profits would be eaten away pretty quickly.  The fans that go love it, of course, but how does a book company quantify the value of a book signing tour?

Do the follow up conversations on blogs, word of mouth, etc. sell more books?  Is it mainly to keep the author in touch with his audience?  While he's out signing, he's probably not writing (much), and he's away from his family, so it's got to have some degree of negative impact on the production side.  (Maybe less if he's actually recharging his batteries by doing so).  I'm really curious about the ultimate value of a book signing.  Anyone got any data?

(Don't get me wrong...I ENJOYED the book signing and I'll be back to more of them).

I was not able to hang around late enough to have my book signed, unfortunately enough.  With a number in the 200's a zip car reservation that was expiring and knowing that if I missed the Metro, I'd turn into a pumpkin I had to run pretty much right at 10.  Sad.

But I still enjoyed listening to Brandon and crowd watching.  I was sitting in the front while I waited so I could overhear little snippets of some of the back and forth between Branden and the fans.  Also nice, a conversation I had with a guy named Garrett.  We talked for probably the last hour.  Makes me wish I had asked for a way to contact him and continue our conversation, but I've always been just a bit slow at things like that.  He did get his book signed... Branden wished him water and shade, which was quite apt as he's on his way to Afghanistan soon. 

Maybe Brandon will come to DC again when the next Robert Jordan book comes out?  That would be nice... if I'm lucky I'll have a chance to tell Brandon about how I met RJ by bouncing off of him.  Yes, literally.  -Patti

My number was 241 and we finished up right about 1130 (I stayed until the end). 

Good news:  As he was going out the door, he was talking with the bookstore staff and his local "handler" and I overheard him say, "I'll see you in November," so it sounds like he'll be back pretty soon...and at the same location.  From all appearances, that's the bookstore of choice for Fantasy/Sci-Fi signings, while there's another one downtown where most of the political and non-fiction ones are done.

The one thing that I forgot to mention was that I was (even though new) part of the TWG.  Oh, well...next time.

I wanted to record his comments, but by the time I got there, I was pretty much in the back (hence #241...lol).  They had a good sound system, but I didn't have a good view.

Greymalkin/Guessingo, if you're going to the next one, maybe we can prearrange a meet...it would be nice to have someone to compare notes with that's on this site. 

Brandon was here in D.C. last night and gathered a crowd that he called "the largest that he's had since the WoK book release" in Provo.  I was there and thoroughly enjoyed his down-to-earth questions and answers.  He's truly classy in the way that he takes time and interacts with his fans.  There were a few RAFO (read and find out) comments, but most answers were pretty straight up.  He also mentioned that there are some hidden "Easter Eggs" in the WoK maps, but that they probably won't be detectable for 2-3 books down the road.  His goal is to not publish a WoK sequel next year, since he's got to focus on finishing out WoT, but after that, he'll publish the next two WoK in back to back years with future books averaging 2 books every 3 years.

When asked if he was ever going to go back and do the Robert Jordan prequel trilogy, he answered that it was highly doubtful, since they were trying to keep Jordan's works as clean as possible (Brandon is merely completing the work that Jordan already wrote and finished outlining).  If Jordan's widow asked him to do it, he probably would, but that's highly improbable.

I could tell that in the future he may have to limit how much time he spends with each fan...either ask a question OR take a picture...he's still new on the circuit, but he's rapidly going to become so popular that spending full time with everyone will just be too demanding on his schedule (and those that are waiting forever for their turn).  I found it really cool, though, that after the Q&A session that he emphasized that people with physical disabilities and/or small children should go ahead and get in line first, regardless of numbers...he's like Kaladin in caring for his "troops".  Nobody argued and everyone stayed happy about it.

One of my favorite quotes for the night was when someone in line asked him if he ever changes the order of his projects and he said (paraphrasing him here) that there have been times when he's noticed other authors writing books similar to ideas that he's had, but that he's got a unique direction on.  He said he's written those early to get them out first (ties to a quote that's literally on the last couple of pages of WoK, but I won't spoil it for you here).

Brandon also made a point of emphasizing that even if people had brought their own copy of the book, it would be nice if they bought something from the bookstore (didn't have to be his book...could be any book, gift or even a bookmark) to show appreciation for the bookstores making the venues available for these events.

I didn't get to stick around for the Magic game at the hotel, but there were plenty of people headed that way.  Next time I'll plan to stay and watch.  The invitation was wide open to everyone to play in the hotel lobby, and they were giving the hotel address freely as people came through and asked.

As they were going out the door, the bookstore staff was commenting about how much they like the "fantasy/sci-fi" crowd, since they were all so patient and happy (later they said that was compared to the women's book signings and political signings they do there).   I admit it was a great crowd.  I had fun "people watching" as people went through the line.

Anyway...word of advice...if you're going to a signing, take a book with you (that you haven't finished reading) or buy one there, since you'll be waiting a while.  Take Magic cards if you want to stick around afterward and play him (he plays everyone at once...and gives prizes if you beat him...usually hints and secrets).  If you plan to take him something to eat (not expected, but he did appreciated it), make it something that will keep well (such as roast beef or pastrami).  I forgot to take a box of Mac and Cheese, though. 

I had a hard time visualizing it as well...maybe something that Inkthinker can show us what Brandon's vision is?  I was thinking it would be something that would be illustrated in the book, but then realized that Shallan wasn't on the Shattered Plains, so her visualization wouldn't have been shown.  Maybe when she gets there we'll get a picture?  If they still have bridge crews by then?  With Dalinar in charge, not sure what kind of bridge crews will crop up or disappear.