Brandon Sanderson's Blog, page 79
July 9, 2012
Final 2012 Creative Writing Lecture + Updates
There's a new ALCATRAZ VERSUS THE EVIL LIBRARIANS annotation on the site. There are only three left after this one, which mentions that the end of a book is the best and worst part, among other things. My assistant has also uploaded another Twitter posts archive.
Two more Writing Excuses podcast episodes are up. The first covers what we call the problem of originality: Is it possible to be too original? Do we overvalue originality? Then the second episode is another one of our "project in depth" episodes; this time we cover Mary Robinette Kowal's latest novel, Glamour in Glass. (Earlier we did the same thing with my novel The Way of Kings and Howard's graphic novel volume Force Multiplication.)
Scott Ashton uploaded my final creative writing class lecture of this year. This one mostly covers revision, plus touching on a few other topics.
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July 5, 2012
M13 Pre-Release
No need to sign up this time if you want to come. Just drop by at midnight and we'll figure out what we're doing. Look forward to seeing some of you there.
Epic Puzzles & Games
3612 W 4700 S #4
West Valley City UT 84129
801-982-0167
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July 3, 2012
THE HOLLOW CITY Release Party Tonight
My good friend and Writing Excuses cohost Dan Wells' new book THE HOLLOW CITY is out today. The release party is tonight at Weller Book Works (the bookstore formerly known as Sam Weller's, at their new location, which has parking!) in Trolley Square.
Mary, Howard, and I are going to be there, and Dan hopes to see many of you there as well to get the new book (or any other book of his) signed. This is also one of the last chances to see Dan before he and his family move to Germany for a year. Details are below.
If you want a preview of the book, Tor.com posted a couple of chapters. Check it out! Dan also introduces the book on his site here, and talks about what's in store at the signing.
Location: Weller Book Works
607 Trolley Square
Salt Lake City, UT
801.328.2586
7:00 p.m. July 3, 2012
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June 28, 2012
June is Audiobook Month
Readers have been asking if my forthcoming novellas LEGION and THE EMPEROR'S SOUL will be released in audio versions. The answer is that they will be—we have deals made for these, but I'm not sure how quickly the audiobooks will be released compared to the book versions. I'll let you know when I have more details.
Another question commonly asked is whether Michael Kramer and Kate Reading will return to voice the audiobook for A MEMORY OF LIGHT. The answer is yes, and the audiobook will definitely be released the same day as the hardcover.
All of my books are now out in audio editions, including the last three Alcatraz books that were missing audiobooks for a few years. There are two different kinds of audiobooks of mine that have come out: standard unabridged readings (from Macmillan Audio and Recorded Books) and full-cast dramatizations (from GraphicAudio). Which type each book has depends on how contracts were negotiated.
Recorded Books has unabridged readings of Elantris, Warbreaker, and all four Alcatraz books.
GraphicAudio has full-cast dramatizations of Elantris and Warbreaker.
Macmillan Audio has unabridged readings of Mistborn 1, 2, 3 and The Alloy of Law; The Way of Kings; and The Gathering Storm and Towers of Midnight.
Amazon has most of the above for sale. Audible has everything except for the GraphicAudio editions. iTunes also has many of the books.
Tor.com has a free unabridged reading of the novelette "Firstborn."
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June 26, 2012
Szeth T-Shirt Contest, Lecture Video + Updates
InkWing has another T-shirt contest going on at their blog, for a shirt that will be available at Comic-Con in San Diego. They don't have a picture of the shirt yet, but it's going to use Ben McSweeney's image of Szeth from THE WAY OF KINGS.
InkWing has also taken over the Allomantic symbol decals that we have in our store. If you want to get one of these to put on your car, laptop, or whatever, go over to InkWing.
The newest ALCATRAZ VERSUS THE EVIL LIBRARIANS annotation covers chapter seventeen. This one talks about losing sleep because you can't stop reading.
The Writing Excuses podcast I run with Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Howard Tayler has another two episodes up. The first one talks about writing capers/heists, and the second one is another life Q&A from Life, the Universe & Everything on these questions:
What was Brandon's plan with MISTBORN and the themes regarding establishment?
Why does Kelsier shrug so much? (This leads into a fun discussion of "tells.")
How do you know when to stop a chapter? What about expanding it?
How do you make your prose more transparent?
How do you decide who and what to cut?
What do you do to filter out the extraneous ideas that come while you're writing?
What can collaborators do in order to create a single "voice" for the book?
What's the best way to tackle a long backstory?
Tor.com's science blogger Dr. Lee Falin has another article on possible scientific explanations for the magic in the Mistborn series. This article covers pewter.
Scott Ashton has uploaded another one of my creative writing class lectures. This one talks a lot about agents and publishing contract terms.
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June 14, 2012
I Hate Dragons Speech Competition + Updates
My assistant uploaded a new ALCATRAZ VERSUS THE EVIL LIBRARIANS annotation. This one covers chapter sixteen, which has various obscure references including a dinosaur eating the "C" section of science fiction books.
There are two new episodes of the Writing Excuses podcast up. First Mary, Howard, Dan, and I talk about writing time travel. Then we talk about THE WAY OF KINGS in depth. Do keep in mind that this contains huge spoilers!
Benjamin Carlson used a condensed version of my short story I Hate Dragons in the Hawaii Forensic League's State Speech Competition in the storytelling category. He took second place in the regional competition. Check it out.
Scott Ashton uploaded a couple more of my creative writing lectures. In the first one I talk about prose and self-publishing, and in the second I talk about scenes and a few other topics.
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May 30, 2012
Lloyd Alexander Documentary Kickstarter, Creative Writing Lectures + Updates
When Lloyd Alexander (author of many novels including the Chronicles of Prydain) passed away, he left his papers to the BYU library, which has an exhibit that is a recreation of Alexander's home office. BYU student Jared Crossley is making a documentary on Lloyd Alexander, the short version of which will accompany the exhibit and the long version of which will be used by various literary organizations and libraries. To finance the documentary, he is running a Kickstarter campaign. If you're a Lloyd Alexander fan, check it out.
Supanova put up a recording of my panel and reading that I did in Melbourne. At the beginning I read for fifteen minutes from my forthcoming novella LEGION from Subterranean Press. It's followed by some Q&A.
The most recent Writing Excuses podcast episode is a microcasting one where we cover a bunch of topics quickly. This one touches on:
Prologues and epilogues
Using drawings to get across settings
Simple tricks for naming things
Would you self-publish if you had a do-over?
How do you keep a powerful character interesting?
Foreshadowing
Trimming
Flashbacks
This week's ALCATRAZ VERSUS THE EVIL LIBRARIANS annotation covers the very beginning of the Brandon Avalanche. My assistant has also uploaded another Twitter posts archive.
Tor.com's science blogger Dr. Lee Falin has another post on the science of Allomancy. This one discusses how zinc and brass might work. (Also see tin and copper.)
Scott Ashton uploaded a couple more of my creative writing class lectures. You can see them below.
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May 24, 2012
Bay Area this weekend: BayCon, including Magic
Here's my schedule as Writer Guest of Honor of this weekend's BayCon. There's not a signing on the schedule, which means that I'll sign books whenever you catch me somewhere at the con, unless I'm running to get somewhere else.
I'm also doing a Magic: The Gathering draft, probably Avacyn Restored or something in the Innistrad block, Saturday night. See below for details.
BayCon 2012, Santa Clara, CA
Dates: May 25–28, 2012
Place: BayCon 2012
Address: Santa Clara Hyatt
5101 Great America Parkway
Santa Clara, CA 95054
Schedule: The complete listing is here.
FRIDAY
Opening Ceremonies 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Ballroom A
(Brandon Sanderson, Cathy Beckstead, Cruz Arellanes III (M), Dani Kollin, Eytan Kollin, Scott Beckstead, Stephan Martiniere)
Time for the cruise to set sail. Join the BayCon Chairman and our Honored Guests as they get the convention started.
Ghostwriting—Literally! What's it Like to Pick Up a Deceased Writer's Pen? 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in Ballroom A
(Brandon Sanderson (M), Kevin Andrew Murphy, Deborah J. Ross, Diana L. Paxson)
Many of our favorite authors were in the middle of writing something when they passed away. What's it like to pick up a deceased author's pen? Is it more important to create the author's intent, or is it ok to add your own style when you're now the one doing the work.
Meet the Guests 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in Ballroom B-C-D
(Brandon Sanderson, Cathy Beckstead, Cruz Arellanes III (M), Dani Kollin, Eytan Kollin, Scott Beckstead, Stephan Martiniere)
Come meet the Cruise Captain, BayCon 2012 Chairman Cruz Arellanes. Mingle with our guests as our Toastmasters regale us with interesting anecdotes and introduce our Guests of Honor.
SATURDAY
How the Style of Writing Can Make a Book Readable 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Winchester
(Brandon Sanderson, Norm Sperling, Chaz Brenchley (M), Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff, Diana L. Paxson)
First person? Omniscient? First-person smart aleck? A discussion of how and why the point of view changes our liking or disliking of a storyline. How does the way authors convey their story, film noir, western, fairytale, tall tale, all come together or fall apart for the reader?
Writer Guest of Honor Interview 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Ballroom B-C-D
(Brandon Sanderson, Dani Kollin (M))
Our Writer Guest of Honor Brandon Sanderson spills his secrets during an interview with Toastmaster Dani Kollin.
Aspiring Writers Toolkit 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in Winchester
(Brandon Sanderson, Todd McCaffrey, Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff (M))
What kinds of workshops are there for writers? When might they help you? When might they not help you? Panelists discuss their workshop experiences and help you avoid some of the pitfalls.
Magic the Gathering Tournament with the Writer GoH 9:00 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. (or later) in Magnolia
Brandon will be hosting (and playing in) a celebrity Magic draft (a type of tournament). There will be room for fifteen players, with sign-ups in the Gaming Room. There will be a fee, which will include fresh card decks.
SUNDAY
Evolution of Female Characters in SF and Fantasy 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Ballroom A
(Brandon Sanderson, Juliette Wade (M), Veronica Belmont, Deborah J. Ross, Daryl G. Frazetti, Diana L. Paxson)
From damsels in distress to sword-wielding, gun-toting, and military masterminds, have women found their place, or are they "feminized" men? Do the women truly reflect changing attitudes about the roles of women?
World Building Basics 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Ballroom B-C-D
(Brandon Sanderson, Pat MacEwen, Juliette Wade, Paula Butler, David J. Peterson (M), Eytan Kollin)
Panelists discuss the basics of world-building. If you are going to set your fantasy or science fiction piece is an alien place, what kinds of things should you think of, prior to doing so?
MONDAY
Top 10 Rookie Author Gaffes 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Ballroom A
(Brandon Sanderson, Leslie Ann Moore, Berry Kercheval, Marty Halpern (M), Eytan Kollin)
What are the most common ways to prevent your first sale, and how can you avoid them? Why do so many of them involve teenage vampires?
Authors: Stop Blocking Your Own Potential! 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Ballroom A
(Brandon Sanderson, Tony N. Todaro, Deborah J. Ross (M))
For years the publishing industry has pushed and pulled authors into "marketable" categories that they can quantify, but today's readers are looking for something different. As long as you believe in your work and the enjoyment that it brings to you and those like you, give it to the masses. Figure out who you are, what you want the world to see, and commit to it! Then figure out how to reach people like you and go out and sell books!
Closing Ceremonies 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Winchester
(Brandon Sanderson, Cathy Beckstead, Cruz Arellanes III (M), Dani Kollin, Eytan Kollin, Scott Beckstead, Stephan Martiniere)
Join our Guests of Honor and Toastmasters as we return to port and bid a fond farewell to BayCon 2012!
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May 14, 2012
Play the Mistborn Adventure Game with Me at Gen Con + Updates
There's a new ALCATRAZ VERSUS THE EVIL LIBRARIANS annotation up. This one talks about chapter thirteen, when Alcatraz breaks out of the Librarians' holding cell.
This week's Writing Excuses episode is another one that was recorded at Life, the Universe & Everything in front of a live audience. It's about writing carthartic horror and features Michael R. Collings and Michaelbrent Collings.
Richard Allred sent me a recording of a Mistborn Adventure Game session that he did at Epic Puzzles & Games at the end of March. It's almost three hours long, but if you're curious about the gameplay, you might want to give some of it a listen.
Hosted by kiwi6.com file hosting. Download mp3 - Free File Hosting.
That leads me to today's big announcement. You know that I play Magic: the Gathering with readers a lot, but have you ever wanted to play an RPG with me? At Gen Con in August, Crafty Games will host a special session of the Mistborn Adventure Game with me as a player. This is going to be a five-hour session, and six seats will be raffled off at the Crafty Games booth during the con. For more details, see the Crafty Games site. You can also find out more about the Mistborn Adventure Game there.
Scott Ashton has uploaded another of my creative writing class lectures. This one covers plotting, with a short introduction by my former student Peggy Eddleman talking about her experience getting a publishing deal. Her novel THROUGH THE BOMB'S BREATH will be published by Random House next year. (Part 3 of the video is currently not working, but I assume Scott will fix that soon.)
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May 8, 2012
More Creative Writing Lectures + Updates
The most recent ALCATRAZ VERSUS THE EVIL LIBRARIANS annotation covers the chapter where Alcatraz gets tortured. Check it out.
This week's Writing Excuses podcast episode features Q&A with James Dashner at Life, the Universe & Everything. We cover the following audience-supplied questions:
Why is the ARC of James's first book so different from the later books?
How do you handle paragraph- and sentence-level edits?
How do you plot your stories?
How do you craft endings that are both satisfying, and leave the reader wanting more?
What do you do when your compelling villain threatens to take over the whole book?
Scott Ashton put up two more lectures from my creative writing class. The first one, Lecture 5, features Nebula Award-winning writer Eric James Stone talking about writing short stories. (I was away at a convention.)
The next one, Lecture 6, covers networking and pitching. Unfortunately there were technical difficulties and the first 20 minutes of the lecture got missed, but the first part of the rest of it is here:
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