This is the tenth of our Storm Leader reports we’ll be posting throughout the U.S. book tour for THE GATHERING STORM. At each tour location, Dragonmount and Tor Books recruited a select group of volunteer fans to help run the event, hand out promotional materials, and represent us to the fans. In return, they were given the opportunity to meet with Brandon Sanderson and (if present for their event) Robert Jordan’s wife Harriet. We will have a full report with photos and possibly video for each one of the tour stops. Prior Storm Leader reports can be found here.

by Meg Lurvey

It was at about 10:30am, just two hours before we were to meet Brandon for lunch that it really hit me…for the last 14 years The Wheel of Time has been such a huge part of my history, and now I am a part of its history. Absolutely mind-blowing. *shakes head* Mind-blowing.

Brandon met us outside the Speaker’s Corner restaurant at the Crown Plaza hotel in Nashua, NH, where I was staying and Conor actually works! Not knowing exactly what to expect, and feeling more than a little star struck, Brandon immediately set us all ease with his friendly, laid-back nature. As we only had an hour before we needed to get over to the bookstore, we set immediately about ordering nachos and lunch. Brandon couldn’t understand how some of us ordered burgers without fries, and ordered his fries with great conviction that made us all smile. As soon as the orders were in, we started asking him our own questions, everything from the nature of the True Source (it is, in essence the soul of the Dark One), the complexity of balefire and the paradoxes it causes (you’ve heard of shooting yourself in the foot, but how about balefiring yourself in the foot?), and whether he knew what he was getting into when he took on this project. Ofer was kind enough to ask if we’d all finished reading The Gathering Storm (and could he speak freely about it), and when I said I hadn’t yet everyone was very kind to speak “in code” so as to not give anything away, and still include me in the conversation! Brandon shared with us how extensive Robert Jordan’s notes were, and in no kind of order; he said sorting them out and putting them in order took three months of hard work! No, he didn’t know what he was getting himself into, but he doesn’t regret it in the least bit. He also told us how many notes “Jim” (Robert Jordan) left on Egwene, and how enjoyable it was to write her, that she really comes into her own in The Gathering Storm. I was particularly please to hear this, as she is my favorite character aside from Siuan Sanche.

Lunch concluded with Brandon extremely happy that Conor worked at the hotel – he hates to throw away food so asked Conor if he could put the other half of his cheeseburger into the fridge for later. Kevin Dean handed us our t-shirts and we all made for our cars to head to the Toadstool Bookshop up the road in Milford, NH. A crowd of fans was already gathered as we arrived, busy purchasing their books and browsing through the other featured works out on the main display table – the rest of the Wheel of Time series and Brandon’s other published works.

As Brandon came forward to address the crowd, an odd kind of silence came over it. Those who had already read The Gathering Storm looked on eagerly and expectantly, and those, like myself that were just purchasing their copies today looked curiously wondering exactly who it was that the ending of their beloved series had been entrusted to. Brandon began to speak, and it was clear to all of us that the right author had indeed been chosen for the job. Captivated, we all listened him tell us how it all started (joking that “of course there’s no beginning to the wheel of time” as the crowd chuckled) the time he walked into a local bookstore at the age of 15 looking for a ‘big book’ and picked up Robert Jordan’s Eye of the World, to feeling shocked and heartbroken like the rest of us to hear that Robert Jordan had passed. Brandon said “the genre had just changed in a very big way.” He went on to tell us of the eulogy he posted on his blog which ultimately led to his being contacted by Harriet. After some incoherent spluttering on Brandon’s part, an email that began with “Dear Harriet I promise I’m not an idiot”, very little sleep, careful consideration, thought, worrying (more nervous than he was on his wedding day), and a secrecy contract that we Storm Leaders believe must be signed in blood, he agreed to finish the Wheel of Time series. Brandon said it the best himself, as a fan like us who has read Eye of the World eight times, he “needed to do it…someone who cares had the project in his hands,” and would, “screw it up the least.” After all, like so many of us, Brandon grew up with Rand, Mat, and Perrin as his best friends and he felt like he lost them when we all lost Robert Jordan. Now, our best friends don’t have to be dead.

Storm Leaders and fans alike were moved to hear Brandon tell of how much Robert Jordan wanted to make sure the story gets to us, so much so that though he’d previously joked that if he died his hard drive would be burned, he dictated scenes on his death bed. It was his dying wish that his wife and editor Harriet find someone to finish the series. Brandon also noted that he’s been asked many times which parts of the book are his, and which are right from Robert Jordan, but aside from the first chapter of The Gathering Storm (which Robert Jordan dictated directly and has been played at JordanCon) he’s waiting until all three of the last books are out before he will say anything on the subject, and then only with the permission of Harriet. He will say that we will notice that he didn’t imitate Robert Jordan’s prose, because that was not his intention. Rather than approaching this project thinking “how would Robert Jordan phrase this?” he thought to himself, “How does Rand think?” A few fans raised their eyebrows at this statement, nodding thoughtfully.

Brandon then borrowed a copy of The Gathering Storm from a fan with good taste in both books and baseball (sporting a hat from his favorite team and mine) and read from Chapter 1, Tears from Steel. He read with such passion and understanding that any last doubts fans had about him were quelled. The reverence he used when speaking the words “The White Tower” were dear to my own heart, being a personal fan of the Aes Sedai; his voice took us from the Toadstool Bookshop in Milford, New Hampshire to Tar Valon, under siege by the rebel Aes Sedai, each of us personally choosing whether we sided with Elaida or Egwene. There were clearly a few Blues in the audience, as they visibly bristled and possibly even sniffed a few times when a woman in a red-shawl was mentioned.

After the reading, and a round of applause, Brandon answered some questions both on the Wheel of Time and on his own works:

Q: Regarding the Mistborn books, do you think you will ever write a prequel trilogy?

A: Brandon is hesitant to do so. He has considered it though. He [Brandon] “loves epic fantasy” and the “hero’s journey, like Rand’s journey at the beginning of the Wheel of Time”. When writing the Mistborn books, he knew Robert Jordan had done epic fantasy the best it could be done, so thought to himself, ‘what hasn’t been done?’ The answer he came to was ‘what if the hero [e.g.] Rand/Harry Potter/Frodo lost?’ The idea was a good one, but that would make a “downer of a book”. (The fans, myself included, chuckled slightly horrified at the idea of the Dark One winning, and one fan made a reference to the Star Wars prequels, which also amused the crowd, and Brandon alike.) Brandon went on to say that he wrote Mistborn as 1000 years after the heroes lost, and he is more strongly considering a sequel trilogy that would take place about 600 years after Mistborn.

Q. After Knife of Dreams came out, Robert Jordan had said he was writing two more prequels…will you [Brandon] do them and what’s the status on them now?

A. There are notes for two prequels, one based around Tam’s story, and the other about Moiraine and Lan before they went to the Two Rivers. There are also notes for three additional books, Outriggers, which take place in the Wheel of Time world. Brandon equates being handed the Wheel of Time series with being handed the One Ring – the longer you hold onto it, the harder it gets to let go. He doesn’t want to ruin Robert Jordan’s world; Robert Jordan and the series deserve to be allowed to rest. However, Tom Doherty wants them to be written, though the decision is ultimately up to Harriet – if she decides they should be written, he’ll do it, but his gut says ‘no’, they won’t be. At this, he was met with an “aaawwww!” from the fans, and nodding, he said that it is with a heavy heart but he feels it would be best. The last he heard, Harriet was leaning towards ‘no’. If he does write them though, he feels there should be no more after this, “it would be nice to have a will” so no more can be made. He admitted that this is a half answer, but concluded with “Robert Jordan’s legacy is more important.”

Q. Are you ticked you know the ending? (The fans, Brandon, and all of us Storm Leaders laughed!)

A. “I’m excited.” Brandon, in having Robert Jordan’s notes on the whole series, has even seen the “handwritten note of who killed Asmodean!” [I didn’t know Robert Jordan knew my name!] A moment with a somewhat quizzical look on his face, Brandon went on to say that he does feel a “sense of loss that I didn’t get to read a new Wheel of Time book last week.”

Q. Which character’s point of view is your favorite to write?

A. “Whoever I’m writing at that moment”, they’re the most important. With some characters it was easier than others, as “Cadsuane already believes she’s the most important.” [I think I laughed the loudest at that remark.] He also said that the notes on Egwene were the most extensive and she was a pleasure to write. He also enjoys having more Aviendha viewpoints, as he missed her, and commented that writing Rand is both dramatic and draining.

Q. Has Mesaana’s alter ego been seen yet “on stage”? [I suspect the fan that asked this is one of the Blues I mentioned earlier, though she may be a Brown, too.]

A. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to RAFO [read and find out] that.” Any yes/no would set all the fans, especially on the message boards and fans into figuring it out by process of elimination. The crowd pressed him for hints, and he did confirm that she is still in the White Tower. This statement was met with speculative “oohhh”’s and pensive looks as new theories were born then and there.

Q. Will there be any sequels to Elantris?

A. In 2015, the 10th anniversary of the series he intends to release Dragonriders, three books based on side characters. They will take place 10 years after events, in the city of Dacor.

Q. Will we see anywhere in the world a visual representation of The Wheel of Time?

A. A video game is pretty likely. The executive option was bought for full rights as well, and screen plays are being written. Jason Denzel and Maria are consulting. If the films get made, they will be full feature films. There are also comic books put out by the Debel brothers that are accurate, but they may not continue – the Debel brothers have “visual genius and financial troubles.” [We raffled off three of the comic books to excited fans!]

As the Q&A session concluded, Brandon urged everyone to check out JordanCon, at which he will be the guest of honor. He referred to JordanCon as “laid-back” and “not weird”. He also spoke on the books available at the Toadstool Bookshop to purchase, requesting that fans purchase at least one book from them; after all, Brandon got his start by purchasing a “big book” from a local bookshop and wants to see them continue. He also stated that Mistborn works as a stand-alone book, but either buy just Mistborn, or all three…”if you get just the first two, you’ll get mad at me.”

The employees of the bookshop and Storm Leaders Tim Gile and Conor Lippman then organized the fans into a line, passing out bumper stickers, maps, and notices for JordanCon. They also raffled off Wheel of Time comic books, and a special gift bag that included extras from Tor in honor of National Bookstore Day. Kevin Dean and a friend of his set up a video camera, and Kevin made himself available to the fans so they could have their pictures taken with Brandon. Hanging above the table that Brandon was signing books and maps at was both the poster for The Gathering Storm and a poster of Knife of Dreams signed by Robert Jordan. Ofer Nave positioned himself between Brandon and the line of fans to make sure all the fans got bookmarks as well as a flyer for Brandon’s website. He had the privilege of using Harriet’s pen that Brandon had on hand to write out the sticky notes with people’s names (so save your stickies!) I also sat with Brandon, off to the side a bit with pen and notebook poised, ready to jot down any further bits of information to share with anyone. I’m sure if my former teachers are reading this, they are questioning the wisdom in trusting note taking to my handwriting, but I assure the readers it has gotten worlds better since my NI’s (needs improvement) in grade school.

From the very first fans to greet Brandon today, Jerry, a father who came out while on crutches with his son Jameson, who brought his first edition copy of Elantris, the experience of watching Brandon interact with his fellow fans was…oh do I have to pick on word? No? Good…touching, humbling, amazing, incredibly cool, amusing, inspiring…I think you get the idea.

Some quotes and notes and a few more Q&A’s from Brandon and fans during the signing:

Quotes:

* From a fan with a Book Club edition of Mistborn, “Thanks for writing ‘big books’!” (Brandon replies “now [that he’s written The Gathering Storm] they will let my books get bigger!
* Brandon calls The Gathering Storm a “focused book”
* Several guys named Matt came through the line, and after joking with them “are you sure you don’t want me to spell that with one ‘t’?” one Matt laughed and agreed to let Brandon write it that way, becoming the first ‘Mat’ on the tour to let him do it!
* When asked about some of the back-story of the characters, he shares the enormity of Robert Jordan’s notes, and says that “when we write, [the story] is like the tip of the iceberg, a lot isn’t seen but the authors need it.”
* “The Wheel of Time series is so big that the last book is a trilogy!” Storm Leader Ofer Nave
* Brandon stopped reading from about 4th-8th grade, so he wrote Alcatraz for “me at that age”.
* Storm Leader Kevin Dean remarks that he’s looking forward to only a year until the next book!
* “Great addictions are those little dumb cards,” says Brandon of Magic cards.
* One fan stood in line to get a signed copy for a friend and says, “Brian – fix the boat!” Brandon wrote this in Brian’s book.
* “As a fan, my favorite depending on how old I was.” – Brandon
* As the line thinned out and it got quiet, Brandon comments on this and says, “Suddenly, the store gets very quiet. Then…the Myrdraal come in.” After laughing (and glancing around at shadows nervously) the talking starts up again.
* Brandon calls himself a “compulsive writer”. As a vacation, he’ll write something he’s not supposed to be writing.
* He feels like “a kid in a candy store” at book stores.
* Brandon reconnected with Heather, a friend that sat next to him in a class he took with Peter and Dan. Heather and her friends are also fans of the game Mage and in discussing the different editions, Brandon jokes [about the earlier editions] “We didn’t have rules that made sense, and we liked it!”

Additional Q&As:

* Several fans asked whether there would be a sequel to Warbreaker. Brandon said it was planned as two books, and Nightblood will be released after the Wheel of Time
* “So…Memory of Light was supposed to be book 12 and the last book…will you split them up again?” Brandon, to the wide smiles of all who heard, said definitively “Fourteen is it!”
* Q. Do you have new stuff, or new ideas? A. Yes – one is “The Silence Divine” a world like ours where you gain magic by diseases; another is a world where the only superheroes are all evil super villains and a group of regular people called The Executioners gather to hunt them down and take them out.
* Q. Which character did you perceive yourself as? A. Perrin. Quiet, a little bigger than my friends… “I always felt a lot like Perrin.” Eventually, his favorite shifted to Mat.
* Q. Do you have plans to write a longer series? A. Yes, The Lay of Kings will come out next year.
* Q. There’s a lot of female influence in The Wheel of Time, was it hard to write from their perspective? A. In my early years writing, it was hard. I finally got it right in Elantris. It was harder to write from other cultures, especially Aviendha and Tuon. It took three tries to get Aviendha right…”Aiel are weird.”
* Brandon describes Mat dealing with Tuon leaving as Mat having his feet knocked out from under him” and says that in Robert Jordan’s notes it says specifically that “Mat refuses to be coming husbandly”.

Generally interesting notes and antidotes:

* Two fans in a row met Brandon this past year at JordanCon
* When Brandon signed any of the Alcatraz books for new young fans, he’d write something in them then tell the child conspiratorially “that will make sense once you read the book”.
* Robert Jordan’s signature on the title page is there at Brandon’s request.
* I enjoyed one fan’s request to have his book addressed to himself as “The Old Wolf”.
* One fan, a woman, has been reading the Wheel of Time from when her son was in diapers. He’s of drinking age now!
* Even Brandon had moments of “Aaaah! I knew it!” He also has had the “wait, really?” moments and often, while going through notes, has said, “Ah, that group is right!” [Referring to groups on the message boards.] He also confided that there is one thing that isn’t being discussed on any of the forums yet that will blow our minds when we read it. Yay!
* Brandon recommends his favorite books as a kid, Three Investigators to a young reader
* Brandon relates Tam to Bilbo and Rand to Frodo
* Robert Jordan never really intended to clarify on whether Rand is hearing Lews Therin because he’s insane or if he’s really there.
* Brandon finished The Dresden Files on the plane this morning.
* Brandon recommends the Peter Rothfus’ trilogy; the first book is Name of the Wind.
* If you’re trying to get Brandon to make an appearance at your event, contact to Peter@BrandonSanderson.com
* While Brandon likes all the characters, he said that even he got annoyed at Faile while she was traveling with Perrin through the Ways. He did assure us that he does like her though!
* Quite a few fans commented how much they appreciate how Brandon has replied to their emails.
* Secretively, Brandon wrote who killed Asmodean on someone’s Kindle. Later he revealed the answer to the Storm Leaders, and at the risk of giving away too much, I’m willing to tell you. Ready? It was………………………ROBERT JORDAN!
* Brandon likes having single volume epics out because he remembers being annoyed at having to wait on even though he didn’t like the author, but just to get to the ending.
* Geoff, his wife, and his young son Luke drove seven hours from Ottawa, Canada to get their books signed

Brandon’s advice to writers:

* Network. Go to where the editors are, learn names. He describes himself as gregarious.
* Write compulsively. Be able to send things out constantly, not every editor will like everything you write.
* His advice isn’t a “silver bullet” of getting published, but he says to “keep at it.”

The event came to a close, and we all did as we were told when we took this ‘job’: sat back and marveled at a job well done. We each got our own books signed by Brandon, and our pictures taken. We all have numbered copies of The Gathering Storm now, and I can’t even express how excited I am to have my copy addressed to me as “To Meg, A.K.A. The Amyrlin”. I’ve read it so often in the last few hours that I’m surprised the words haven’t faded from the page yet. Another Storm Leader at one of the earlier events described Brandon as gracious, friendly, and humble. After spending the day with him, I can only agree, and add that today was a day none of the Milford, NH Storm Leaders are likely to forget. Thank you Dragonmount, Tor, Harriet, and Brandon for giving us this amazing opportunity.

In the Light,

Storm Leaders Meg Lurvey, Kevin Dean, Tim Gile, Ofer Nave, and Conor Lippman