This is the seventh 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.

But over during the five hours I, along with my Storm Leader brethren, spent with Brandon – or Mr. Sanderson for you young’ns – the word I would most associate with Brandon is “humility.”

When it was announced that Brandon was chosen to complete the works of the beloved Robert Jordan, many of us hard-core fans gasped. Frankly, we would have gasped regardless of which author was selected, but few of us knew of Sanderson’s work. (That is our mistake, which we’ve since corrected!)

In his remarks to the audience at the Washington D.C. signing Wednesday night – Ok, it was in Arlington, but close enough! – Sanderson took us through that morning he got the first call from Harriet, and his reaction to the news. His remarks are recorded and available for you to watch, so I won’t go into detail, other than to say it is clear to everyone that Brandon accepted his responsibility with honor and humility.

My Storm Trooper colleague Carolyn explains in her contribution below how Brandon reacted when he heard from his Tor media relations contact, Dot Lin, told him the news that his book is now atop The New York Times Bestseller List for hardcovers. Brandon was pleased.

But he wasn’t pleased for himself. He was happy for Harriet, who called a few minutes later, just before our delicious Thai appetizers arrived. He was happy for the legion of fans that have followed The Wheel of Time for years (in my case, 18 years). And he was happy for the legacy of Robert Jordan.

“This is not me,” he said, hanging up the fan with Dot. “It’s all about the Wheel of Time fans, and Robert Jordan.”

I did not arrive at the dinner as a wide-eyed fan. A father of three and a professional media relations officer myself, I wanted to know more about Brandon Anderson the man, no so much the author. How did he feel about the task of completing one of the most important fantasy series in history? How does his wife handle his long, 14-hour work days, and his trips far from home? How does he conduct himself when he’s not in the spotlight, sitting around with a couple of folks who just wanted to know more about him?

Humility.

Over steamed rice and assorted chicken and beef dishes – I had a Diet Coke, and the others had water – Brandon gave opened a window into his life. No, his wife isn’t a fan of the travel, but she understands it’s part of his career… it’s something he has to do. Yes, the long days are hard, especially when he’s juggling his own work along with The Wheel of Time commitments… but he’s working at home, and he takes time every day to be with his two-year-old. That’s important to him.

Where does he get his ideas? From life, from everything around him. People, events, books, news, the media… and that makes sense, because his writing feels real.

He’s a confident man. Not in the sense of arrogance – not even close – but he’s not introverted. His handshake is firm, and he looks you in the eye. I mentioned my name once, before dinner, and he remembered it five hours later as we headed to the empty parking lot at Border’s. He was gracious to the serving staff, said thank you more times than I can count. He took a moment to praise Paul, his local “press handler. Paul was visibly delighted with the compliment.

For some reason, I expected Brandon to be aloof, to be disinterested somewhat. I’m not sure why, other than it’s a stereotype I associate with successful authors. His emails and blog postings certainly gave no indication, but there it is. Turns out, he was just the opposite of aloof.

At the signing, Brandon took time to talk with every person who stood before him. Some folks were shy, so Brandon gently prodded them to ask questions. Some did, some simply said thank you after getting their book signed. Others were clearly excited fans, and had they been permitted to do so, would have flown with Brandon to his next signing event (Boston, I think), never allowing the poor guy to get in a word as they barraged him with questions about this character or that event.

I was amazed with the number of young men and women who stood in line for up to two hours to get a book signed for… someone else. Brandon was very appreciative to each of these folks, and took time to thank them for investing the time for their friend or loved one. (One guy had his girlfriend get to the store early to get a place in line, until he arrived from work. I convinced him to buy her dinner that night… she agreed heartily). Nobody left the store without sharing a word with Brandon, who greeted each person as if they’re the only fan there.

It was 10:45 pm when the final fan had his book signed, asked some questions – he was RAFO’d politely – and the folks from Border’s began closing the area down. The store had closed 45 minutes earlier, but they didn’t mind (two of the employees are huge fans!). It was then that I introduced Brandon to two of my kids – 14-year-old Kathryn, a budding homeschooling author, and 11-year-old Aiden.

After five hours of talking with people, shaking hands, signing hundreds of books and posing for dozens of photos, I was worried about bothering Brandon for one more photo with my kids. “The man has to be exhausted,” I thought to myself as Brandon slipped on his coat. But I asked anyway.

“Sure,” he said, without pause. “Where would you like to do it?” We walked down to the main level and posed by what had been shelves full of “The Gathering Storm,” but were now two-thirds empty. By Storm Leader colleague, Steve, snapped the photo… and I was now a gushing, wide-eyed fan who had JUST HAD HIS PHOTO TAKEN WITH BRANDON SANDERSON! And then Brandon thanked me for helping out with the signing.

Humility.

Brandon Sanderson is a good man, and we are lucky fans to have him complete the legacy of Robert Jordan.

About the D.C. Storm Leaders:

• Steve provided the local logistics experience, having attended several Robert Jordan book signings at this particular Border’s. He also handled all photography and video recording. He did an outstanding job with both!
• Carolyn was Brandon’s “minion” (self described!) and sat with Brandon throughout the book signing. Whenever Brandon needed something, she was there to help, doing a fantastic job.
• Joe Doc provided comedic relief to those in line, helped gather names and emails for Brandon, took some of the video, and closed his ears when Steve and Carolyn asked questions related to TSG because Joe is re-reading the series and is still on Book 8!
• Storm Leaders Nathan (sick) and Lauren (work) couldn’t attend, but provided valuable input into how to get the word out about the event.

By Storm Leader Carolyn

I’m not sure if it was excitement or boredom that overtook me in my criminal law class yesterday afternoon, but I quickly found myself entirely zoned out of the conversation concerning the required elements of self-defense justifications. Instead, I hopped onto Dragonmount, pursuing the forums and reading other Storm Leader’s reports – double checking to make sure our crew had everything under control. An email popped up in my inbox; one of our fellow Stormers had contracted swine flu and decided to forego the event in order to not contaminate Brandon Sanderson. I felt horrible for him, but of course, the show must go on!

I dashed out of class once the Dean let us go, deposited all my legal books in my locker (I had readings to do, but knew myself well enough to know that none of it would get done that evening), and started to make my way to the Borders. We had all agreed to get there early to see if the store needed our help in any way. When we arrived, everything seemed under control, so we chatted with store employees about Sanderson and plot theories instead. Piling into my car, we drove to the designated Thai restaurant, arriving concurrently with Brandon and Paul his media guide.

I had read on Brandon’s blog that the New York Times rankings would be announced Wednesday night, so no sooner had we sat down than I asked him if we knew yet. He said no, but that he expected the call around 6, so during dinner. At 5:53, his phone started ringing, as Dot, Harriet, and his agent all called him in quick succession to announce that The Gathering Storm had hit #1!! We celebrated and congratulated him, while he deflected the praise – giving all credit to Jordan’s legacy and the fans.

He immediately tweeted the news, which led to an entertaining discussion about the pros and cons of various smart phones. (Brandon was jealous of my Envy2’s full qwerty keyboard). After ordering, we then had a chance to delve into more specific plot questions. We mostly got a string of (very politely worded) “read and find outs”, but there were some few hints and clarifications tossed in. (I’ll probably go post a list of those over on the forums in a little while—once I’ve caught up on my law reading.) My favorite dance-around RAFO of the evening, about whether or not a specific minor character had any further role to play in the books, was Brandon’s oblique: “She has a thread in the pattern and all threads in the pattern can yet be further woven in…”

I was actually a Brandon Sanderson fan before he was picked to finish the Wheel of Time. I had first read about him on Ken Jennings’s blog (the guy who won 75 times on Jeopardy! back in 2004). The two of them had been roommates in college. When I told Brandon this, he laughed, and said that their third roommate, Earl, often joked that it is now fate that Earl will also become a household name among the nerds of America, but isn’t sure how he’ll get there. I also mentioned how much I loved Brandon’s ability to write humor. Last summer, my roommate gave me a concerned-for-my-mental-sanity look when I started laughing so hard at one of the bantering scenes I literally fell off the sofa. Brandon, as he did with each and every compliment he received, thanked me profusely, saying that conveying humor is one of the absolute toughest skills to master as a writer.

When we arrived at the Borders for the signing, Brandon’s pre-remarks consisted of the oft-recited history of how Harriet picked him, and for those less familiar with the story, he told it with a humor and a charm that had many chortling in their seats. He described his love for the Wheel of Time, dating back from the very beginning when he was in middle school. When asked what his favorite volume in the series was, he responded it is Book 4, The Shadow Rising.

During the signing, I was Brandon’s personal minion – stuffing the books with fliers and handing them back to the fans. I also thanked a friend from earlier in the day for his foresight – he reminded me to have hand sanitizer on me for the benefit of Brandon as he shook hands. I hadn’t yet pulled it out when Brandon asked if anyone had some – and was highly appreciative when I promptly produced some. More than 200 people showed up, and I loved listening in on the conversations Brandon had with them throughout the line. We had a handful of Brandon Sanderson fans who had started the Wheel of Time because of his involvement in the project, and dozens of Wheel of Time fans who had developed a love for Brandon’s other work after the announcement. Paperback copies of the Mistborn trilogy sold rapidly, particularly after Brandon described the underlying premise as “I realized that these poor dark ones never catch a break. Some uppity young hero always swoops in at the last minute to overthrow them. What if the dark lord won?”

I was amazed at the sheer number of people who weren’t immense fans, or who had never read the series themselves, who came to the signing in order to get presents for their friends, siblings, and spouses. Multiple people announced their intention to ship the book to Iraq or Afghanistan, where a diehard fan was serving in the military. Others got the books signed on behalf of the friends who had introduced them to either Sanderson’s or Jordan’s works. With each of these, Brandon thanked them profusely for their patience, their friendship, their support, and that they too recommended the books to other friends. Word-of-mouth, after all, is the lifeblood of the publishing industry.

Some of my favorite people from the line included:

• Paul, with a ta’veren license plate – and tattoo!
• Harry, who had torn his ACL playing football, but waited on crutches for almost 2 hours anyway.
• Eugene, an Albanian who said the Wheel of Time was the longest work he had ever read in English.
• Cassy, who had attended the Baltimore signing last week, and came down to DC just to give Brandon magic cards she knew he would need for his upcoming duel with Jason.
• Nathan, who called in “sick” on the release day in order to read the entire book.
• Another guy (I didn’t catch his name!) who took the day off work to make a 3.5 hour drive (7 hours round trip) just to attend the event.

There were also several young kids who asked sincere questions about the Alcatraz books, and Brandon gave hysterical answers. He said he wrote the books wanting to make glasses cool, and breaking things an asset. He also expressed his everlasting hatred of fish sticks, contrasted with his undying love for macaroni and cheese. Brandon told Coulter, aged 7, that he tries to order macaroni and cheese whenever possible, as he considers it a personal quest to identify the best macaroni and cheese in the world.

We also had several people talk about how they had been inspired to try writing because of Brandon’s works – and Brandon offered them genuine encouragement. When he used an “it’s like practicing the piano…” simile, one of the aspiring authors lit up in understanding, as he currently is a jazz music major. As he dispensed advice, I was awed by just how much Brandon practiced before he ever was published. I think I have been too quick to dismiss “good” vs. “bad” authors in my life as some sort of inherent talent, without paying attention to how much behind-the-scenes work they put into their craft. By Brandon’s count, he wrote 13 books before Elantris. I asked if we would ever get the chance to see any of them, and he laughed in embarrassment, saying he wouldn’t want to diminish his brand by attempting to sell inferior works. (He mentioned there was ONE book that might be salvageable, but he hoped the others never saw the light of day). He has no shortage of ideas, though! I counted him referencing at LEAST 17 distinct books he either expressly planned or hoped to write. When I called him on that, he enthusiastically remarked that he had far more books planned then he knew what to do with, and was everyday thankful that he had fans who enabled this compulsive writing addiction of his. I, for one, will long be grateful that he’s only 33, and will have such a long, long time to bring these ideas to fruition. I expect I’ll be continuing to buy his works the week they come out for as long as there are books to buy.

My last comment of the day is that I noted lots of people asking him “what do I read next?” or “what are your favorite books?” throughout the evening. So I compiled a list of every book, whether young adult or adult fiction, Brandon referenced in a positive light. Many of them I had already read, but there were several I had never even heard of. So here, my fellow Dragonmount friends, is an official list of Brandon Sanderson Recommends ®

• Patrick Rothfuss: The Name of the Wind (Sanderson must have sold several copies of Rothfuss’s book last night. He practically ordered one guy to take his signed Gathering Storm, walk downstairs, and buy Name of the Wind off the shelf before leaving the store.)
• Barbara Hambly: Dragonsbane
• Jane Yolen: The Pit Dragon Trilogy
• Melanie Rawn: Dragon Prince (he once set this one on fire, surreptitiously reading it by candlelight after his mom had turned out the lights and sent him to bed.)
• Terry Pratchett: recommends starting with Guards! Guards!
• Vernor Vinge: A Fire Upon the Deep
• Jim Butcher: The Dresden Files
• Robin Hobb: various trilogies, including the Farseer and Tawny Man Trilogies
• Stephen Brust
• Adam Rex

By Storm Leader Steve

When I first heard that Brandon Sanderson had been asked to complete the Wheel of Time series, my first thought was, “Who?” I went online, and was pleased to find that Brandon is a very e-author. He is constantly online and interacting with his readers. Between his blog, Twitter, his forums, and the Writing Excuses recordings, he seems to be active all the time. In fact, I can’t imagine how he has time to write given his other activities and the responsibilities of a father. I read an early draft of Warbreaker online before it was released, and was pleasantly surprised. I then bought and read Elantris, and truly became a fan.

Having now met Brandon and shared a meal with him, I can say that I am even more impressed than before. He is a very engaging man. He showed an interest in everybody he met last night. Brandon asked questions of many of his fans, wanting to get to know at least something about his readers, then incorporating those things into his book personalizations. He did this for me, referencing a story I told him over dinner on the cover page of my Warbreaker hardback. Whether it was talking to women who husbands are serving in Afghanistan, or agreeing with a little boy about how much he dislikes fish sticks, Brandon was always engaged. This is no small task, as he met several hundred people last night.

Brandon was also great at answering questions. He occasionally gave a RAFO answer, but he tried very hard to answer questions if there was any way to do so. Over dinner, I asked him a question about the final scene in The Gathering Storm as it relates to one of Min’s visions from The Eye of the World. Brandon asked me to rephrase my question several times so that he would be able to answer it without saying “RAFO.” Eventually, I came up with a version he felt comfortable answering. His answers combined the most intriguing aspects of Robert Jordan’s mysterious answers with a youthful eagerness and passion for the material and the readers.

He was also passionate about the characters. When asked about why Matt somehow seems different in tGS than in the earlier books, Brandon explained that the changes were intentional. How, he asked, could Matt have lived through the events in his plotline at the end of Knife of Dreams and not come out a changed man?
This is just one example of how Brandon seems to have a vision for A Memory of Light. Although he credits nearly all of the book’s success to Robert Jordan, Harriett, and Maria, he clearly has strong opinions about how to achieve Jordan’s vision. Based on my first reading of The Gathering Storm and my experience with Brandon last night, I think Harriett made a wise choice — the conclusion to the Wheel of Time is in good hands.