Brandon Mull

Summer is waning, and I made some goals, so here is the update.

One goal I had involved weekly blogging. That was my biggest failure. I was too absorbed in family, writing, and weight loss to get serious about blogging as regularly as I had hoped. So room for improvement there.

Another goal was writing Fablehaven 4, Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary. That one has been going well. I'm on chapter 19 and should be done by mid-September. For a good chunk of the summer I've worked ten hour days six days a week. Fortunately, I've mostly enjoyed the work. The book feels really cool. I think readers will be very pleased when it releases in the Spring. I'll feel even better about it once I polish off these last chapters and can get to the editing phase.

I also had a weight loss goal. I've lost almost fifteen pounds over the summer, which is good but not incredible. I'd like to lose at least ten more. I broke the diet routine a few times over the summer, but the good part is I never totally lost the faith, and ended up returning to good eating and moderate exercise before I demolished my progress. Eating moderately has been a good thing overall, and helped me appreciate decadent food much more when I have it.

I spent the last week in Connecticut with my family. We did some fun things—hit a Connecticut beach, visited Mystic Seaport where we could tour old ships and shops, ate some delicious seafood, spent a day at Six Flags New England, and signed books at my dad's company picnic. We had the kids at Six Flags, and it was no Disneyland as far as entertaining little ones, but they had a nice time, and I really enjoyed the Superman roller coaster. Instead of loops or gimmicks like dangling from the track, Superman relied on crazy drops and high speed to generate the fun. The track covered a lot of real estate, so it didn't twist much, letting the riders hit the metal hills head on and really feel the plunges.

There is the latest. I'll keep you posted on my last few weeks writing FH4.

I'm involved in a charity event on July 19. The event makes sense for aspiring writers who are within striking distances of Salt Lake City. The proceeds go to a really great cause. Here are the details:

Writing for Charity

This summer have unfettered access to professional children's authors,
all in the name of charity! Saturday, July 19 several local authors
will host a Writing for Charity event in Salt Lake City, with all
profits going to The Wheelchair Project. Come hear writers talk about
their process, how to write for a young audience, storytelling tips,
and the ins and outs of the publishing business. In addition, have
your picture book text or first page of your novel (the most important
page!) workshopped by professionals.

When: Saturday, July 19, 9 am to 1 pm
Where: Salt Lake Main Library, 200 East 400 South, Salt Lake City, Utah
Cost: $45 (should be tax deductible!)
Event breakdown: 9:00 am -- Registration
9:15 - 10:15 am -- Panel discussion in the auditorium
10:30 - 11:15 -- Break out discussions in topic groups
11:30 - 1:00 -- Small group workshops

Authors include Brandon Mull, Shannon Hale, Mette Ivie Harrison, Ann
Cannon, Kristyn Crow, Becky Hickox, Kimberley Heuston, Anne Bowen,
Aprilynne Pike, Ann Dee Ellis, Mike Knudson, and Wendy Toliver.

Space is limited, first come first serve.

To reserve your spot, mail in the $45 registration fee.
Mailing address: 1176 E 2620th N, Provo, UT 84604-4132
Make checks to: "LDS Philanthropies" (the organization that runs The
Wheelchair Project) and write "Wheelchair" in the memo line.
Also include: Your name, age, phone number, and area of interest--
picture book writing, fantasy novel, or realistic fiction novel.

On the day of the event, bring 15 copies of the first page of your
novel or picture book text (maximum word count: 300 words) for some
hands on workshopping.

100% of the proceeds go to The Wheelchair Project, a wonderful charity that donates new wheelchairs
to people in third world countries, many of whom have never had one. A
wheelchair can completely change the life of a disabled person,
offering mobility, increased independence, and a chance to go to
school or find employment. Because this charity is administered by
volunteers with LDS Philanthropy, there is no overhead and every penny
donated goes directly to purchasing wheelchairs. This is not a
religious charity--the wheelchairs go to the needy regardless of their
faith. Thank you for supporting this extraordinary cause!

I keep hearing rumors that some authors are jerks, although I still haven't personally met a real prizewinner yet. A few have treated me indifferently, but nobody has been rude or openly arrogant. Still, talking to people in the industry, and to bookstore employees, and readers, I hear there are some really impersonal authors out there. Names have been named to me, though I will not repeat them here.

What blows my mind is that of all professions, fiction writers should be the most personable! Why? Because to do what we do, we have to understand what makes somebody likeable or despicable, heroic or cowardly, friendly or abrasive, nice or jerky. We make our living by creating characters, and making those characters relatable to readers. How can writers who thoroughly understand what makes somebody smart, or kind, or likeable proceed to behave another way? By the way, if I'm ever a jerk, feel free to quote this back to me.

The bright side so far is that my personal experiences with other authors have been mostly quite positive. Through book conferences and other opportunities, I've had a chance to meet some pretty successful authors, and most have been very personable, including some big names like Neil Gaiman and Christopher Paolini. I hear that authors for younger audiences have a reputation for being nicer, and those are largely who I meet, so maybe that is part of it, although some of the friendly authors I have encountered write for adults. Guys like Orson Scott Card, who generously gave me some very helpful advice when I was brand new.

Not that you have to be famous to be jerky. I can easily conceive of the semi-famous or non-famous jealous jerk variety. So easily that I may have even glimpsed a couple.

Speaking of personalities, on a lighter note, somebody forwarded me a Fablehaven personality test. I have no idea who created it. I took the test, and apparently I'm Lena. Who knew? If you want to check it out, here is a link: http://www.allthetests.com/quiz25/quizpu.php?testid=1214937487

That's all for now. I'm almost done with chapter 6 of Fablehaven 4. Feels like a lot of fun so far. I'll keep you posted.

Labels: Authors, personality test

This is my summer of goals. I'm not usually Mr. Goal Maker Guy, but my time has gotten squeezed lately, forcing me to be more active about the things I want to accomplish. Somebody once said that a goal is just a wish until you write it down. So apparently most of the stuff I've accomplished in my life so far has been wishes coming true. But now here I am, writing down some actual goals.

Of course the main goal at the top of my list this summer is writing an outstanding fourth Fablehaven book. That means about two chapters a week, and I think I should be able to swing it. I'm currently on chapter 4. The story already feels exciting. I can't wait to get deeper into it. Sometimes I wish I had a machine that would automatically translate my thoughts into words that artfully relate the story I have in mind. Then I realize that's a lazy man's wish. The closest I'm likely to get is a machine into which I can type my words. I'll keep you posted as I progress deeper into Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary.

I also have a weight loss goal. I'm aiming to lose about 20 pounds by the end of the summer. This is actually a momentous occasion—I've lost and gained weight in my life, but never as the result of a strict, focused diet. My wife Mary is organizing what I'll eat and helping me count calories and make good choices. Hopefully as I add my willpower to her organizational and culinary skills I'll be able to shed some of the pounds I've put on as I travel around the country on book tour eating at restaurants. I definitely have the appetite of a very fat man, so the time has come to fight back!

I've lost about five pounds so far. At the outset the hunger made me grouchy. Then I got used to eating reasonable portions of healthy food, and usually I suffer less than I did at the outset. I'm getting on the treadmill a few times a week and messing around with Wii Fit as well. Hopefully if I can hang in there I'll be able to live better for a longer portion of my life. I had to do something before I swelled into that level of obesity from which there is no return!

One thing I have learned is that as I diet, food tastes better. Suddenly fruit actually tastes sweet and almost like dessert. And desserts taste like explosions of taste. Hunger really is the best gravy.

Yet another goal I have made is to blog at least once a week, so here I am fulfilling one goal as I talk about others!

A mini-goal I have is figuring out a fun family vacation. We're currently debating between Sea World and a cabin north of Glacier Park.

So many goals, so little time. At least it is summer, and I'm home writing, so I'm more in control of my time than usual. Hopefully sharing these goals publicly will give me a little extra incentive to stick to them!

Yesterday I attended a Fablehaven party at the American Fork library, not far from my home. They had lots of people in costume and set up many fun activities. The Utah dairy counsel brought out their "Got Milk?" banner and were taking milk moustache pictures in harmony with the "drink the milk" theme in Fablehaven. There were witches handing out curses, fairies healing curses, water fights, live chickens, and I signed tons of books. The event was ticketed and sold out, which is why I didn't mention it here beforehand.

As part of the event, the mayor of American Fork presented me with the Key to the Library. I knew the key was ceremonial, but deep down part of me was excited that maybe I could now sneak into the library after hours to do some research or at least use the restroom. The event marked the first time a political official has given me the key to anything. I put the key in my office.

The event reminded me how word about Fablehaven and The Candy Shop War continues to spread. I was pleased and surprised by the mix of kids and adults who have been enjoying the series. I must admit, the event made me feel some extra pressure to make book four the best it can be. If I really nail it, maybe I'll get the key to some more libraries!

Labels: American Fork Library, Fablehaven

I was at Book Expo America in Los Angeles this past weekend. It is the big national event where all of the publishers are showcasing their upcoming books to all of the retailers. The convention is also attended by librarians and other book enthusiasts. It was my third time attending the event. The previous one was in New York.

I was there to help more people discover Fablehaven and The Candy Shop War, and I think I had some good success. I was pleased with how many people were already aware of my books. Probably the funnest part was some of the authors I met and hung out with.

Most of the time I was hanging out with other Shadow Mountain guys. This includes Obert Skye, James Dashner, and Jason Wright. Also my editor Chris Schoebinger. They're all cool guys. I knew James the least, but now I know him better, and we all had a nice time together, except when James got carsick and ended up jumping out of the car to dry-heave at a greenbelt in Beverly Hills. Poor guy. He was a trooper. I passionately hate getting nauseated.

I spoke briefly with Brandon Sanderson, who writes the Alcatraz books and lots of great adult fantasy. I think he's a really good writer and I like him a bunch.

I also met Dean Lorey, who writes the Nightmare Academy books. He was a nice guy, and we roamed around and chatted for a while. He has a fascinating background writing for TV and film. I expect we'll cross paths again.

I signed books at the same time as Christopher Paolini, who writes Eragon and Eldest and has Brisingr coming out soon. We were able to have a good chat before the signing started. I wasn't sure what to expect from him. Having had so much success so young, I could picture him being spoiled by that, but happily that did not seem to be the case. He was very nice and friendly, so we had a good talk. We have the same agent, who introduced us.

I was probably most geeked out when I got to meet Neil Gaiman. He has written all sorts of things, including Stardust and Coraline. He spoke at a breakfast I attended, and I wanted to meet him there, but the crowds were too big. But then I went to a party at CAA, the agency that handles my movie rights, and Neil was there. So I tried to put on a brave face and approached him. To my vast relief he was very friendly, and we had a decent chat. He had an aura of cool around him, but maybe that was just because I have huge respect for his imagination.

Overall, the book expo was a chance to mingle with lots of people who are into the same stuff I love: writing and reading books. I had a great time, and am already looking forward to next year when the expo is back in New York.