Excuse my complete and utter nerdiness, but I thought this expressed my thoughts pretty well.
My dad, my uncle, and I went to Barnes and Noble to save a spot in line. Somehow we managed to snag second place! The girl in front of us was a friend of Sanderson's sister (both of them are named Lauren, too). For the next two hours, the four of us talked, read some of Sanderson's books, and totally geeked out. It is always fun finding someone to discuss your favorite books with; the whole reading experience seems to become more satisfying.
With the minutes closing the distance to 2:00, I started to feel anxious: I didn't even know what I was going to say! I could imagine myself blurting something along the lines of "Um hi. You're really cool. Sign my books?" That, or an embarrassing involuntary fangirl squeak. No! I would be eloquent, poised, and totally not over-excited. However, when my dad declared "I can see him!" my composure slipped a little. Those of you who have ever met your favorite musician, actor, or author, you know the feeling. All things considered, I think it went nicely when it came to be my turn.
Wow. What an experience! Sanderson seemed happy to be there and happy to sign my books. I had brought one of his stand-alone books for my brother's Christmas present, along with my Mistborn trilogy, for him to sign. He even personalized all of them! While he did that, he gave me some invaluable writing advice (which I will graciously share with you): Write every day, but don't focus on what you write--instead, focus on how you write. Find out if you are a binge writer or a more spread-out one. Once you find out what kind of writer you are, develop yourself; then you can zoom in on your content. This is key because no matter how novel or creative your ideas are, no one will want to read them if your writing is poor. Neat stuff, no?
After my Sanderson book-signing experience ended, I was floating on cloud nine and unable to utter anything intelligible. "OH MY GOODNESS" were the only words I could process! So, although this post offers no insight to life, personal character, or self-improvement, it does serve as a channel to express how ecstatic I was about Brandon Sanderson coming to my hometown. Good enough, right?
In closing, I'll say this: meet your heroes. Any chance you get, take it. Grab it with both hands. Even if he/she turns out to be a jerk, at least you'll know better. But, if he/she turns out to be a kind, gracious individual, it's one of the coolest feelings in the world. It means there is good in high places.
I apologize for the encroaching comic... dang formatting.
