I just posted about Brandon Mull's presentation in Juneau for my last journal entry for the AKLA 2011 library conference and thought I would add a note here, too! I want to remember that he surprised himself and the audience when talking about Frodo as a hero, and cried.Brandon Mull was one of the best author speakers I have heard in a long time - I bet teenage boys would really identify with him! His writing goal was/is to create a fun ride for kids, original, different, smart.
Apparently he was a weird kid with crazy stories in his head. “I was a kid who lived in my head. I had a crazy imagination and daydreams got more vivid with age. Then I realized not all people daydreamed all the time! I liked doing stupid creative things and just stupid things! I write because I couldn’t turn off my head! The Lion/ Witch/Wardrobe was a pivital book - after reading that I checked the closets everywhere and started to spin my own Narnia stories.”
Publishing was his goal and he reached the finish line with Fablehaven. Funny thing, he realized that his finish line wasn’t the end, rather a starting line! Another realization about being an author - "I am not only a writer, but also, speaker, teacher, small business owner, public personality, elaborate illusionist and killer!"
An interesting thought that he presented was how "Rules of Reality" matter in fantasy. While mysteries and realistic fiction may present an exaggerated reality, sci-fi speculates about possibilities but is still anchored in our reality. In fantasy, when characters break the rules (as defined by the author) they must pay the price!
