What Should I do #2 – Something Positive.

Today was a glorious day, my friends. A day I have long dreamed of. A day that was foretold in the.. um… earliness. Of the world. Forsooth.

Today is the day I received my first royalty check.

Now I hope this doesn’t make me seem shallow, but the honest truth is that I’ve been more excited about this check arriving than I was to see the first copy of the book. Not that I wasn’t all tingly over the book, mind you. But things have been pretty tight lately around the house of Pat. Ramen has been on the menu again.

What’s more, my personal gaelets, Visa and Mastercard, had stopped sending letters and decided instead that it would be better to hire burly men to stand across the street from my house, clutching broken pool cues and giving me meaningful looks.

But now I am safe from them. For a while at least.

For this week’s What-Should-I-Do Tuesday, let me (hopefully) introduce you to a few new people.

First is an author I expect many of you already know, especially if you make a point of reading high-quality fantasy: Tim Powers.

While all of his books are good, my personal favorites are Last Call and Declare. Though a friend of mine swears that an earlier work of his, Anubis Gates, is the best thing ever.

The second author is someone much newer to the scene: Brandon Sanderson.

I read his book Mistborn recently when I was on a trip, and I enjoyed it so much that I went out and bought the sequel, The Well of Ascension, in hardcover at full price. Twenty seven bucks that I could not really afford, despite the fact that credit card thugs were standing across the street from my house. But it was money well spent.

And lastly, a webcomic that I’m fond of: Something Positive.

Dark, sarcastic, cynical humor at its finest. Not for the easily offended or the faint of heart. But in addition to the humor that’s scattered throughout his comic, I have to say that Randy Milholland really knows how to tell a good story, parts of his comic are really poignant, heart touching, and true.

And, in the interest of full disclosure, a while back he was nice enough to mention me in some fairly good company.

Lastly and leastly, today (the 10th) is the last day you can vote for Name of the Wind for to win “Book of the Year” in the Quill awards. If you’re interested, you should HEAD OVER HERE and click on “Vote Now!” link.

And I’m off to bed,

pat

This entry was posted in awards, recommendationsBy Pat18 Responses

18 Comments

  1. Michael Natale
    Posted October 10, 2007 at 11:13 AM | Permalink

    For those of us currently without an award winning novel climbing the charts (but who hope to have one some day)…a question.How long has it been since the very first book hit the shelves before your first royalty check came? Hope this isn’t too personal but I’m curious – was your check more than or less than what you used to make at your full time job (whatever that was)?ThanksMichael

  2. Anonymous
    Posted October 10, 2007 at 12:29 PM | Permalink

    ahhh, money, after no money; so nice; enjoy!

  3. black Sunshine
    Posted October 10, 2007 at 1:35 PM | Permalink

    I like Brandon Sanderson too – I just finished Elantris, and I’ve got Mistborn on deck (after I finish The Alchemist and Running With The Demon). I’ll have to find some more libraries to sneak into and vote for your book. I made another convert yesterday – I got this text message: “ok the book has pulled me in! you are safe.” My friend Cat had promised to beat me up if the book wasn’t as good as I said it was!

  4. Amanda
    Posted October 10, 2007 at 3:20 PM | Permalink

    I heart money. And Something Positive.They’re both wonderful things.Congrats on the royalty check. I’m glad you’re not stuck eating Ramen like the rest of us lowly UWSPers.

  5. Anonymous
    Posted October 10, 2007 at 3:45 PM | Permalink

    COME ON pat, you know you invoke our curiousity speaking of money so…..can we get a digit figure, or a reasonable (see wide) range. I promise every single person to read this post is happy for you, and secretely thinking d*** him, I want to know.Or even a long drawn out mathmatical equation that the most astute could derive some idea from, or if not, i’ll just have to read some tea leaves and divine the answer and then post it on the sight.I would like to make a recommendation to the readers out there. The Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb. It was very good. My twin bro said it was the best book he has ever read. I am underplaying my hand with NOTW, when he reads it it will blow him away.But the Assassin’s Apprentice reminded me of NOTW and was in fact a very, very good book. NOTW is a lil better tho :>)

  6. Metahari
    Posted October 10, 2007 at 4:53 PM | Permalink

    Congratulations! You did a great job, and deserve to eat!

  7. Anonymous
    Posted October 10, 2007 at 5:06 PM | Permalink

    Sean:So what is the typical Patrick Rothfuss day consist of? -this would be a good blog entry-can’t help but notice all the blog entries are late night endeavors, take it your a night person, or are you a morning person who’s days are so incredibly full you have to squeeze in internet time in the wee hours just to satiate your loyal readers?

  8. Mark
    Posted October 10, 2007 at 5:14 PM | Permalink

    Those pesky ol’ creditors! When will they learn that you can’t get blood from stones? Doesn’t stop’em squeezing real hard, though, does it? Still, I’m glad to hear that you got your check and can pay bills again and stop goons from squeezing your stones. All hail the big bushy beard!

  9. Kate Willoughby
    Posted October 10, 2007 at 6:35 PM | Permalink

    I voted. LOVED N of the W!!! It stayed with me for days after I’d read it. Your blog is now a daily visit for me, but I have mixed feelings about your posting. If you’re here blogging, I get to “interact” with you. On the other hand, if you’re here blogging, you’re not writing!!! So, get back to the sequel. :D

  10. Christine
    Posted October 10, 2007 at 6:39 PM | Permalink

    Treat yourself to some fancy noodles!I’ve been reading Something Positive for a long time. It’s fantastic!

  11. Mary J.
    Posted October 10, 2007 at 9:09 PM | Permalink

    Hooray! Soon you can buy the fancy gold bowl to eat your noodles out of!Don’t you still have your day job?!? I certainly hope your royalty check is bigger. I got the impression that your college non-professor pay was comparable to my library non-librarian pay… (That does not go far for noodles!)

  12. Anonymous
    Posted October 10, 2007 at 9:51 PM | Permalink

    Hey!My comment hasn’t really got anything to do with the entry, sorry, haha.I just wanted to say that your book enchanted my like no other’s done in a very long time. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get my hands on the English one, but if the Dutch one was this good, the English copy shall probably leave me behind in some sort of euforic state.Your book is my newest drug, haha.Can’t wait for the next!! :D

  13. Jessica
    Posted October 10, 2007 at 11:23 PM | Permalink

    Sean, I’m not so sure I agree. That might be asking Pat to disclose too much information about his daily activities. Some things should just be private!

  14. nick
    Posted October 11, 2007 at 1:22 AM | Permalink

    Good book choices, not that I’d expect anything else. But read Elantris too. It’s better than Mistborn, and that was very good…You’re not the only one who can write a good debut novel. [$ = :)]

  15. Lynne
    Posted October 11, 2007 at 2:24 AM | Permalink

    Yay money!!!

  16. Anonymous
    Posted October 11, 2007 at 2:00 PM | Permalink

    SEAN:Hey jess, i didn’t mean anything personally, just something to the affect of, get up @10, go to class, go work out in the afternoons, play pool for awhile and then read for a few hourse, rinse and repeat. nothing intamate or overly personal

  17. Keith R. Watson
    Posted October 11, 2007 at 3:58 PM | Permalink

    Yeah, Tim Powers writes odd fantasy. That is to say that most of his characters tend not to be lithe young things setting out on their first adventure to save the world. Drawing of the Dark has been one of my favorite books of the last few months.Pat, if you don’t know/read/hang with Scott Lynch, change at least one of those things. His book is bundled with yours and I’d be disappointed if he doesn’t come to WisCon next year.

  18. Chris
    Posted October 15, 2007 at 4:45 PM | Permalink

    First of all NOTW is a five star book ,(regardless of the amazon lone star) and one of the best I’ve read this year…Sandworms of Dune, was also an excellent novel. Also congrats on the royalty check definitely deserved…I’m also happy that I’m not the only pauper .Here is a recommendation for anyone who enjoyed NOTW- Peter Straubs, Shadowland. This is a book I picked up at a yard sale (it might be out of print) and it is an excellent novel a mixture of horror and fantasy with a realistic portrayal of human nature.…Movie? Hopefully with Pat as the director and screenwriter ! thanks,Chris

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