Category Archives: Nathan Taylor Art

Whyfore Art Thou? – An Interview With Nate Taylor

Whyfore Art Thou? An Interview with Nate Taylor.

Pat: So what’s the best part of working with international bestselling author, philanthropist, and bon vivant Patrick Rothfuss?

Nate: Second-hand fame. I get recognized so long as I’m with you, but no one hassles me at renn faires.

Pat: What’s the worst part of working with the world-class hot mess, megalomaniac, sentient dumpster-fire known as Patrick Rothfuss?

Nate: It is pretty annoying when the other super-villains make a power play against you. I get caught in the crossfire, and ninja attacks get old real fast.

Pat: Tell me about it. They keep getting sucked into the engines of my private jet.

Okay, question time. Can you describe what your process is, as an artist?

Nate: Absolutely! It’s like going fishing. You craft a perfect lure, cast the line, and wait for the nibble. You struggle with the catch and reel it in only to find out you caught the wrong fish. Throw it back and try again. Sometimes it’s almost the right fish, and sometimes it’s an old boot. Sometimes the boot kicks you in the armpit and jumps back in the water. Eventually you reel in a glowing Omega Fish that makes you invulnerable for an hour and it was all worth it.

Pat: Is… Is the Omega Fish a finished illustration?

Nate: It is the final form of the Illustration Supreme, a glorious reckoning of science and artistry. So, yeah I guess it could be called finished.

Pat: Can you tell us a story about what it’s like to work with Rothfuss?

Nate: I did a full illustration a couple of years back to prepare for this book. It was of Bast “sneaking” up on the shepherdess. I got friends to pose for reference photos and rendered the illustration in this polished black and white style. It was pretty sleek. But when we started to really work on things together, you said, “This is first-date Nate. This is very careful and reserved. I think we want third-date Nate. Get comfortable and show off what you really want to do.” It was ultimately inspiring, but for two full days I laid on my back and wondered what the hell I really wanted to do.

Pat: Oh god. Did I really say that?

Nate: Pretty much. You even told me to go overboard a little, though not in so many words.

Pat: It was an amazing illo though. Mind if I show it off so folks can see?

Nate: Sure.

Pat: As y’all can see, this one’s from *way* back, before the Billion Revisions… (brief spoiler hidden)

Show

I wrote the first version of the story in just under a month, which is lightning fast for me. It turned out well, all things considered, but I didn’t get nearly as much time to fine-tune as I normally do. Plus that was nearly ten years ago, which is why there was so much for me to improve in this version.

Nate: Now extensive was the revision?

Pat: In terms of the text, I probably re-wrote about half of the original 20,000 word story. Then I reorganized a bunch of things. Added scenes, split some action up. Expanded on the main plot and the main relationship. Added the Embrils. By the end, the whole thing was about 15,000 words longer.

Nate: How long did it all take?

Pat: Between 4-8 months of pretty solid work, depending on how you count it.

Nate: So… it took 8 times longer to revise than it took to write the original?

Pat: Like I said, it depends on how you count it. That includes things like copyedits and page proofs that weren’t part of my one-month draft. It also includes all the art we developed.

Speaking of, how many versions of the shepherd do you think we did, trying to get it right?

Nate: (checks the archives) Five, plus two that were more subtle border illustrations.

Pat: Oof. And that’s not counting the different drafts and tweaks. Then, after everything, we skip it to focus on other images…

Nate: This one was my favorite concept, I think.

Pat: Seriously though. Why do you keep doing this to yourself?

Nate: Seriously then, and this is something I’ve told other artists and writers who have asked me similar questions. “Pat helps me do my best work.” It’s easy for me to fall victim to my own need for speed and call a piece finished just because the shading looks nice. You are good at pushing the details and the thought behind each choice in the image until it’s the best possible version of itself.

Pat: Is there an illustration we abandoned you really wish we could have made work?

Nate: So many. We cut at least 18 illustrations for one reason or another. I think the one I miss the most was a small portrait of Crazy Martin. I love that little portrait of the hulking madman.

Pat: I love doing character design with you. But yeah, I worried it would take too long. Plus, Martin doesn’t actually show up in the book. I know you did 3-4 versions of him though. Wanna show one off?

Nate: Sure.

Pat: Looking at this again, I don’t know what worries me more. The fact that it looks a lot like me… or the fact that it looks a lot like me but younger and probably more attractive.

Which illustration do you think changed the most while we were revising things.?

Nate: We spent a lot of time on Kostrel dancing. We tried Bast facing toward us, Bast facing away, Kostrel facing toward and away, Bast facing away but head turned toward us. Even after we figured all that out, we did so many versions of Kostrel’s angry face.

 

Nate: There were so many versions of the different embrils too, and the Lightning Tree itself… You know what? I think the axe in the stump was the only one I nailed on my first pass.

Pat: Actually, I made us go back to that because I was worried the laces on the neck of his shirt hanging off it might interfere with visual continuity.

Nate: True, one change. That still puts it way ahead of the curve.

Pat: It also provides further proof that I am, in fact, a monster.

Nate: My turn for questions. Why do you keep doing this to me?

I mean, what’s your favorite part of working with Nate Taylor?

Pat: I could go on and on. I’ll keep it to three things though.

  1. You have never once choked me even though I’m always asking for another, another, another ANOTHER revision. You’ve never even gotten notably salty.
  2. When I explain what I imagine for an illustration, or what I’m hoping to change or tweak in the next draft, you for-real understand what I mean. Almost every time. That’s so rare.
  3. When you add some twist or detail, it’s not just something that fits. Not just something I love. It’s usually something I wish I would have thought of first. I feel guilty knowing people tend to assume the clever idea in one of the pictures is mine, when the truth is, it’s actually the pure child of your beautiful brain.

Nate: I feel my head swelling, so help me keep an even keel. What’s the worst part of working with Nate? And you can’t say he’s too perfect.

Pat: I worry that you’ll get tired of my bullshit and find easier work somewhere else. Or that someone else will realize how amazing you are and steal you away…

Nate: I’ve seen what happens to artists when they only work for people who think they poop gold-pressed latinum. I need a challenge. Speaking of, when are you going to tell readers that Bast is Kvothe’s real dad?

Pat: Nate… Don’t tease the poor people.

Nate: Sorry. When do you reveal Bast is Kvothe’s step-dad?

Pat: Book four. Right after the chapter where Elodin punches the moon.

Nate: What was your favorite illustration from this book?

Pat: Oh man. It really changes. The one with the kitten cracks me up. Same with little Pem. You *nailed* the one with Rike and Bast making their deal, too. Your idea for making the dividing lines look like shattered ice was brilliant. I can’t believe you pulled that off.

Nate: I became a student of ice for a week. What’s a book you’d love to have Nate illustrate?

Pat: This feels like a cop-out answer, but I’m really excited to put a bow on our graphic novel of The Boy That Loved The Moon. Does that count?

Nate: Of course! I’m looking forward to showing that to the world. How about a book not written by you though?

Pat: Something Wicked This Way Comes. You’re so good with Characters, I’d love to see your take on the boys in that story. To say nothing of Cooger and Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show.

Nate: You got to show off the area around Newarre for the first time. Was it modeled after a real place?

Pat: It’s not based on a place. But it does have a bit of a Midwestern small town feel though. Mostly because that’s where I’ve always lived.

The old men at the bar always remind me of the Norwegian bachelor farmers from Lake Wobegon though. I remember we were going to take a stab at illustrating those, but we nixed that fairly soon because that one illustration would require doing 3-5 sets of character design for what are, at best, tertiary characters.

Pat: I think that’s all the space we have. Thanks again for chatting, Nate. And thanks for all the hard work you put into this. I’m really excited for people to finally get to see what you’ve done now that they can pick up the book…

Nate: I’m beyond thrilled for people to finally see what we’ve made. Let’s talk more tonight!

Pat: I’m really looking forward to it. You wanna show off some of the new illustrations on the stream tonight?

Nate: New illustrations and old ones too! Though, I should hold some back for later. Don’t want to art dump *too* much.

Pat: That’s fair. And since it’s the first day still, we’ll be keeping the stream spoiler-free. You good with doing some Q&A too?

Nate: I’ve never seen a Q that could stand up to my sculpted A. Sorry, I meant thoughtful A.

Pat: You heard it here folks. Tonight Nate Taylor will tell you all his secrets and teach you how to become a successful illustrator, guaranteed.

Nate: I just found this old wardrobe in an empty room and walked through it —

Pat: No backsies! Talk to you soon!

*     *     *

Nate Taylor has illustrated the books “The Slow Regard of Silent Things,” “The Princess & Mr. Whiffle,” “Sometimes the Magic Works” by Terry Brooks, and the graphic novels “The Briar-Sword Monk” by Shawn Speakman and the upcoming Temerant tale “The Boy Who Loved the Moon.” He has also done art for the games “Button Men,” “Tak,” and “Lords of Vegas: Americana.”

He now lives with his family in the Pacific Northwest where he freelances as a human illustrator, cartoonist, and portraitist.

Folks can find him on Instagram @natentaylor and view his portfolio site natentaylor.com

Also posted in Interviews, Nathan Taylor | By Pat34 Responses

New Novella – An announcement in Three Parts

Hey there everybody,

Later this year, I’m publishing a new novella.

In a lot of ways, it’s going to be similar to The Slow Regard of Silent Things. It’s set in Temerant. It’s going to be illustrated by the fabulous Nate Taylor, and it centers on one of the secondary characters from the Kingkiller Chroniclers: Bast.

[You’re never secondary in our hearts, Bast.]

 

The Novella is called The Narrow Road Between Desires.

I’ve always said when a new project was happening, you’d hear it here first. So here it is, first.

Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know how I typically communicate. I tend to go on tangents, digress, maunder, and only then do I get to the point and share the news.

So… Surprise. That’s the news. Right up at the top. Hope that me changing it up a bit isn’t too disconcerting.

If you want more details about the novella, odd context, and a few tangents, that’s down below the scene break. Because this is my blog, and I can put a scene break in it if I want.

* * *

Part 2: Cookies and Communication

(That’s right, not only a scene break. I’m giving it a subtitle, too.)

Ever since book two was delayed more than a decade ago, I’ve promised y’all that when a new book is going to be coming out, you’ll hear the news from me first.

The reason for this is a little complicated. But it boils down to this:

When you create something people like, they want to know when you’re going to make a similar thing so they can enjoy that too. If they like it a *lot* then they *REALLY* want to know when you’re doing it again.

If the thing you create is say… a batch of cookies for your kids, this isn’t a problem. They want more cookies, so you can let them know the cookie release schedule. If they forget, you can remind them. If the schedule changes, you explain why.

Even if your kids want more cookies than you can produce, and they complain, or whine, or nag at you, the whole thing is still manageable. (Though as anyone who has dealt with kids can attest to, dealing with over-insistent kids can be rough.) But it works because the number of kids is (statistically speaking) only about 2-3. This makes clear and consistent communication possible. Since you’re all on the same page, everyone gets to anticipate cookies together.

All of this goes out the window if, say, instead of making cookies, you make a book. And instead of a 2-3 kids, you end up with several million readers.

When I was first published. I thought communicating with folks online would be easy. I post an update, everyone reads it. Easy peasy. Right?

It only took a couple years to realize it doesn’t work that way. I can spend 10 hours writing a blog about how my Dad’s in hospice, explaining how the whole thing’s upheaved my life, been hard on my boys, and utterly destroyed any semblance of normalcy in my world…. Then later that day still get half a dozen people pinging me on different platforms asking me why it’s been years since my last book was out.

I can post updates on my blog, on twitter, on facebook, on Twitch, but that doesn’t mean people will read them. What’s more, all it takes is a rumor on a reddit thread to spread bad information and make people think there’s a new book coming out. If amazon’s ordering system auto-fills a publication date for Doors of Stone, people think it’s real, then get pissed when no book comes out on that not-real timeline.

It’s something that I still don’t know how to come to grips with. And the only solution I do have is the promise I made years back: That when there *is* a publication date for DOS, or I put out a different book, you’ll hear about it directly from me first. And no matter where else I make the announcement. (Like today on Twitch, for example.) I’ll also post about it here on the blog.

It’s not a perfect solution, but this way, if people hear a rumor, they can at least come over here and check out whether or not it’s real.

When I first promised that, I thought it would be easy. But at this point, I think we all know that I can be terribly naive….

* * *

Part 3: Visions and Revisions

So. For those of you who haven’t already guessed, while it’s easy for me to say “You’ll always hear about new books and their publication dates from me first.” It’s *way* more complicated than that. Truth is, things like this, can only work if your publisher has your back….

While I write the books myself, publishing them is a team effort. And as many of you already know, my publisher is DAW, and my editor is Betsy Wollheim. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

When I told Betsy I wanted to be first to break news like this to y’all, she agreed. And since then both Betsy and the other lovely folks on the publishing team have gone along with it, despite the fact that it makes things harder for them.

They have to do extra work in order to keep things secret, and it ties their hands a little. Believe it or not, promoting and marketing a book is way harder when nobody knows a book is in the works. Despite all this, we’ve all been keeping news about the novella secret, and the lovely folks at DAW have done that extra work so that I can make the announcement here first.

There are some downsides, though. If I’m going to be the first to break the news, I have to do so fairly early in the publication process so that marketing and PR people can do important things like… talk to bookstores and see if any of them would be interested in, y’know, putting it on the shelves so people can buy it.

The bad news is that since this is early in the process, it means the book is still in development. I’m still tweaking the text. Nate and I are still finishing the art. We don’t have the cover finalized yet:

 

[I know it’s hard to believe, but this is not, in fact, the final cover.]

The good news is that as new things *do* get finished, I get to show them off to you. That will give me stuff to share here on the blog for the next couple months. But I do still have some stuff to share:

  • The publication date will be Nov 14th 2023.
  • There will be opportunities to get signed copies. (More on this later, as we solidify promotional plans.)
  • The book will be longer than The Slow Regard of Silent Things.
  • It will have more illustrations than Slow Regard, too. (More than 30.)

The last of these is really exciting for me, as it’s been a lot of fun working on this with Nate:

(Click to Embiggen.)

We ended up with least 5 different graphics full of potential Bast faces that we developed while working on the illustrations….

For those of you who are into more of the professional ad-copy sort of stuff. Here’s one of the *many* different versions of the promo copy that we’ve tossed around. I’m notoriously bad at writing this sort of thing, so my main contribution is to go into their draft, re-write pieces of it, get increasingly frustrated, then eventually send it back to them saying, “Use any of this that you want to and throw away the rest!”

It’s not a *great* process, but it’s what I have.

 

#1 NYT bestselling phenomenon Patrick Rothfuss returns to the wildly popular Kingkiller Chronicle Universe with a stunning reimagining of “The Lightning Tree.” Expanded to twice its previous length, and lavishly illustrated by Nathan Taylor, this touching stand-alone story is sure to please new readers and veteran Rothfuss fans alike.

No one taller than the stone. 

Come to blacktree, come alone. 

Tell no adult what’s been said, 

lest the lightning strike you dead.

When you come to the lightning tree to trade with Bast, your mortal money isn’t worth much. What holds true value are older things: secrets and favors. Buttons and flowers. Lies, tricks, riddles, stones, and whatever else your heart truly desires.

Follow the Kingkiller Chronicle’s most charming fae as he schemes and bargains his way through the small town of Newarre. While at first it seems that Bast must be master of this tiny domain, but while he cares nothing for the laws of man, there are older, deeper laws that bind him. And for all his cleverness, Bast finds himself trapped in ways he has never experienced before, and make hard choices and help an enemy.

Playful, sweet, and sly as Bast himself, The Narrow Road Between Desires is Bast’s story. In it he traces the old ways of making and breaking, following his heart even when doing so goes against his better judgement. For after all, what good is wisdom if it keeps you from finding your way to danger and delight?

 

So… yeah. There you go. Announcement made.

Final notes: Because I have an addiction to bulleted lists:

  • If you want to know more details as they become available, finished cover, how to get signed books, sneak peeks at art, etc.) here on the blog is the best place to keep checking back. But we’re also spinning up a mailing list over here at RothCo (TM) so if you want to get updates sent to you about potential events and signings and other promo stuff, you can sign up here.
  • Want to pre-order a copy but don’t know where your closest indi bookstore is? You can find one here. (Indibound)
  • Are you in the UK? Here’s a link to Waterstones.
  • Do you run an indi bookstore and want to be part of some of the cool promotions our PR and Marketing people are planning? You can ping DAW over here.

That’s all for now.

Later, space cowboys….

 

Also posted in book covers, cool news | By PatComments closed

“Through Dangers Untold and Hardships Unnumbered….”

(This blog got real long and rambly, even for me. The TLDR is here, if you want.)

*     *     *

Okay. For the avoidance of doubt, this isn’t a blog about Labyrinth.

I *could* write a blog about Labyrinth. Hell, I probably *should* write a blog about Labyrinth.

Did I ever tell the story of the time I dressed up as Jareth from Labyrinth?

(You *can* click to embiggen this, but you probably shouldn’t.)

Yes yes. I know. The resemblance to David Bowie is uncanny.

But as I’ve said, this isn’t a blog about Labyrinth. It’s a blog about being nervous and not understanding why.

Which means, I suppose, that this might be a blog about anxiety.

*     *     *

I’ve been meaning to write a blog on mental health for the whole month of May (It’s mental health awareness month.) And there’s a certain grim humor attached to the fact that I haven’t had my shit together enough to actually finish any of the blogs I started *because* of… Mental health stuff. But all roads lead to Amber, I suppose. So here we are, and what I meant to be a blog about the kickstarter I’m launching tomorrow has the most ADHD opening ever, and then segues into me talking about anxiety.

Here’s the thing. I’ve had a vast, pervasive, and widely assorted grab-bag of mood disorder experience over the course of my life. It’s only over the last 10 years or so, since I’ve been doing a lot of therapy, that I’ve put names to things. The most notable of these is probably my relatively recently being diagnosed with  ADHD.

That said, looking back, it’s obvious that some of these things have been with me through the course of my whole life. What I used to think of as my “Hamlet Moods” back in high-school had more than a passing resemblance to depressive episodes. One of my earlier diagnoses was Cyclothymia, which means I go a little higher than most people, then a little lower than most people. So I get a taste of both the manic and the depressive.

But never anxiety. Or at least not until recently. It’s only over the last 5-6 years that I’ve had a taste of Anxiety that. And I have to say, I don’t care for it. Maybe I’m just more familiar with it, but pound-for-pound it’s harder to deal with depressive symptoms.

I once had someone describe Anxiety to me as, “Hearing that tense music that plays in a video game before the big boss fight… but then no boss shows up and you’re all keyed up, thinking, where is it? What do I have to fight?”

I like this description because it makes it clear that the feeling isn’t the problem. The feeling of being a little scared and keyed up and nervous isn’t bad or wrong. It’s the way you *should* feel during a boss fight. But if you feel it so strongly you can’t fight the boss, then it’s a disorder. It’s disruptive. Alternately, what makes it a mood *disorder* is when that feeling happens and there’s no boss to fight. Otherwise it’s just a mood.

So I should make it clear. What I’ve had over the last couple years has been a disorder. Waking up in the middle of the night sweating. Being unable to sleep in the first place. Being scared at nothing. Jumping at small noises. Things like that are disproportionate and disruptive.

What I have tonight is probably just nervousness. Just feelings. I’m nervous about the kickstarter we’re going to launch tomorrow, and I don’t know why, and that’s been making me more nervous. Which sucks.

But I think I’ve finally figured it out.

*     *     *

As I mentioned on the blog months ago….

Huh. I just spent 10 minutes looking through my old blogs for the post I made about Digger. I know I talked about it back during the fundraiser. We made the big announcement then. But I guess that blog is one of the hundreds I’ve half-written then left unfinished. Damn.

For those of you who want the whole story, here’s that video:

For those of you who want the short version: I found out a comic I love had gone out of print, one thing led to another, and now I’m finally doing something I’ve dreamed about for ages. I’m starting my own tiny publishing imprint: Underthing Press.

(I’m really happy with how the logo turned out.)

The first book we’re publishing is Digger. It’s our maiden voyage. Nooo… That sounds wierd. Our first try? Our… dry run?

It’s our first time. And I’m nervous. Really really nervous. Which feels so odd to me, as I’ve done a *ton* of kickstarters before. The first one we did went over really well. The Tak kickstarter blew the doors off and we raised well over $1,000,000 dollars. The card kickstarter went really well too…

So why am I so nervous about this one? I don’t mind being nervous, but I hate not knowing *why* I feel a way. If there’s actually a boss here to fight, I’ll fight it. But if not, then I need to realize I’m maybe having a problem…

I’ve been thinking about it all night, and I think I’ve finally manage to put my finger on what makes this kickstarter different.

First, the other kickstarters were all based in my world, based on my books. My thought was always, “I’ll put this out for people, and if they want it, they can buy it. And if they’re not interested, no hard no foul.”

But this *isn’t* my book. It’s someone else’s book that I’m trying to bring back into the world. If I do a bad job, I’m letting down someone else…

Another issue is that we were actually going to launch this kickstarter waaaaay back in August of 2021. But various things kept spiking our wheel. Covid problems. Paper shortages. Printers going out of business. Quotes changing. Shipping being *wildly* disrupted. As a result, what I’d initially thought of as being an easy first project for Underthing has take a lot more time and energy than I’d anticipated, as we’ve had to solve some problems multiple times….

I’m worried because we can’t fill this kickstarter with stretch goals the way I like to because we want these books to be beautiful right from the beginning.

I’m worried because we’re doing this one as a 21 day kickstarter, instead of my typical 31 that I’ve always done before….

And of course, I’m not looking forward to the people who are going to come after me for doing *anything* other than working on Book Three. That’s a persistent dread. Every time I tweet, whenever I leave my house for a walk, I know there’s probably a 50/50 chance of someone coming up to me and asking me about it. Sometimes it’s just casual, sometimes it’s aggressive, but it’s always a possibility.

But even as I type those up, I realize they’re not my real fear. The other kickstarters were side projects. They would succeed or fail. But Underthing press… It’s something I’ve kinda wanted to do for a decade. A place where I can bring books I love back into print. A way to maybe revive series that have been canceled or abandoned by other publishers.

And, of course, a place where I can publish some of my own odd little projects without having to worry about making the project appealing to a publisher. I want to do my own weird shit in my own weird way. The second book I want do publish with Underthing Press is the graphic novel of The Boy the Loved the Moon that I’ve been working on with Nate Taylor for years now. I had fun working on the Rick and Morty Vs. Dungeons and Dragons comic. But boy I felt my hands were tied in so many ways with that. There was so much I *couldn’t* do….

Yeah. Writing this down, I realize that’s the real thing. This kickstarter isn’t just me trying to bring a book I love back into print. It’s also testing the waters to see if we can make Underthing Press work. It’s seeing if people will show up after all these years of me not being able to finish my book, and trust me to at least give them a book. If this kickstarter flops, it’s not just a single project, it’s maybe the future projects, too…

So… yeah. Yay? I solved my anxiety puzzle. It still doesn’t feel great, but it feels better knowing *why* I feel nervous.

Anyway… This blog was supposed to be a kickstarter announcement, and I’ve kinda done everything but that.

What’s more, it’s no longer the night before the kickstarter, it’s the morning of. We’re going to be launching it inside the hour.

So here it is….

Here’s a link to the kickstarter page, if you’re interested. If you get there before it launches, you can click the button to be notified as soon as things go live…

If any of you have any questions about the kickstarter or Underthing Press, feel free to drop them in the comments below, we’ll try to answer them. But please be patient. As soon as the kickstarter launches, we’re going to have a busy couple days, as the first 36 hours or so of a kickstarter can determine how the whole thing turns out…

Later space cowboys,

pat

  • [Edit: 2:18 PM] Kickstarter launched at 1:30, and funded in less than 5 minutes. Kinda stunned, honestly. We’re at over $50,000.

I did a livestream for the launch. Nothing fancy, mostly just me fretting and being surprised. Here’s the archived video on twitch, if you’re interested.

  • [Edit: 4:02 PM] Whelp. Just got back from picking the boys up from school and saw this.

Almost at 100,000 and we’re not even three hours in. I’m honestly, legitimately surprised. Maybe I shouldn’t be, after all these years. But I still am.

Today’s a good day.

 

 

Also posted in emo bullshit, Underthing | By Pat56 Responses

Seven Words: Or Stay Home And Save the World(builders).

Hey there everybody,

I’m guessing a lot of you are like me, in that you spend Black Friday huddled inside your house, wrapped in a blanket with the lights off, vowing not to go outside for hear of dealing with the worst elements of humanity.

It’s pretty much the same way I’d behave if The Purge were a real thing, come to think of it.

Luckily, Worldbuilders Market online store is running its own sale that you can participate in from the safety of your own house, or even from under a blanket, if you so desire.

(Check out our fancy graphics)

Pretty much everything in the store is on sale:

The sale is running from today until December 2nd, but the quantities of some items are limited, so if you’re interested you might want to get in there sooner rather than later.

I’m going to start with the stuff I’m most worried about selling out, so those of you who read the blog regularly have the best chance of getting in there in time…

 

Those of you who have been around for a while know that our online store used to sell personalized books. But after years, I had to stop doing it because it was eating up a huge chuck of my time at a point in my life where I was already way too busy and behind schedule.

But this year, to help out with the Black Friday Sale, we’re offering these up in the store again. But just a limited number, and only for a limited time.

I’m going to be personaizling both the gorgeous 10th Anniversary Edition of The Name of the Wind, and The Slow Regard of Silent Things

Now here’s the thing, part of the reason I had to stop doing this is because back in the day people used to ask for really long, detailed personalizations. Not only is there not enough space to write several sentences on the title page of the book, but the longer and more detailed the quote, the more likely it is that I’ll goof part of it up and then we pretty much just have to throw that book into a fire.

To solve that problem, here’s the rule: Keep your personalization to seven words.

For example:

“Kevin, Hope you have a great birthday!”

“Merry Christmas, Jennifer!”

“For Susan, Congratulations on your parole!”

“Happy Bris, Geralt! Sorry about your dick!”

As an interesting note, while typing up this blog, I misspelled both “Congratulations” “Anniversary” and “Parole” on my first pass. And that’s *typing* where I actually have muscle memory working for me. (You can understand why it takes me a while to sign these. )

As part of the black Friday sale, we’ll also be throwing free change jar stickers in with your orders. And folks who pick up the 10th Anniversary editions will get a free bookmark, too.

(Like so.)

I also have added some random quotes a limited number of the standard blue hardcover of The Name of the Wind.

To be clear, these books aren’t personalized, but I’ve written a bunch of my favorite quotes from NOTW in them, like so…

(Click to Embiggen)

Those of you who love Julia Maddalina’s depiction of Auri will be delighted to see that we’ve made a cool new poster in two different sizes  and a greeting card based on her art.

I’m not saying this is my favorite depiction of Auri ever, because there have been some amazing ones over the years. But I did buy the original art…

The Fabulous Nate Taylor has also thrown his hat into the ring with a bunch of cool cards for the store this year, including these three new kingkiller-themed ones

As an interesting note, not only are all the cards discounted due to the Black Friday Sale, but the more you buy of *all* the cards available in the store, the more of a bulk discount you get. That includes all the cards in the store, including Julia’s new Auri card.

Lastly but not leastly, this year we’re also very excited to be offering products made by artisans in Heifer programs

It’s something we’ve been wanting to do for *ages* and I’m delighted we’ve finally pulled it off.

Stay safe today, folks. And while you’re binging on leftover stuffing, take a wander over to the store and check things out. There’s hundreds of other products from so many different creators, and for the next couple days, all of them are on sale…

pat

(I might be streaming later on to show off some of these products live. If you wander over to my channel and follow it, you’ll get a notification when I go live.)

Also posted in fan coolness, Worldbuilders | By Pat19 Responses

Thriving in Winter (And Looking for a Colorist)

So here we are. February.

In my head, it seems like 2018 has barely ended, but at the same time I know objectively that it’s been months since I updated the blog…

Despite the radio silence, things are actually going pretty well here in rothtown. Those of you who have been reading the blog for a while know that things have been a little emotionally rocky for me the last little… forever. But in this case, the quiet was a signal of things getting better, not getting worse.

Generally speaking, things have gone from this…

To this…

If you don’t live in Wisconsin, this might be hard to interpret. But let me reassure you, it’s a vast improvement.

One of the things I’ve been doing is getting my literal and figurative house in order so that I can go back to getting more creative work done. I know this might come as a surprise to a lot of you, but I have a couple ongoing projects that I’d *really* like to finish before the heat death of the universe.

One of those projects is a graphic novel I’ve been working on with Nate Taylor for years and years. He’s such a delight to work with, and every time we collaborate, the result is something so much better than I initially hoped for.

So we’ve been going back and forth on this project for ages, and now that I’ve got more comic experience under my belt, we’ve decided to finally get it done. And since we want to do a couple kinda crazy things with it, we’ve decided to keep the creative control all to ourselves and do it as a kickstarter project. (At some point later this year.)

But here’s the thing: We need a colorist.

So I’m sending up the signal flare here. If you’re a colorist, or if you know someone who you think would like to throw in with us to make something beautiful… here’s what we’re looking for.

*Ahem.*

Elodin Enterprises is a Stevens Point-based company that works with the intellectual property, licensing, and merchandising for the author Patrick Rothfuss. We are looking for an accomplished colorist for an upcoming graphic novel.

(Does that sound super official or what?)

Our ideal candidate is an experienced individual who is self-motivated and committed to clear and frequent communication with the author and artist. The project is already in development, and applicants should be available to start as soon as mid-March and commit to the project through completion.

Relevant experience and skills include:

  • Online Portfolio
  • One or two examples of finished projects
  • Good communicator
  • Video conference capable
  • Availability for a full-time commitment
  • Work quickly, and produce consistently (like 7-10 pages/week)
  • Able to work independently
  • At least 3 solid work references

This work can be done remotely. Pay will be commensurate with experience. Relevant experience is required, as is computer experience.

To apply for this position, please submit a cover letter and online portfolio to [email protected]. No calls, please. We will be in contact after the Application Deadline of March 18th, 2019.

Elodin Enterprises is an equal opportunity employer.

(End official pitch.)

So… yeah. Drop us a line if you’d like to come and make something beautiful.

For the rest of you, I’m so excited to show you all the various delightful things I plan on finishing soon.

See y’all soon. Be good to each other.

pat

P.S. Be cool in the comments, okay?

Also posted in Achievement Unlocked!, boding, calling on the legions, cool things, Nathan Taylor | By Pat189 Responses

Rick & Morty, D&D, and PAX West.

Heya folks,

As I write this, I’m in Seattle, on the cusp of attending PAX, one of the rare places on earth where who don’t know me look in my direction and think: “Hey, a wizard!” and not: “Oh shit, a murder-hobo!”

But before I list off my schedule for those of you who are interested, I thought I’d show these off…

The first of the Rick and Morty D&D crossover comics I’ve been tinkering with for months just came out. I’ve read them before, but oh, it’s nice to actually be able to go to the comic shop and hold them in my hand.

Here’s an alternate cover that shows Morty’s character sheet….

So… yeah. a thing I wrote is out in the world. It feels nice. I’m genuinely proud of some of the banter that I did in there. I don’t write straight-up humor very much these days, so it’s nice to know I can still pull it off when I need to.

Also? I’ve discovered that it’s disturbingly easy for me to write in Rick’s voice. I don’t know how I feel about that, or what it might mean about me, as Rick is, at best, a dangerous sociopath. But I’m not going to lie, it made working on some of the scenes *way* easier.

It’s been a real experience working with a team on a project. My co-writer Jim Zub and Troy Little have been very kind and patient with me and all the delays I cause. To say nothing of the editors, letterers, and the people who actually own and control the IP that I’m writing in. (Cartoon Network and Wizards of the Coast).

Simply said, I’ve learned at *lot* working on this project. And honestly? That’s one of the big reasons I took this gig when I’ve turned down so many other projects that would have been so fun. And of course I got to poke some fun at D&D and Rick and Morty too. Because you can’t *really* mock something properly unless you love it first….

But… yeah. It’s on the shelves now. That said, I’ve heard rumors that copies of the comics have been selling out in a lot of stores, so if you want to grab one, maybe reach out sooner rather than later?

(Here’s a cool link that can help you find a local comic shop, if you don’t know where that might be….)

Okay. And for those of you who are going to be at PAX, here are my panels, events, signings, etc.

  • Friday, August 31

1pm-2pm: An Afternoon with Pat Rothfuss, Main Theatre – Benaroya Hall

(I only just now realized that they’ve put be in the 5000 person, opera hall for my “Afternoon with Pat Rothfuss” so if some of you wanted to show up to that, it would be great.)

Edit: New Event!

4pm-5pm: Signing Comics at the Oni booth, 6th floor. Booth #6305

(There will be comics available there.)

6pm-1am: Top of the World Gaming Event – Columbia Tower

(It’s a charity gig. There are tickets available here: http://www.ftwevents.com/pax2018)

  • Saturday, September 1

2pm – 4pm: Signing at Uncle’s Games in room 214

(They’ll be selling Tak there, too.)

  • Sunday, September 2

6:30pm-9:30pm: Acquisitions Incorporated, Main Theatre – Benaroya Hall

  • Monday, September 3

1pm-3pm: Acquisitions Incorporated Autograph Session, Signing Area – Westin Hotel

(I’m not just signing Acc Inc stuff there. You can bring books (and comics) too.)

I’ll be seeing some of you soon…

pat

Also posted in appearances, comics, conventions, cool news, gaming | By Pat55 Responses

The Traditional Pat Rothfuss Donation Blog

As I write this blog, Worldbuilders has raised $655,000, which means we’ve raised over $160,000 since we first made the announcement about our million dollar goal two days ago.

That $160,000 alone is enough to give over 300 families the gift of a cow. A cow like the one Rahel Mhema and Steven Kipagatie received five years ago, or like Guli Siwale is just beginning to prepare for, as a part of the same program.

Rahel Mhema and Steven Kipagatie (left). Guli Siwale (right).

One of Heifer’s most successful programs has been the East Africa Dairy Development (EADD), which works with small-scale farmers in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania to improve dairy production at every point, from caring for the animals, to training in more efficient milking techniques, to improving distribution infrastructure.

When Mhema and Kipagatie joined the program five years ago and received a dairy cow, they shared their long-term dreams:

  • Educate their children through high school and on to university
  • Establish an orchard
  • Buy more land for commercial timber
  • Plant timber trees
  • Buy a Vehicle

I’m sure you can guess where this is heading: Five years after receiving their cow, Mhema and Kipagatie have achieved all these goals and even more.

Guli Siwale is a coffee farmer who is eagerly awaiting the gift of a cow. Siwale’s life hasn’t been easy–her husband died in 2005, and she lost her only daughter a few years later. This left her to provide for her three grandchildren by herself. And time are hard, as it’s a daily struggle to provide even regular meals.

But Siwale believes better days are ahead, because very soon she will receive her cow.

As my son constantly reminds me, a cow provides 7 gallons of milk a day. Enough to provide a reliable nutritional cornerstone that will keep Guli’s family heathy. The extra milk will generate a constant income stream that will allow her to buy necessities like medicine and clothes. Beyond that, the money can be used to pay for school fees and will help put varied, healthy food on the table three times a day.

Perhaps most importantly, the cow’s manure will improve her coffee crop, meaning healthier soil, and vastly improved crop yields. Guli says her dream is to set up small businesses for her grandchildren, to give them the same hope she feels. “I will be able to lead a life that other people are leading,” Siwale said.

For Guli, the gift of a cow means hope for her family, control over her future, and a way to become self-reliant despite the upheavals in their lives.

Thanks to you folks donating and helping to spread the word, we’re making it possible to give that kind of hope to more than 300 new families. Since Tuesday.

Have I mentioned that you are awesome? Because you are.

* * *

Every year it becomes harder for me to collect items together to donate to the fundraiser. I mean, how do can I compete with 2,500 books from John Scalzi, or an amazing, hand-crafted Black Walnut gaming table from Wyrmwood?

But I’ve got to throw my hat in, because this is my charity, after all.

So. Let’s show off some things.

  • 5 sets of Kingkiller Books, signed by me.

Donating my books makes the most logical sense, so I always toss a few of these in. Each prize consists of The Name of the Wind, The Wise Man’s Fear, and The Slow Regard of Silent Things. I’ll sign all of them for you.

Hell, I’ll even personalize them for you if you want. My team will be irritated that I’m adding that at the last minute. But if you win these, we’ll drop you a line and I’ll sign them however would make you happy.

  • Auction: 1st Edition 1st Printing of The Name of the Wind. Signed and/or personalized to the winners desire.

This auction is for a 1st/1st The Name of the Wind hardcover, which is currently unsigned. But if you win it, I’ll sign, quote, and personalize it to your specifications.

These usually end up going for a lot of money, and I’ll be honest, I’m running out of them. When I was first published I sold them out of the trunk of my car willy-nilly when I should have obviously been hoarding them. Unfortunately, I didn’t know that some day I’d have a successful charity that could turn these things into goats and cows for Heifer International.

Soon we’re going to have to start auctioning the ones I’ve rescued from libraries.

The point is, they’re pretty rare. So if you want a chance to own one (While helping out a cool charity) you might want to jump sooner rather than later and bid on it right here.

  • 5 sets of The Princess and Mr. Whiffle books, signed by me.

The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle is my worst-kept secret, because for some reason everywhere I go there are still people out there who have no idea these exist.

They’re delightfully illustrated picture books that I did with Nate Taylor, and Worldbuilders is the only place keeping them in print, so every copy supports charity.

  • Auction: “Storybeard” art print. Signed by me and Nate Taylor.

When Worldbuilders was at the Emerald City Comic Con last spring, Nate was there as well, and he gave us the very last signed “Storybeard” print he had.

This is that print. I signed it, and now it’s safe in its mylar sleeve, away from my grubby hands and waiting for a new home.

You can bid on it here.

  • 5 copies of the 10th Anniversary Edition of The Name of the Wind, signed & badly doodled by me.

This book surprised me this year. We had to start a new printing practically instantly. It sold better than I could’ve possibly anticipated.

It has beautiful illustrations from Dan Dos Santos, a new dust jacket by Sam Weber, currency descriptions with illustrations from Nate Taylor, and the first-ever codified calendar.

I’ve also gotten Brett to give me a step-by-step instructional sketch on how to doodle a bee.

He makes it look really easy, but it’s not. Not if you’re me.

I’ve already started practicing:

I hope you’ll note that as I worked on this, moving from upper left to lower right, my bees actually became progressively worse. At best they look like kinda weird, hairy potatoes. At worst they look like bees brought into existence by a cruel, cartoony god. The lopsided orbs that were meant to be eyes, twisting until they seem to become mouths, crying out silently for the sweet surcease of death….

Um. Yeah. So these books I’m putting into the lottery will have bees in them. Hopefully better bees than these, but if not… I’m sorry? Maybe I’ll just draw the bee on a piece of paper and you can use it as a bookmark instead…

  • Auction: A handmade marble and copper tak board made by a fan.

A generous fan made this and gave it to me at PAX West this year. I was amazingly touched, because it was the first Tak board I’d seen done in stone.

That said, I’m from the midwest. So I have trouble accepting gifts for myself. But luckily, when I asked him if we could use it to raise money during out Worldbuilders fundraiser, he happily agreed.

It’s made of three different colors of marble, with an 1/8″ sheet of copper as the base. This thing is HEAVY. It looks like an in-world artifact that you might find in some noble court off in Vintas.

I love that the surface is a little uneven, and the copper is starting to develop a beautiful patina. You can can even see a few stress fractures in the marble–the whole thing looks like it’s had thousands of games played on it.

This one-of-a-kind tak board can be yours if you bid over here.

  • A set of 40 of my favorite fantasy books.

A few years ago, someone asked me what they should read while they were waiting for my next book. So I posted a blog listing my 40 favorite fantasy books and/or series are. Books that everyone should read if they wanted to consider themselves well-versed in fantasy.

The clever among you will note that this picture contains a lot more than 40 books. This is because I cheated and used entire series as an entry. Like the Dresden Files, which I adore. (Currently 15 books.) Or Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Series. (38 books.)

Some of these books are exceptionally hard to find. It took my team many attempts to get all of them. And now I’ve put a set of them up here.

  • Auction: Slow Regard of Silent Things page proofs, signed by me.

As part of the publishing process, authors are sent page proofs. This is an important step before publication, to make sure that everything looks right before they finally go to print. It’s the last opportunity to fix typos or change a word.

It’s a pretty important opportunity to me with any book, but especially so for Slow Regard because in addition to my obsessive revisionist tendencies, this was my last chance to make sure the art was properly positioned on the pages. That the pages where the text wrapped around or near illustrations were perfect.

I spent a lot of time with these page proofs. And now, they can be yours. They’re truly one-of-a-kind, containing the entire book, and I’ve besmirched the first page of them with my grubby signature. You can get all biddy on this over here.

Lastly, I’d like to remind you that there are more auctions than the ones I’ve mentioned in this blog going on now, and that the money we raise them does count toward our final total in the fundraiser, so bidding here will help us reach our $715,000 goal to get that matching donation of $285,000.

But don’t forget, every $10 you donate directly to the fundraiser moves us closer to that goal, too. Plus you get the chance to win all manner of books like the ones I’ve just donated above. Also games. Also jewelry. Also a Balcony Cabin for Two on the Joco Cruise and so much more…

It also make you feel really good, too. Trust me on this. Knowing you’ve changed someone’s life is a good feel. When you donate to us, you know you’ve helped a family forever.

* * *

We’ve come a long way in these last two days, folks. We’re so close to the $715,000 goal that I can taste it.

We’re making a difference. We’re making the world a better place.

Four days left. Keep spreading the word….

Also posted in Worldbuilders 2017 | By Pat16 Responses
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