Steph Meyer signing megapost ZOMG!
k. First things first, you know that saying, "Don't kill the messenger"? Er, yeah, just wanted to get that out in the open. *wibbles*
So I got there at about 4:15pm, met this really nice 37-year-old librarian lady named Sylvia, got my signing line numbered ticket (I was B14 [and B15 because I have 2 copies of Eclipse, more on that later], which translated to an overall of 34 out of 300 people), and made this v-post. Sylvia and I had coffee and started lining up. She, being a not-fandomy-person, doesn't really know the existence of any fanbase other than readers she met at the library and Steph's official site. So I spent the rest of the time pretty much explaining as much theorizing and speculation and OVERALL LOVING as I can. She was the "liked NM-Jake but disliked Eclipse-Jake and on Team Edward overall" type) about how I'm on Team Switzerland because there's just no way to choose, and we squee'ed over E/B (sorry guys) and A/J, BUT I ALSO TALKED LOTS ABOUT J/B so I think you guys should be proud of me. She's never, ever been on the dark side of fandom (i.e., us lmao), so she was surprised even by the really common speculations like Bella running off at the altar and Bella not being changed and Jake not imprinting on anyone ever. I also said that Tanya should come back and she's like "oh, that would be fun to see!" Score.
The way my signing was organized, you get a ticket with your purchase of Eclipse from their store, and with THAT ticket you get a numbered ticket which is first come first serve and determines your place in line. BUT, it's possible to try and go to the signing without a ticket, so there is a no-ticket line that forms right next to the ticketed line that I was in. I was at the front-ish of the ticketed line with Sylvia and we started talking to this girl next to us but on the no-ticket side, Jasmine. (She's the "Team Jacob but E/B" girl.) So we started talking forever and she's like "yeah, I was going to get a ticket a couple days ago but it was already sold out." This other lady saw that I have two tickets because I bought two copies of Eclipse from the store, and she's like, "well, you can give her (Jasmine) your extra ticket." I totally didn't think of that because I kept thinking that I'd need both tickets to get both copies signed, but that wasn't the case. So I gave my extra ticket to that girl, wheee! My good deed of the day, yes. AND, she got her question answered, so I'm kind of like her personal hero for the night, hee! (I didn't get her question on vid, but she asked how Steph was able to write Bella as so emotional, and Steph said she retained a lot of emotions from her adolescent years because "you never forget the first time you fell in love or the first time you got stabbed in the back.")
I knew I was kind of in trouble when a) I see NO FAN TSHIRTS except for like one or two and b) all everyone talks about is Edward Edward Edward. I mean, hey, I love Eddie as much as the next girl (well, not you guys, lmao. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN ♥) but enough is enoughhhh. We got into the store at 6pm, and just sort of sat there and talked and I totally geeked out to everyone who was willing to listen, and then I called Michelle and Ely. (GET WELL SOON, MICHELLE! And ugh my phone sucked and kept breaking you off, Ely.) The staff did a raffle which kind of sucked, and then apparently there's a girl who went to SF all the way from GERMANY to see Steph. (Sidenote: so the photography policy for my signing was that we can take as many pics/vids of Steph during the Q&A but we can't take any posed photos with her when we get to her, which is understandable because that would take FOREVER. BUT, since that girl came from Germany, the staff's like "awww" and made an exception for her. I'm like, "fuck, can I pretend I came from China? I can speak Cantonese or something to her." Alas.) Um, so yes. So we wasted an hour like that.
Then Steph came out at 7, woo! She had a little intro about how she's glad to be back in SF and seeing some familiar faces and a lot of new faces, yadda yadda. Then the Q&A started right away, and lasted about 30 minutes. I KEPT MY HAND UP FOR HALF AN HOUR, and she didn't call on me. Booo, hissssss. This is also why the vids are going to be like shakycam, lmfao. Sorry if anyone gets motion sickness from it, guys. XD There were very over-asked questions like how she got inspired for this and her writing process and how she handles her kids AND writing simultaneously and her advice for aspiring writers. Bo-ring. I, of course, didn't take vid of those, lmao. I guess I'll just transcribe the vids that I DO have as best as I can so you guys don't have to wait a week to see them.
This vid has about 2 or 3 questions squeezed in, so I'm going to make a separate LJ tag for the other two questions.
Like I said in my DISCLAIMER, my camera sucks re: starting recordings so I didn't catch the actual question and her short-version answer on the vid (sorry guys) and the crowd's cheer after said short-version answer (thank me guys). But basically, the question was Will Bella ever be with Jacob? and her short-version answer was She'll be with Edward. (NOTE: I don't recall her saying the word "No" so I'm going to take that as J/B will maybe be together but it'll ultimately be E/B.) This is the transcript for what she said right after:
Steph: These things surprise me. It's so funny because as an author, you think that you've made yourself very clear only to find that you're totally obtuse all the time. I thought that was very clear and I've seen speculation online all over the place. "In the next book, if Bella and Jacob gets together..." and it's like, "I thought that ship has sailed." *Steph does an O_o look and the crowd laughs :/* So I don't know, but apparently there's a lot more mystery than I thought but no, Bella definitely made a very firm decision at the end of Eclipse.
Question: Who is your favorite character?
Steph: So the question is 'who is my favorite character,' and after I tell you that I'll tell you who my favorite child is? I can't, that's not one that I can answer because I love everybody in different ways and at different times. When I'm writing about Edward, and I'm really giving into his motivation, and I'm just swept away. And then when I start writing Jacob and then I'm on his side and then I'm in love with him. So it just kind of depends on who I'm working on, but I do have a soft place in my heart for Emmett. And then, you know what, even for Seth Clearwater, he's adorable.
Question: Who inspired you to create Edward?
Steph: Um, Edward is a FICTIONAL character, moreso than many, I think. A lot of characters are based on reality. Edward is not. He was someone that occurred to me in a dream and there was any hint of any other person I know. There's a few other characters in there, Jessica and Lauren and Angela are all composites of different kinds of friends I had in high school, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Mike and Eric, similarly, are boys I've dated. [It gets cut off from here but she goes on to talk about naming people after her siblings like Emily and Jacob.]
Question: [It was about Midnight Sun and what's the deal with that.] (THE GIRL WHO ASKED SAT ON MY LEFT, just wanted to throw that out there.)
Steph: This is the deal with MS. So it started out with one chapter, and people started to get worried because I said online that I don't have it on a contract, and that is still the case. It's not because my publisher doesn't want it, it's because I already have too many things I'm behind on. It's a lot of pressure to know, "Oh, by November of 2008 or 2009, this has to be done." Even if it's a year in advance, it's really kind of scary. So, I mean, to keep my sanity I wait until it's completely written before I get it into contracts. I should mention that as soon as I'm done with book 4, that will be my next project. And hopefully we can get this out on a yearly basis but no promises. *laughs*
Question: [About POV of BD]
Steph: First of all, I'm not going to tell you anything about BD. But, there's been some confusion about things. Bella's been telling the story until it's been wrapped up, pretty much. I mean, there is minor variations like the epilogue. But I really don't want to say too much about it. I really do plan on maybe someday in the future to look from another person's perspective but Bella and Jacob and Edward have to get all those things tied up first.
[There's this one question (and Steph's answer) that I can't hear from my camera so I'll have to wait until I upload it and increase the volume. XD But it's nothing major.]
Question: [Some boy asked about cars and what Carlisle did with his car when they went to upstate New York and if he put it in long term parking, lulz. I think he meant it as they drove away from Forks in NM as opposed to flying out or whatnot.]
Steph: *laughs* They did not take their cars with them when they left. They were in the garage, which is quite large and [it cuts off but basically she just said it fits all their cars, haha].
Me: Hi, I have a really quick question. What do you feel about people calling Edward "Eddie Masen"? *geeks*
Steph: Oh, wow, I don't really see that one. *laughs*
Me: Really? It's like an inside joke with me and my friends.
Steph: I don't know, I don't know if anyone's ever called him Eddie. That just doesn't seem to suit him very well.
Me: And, I don't know if you've heard of LiveJournal...
Steph: Oh, yeah, yeah!
Me: You have a really huge fanbase and my friend Ely is your BIGGEST JACOB FAN EVER.
Steph: *smiles* Really?
Me: And you'll meet her in Fairfax.
Steph: Oh cool!
Me: So just look forward to that.
Steph: *chuckles* I will!
Me: Thanks! *geeks more*
Steph: You're welcome.
1. The movie has a writer AND a director attached as of yesterday! She said there's also a casting director now, and they're trying to use Forks as a filming location. She forgot the director's name, though.
2. Apparently the Japanese version of Twilight has this brilliant cover art, and she really liked it. The New Moon cover has a tanktop-wearing Jake, and Steph said she went "guh!" Anyone know where I can find the NM cover? I think I found the Twilight cover last night.
2b. Because of the popularity of that and the books in general in Japan and Asia at large, there is talk of a TWILIGHT GRAPHIC NOVEL. I forgot if she said it's contracted yet or not, but she said it's most likely going to happen. I'm not into graphic novels at all, but ZOMG TWILIGHT GRAPHIC NOVEL.
3. Vampires don't imprint, but they have a similar process. The intensity of their loyalty with their mates are as deep as werewolves'. The main difference between vampire relationships and werewolves' imprinting process is that vampires have a choice, werewolves don't. Once werewolves imprint, there's no going back, but the same doesn't necessarily hold true for vampires. This is probably pretty obvious to you guys and me too, but zomg I'm excited to hear her actually say this because this is TOTES what Eddie and Tanya talk about in my part of the collab between Michelle and Ely and me.
3b. Jake DIDN'T imprint on Bella, because if he did, New Moon would've been written a lot differently. If he did imprint, he would never have a chance to tell Bella that he doesn't want to see and talk to her anymore because he physically, literally would not be able to stay away from her. This is also very obvious to us, but I just thought that was a good explanation.
So yes, there is that. Then I called Ely, made this v-post, waited for Sylvia and her friend Carla to use the bathroom, and walked back to BART. I got back to Berkeley, got Pad Thai from the restaurant downstairs from me because I WAS STARVED, and ate it while fangirling to Ely and Michelle when I got home. WHEEE.
For anyone going to any Steph Meyer book signing:
1. BRING A GUY. That's honestly the biggest advice I can give you. WHY? Because boys are so rare at these events that Steph will call on them for questions. There were only three boys at my signing, and the two who raised their hands got called on for questions. So yes, drag a guy with you! Get them to raise their hands! When they get called on, YOU can ask the question, YAY!
2. MENTION EDDIE MASEN. I don't care, I'm starting a revolution.
3. MENTION ALICE/JASPER. Please, for me? I was going to make a shirt with "For the first time in almost a century, I felt hope," but I didn't have time. I was also going to tell Steph how that line and the story about Alice finally meeting Jasper gave me chills and hit me so hard, but I didn't get a chance because I was fangirling over Eddie Masen. :(
4. ...Um, that's all, I think.
Now I need to figure out how to tag this post.
So I got there at about 4:15pm, met this really nice 37-year-old librarian lady named Sylvia, got my signing line numbered ticket (I was B14 [and B15 because I have 2 copies of Eclipse, more on that later], which translated to an overall of 34 out of 300 people), and made this v-post. Sylvia and I had coffee and started lining up. She, being a not-fandomy-person, doesn't really know the existence of any fanbase other than readers she met at the library and Steph's official site. So I spent the rest of the time pretty much explaining as much theorizing and speculation and OVERALL LOVING as I can. She was the "liked NM-Jake but disliked Eclipse-Jake and on Team Edward overall" type) about how I'm on Team Switzerland because there's just no way to choose, and we squee'ed over E/B (sorry guys) and A/J, BUT I ALSO TALKED LOTS ABOUT J/B so I think you guys should be proud of me. She's never, ever been on the dark side of fandom (i.e., us lmao), so she was surprised even by the really common speculations like Bella running off at the altar and Bella not being changed and Jake not imprinting on anyone ever. I also said that Tanya should come back and she's like "oh, that would be fun to see!" Score.
The way my signing was organized, you get a ticket with your purchase of Eclipse from their store, and with THAT ticket you get a numbered ticket which is first come first serve and determines your place in line. BUT, it's possible to try and go to the signing without a ticket, so there is a no-ticket line that forms right next to the ticketed line that I was in. I was at the front-ish of the ticketed line with Sylvia and we started talking to this girl next to us but on the no-ticket side, Jasmine. (She's the "Team Jacob but E/B" girl.) So we started talking forever and she's like "yeah, I was going to get a ticket a couple days ago but it was already sold out." This other lady saw that I have two tickets because I bought two copies of Eclipse from the store, and she's like, "well, you can give her (Jasmine) your extra ticket." I totally didn't think of that because I kept thinking that I'd need both tickets to get both copies signed, but that wasn't the case. So I gave my extra ticket to that girl, wheee! My good deed of the day, yes. AND, she got her question answered, so I'm kind of like her personal hero for the night, hee! (I didn't get her question on vid, but she asked how Steph was able to write Bella as so emotional, and Steph said she retained a lot of emotions from her adolescent years because "you never forget the first time you fell in love or the first time you got stabbed in the back.")
I knew I was kind of in trouble when a) I see NO FAN TSHIRTS except for like one or two and b) all everyone talks about is Edward Edward Edward. I mean, hey, I love Eddie as much as the next girl (well, not you guys, lmao. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN ♥) but enough is enoughhhh. We got into the store at 6pm, and just sort of sat there and talked and I totally geeked out to everyone who was willing to listen, and then I called Michelle and Ely. (GET WELL SOON, MICHELLE! And ugh my phone sucked and kept breaking you off, Ely.) The staff did a raffle which kind of sucked, and then apparently there's a girl who went to SF all the way from GERMANY to see Steph. (Sidenote: so the photography policy for my signing was that we can take as many pics/vids of Steph during the Q&A but we can't take any posed photos with her when we get to her, which is understandable because that would take FOREVER. BUT, since that girl came from Germany, the staff's like "awww" and made an exception for her. I'm like, "fuck, can I pretend I came from China? I can speak Cantonese or something to her." Alas.) Um, so yes. So we wasted an hour like that.
Then Steph came out at 7, woo! She had a little intro about how she's glad to be back in SF and seeing some familiar faces and a lot of new faces, yadda yadda. Then the Q&A started right away, and lasted about 30 minutes. I KEPT MY HAND UP FOR HALF AN HOUR, and she didn't call on me. Booo, hissssss. This is also why the vids are going to be like shakycam, lmfao. Sorry if anyone gets motion sickness from it, guys. XD There were very over-asked questions like how she got inspired for this and her writing process and how she handles her kids AND writing simultaneously and her advice for aspiring writers. Bo-ring. I, of course, didn't take vid of those, lmao. I guess I'll just transcribe the vids that I DO have as best as I can so you guys don't have to wait a week to see them.
This vid has about 2 or 3 questions squeezed in, so I'm going to make a separate LJ tag for the other two questions.
Like I said in my DISCLAIMER, my camera sucks re: starting recordings so I didn't catch the actual question and her short-version answer on the vid (sorry guys) and the crowd's cheer after said short-version answer (thank me guys). But basically, the question was Will Bella ever be with Jacob? and her short-version answer was She'll be with Edward. (NOTE: I don't recall her saying the word "No" so I'm going to take that as J/B will maybe be together but it'll ultimately be E/B.) This is the transcript for what she said right after:
Steph: These things surprise me. It's so funny because as an author, you think that you've made yourself very clear only to find that you're totally obtuse all the time. I thought that was very clear and I've seen speculation online all over the place. "In the next book, if Bella and Jacob gets together..." and it's like, "I thought that ship has sailed." *Steph does an O_o look and the crowd laughs :/* So I don't know, but apparently there's a lot more mystery than I thought but no, Bella definitely made a very firm decision at the end of Eclipse.
Question: Who is your favorite character?
Steph: So the question is 'who is my favorite character,' and after I tell you that I'll tell you who my favorite child is? I can't, that's not one that I can answer because I love everybody in different ways and at different times. When I'm writing about Edward, and I'm really giving into his motivation, and I'm just swept away. And then when I start writing Jacob and then I'm on his side and then I'm in love with him. So it just kind of depends on who I'm working on, but I do have a soft place in my heart for Emmett. And then, you know what, even for Seth Clearwater, he's adorable.
Question: Who inspired you to create Edward?
Steph: Um, Edward is a FICTIONAL character, moreso than many, I think. A lot of characters are based on reality. Edward is not. He was someone that occurred to me in a dream and there was any hint of any other person I know. There's a few other characters in there, Jessica and Lauren and Angela are all composites of different kinds of friends I had in high school, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Mike and Eric, similarly, are boys I've dated. [It gets cut off from here but she goes on to talk about naming people after her siblings like Emily and Jacob.]
Question: [It was about Midnight Sun and what's the deal with that.] (THE GIRL WHO ASKED SAT ON MY LEFT, just wanted to throw that out there.)
Steph: This is the deal with MS. So it started out with one chapter, and people started to get worried because I said online that I don't have it on a contract, and that is still the case. It's not because my publisher doesn't want it, it's because I already have too many things I'm behind on. It's a lot of pressure to know, "Oh, by November of 2008 or 2009, this has to be done." Even if it's a year in advance, it's really kind of scary. So, I mean, to keep my sanity I wait until it's completely written before I get it into contracts. I should mention that as soon as I'm done with book 4, that will be my next project. And hopefully we can get this out on a yearly basis but no promises. *laughs*
Question: [About POV of BD]
Steph: First of all, I'm not going to tell you anything about BD. But, there's been some confusion about things. Bella's been telling the story until it's been wrapped up, pretty much. I mean, there is minor variations like the epilogue. But I really don't want to say too much about it. I really do plan on maybe someday in the future to look from another person's perspective but Bella and Jacob and Edward have to get all those things tied up first.
[There's this one question (and Steph's answer) that I can't hear from my camera so I'll have to wait until I upload it and increase the volume. XD But it's nothing major.]
Question: [Some boy asked about cars and what Carlisle did with his car when they went to upstate New York and if he put it in long term parking, lulz. I think he meant it as they drove away from Forks in NM as opposed to flying out or whatnot.]
Steph: *laughs* They did not take their cars with them when they left. They were in the garage, which is quite large and [it cuts off but basically she just said it fits all their cars, haha].
Me: Hi, I have a really quick question. What do you feel about people calling Edward "Eddie Masen"? *geeks*
Steph: Oh, wow, I don't really see that one. *laughs*
Me: Really? It's like an inside joke with me and my friends.
Steph: I don't know, I don't know if anyone's ever called him Eddie. That just doesn't seem to suit him very well.
Me: And, I don't know if you've heard of LiveJournal...
Steph: Oh, yeah, yeah!
Me: You have a really huge fanbase and my friend Ely is your BIGGEST JACOB FAN EVER.
Steph: *smiles* Really?
Me: And you'll meet her in Fairfax.
Steph: Oh cool!
Me: So just look forward to that.
Steph: *chuckles* I will!
Me: Thanks! *geeks more*
Steph: You're welcome.
1. The movie has a writer AND a director attached as of yesterday! She said there's also a casting director now, and they're trying to use Forks as a filming location. She forgot the director's name, though.
2. Apparently the Japanese version of Twilight has this brilliant cover art, and she really liked it. The New Moon cover has a tanktop-wearing Jake, and Steph said she went "guh!" Anyone know where I can find the NM cover? I think I found the Twilight cover last night.
2b. Because of the popularity of that and the books in general in Japan and Asia at large, there is talk of a TWILIGHT GRAPHIC NOVEL. I forgot if she said it's contracted yet or not, but she said it's most likely going to happen. I'm not into graphic novels at all, but ZOMG TWILIGHT GRAPHIC NOVEL.
3. Vampires don't imprint, but they have a similar process. The intensity of their loyalty with their mates are as deep as werewolves'. The main difference between vampire relationships and werewolves' imprinting process is that vampires have a choice, werewolves don't. Once werewolves imprint, there's no going back, but the same doesn't necessarily hold true for vampires. This is probably pretty obvious to you guys and me too, but zomg I'm excited to hear her actually say this because this is TOTES what Eddie and Tanya talk about in my part of the collab between Michelle and Ely and me.
3b. Jake DIDN'T imprint on Bella, because if he did, New Moon would've been written a lot differently. If he did imprint, he would never have a chance to tell Bella that he doesn't want to see and talk to her anymore because he physically, literally would not be able to stay away from her. This is also very obvious to us, but I just thought that was a good explanation.
So yes, there is that. Then I called Ely, made this v-post, waited for Sylvia and her friend Carla to use the bathroom, and walked back to BART. I got back to Berkeley, got Pad Thai from the restaurant downstairs from me because I WAS STARVED, and ate it while fangirling to Ely and Michelle when I got home. WHEEE.
For anyone going to any Steph Meyer book signing:
1. BRING A GUY. That's honestly the biggest advice I can give you. WHY? Because boys are so rare at these events that Steph will call on them for questions. There were only three boys at my signing, and the two who raised their hands got called on for questions. So yes, drag a guy with you! Get them to raise their hands! When they get called on, YOU can ask the question, YAY!
2. MENTION EDDIE MASEN. I don't care, I'm starting a revolution.
3. MENTION ALICE/JASPER. Please, for me? I was going to make a shirt with "For the first time in almost a century, I felt hope," but I didn't have time. I was also going to tell Steph how that line and the story about Alice finally meeting Jasper gave me chills and hit me so hard, but I didn't get a chance because I was fangirling over Eddie Masen. :(
4. ...Um, that's all, I think.
Now I need to figure out how to tag this post.