EUOLogy: My History as a Writer

NOTE: The following is kind of a response to a thread on my forums. It grew too long to post there, and I felt that it might be of more general interest to other readers out there. So I've moved it here, and will link it in the thread. I reference the boards and people posting there, but you don't really need to know who they are to understand the essay.

MY HISTORY AS A WRITER

I've been thinking that I should give a little bit of an explanation of my history as a writer for those of you who don't know. I think it might give you some context for some of the posts I've made, and things people are saying in the forums about my unpublished novels. Read on if you want a little context.

EUOLogy: On Pullman and Censorship

(Note: For background on why I wrote this, please read this blog post. Thanks.)

To whom it may concern,

INTRODUCTION

Let me introduce myself. My name is Brandon Sanderson. I have a Master's Degree in English from BYU, where I now teach creative writing. I'm a practicing member of the LDS church, and am a best-selling fantasy novelist.

A couple of weeks ago, I received an email regarding the movie "The Golden Compass," a movie which is being released this Christmas. The email was very critical of the movie and the books it is based on, warning people NOT to go see the movie or read the books because of their anti-religious content. They explained that Philip Pullman, the author of these books, is an atheist, and—with these books—is trying to convert our children away from the worship of God. At the same time, I've heard of local libraries and schools being asked to remove these books from their shelves.

EUOLogy: Dumbledore's Homosexuality

I'm not on the cutting edge of the blogosphere. Like many of us, I read about Rowling's statements when they were said earlier this week. However, I usually like to think about things for a time before I write an essay about them. With this issue, I was tempted to simply let it go, since others have covered it quite well, and I worried about offending people.

EUOLogy: The word Gaming is outdated

So, the other day I was visiting my mother, half-listening to a conversation between her and some of her matronly friends. One of them mentioned that their nephew had a real gaming addiction.

EUOLogy: Goodbye Mr. Jordan

Cross posted from the EUOLogy section of my website:

My career, like many young fantasy authors, has been deeply influenced by Robert Jordan, and I find his passing a to be a tragedy for the entire community.