I have run the online signed-book bookstore The Signed Page for almost ten years now. I have had the opportunity to meet dozens and dozens of wonderful writers who have given their time to sign and/or personalize their newest releases for thousands of their fans all over the world.
Today, for instance, the #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson will be stopping by to sign copies of The Gathering Storm for hundreds of fans of the Wheel of Time series.
Two weeks ago I had another large signing—with Naomi Novik.
And I noticed something really fun that she does.
Naomi is a doodler.
She met me at the Random House offices, where I had already flapped and set up the books in one of their offices. As I began sliding the books opened to the title page to her, I noticed she took a bit longer to sign than the average writer. Turns out she gives a little extra to most of the books she signs; she draws a quick sketch of her main character dragon, Temeraire.
It is very cool.
As you can see, it is a simple drawing, called a remarque by artists. It shows a flying Temeraire roaring his Divine Wind, denoted by three soundwave-like lines. It didn’t take Naomi very long to do each, but watching her I could tell she gets a kick out of it. It makes her happy to add something most writers do not do.
These doodles, however, can take on a life of their own!
Here is another remarque. This one features Temeraire doing his thing, but with his human companion Laurence riding on top. Warranted, the Aerial Corpsman is a stick figure, but it doesn't matter; fans of the series know exactly who it is and why Naomi drawing him is fun.
In another book that was going to be given to a fan on their birthday—one that I failed to take a picture of, sadly—Naomi drew Temeraire carrying a birthday cake with candles on it.
Naomi smiled the entire time doing it.
Imagine my surprise when she signed and doodled my personal copy of In His Majesty's Service:
Yes, that is a dragon carrying Shawn back to Seattle from New York City. The Space Needle in the background makes it so—although given the rain we've had already this fall Naomi should have drawn huge raindrops too.
Isn't the doodle cool?
I have no doubt that Naomi has catered several hundred different drawn versions of Temeraire for her fans over the year. It would be interesting to see them too.
So who is the dragon in my book? Is it Temeraire giving me a ride home? I really don't think so. Otherwise Laurence would be there too. Naomi must have given me my very own dragon.
I wonder what name he/she bears? And what species of dragon it is?
I guess I had better ask Naomi the next time I see her!
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