Questioner 1
When you write the books, do you set up the setting and stuff first, because it's an amazing setting.
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, I do a lot of planning ahead of time. I'm naturally an outliner. It's not the only way to write a book, some people do it the opposite way, but I do a lot of outlining.
Questioner 2
I have a lot of trouble outlining myself.
Brandon Sanderson
Sometimes it doesn't work. There are some writers, that if they outline the book, it actually ruins the book cause they feel like they've already kind of gone through and written it.
Questioner
What is your favorite parable from the Way of Kings?
Brandon Sanderson
I'm not sure if I have a favorite. It's kind of like what I'm thinking about or feeling at the moment. One of the reasons I haven't written the whole thing out is because I want to be able to add to it when the right mood strikes me and stuff like that. I will say, the ones I haven't written yet will probably be my favorite if that makes any sense.
Questioner
Well I'm an English teacher major for little kids and I was wondering what you think, or any advice, on how to make my students life long writers and readers.
Brandon Sanderson
When I was a teenager and I didn't like books and a teacher, the first teacher who really took the time to find a book that would match me rather than assigning me a book that they liked, was the one that got me hooked, so I kind of focus on that idea. I tell kids sometimes, books are like shoes, not everyone wears the same kind of shoes and when you wear the wrong size you might think shoes are painful but if you get the right size they make your life way better. Books are kinda the same way so try lots of different things, introduce them to a lot of different things and encourage them to read what they love.
Questioner
So how big are spren, like when Kaladin sees a spren, how...
Brandon Sanderson
It depends on the spren. Lifespren are real tiny, little dots. Windspren *presumably gestures*, like that. Some spren are as large as buildings. There is no strict size increment, but you can guess the size if I don't say otherwise. It really depends.
Questioner
So, my question for you is writing related. I just finished a new first draft in my novel.
Brandon Sanderson
I know you! Yeah, ok sorry. It took me a minute.
Questioner
So yeah, I finished my draft; what was it that helped you when you... cause I recalled hearing on Writing Excuses, you talked about this, how editing was the bane of your existence earlier, you just didn't wanna do that, and I'm finding that too. I dont wanna jump in and fix all the terrible things. What was it that helped you kinda like...
Brandon Sanderson
It honestly is the thing that held me back the most. I think it was kinda partially just, getting rejected enough that I realized I just had to learn to do it. That was part of it. Giving myself space after finishing a book, writing something else and then coming back to it when I was feeling kind of fresh about it and exited about tackling it again, that helped a lot. It was also kinda like growing up as a writer, if that makes sense, and realizing I'm not ever gonna sell a book until I could learn to take a good one and make it great and then I just started buckling down and learning to revise.
Brandon Sanderson
One of the things I read when I was researching for Stormlight that was really interesting, I kind of dug into, was this idea that practical medicine, particularly through the Middle Ages up approaching the Renaissance, was actually the one that was regarded with fear, superstition, and dislike. Which is why it fell to the barbers. And what we would call the "superstitious physician" was a well-respected position, depending on where you were looking. And it was this weird area where people who were approaching things practically and actually doing what you needed to do, were being ostracized and vilified. It wasn't as bad as being an executioner; that was the worst deal. But there was this sort of thing, that those people stayed-- You did not want your son or daughter marrying into that family, and these sorts of things. It was really interesting.
Questioner
With the Stormlight Archive, when you created this, do you know everything? Do you know the end of the book at the beginning?
Brandon Sanderson
I do, but... You have to be willing to change as you go, as the characters mature and you mature. For instance, Adolin wasn't gonna be a main character in the original outline. And as I developed the first book, I realized I needed another perspective of somebody who could offer perspective on the things that were happening. That was Adolin's perspective. So I brought him in as a main character. So that wasn't in the original outline.
And for instance, the ending of Book 2, with Kaladin, was actually originally the ending of Book 3. So I ended up switching those around. So things like this happen.
Books 4 and 5, my dividing line, where those two divide, is not really strict right now, and so one of the things I'm doing in outlining is saying, "Let's make sure Book 4 feels like a book, rather than half of a book that Book 5 ends."
Questioner
I'm curious about Kaladin. Did you write Kaladin as having depression? It never distinctly says it.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, he has depression. I purposefully didn't distinctly say it, because it's not like they can diagnose in their culture. But yes, Kaladin has depression. Straight-up depression. And it's not even... Like, there's PTSD stuff in the third book, but that's not the cause of it. He just has chemical depression. Even going back to when he was a teenager. And it's not like the story is... In some ways, it's about him overcoming it, but it's not about it going away. It's about a hero who lives with depression.
Questioner
And I personally, I have depression, so I relate with Kaladin so much when I read it. So I just think it's really cool that... Most people don't write about heroes that have depression.
Brandon Sanderson
I wanted to do it, in part, because I have some dear loved ones that... You know, this is just part of their everyday life. It was something I just didn't see being touched upon. And I remember my wife talking about it and saying, "It's kind of frustrating to read a book about someone with depression because that's the only thing about them. Books, they're like, problem novels. Can't I just read a book about somebody who has depression?" So, she was a big help.
Questioner
In the last [Alcatraz book], why did you make everyone die?
Brandon Sanderson
So Alcatraz is making things out to be a little worse than they really are. Because he wanted to end the book on a sad note, because he always promised everyone he would. That's why Bastille feels she needs to write the real ending. The next book should not be nearly as grim as Alcatraz wants you to believe everything is. That's why she wrote that little secret ending. So keep your hope up: it's not nearly as bad as Alcatraz wants you to think it is.
Questioner
So, I created a magic system that's pretty easy to grasp at first. But I realized I have aspects of it that are very complex I'm having trouble tying to my novel. I was just wondering if you've ever run into these kind of problems with your magic systems.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, though I kind of like it. A magic system that looks simple, but you can dig into deeply, is a good magic system to me. If you can write it so that some characters just use it surface-level, and other characters start to ask these deep questions, you'll be able to do something for everyone. People who just want to read it and enjoy the adventure and the mystique of a fantasy story can. Those who really want to dig in can dig in. I would say don't worry, don't stress it, that's actually a really good thing.
Questioner
Have you ever played Dungeons and Dragons?
Brandon Sanderson
I have. I played a whole lot of 3.0 and 3.5. A little bit of Second Edition when I was younger. And a little bit of Fourth. But mostly 3.5 was my game.
Questioner
How do you keep everybody straight? Do you use a program like Scrivener?
Brandon Sanderson
I use something called Wikidpad, a personal wiki. Just like Wikipedia, but only on my computer. And then I have a continuity editor, and her job is to go, after I've written a book, and put everything from the new book into it, into the wiki. And then to also warn me of continuity errors that I've made.
I wish I could say I did it all perfectly, but I don't. I still make a ton of mistakes. We catch most of them. But you can see, like, the Mistborn books have way more continuity errors than Stormlight, because I didn't have her back then. And so, we're doing the leatherbounds, they have to come to me and say, "Uhhh... this person walks, like, five times as far as a human being can travel in this amount of time. Maybe we need to move this building across the city," and stuff like that.
Questioner
What kind of books do you like to recommend to people who ask? What's your favorite book to read?
Brandon Sanderson
I have a Goodreads account that I tend to post books I've liked up there. Basically, the ones that I like, do I write about. So that's a good place to go.
Growing up, my favorite authors were Anne McCaffrey, Barbara Hambly, and Robert Jordan. And David Eddings. Nowadays, I tend to like stuff that's a little more... fantasy that's a little more avant-garde, doing different things. Because I've read a lot of great stories that have the more traditional hero's journey stuff. So the stuff you'll see me liking now tend to be things like N.K. Jemisin, doing weird things. But I like a wide variety of things.
Questioner
I'm curious, how much interaction do you get with the people who narrate the books out loud?
Brandon Sanderson
So usually I record pronunciation guides and send them to them on a tape recorder. And usually I pick them beforehand. My tape recording doesn't always get there in time. So if their pronunciation's wrong, it's usually my fault, and not theirs. Because it just means that we haven't gotten that recording done by the time they need it to record. But I like to pick my own audiobook narrators. And when I can, I like to meet them.
Questioner
So if you were ever to make one of these into a film, would you ever meet the people who would actually be in the film?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, but I would not be in charge of the film. I have clauses that require them to let me come to the set and meet people and be involved that way, but I don't have final say.
Questioner
So you don't have in a say in who's cast?
Brandon Sanderson
I don't. I can always offer my opinion, and hopefully they would listen to it. But usually, as a writer, you just don't get say in that. When someone's spending $200 million making your book into a movie, they're writing the check, so they get the final say.
Questioner
Have you ever met Michael Kramer and Kate Reading?
Brandon Sanderson
I have met Michael Kramer. I haven't met Kate. I've met Michael, he came to one of my signings. They live in the D.C. area, so he came and did the reading for one of my signings.
Questioner
How would you handle dragons?
Brandon Sanderson
Dragons, I feel, are inherently cool. And they're one of those things that, personally, I think you can just get away with without having to, like, make your own. I'm tired of orcs, but I'm not tired of dragons. So if I were gonna handle dragons, they'd feel like pretty classic dragons.
Questioner
I'm a bit of an aspiring author myself. How would you deal with ADHD writer's block?
Brandon Sanderson
Some things I know that work for some writers... Do you like hiking? Do you like walking? Because I have known professional writers who have trained themselves to write by talking into a microphone, in order so that they can be walking somewhere, and kind of being visually stimulated while they're writing. I wish I knew better how to write, like, ADHD.... How do you motivate yourself to do other things? Is it a reward mechanism? Is it a short burst sort of thing?
Questioner
The issue that I have is that whenever I sit down to write, I sit down, and I'm either just sitting down and writing for five minutes, and then I get bored and move on, switch over to playing video games or surfing the web. I do a lot of thinking about what I want my world to do, stuff like that, but I don't actually have an outline.
Brandon Sanderson
Have you tried writing longhand, when you're away from the internet, getting a notebook, going out somewhere, writing in a notebook. That helps a lot of people who are getting distracted by the internet frequently, if there's just no internet to get on. And sometimes it works really good because you also are writing it, and can be, like, "You know, it doesn't have to be perfect while I'm writing in the notebook. I'll make it perfect when I transfer it to the computer." That gives you permission to be free. I don't know that you need to have an outline. Like, Stephen King never uses one. It's a tool that works for some authors and doesn't for others.
Questioner
How do you do go about worldbuilding for religion?
Brandon Sanderson
It's a little bit of a mix between the way I see religions work in our world, and trying to find a fantastical version. Something that couldn't really actually exist in our world, 'cause that's part of why I write fantasy. So what could people worship, what methods of worship could they have, that kind of echo things in our world, but aren't actually anything that could ever exist here. We did a Writing Excuses podcast on worldbuilding religion that you might find handy. If you Google "Writing Excuses Religion," we've got a podcast for you.
Questioner
Hoid was at the Shattering of Adonalsium?
Brandon Sanderson
He was there, yes.
Questioner
Was he Adonalsium?
Brandon Sanderson
He was not. Good question.
Questioner
Are these old Radiants?
Brandon Sanderson
Those are Heralds. That's Ash, who you'll see that the very end of this [Oathbringer]. That's Jezrien who's also near the end. You haven't met her [Vedel] yet. Ishar, you have heard about. And it's identified in this book who he is. But those are artist interpretations of them, in-world. They're like the Sistine Chapel versions of the Heralds. They might not look exactly like that, but that is an in-world interpretation of them by an artist.
Questioner
Now that Wax is a major part of society, are people trying to copy his coat?
Brandon Sanderson
That, you will see in the next book! You'll have to wait and see!
Questioner
I thought with that one, I wouldn't get that!
Brandon Sanderson
Wax has had an effect on the fashion industry.
Questioner
Is Wit a remnant of Adonalsium?
Brandon Sanderson
No. Good question.
Questioner
I thought I had it figured out! I figured he was going around collecting himself. Getting all the different *inaudible*.
Brandon Sanderson
No, he is not a remnant of Adonalsium. Good question, though.
Questioner
I want to know what Sazed's robes look like.
Brandon Sanderson
Sazed's robes are long, and they've got a V pattern.
Questioner
Is it sewn in or is it stitched in? *inaudible*
Brandon Sanderson
It is sewn into it. The V pattern is just sewn into it like that. Of alternating colors. Not alternating, various colors. Kind of a rainbow look.
Questioner
Is there a lady in the future for Kaladin?
Brandon Sanderson
That is a Read and Find Out. Let's just say Kaladin is historically not that great on relationships but he has not given up on trying.
RiyriaMistborn
My question is a follow up to what you answered in my Well of Ascension. I asked if Hoid had any love interests, and you said, "Several". My follow up question is, have we seen any of those <interests> or are they all gonna show up in Dragonsteel?
Brandon Sanderson
They will show up in various books but you have not seen them yet. They're across a long span of time, so.
Questioner
*Inaudible*
Brandon Sanderson
Cultivation and Honor were with the Parshendi, Odium came with the humans. And there was a bit of a reversal happened there.
Questioner
Have we seen Hemalurgy used anywhere other than Scadrial?
Brandon Sanderson
I believe you have. Let's do that as a, "I believe you have."
Questioner
Does Hoid have a way of checking if people are Invested or not?
Brandon Sanderson
He has a way of detecting whether Investiture is being used.
Questioner
In Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell, they use silver to fight Shades. I'm wondering if that's actual silver or they just call it silver and it's a mysterious metal that's known to fall from the sky.
Brandon Sanderson
It's a good question. I have it as actual silver.
Questioner
Would it be effective, at fighting...if you wanted to harm a spren or seon or other types of Cognitive Shadow?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO.
Questioner
There is Ironpulling and Steelpushing. And then there's also the Surge of a Windrunner that changes their center of gravity. Are those combined somehow?
Brandon Sanderson
Combined, no, but trying to deal with different facets of the same idea, yes.
Questioner
When did Shallan take the first oath?
Brandon Sanderson
That's been quite a while. She's been on this path longer than almost anybody. Jasnah's been going for a while. If you look at the timeline, I think Jasnah beats her. But she's been on this path for years.
Questioner
Do we get to find out when she took that first oath?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, I'm planning to delve into that. It's supposed to be a "Wait, What?" I'd have to look exactly at the timeline, Jasnah beats her. Jasnah definitely beats her. Well, maybe not. I'd have to look at the timelines. This is why I have Karen, to keep my timeline for me!
Questioner
What is your favorite Italian dish?
Brandon Sanderson
It depends on my mood. There are some times where I just want a comfortable spaghetti and meatballs. But sometimes carbonara. I would probably in a vacuum choose the carbonara. Probably. But it just really depends.
Stormlightning
Do the Natan people live longer than normal humans, because they have Aimian blood?
Brandon Sanderson
*Hesitant* Yes...Let's say, you are theorizing in a good direction.
Stormlightning
You told someone that Nan Balat likes to hurt things. Like, a supernatural tendency to hurt things.
Brandon Sanderson
It's more along the lines of, "He has suffered some...enhancement of a psychological issue through supernatural effects."
Stormlightning
It's not an Unmade thing?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO! Good question! That's basically a confirmation, isn't it? *teasing laugh*
Stormlightning
If Hoid could have picked to join any order of the Knights Radiant, regardless of the oaths he had to swear, just the powers, would he have picked Lightweaver?
Brandon Sanderson
He would have.
Stormlightning
Tell me more!
Brandon Sanderson
Lightweaving matches him very well, he's quite familiar with it and experienced with it. He's very good at using it and he likes it.
It's the fulfillment of a long, long quest of his to finally get full access to Lightweaving.
Stormlightning
Even though he had some sort of Lightweaving?
Brandon Sanderson
He did have some sort of, yes. He's a very very happy Hoid.
Questioner
How did Marsh survive? When everybody was hiding in the caves, you never explained where he went. Do you know?
Brandon Sanderson
Oh, I do know. He has his ways.
Questioner
If an Allomancer were to go to a different planet and burn the metals on that planet from that planet, it still works?
Brandon Sanderson
Still works.
Questioner 2
Same way, no differences?
Brandon Sanderson
No differences. The metal is more of a key to draw the magic out than it is providing any power itself.
Stormlightning
Is there a set number of them[Dawnshards]?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
Stormlightning
Are you willing to say?
Brandon Sanderson
No.
Stormlightning
Are you willing to say if they originated in the Rosharan system?
Brandon Sanderson
I am not willing to say.
Questioner
Are we going to find out more about Hoid in the next book?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, but only little bits and pieces until a little later. The further we get along, the more comfortable I will be giving you Hoid stuff. Particularly in Stormlight. So yes, but it's a tentative yes.
ReticentBondsmith
If you infused a ruby and split it into three or more pieces, would you be able to create a groupchat spanreed?
Brandon Sanderson
This has been attempted so far unsuccessfully. Good question! It is very plausible in the magic system.
ReticentBondsmith
I've always felt this was related to quantum entanglement. Is that part of where you got the idea from?
Brandon Sanderson
Absolutely. I mean, I know that's not how quantum entanglement actually works. But the magic systems all in the Stormlight Archive grew out of my interest in the fundamental forces. We are several magical steps removed from the actual science in each of these cases, but that was the origin for all those magics. The quantum entanglement fascinates me, particularly the way that we think things should work and find out they don't. I love that stuff.
Questioner
Is Hoid the only one of his kind that we've met in the Cosmere books?
Brandon Sanderson
What do you mean by his kind?
Questioner
Is he the only one from the planet he's originally from that we've met?
Brandon Sanderson
No. Because Ati and Leras, the Ruin and Preservation, were both from that same planet.
[...]
All of the Shards of Adonalsium were from that planet.
Questioner
How would an Awakened with Breath piece of cloth react if it got hit with a Shardblade?
Brandon Sanderson
A Shardblade would probably be able to cut it, but it depends on how much Breath we're talking about.
Questioner
So if it had enough, it might be able to block it.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
Questioner
Approximately how much Breath would it take to Invest a regular object enough to that a Shardblade couldn't cut it?
Brandon Sanderson
I would have to look at the notes. One of the things we're doing right now is, we're unifying the actual unit of Investiture. So, I'm not going to answer that until I have that codified, but it is one of the projects we're working on right now. I'll have some answers for you more...we'll just get a unit of measurement that we can use, probably based on that.
Questioner
Has Hoid just collected--like he does--the spren, or...?
Brandon Sanderson
He has legitimately bonded the spren. Let's just say, he has given up on trying to cheat some of the systems and has decided to try to play by the rules.
Questioner
Do you already have the Ideals figured out for all the other orders?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, but I don't always stick to 100% the wording. I got the sentiment and a sample phrase. But for a lot of them, they vary based on the individual. So there's some flexibility. I don't tell people what they are, generally, because I need the freedom to change just in case I decide to.
Questioner
If someone was a good enough writer, would you ever consider letting someone else write in the Cosmere?
Brandon Sanderson
It is a possibility. I'd be very wary of doing it, but right now, Isaac, who's my illustrator, wants to do it, and he's been a friend for many years. So I've said, "If you really want to you can." So I'm open to the idea. You probably want to be a professional writer first, and have your own things published.
Questioner
When you were writing Elantris, did you think of the artwork for all the symbols and stuff as you were writing?
Brandon Sanderson
I did, I drew them myself. Those are the only ones that I did the symbols for. After that book, I went and got somebody who knew what they were doing, so they look a little pedestrian compared to the other ones, but I did them all myself.
Questioner
Is there any possibility of a Legion television show?
Brandon Sanderson
There is, we have sold the rights to a company called Cinaflex in Canada, they are trying to develop one right now. Hopefully, it turns out alright. We probably have to change the title because there is a Marvel Legion series, we would probably just call it Leeds.
Questioner
That would be awesome. What about Snapshot?
Brandon Sanderson
Snapshot's at MGM, they have a really sharp screenplay that I love. Best screenplay based on my work that anyone's ever turned in. I'm really, really excited and hopeful for that one but there is no greenlight yet so who knows.
Questioner
How far are you into the Cosmere stuff, like how much more can we expect?
Brandon Sanderson
There are 10 books of Stormlight, around 12 Mistborn, 3 Elantris, 2 Warbreaker, 1 Threnody, 3 Dragonsteel.
Timsama
Is finding out what the deal was with Mare, is that an Era 2 thing we're going find out or is that...
Brandon Sanderson
No, unfortunately it is to be left, probably, as a mystery. It is a minor secret that I do not consider a major Cosmere thing, more of a backstory thing. I might eventually get around to it. The chances of it factoring in are very, very slim. I stay closed lipped about it because there is a part of me that thinks I will work it into Secret History 2, sort of like flash-backing material, but I'm not 100% sure I will.
