Questioner
When will we find out about the other effect of burning lerasium?
Brandon Sanderson
Ummm, you-- I think it-- Ehhh, maybe eventually. I don't know. Not as relevant as it once was.
#10501
Recent entries
#10501
#10502
Questioner
I am also wondering, does atium actually still regenerate?
Brandon Sanderson
Atium does not regenerate.
Questioner
It stopped when--
Brandon Sanderson
It stopped when Ati stopped existing. Yep.
#10503
Questioner
Will we ever see more beads of lerasium?
Brandon Sanderson
That's a RAFO. Definitely a RAFO. It's-- It would require some... *sighs*
#10504
Questioner
So as I was researching all the stuff for trivia, I must say I was-- I became intrigued with the idea of duralumin and bendalloy or cadmium and whether or not it might have something to do with your FTL?
Brandon Sanderson
It's a good theory. That's a really good theory.
Questioner
Would you like to expand on that?
Brandon Sanderson
No, that's it. That's a good theory.
#10505
Questioner
How... Where would be the... How are you expecting to sell "Screenshot"?
Brandon Sanderson
Snapshot?
Questioner
Yes, Snapshot. That one.
Brandon Sanderson
I am expecting to do a limited edition and ebook simultaneous. Steve Diamond, who does... *unintelligible* bookstore guy. He's local, you guys know Steve Diamond. He wants to start up a company doing that, and I told him he could have Snapshot if he did. And so it will probably be like that. He'll do it-- a nice little really-- I just don't expect that our company is ever going to do leatherbounds of any of the short fiction with-- except the possibility for Emperor's Soul. So yeah, that's the plan right then. If that happens it's next Spring's novella release.
Questioner
Okay. Just can't go six months without publishing a new book.
Brandon Sanderson
Eh. Next year's gonna be something, because right now it's only Snapshot and Stormlight 3. I haven't--
Questioner
"Only." *group laughs*
#10506
Questioner
So I've got a question about the Selians in Secret History.
Brandon Sanderson
Okay.
Questioner
It seems... It seems pretty clear that they're Selians. Or people from...
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
Questioner
...the planet Sel. Is that the right term? Selian? I don't know...
Brandon Sanderson
Um... *sigh* I get this one mixed up. Peter knows. I know I've called them Selish before, but I think we went with Selian because it sounded too much like "selfish". But we did canonize it, and it probably is in the essays, I think. But Peter knows the canon term.
Questioner
Okay. What era are they from? Are they from like the... are they from the... the original...
Brandon Sanderson
They are old! [very drawn out "old"]
Questioner
Were they part of the society that built Elantris?
Brandon Sanderson
So, someone asked me this coming through the line, and I RAFO'd them. But they are old.
Questioner
They are old.
Brandon Sanderson
They are old, old people. Here's the thing. You give me the opportunity to wiggle around, because I could say, "No," if anyone has joined them since then.
Questioner
It's true.
Brandon Sanderson
Does that make sense?
Questioner
Yeah.
Brandon Sanderson
Not canonizing anything right now, but that question is so wiggle-aroundable. And I took the opportunity not to wiggle around it and just tell you they are old.
Questioner
They are old. Got it.
Brandon Sanderson
The organization is old. And some of the people that you meet there are very old.
#10507
Dalenthas
Were the epigraphs meant to be in order? If so, reading them all straight through it seems Sazed keeps going off on tangents, seems more stream of consciousness than we're used to seeing from Sazed...
Brandon Sanderson
They are in order, but there are large gaps of text left out. So you're not getting the whole thing, just the 'good parts' versions. That's why it feels jumpy.
#10508
Happyman
In one of the bumps, Sazed mentions a discussion between Vin and Ruin in which Vin asks Ruin why she was chosen to release him from the Well. Did this discussion occur in the in-between afterlife where Vin, Elend, Kelsier, etc., were, or did it occur off-screen while Vin and Ruin were busy stopping each other from affecting the world?
Dalenthas
I was fairly sure she asked it while she was a prisoner of Yomen, but I could be wrong.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, as has been pointed out, that's in the text—unless I cut it during editing for pacing issues. If I did, the conversation still happened, but it just didn't get shown on
#10509
Darxbane
When the Kandra get their spikes back, do they remember who they were, or have they been "rebooted"?
Brandon Sanderson
They remember, though some things are vague or foggy in their minds. Depends on the individual.
#10510
Darxbane
Did Vin's mother actually have a spike, or was she so crazy that one wasn't necessary for Ruin to influence her?
Brandon Sanderson
She was crazy enough on her own.
#10511
Darxbane
In an annotation from book one, it is mentioned that The Lord Ruler needed all three magic systems in order to do what he did. I always assumed that it meant his Hemalurgy enhanced his Allomancy. Did Marsh get a double power, or is the Feruchemy-Allomancy combo enough? (a sidebar to this question is whether or not stacking abilities is possible through Hemalurgy)
Brandon Sanderson
He used Hemalurgy to pull off his most dramatic effects. Marsh didn't need them, but it makes things much easier.
#10512
Qarlin
A modern world update for a future Mistborn trilogy probably wouldn't involve as much metal, unless Mistings were rare, which apparently will not be the case. I'm thinking more like plastics, ceramics, fiberglass, and silicon. I mean for cars and guns and all that.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes and no. For the rich, this would be an option. But much like using metal weapons in the Mistborn world, it isn't always an option for everyone. You will see both.
#10513
Qarlin
Lemme guess, the "Mistborn" following Vin was actually Ruin, since Elend never actually saw him, and he disappeared every time Vin got close?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
Qarlin
Why did Ruin give off Allomantic Pulses? Because Preservation did and they're two sides of the same coin? Allomancy is of Preservation, so I figured that's why he did...
Brandon Sanderson
Manifestation of the awesome power he held, mixed with Vin's increased ability to sense these things. Allomantic pulses are like a ripple of sound in the fabric of creation itself—the power of creation being used, creating a drum beat to those attuned to it. Ruin created a similar beat when his consciousness was near.
#10514
Qarlin
I'm sad Ten Soon never got to talk to Vin again, since it was apparent they both missed each other.
Brandon Sanderson
Remember that TenSoon, with spikes, can communicate more easily with those on the other side....
#10515
Qarlin
Who were Ruin and Preservation? I mean, when they died, they had bodies, like Vin. And you went as far as to describe their hair color (Red and Black, respectively). Preservation even had a prominent nose. Why describe their dead bodies, if they weren't at one time mortals themselves? They created humans, but were at one time human themselves?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO. (Sorry.)
#10516
Vegasdev
Was there ever anything to Reen's obsidian?
Brandon Sanderson
Reen's obsidian was a memento from his father, the parent he didn't share with Vin. I carried a small piece of obsidian like this for many years. It has no story function other than being important to Vin as a keepsake.
#10517
Vegasdev
Spook gets repaired, does Cett get his legs?
Brandon Sanderson
To give humankind the best shot at survival, Sazed repaired all genetic defects and physical ailments in the people who were in the storage caches. So yes, Cett can walk. He was so shocked by this that he spent the entire epilogue walking around in the cavern, marveling.
#10518
Questioner 1
Does Wit go to-- uh... what's that one place in The Way of Kings... The one place they go to, aft... The end of the book. Uh, I can't remember it now. *someone suggests something* The city they go to at the very end.
Brandon Sanderson
Of Way of Kings?
Questioner 1
Not Way of Kings, uh...
Questioner 2
Words of Radiance.
Questioner 1
Words of Radiance, yes. Does Wit go there?
Brandon Sanderson
Radiance. Urithiru?
Questioner 1
Urithiru! Does Wit go to Urithiru?
Brandon Sanderson
By the time that a certain somebody at the end shows up there. Wit is no longer with her, and nobody knows where he went.
Questioner 3
Oh, he disappeared again! *others comment*
Brandon Sanderson
He tends to do that. What's that? So Wit has been lost. He will show up at some point in the book... But yes, he will at least have the Epilogue.
#10519
Questioner 1
What's your stance on fanfiction?
Brandon Sanderson
I approve of fanfiction. *brief interruption* I think that there are many pros in the field who started in fanfiction, so it can be a springboard to professional writing. Most painters don't start by-- with their own style. They start by imitating a style. I also take the oppos-- the other stance of, if you just do it because it's fun, there's nothing wrong with that either. I'm unlikely to read the fanfiction set in my worlds, but it is also perfectly okay to do.
#10520
Questioner
Couldn't think of any [questions], but I would just like to say that I would like to punch Kelsier in the face now, so... *group laughs*
Brandon Sanderson
He usually deserves getting punched in the face. *group laughs* If you were to meet Kelsier on the street, you can guess he has something that he's done that makes him deserve to be punched that day. *group laughs*
#10521
Questioner
*reading a question from a friend* He asks you, "How a dead Splinter [Sliver] can interact with the physical world," and the follow up, "What could they do?"
Brandon Sanderson
A dead Splinter... So something like a dead...
Questioner
Someone who's held the power and let go of it, so someone like... someone like...
Brandon Sanderson
Someone like the Lord Ruler.
Questioner
Yeah, Lord Ruler or Vin or <someone like that>.
Brandon Sanderson
Okay, so... How could they interact with the world?
Questioner
Yeah, the physical world.
Brandon Sanderson
So they would have some of the same problems that Kelsier had. But would have slightly more advantages than him. So for instance, speaking to the mad is something they could probably do.
Questioner
Because Kelsier can't do that.
Brandon Sanderson
What's that?
Questioner
Because Kelsier can't?
Brandon Sanderson
He can't?
Questioner
He can?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, in Secret History he's able to speak to them. He has a lot of trouble getting through, but he can. So yeah. So I-- read Secret History and... *stutters* <a bunch> of the same answers. But they would be slightly more Invested than Kelsier was... No, but then he... yeah... They'd be about roughly the same.
#10522
Questioner
Does Odium actually present a real threat to Harmony, because he-- *interrupted*
Brandon Sanderson
So Harmony is vastly more powerful than Odium.
Questioner
Yeah.
Brandon Sanderson
Elend was vastly more powerful than Vin. Who would win in a fight?
Questioner
Vin.
Brandon Sanderson
Okay, there's your answer.
#10523
Questioner 1
You know how in, uh... the God King was engaged to Siri?
Brandon Sanderson
Mhm.
Questioner 1
And she went to his room few times?
Brandon Sanderson
Mhm.
Questioner 1
Will there be something like that in the second book? Or will you be avoiding that?
Brandon Sanderson
There will be a romance in the next book between different characters. Slightly different. The outline right now it's-- the romance is a married couple who, for political purposes act like they hate each other.
Questioner 1
Okay.
Questioner 2
*laughs* That's awesome.
Brandon Sanderson
But yes.
Questioner 1
But what I mean is there will be any-- like-- there won't be anything, like, prostrating or whatever...
Brandon Sanderson
Probably not... Um, I mean...
Questioner 1
Because if you avoid it I'll love to read the book. *laughs* I had a hard time recommending Warbreaker to others because of that. I mean, it's not a big criticism or anything, it's just more uncomfortable.
Brandon Sanderson
I understand that completely. It was a book about a wedding night. And I felt there were certain things that were appropriate for that book that may not have been appropriate for others.
#10524
Questioner 1
So the orb thing in a Secret History, that he breaks?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, mhm.
Questioner 1
How does that work? Like is it-- is Connection a Shard and it has the essence of Connection in it? Or...?
Brandon Sanderson
*sighs* It is more complicated than that.
Questioner 1
Okay.
Questioner 2
<In> email then. *questioners laugh*
Brandon Sanderson
That's a RAFO, without being a RAFO.
#10525
Questioner
In Memory of Light, how Lan didn't die.
Brandon Sanderson
Mhm.
Questioner
And you were surprised that fewer people were discussing how you could interpret Rand's actions as bending the Pattern to make it that he did not die.
Brandon Sanderson
Mhm.
Questioner
And I'm trying to-- You mentioned that there were certain real world homages that you were trying to make because of this...
Brandon Sanderson
Mhm.
Questioner
I couldn't remember what those were.
Brandon Sanderson
Well, Lazarus.
Questioner
Well, okay. But like something like with K-- like King Arthur or something like that.
Brandon Sanderson
There's-- yes, there are... *interrupted*
Questioner
But I don't remember what that was.
Brandon Sanderson
There are... the Fisher King.
Questioner
Fisher King?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, Google the Fisher King if you want to read about that. There's a lot of him... I mean, there's also Hindu and Muslim symbolism that I cribbed from, so to speak. The thing about Lan is I... if you press me, I would probably say he didn't die. But the parallelism of Rand in book 3 trying to raise from the dead and not being able to, and Rand in the last book with him there--
Questioner
This man *inaudible*.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes. Um, you can make the argument that, and you know, we'll never know if he did or didn't. I think it is... I made it intentionally ambiguous. Brandon the reader, you press me, I'll say, "Eh, he probably didn't." But there is parallelism there, and it is intentional.
#10526
Questioner
Does Paalm have any cameos in the first books?
Brandon Sanderson
In the first books, does Paalm have any cameos? RAFO.
#10527
Questioner 1
We asked about Bloody Tan. He burned... What is it that he <stole>?
Questioner 2
Bandalloy.
Questioner 1
Bendalloy.
Brandon Sanderson
So... "Does he burn bendalloy?" is your question?
Questioner 1
Mhm.
Brandon Sanderson
Um... So... Which version of Bloody Tan?
Questioner 1
Oh!
Questioner 2
The non-Paalm version.
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah.
Questioner 2
Alloy of Law version.
Brandon Sanderson
Okay, so the... Right... Okay, see, I have to kind of ask. He is not burning bendalloy any place you see, I don't believe. Why do you ask if he burns bendalloy?
Questioner 2
He mentions that he stole or was involved in steeling a shipment of bendalloy.
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah. He steals this because it's worth money. I did-- *interrupted*
Questioner 1
Oh, and he's-- wait, which one is-- Is that what makes you fast?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, that's the one that-- *interrupted*
Questioner 1
And that he moves Lessie so fast.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, but then a time bubble would have to be used in that, and-- Oh, you mean for... No, yeah, then a time bubble would be involved and the whole bullet thing wouldn't work. He's not using the time bubble there.
Questioner 1
Okay, that makes sense.
Brandon Sanderson
'Cause if he put up a time bubble he would be moving super fast. But Wax would have known that a time bubble was-- had been thrown up. So good question, but no. I don't believe... Yeah, he wasn't an Allomancer. He stole that because it's money. I can say that with 100% surety. I just have to look through and make sure, "Okay, I'm not-- I didn't do anything in the notes."
#10528
Questioner
Has Hoid ever submitted a painting to the Court of Gods?
Brandon Sanderson
Hoid has... potentially submitted a painting. *group laughs* That's something he would do. But I have to say that as, "Brandon says that's something he would do. And 'sure.'" But that's not out of the notes or anything.
#10529
Questioner
So the paintings that Lightsong reacted to...
Brandon Sanderson
Mhm.
Questioner
Who painted those? Anyone in particular, or...?
Brandon Sanderson
They are important in the scheme of that book, yes.
Questioner
Oh, anyone mentioned in that book? Anyone we know.
Oh, one of the paintings is important. Not all of them, but one of them.
#10530
Questioner
Why do you have salt?
Brandon Sanderson
Because this is my tour box, and I like to salt my food. And sometimes I will be on tour and have to grab food real fast after a signing or before, and so I have salt to salt my food.
#10531
Questioner
In the Graphic Audio books... Obviously they had to change things, and when Vasher wake-- or puts the rest of the Breath into the rope he uses a different Command. He says, "My breath to give for life to live." Is that that canon, or is that just...
Brandon Sanderson
So here's the thing... You have to be ver--...
Questioner
I mean, I know he's got to...
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah...
Questioner
...You know, he has to be careful with his Commands so he doesn't give away his Divine Breath.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
Questioner
I'm just wondered if that's the...
Brandon Sanderson
I think that's canon.
Questioner
Canon. 'Cause it's not in the regular book.
Brandon Sanderson
But it's not in the regular book. I'm gonna have to go back and look, but I think that's canon.
Questioner
Okay, cool.
Brandon Sanderson
Pretty sure. So yeah, you have to be really careful when you've got a Divine Breath, what you're doing. *interruption* I'm gonna have to go to Isaac and Peter to make sure that that's the canon thing. That they got that from us. But for now you can pretend that it is.
#10532
little_wilson
What's the earliest that we'll be seeing more of Scribbler (I'd heard a bunch about it at TWG, and so I found the sample chapters on your site and now I'm REALLY wanting more of it, so I'd like to know when I should start looking again...)?
Brandon Sanderson
Sigh. I really want to do something with Scribbler, but I can't justify it right now. I'm doing the fourth Alcatraz because I can't put it off any longer because of contracts, and Kings because Tor really wants a solo Brandon book next year. But I can't justify working too much on a project that hasn't been sold and which—if published—would end up pulling me into another side trilogy. I have to leave the WoT with the space it needs and deserves. Until it is completed, I have to shelve side projects. That, unfortunately, includes Scribbler. For now.
There are some things in the works with it, and I'm very excited about the possibilities. But there's nothing tangible I can give you now. It's coming. Maybe sooner than I've made it sound, but best to be careful as nothing is set yet.
#10533
Jeremy_Carroll
If you could pick any actress to play Blushweaver in a movie based on Warbreaker, who would you pick? Monica Bulluci and Salma Hayek are top picks on your forum!
Brandon Sanderson
Monica Bellucci is a fantastic choice. Either her, or Angelina Jolie.
#10534
Jeremy_Carroll
How would a tongueless God King give up his Breaths?
Brandon Sanderson
It involves the God King having a child. (Yes, it's possible.) I talk a little more about this in the annotations, but don't want to give too much away here.
Backup plan is to have a Returned heal him, like actually ended up happening.
#10535
Jeremy_Carroll
Can you give any history on Denth? I don't know what he did as one of the Five Scholars. What was his roll during the Manywar?
Brandon Sanderson
Boy, you know, I'd rather leave the history of the Five and the Manywar for the sequel. Denth was there, and at first he tried to stop it, work as a peacemaker, and eventually took Vasher's side. Until the death of his sister.
#10536
Jeremy_Carroll
How could Vasher become Drab, since he would have to give up his Big Breath to do so?
Brandon Sanderson
The Divine Breath can be hid. Essentially, you have to view yourself NOT as a god at all, using a very specific bit of mental gymnastics. As a Returned, your body changes based on how you see yourself. (This, by the way, is an indication that Lightsong was more pleased with himself than he ever let on.)
You don't lose your Divine Breath, but it does go into hiding, making you look like a normal person. But you're still Returned, and are consuming a Breath at one a week. If you give away your other Breaths, you retain this hidden one, but your body will still consume its own spirit if left to do so. So you still need a Breath a week to survive, and will die the week you don't get one.
I left this as an intentional place to explore the magic in the sequel, which I had planned to be writing (and posting on my website) by the time Warbreaker was out in stores. The WoT has diverted me, and so I feel bad, since this ends up being a confusing question that a number of readers have had. The hints toward how this is working are very difficult to find. (The biggest one is probably in the opening, where Vasher thinks about how he could reach the Fifth Heightening instantly, if he wanted to.)
#10537
Jeremy_Carroll
Are/were all the Five Scholars Returned?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
#10538
Jeremy_Carroll
I've got a few Warbreaker questions: Is Clod a Lifeless Arsteel?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes. Good eye.
#10539
GypsyKylara
My question is about writing, kind of.
As an author, you have achieved moderate success. People like you and have heard of you within the genre and you have established a relationship with your publishing company that lets you get a lot of books published.
This is the level of success I want as a writer and I am just wondering how financially viable this is. Like, can you write only or do you need a so-called day job? Are you able to support your family with your writing alone? That kind of thing.
Sorry if that is kind of a personal question. I've just always wondered how much money a writer makes once they've "made it".
Brandon Sanderson
I had a lot of questions like this myself during my days trying to break in. Everyone told me it wasn't possible to make a living as a writer—that, like an actor or a musician, I'd spend my life poor and obscure.
One of the big turning points came when I met and talked to a professional writer who had had modest success. Not a huge name, but a person who had done what you hope to do. Publish a book every year, never be a household name, but well-known enough in-genre that a large portion of the readers had seen his books on the shelves, though many still had no idea who he was. (The author was David Farland, by the way.)
I wish I could give you that same experience, though it's going to be harder while not face to face. The main tone of the meeting and his encouragement was this: IT IS POSSIBLE and YOU CAN DO IT!
Not everyone can make a living at writing. But it's very within reach, and for the dedicated author willing to practice and learn, it's not as difficult to make a living as many make it out to be.
I do make a living full time at this, and have for several years now. In the early years, it wasn't what many would call a 'good' income, but it was enough for me. Now, it is an excellent income. Not "Fly to Europe every week" income, but certainly "Take your friends out to eat once in a while" income.
A standard royalty for an author would be to 10-15% on a hardcover, and around 8% on a paperback. Usually, the percentage gets better the more copies you sell.
Now, books don't sell the huge numbers that people usually think they do. If you sell 2k hardcover copies in your first week, you can get on the NYT list. (Though it's not certain—it depends on what week it is and what other books came out. 3k is a pretty sure bet, though.)
Elantris—an obscure, but successful, book—sold about 10k copies in hardcover and around 14k copies its first year in paperback. I've actually sold increasing numbers each year in paperback, as I've become more well-known. But even if you pretend that I didn't, and this is what I'd earn on every book, you can see that for the dedicated writer, this could be viable as an income. About $3 per book hardcover and about $.60 paperback gets us around 39k income off the book. Minus agent fees and self-employment tax, that starts to look rather small. (Just under 30k). But you could live on that, if you had to. (Remember you can live anywhere you want as a writer, so you can pick someplace cheap.)
I'd consider 30k a year to do what I love an extremely good trade-off. Yes, your friends in computers will be making far more. But you get to be a writer.
The only caveat here is that I did indeed get very lucky with my placement at Tor. It's the successful hardcover release that makes the above scenario work. If you only had the paperback, and everyone who bought the hardcover bought that instead, you'd have to be selling around 60k copies to make it work. That's very possible, and I know a lot of midlist writers who do it.
Anyway, numbers shouldn't be what gets you into this business. If you have to tell stories, tell them. To be a writer, I feel you need to have such a love of the process that you'd write those books even if you never sold one. It's not about the money, and really shouldn't be. (And sorry to go on so long. I just feel it important to give aspiring writers the same kinds of help that I got.)
#10540
Sensitivemuse
Also, was there an inspiration for Vin and if so who/what was it?
Brandon Sanderson
Vin has been hard for me to pin down, inspiration wise. I tried so many different variations on her character (even writing her character as a boy) that it's hard to pinpoint when I got it right. There was no one single inspiration for her. (Unlike Sarene, who was based on a friend of mine.) She's a mix of my sisters, a good writer friend of mine, and a dozen different other little bits of people.
The time when I got her character RIGHT was when I wrote the scene that became her first in Mistborn, where she's watching the ash blow in the street, and envies it for its freedom. That, mixed with Kelsier's observation that she isn't a bad person—she just thinks everyone else is—were the big points where her character took form.
#10541
Sensitivemuse
Are you going to write more about the Mistborn? There's still those mysterious metals, and it's a brand new world out there now so many possibilities you could do with that!
Brandon Sanderson
I will, someday, write a follow-up trilogy to Mistborn. It will be set several hundred years after the events of the first trilogy, after technology has caught up to where it should be. Essentially, these will be urban fantasy stories set in the same world. Guns, cars, skyscrapers—and Allomancers.
That's still pretty far off, though. The other metals are being revealed on the poster I'm releasing of the Allomantic table. Should be for sale on my website sometime soon, though someone here can probably link to the image I posted of it, which has the other metals explained. (I can't remember where exactly that link is right now.)
Hero of the new trilogy would be a nicrosil Misting.
#10542
DiamondLightfoot13
I love Mistborn! (also Elantris). I can hardly wait to begin on Warbreaker. I know many have questions on the metal based ideas. In Elantris, where did the idea for the disease come from?
Brandon Sanderson
Three things. First, some reading I was doing about leper colonies. I wanted to tell a story about someone locked into a similar situation, only tie it to the magic of the world and the history of the city itself.
Secondly, I had this crazy desire to do a book starring zombies that nobody would realize were zombies. It was one of those things that stuck in my head. Undead corpses, with weak bodies that slowly stop working? As heroes? Could I make it work?
Finally, the idea of pain that didn't go away. What would happen if every little wound you took continued to hurt just as badly as it had in the first moment of pain? And what if that pain never, never went away?
#10543
Dare2bu
How difficult was it to come up with new magic systems considering the wealth of fantasy out there with already established magic systems(that seems to just get re-used in different formats by various other authors)? Do you have more systems to be used in future novels? If so how do you go about envisioning them and creating the rules in the first place?
Brandon Sanderson
I've got a few very nifty ones reserved for the future. Don't worry; I'm not nearly out of ideas yet. And I'm constantly having new ones I don't have time to use.
There IS a lot of fantasy out there. And yet, I think there's a great deal of room left for exploration in magic. The frontiers of imagination are still rough-and-tumble, unexplored places, particularly in this genre. It seems that a lot of fantasy sticks very close to the same kinds of magic systems.
One of the things I've come to believe is that limitations are more important than powers in many cases. By not limiting themselves in what their characters can do, authors often don't have to really explore the extent of the powers they've created. If you are always handing your characters new powers, then they'll use the new and best—kind of like giving your teen a new car every year, rather than forcing them to test the limits of what that old junker will do. Often, those old cars will surprise you. Same thing for the magic. When you're constrained, as a writer, by the limits of the magic, it forces you to be more creative. And that can lead to better storytelling and a more fleshed out magic.
Now, don't take this as a condemnation of other books. As writers, we all choose different things to focus on in our stories, and we all try different things. Jordan's ability to use viewpoint, Martin's use of character, Pratchett's use of wit—these are things that far outshine anything I've been able to manage in my works so far.
But I do think that there is a great deal of unexplored ground still left to map out in some of these areas. (Specifically magic and setting.) A great magic system for me is one that has good limitations that force the characters to be creative, uses good visuals to make the scenes more engaging while written, and has ties to the culture of the world and the motivations of the viewpoint characters.
#10544
carmen22
When it comes to crazy plot twists, fascinating characters, magic systems, humor, religion, etc., what do you feel, for you, is the hardest part to get on paper or come up with?
Brandon Sanderson
I would say that the most difficult parts have to do with getting a character's internal conflicts (if they have them) right. Sometimes, this can take a lot of exploration. Sazed in Mistborn 3 took a LOT of work before I was satisfied.
Second hardest is getting the humor right, particularly witty style humor like in the Lightsong sections of Warbreaker. There are frequently times when I spend hours on a single line in sections like that.
#10545
MarlonRand
Finally, do you have any advice for people that would like to write for a living?
Brandon Sanderson
First and foremost, don't give up. It can take a while. It takes time to master anything—whether it be writing, playing the piano, or brain surgery. People are willing to dedicate eight years or more to becoming a doctor. If you really want to be a writer, you need to be willing to dedicate the same amount of time and effort. Practice. Practice some more. Write a book, then write another, then write another. (I didn't sell my first, or my second, or my fifth. Elantris was my sixth book.)
Secondly, write what you love. Don't try and guess the market. Read the type of books you want to write, pay attention to what they do, and decide what it is you want to say and how you will add to the discussion. What makes your additions to the conversation unique? Write it because you feel it inside of you, not because it's what seems to be hot right now.
Finally, if I may make a plug, hop over to writingexcuses.com and listen to me and the others on our writing podcast talk about this sort of thing. ;)
#10546
MarlonRand
Also, how did the experiment with Warbreaker turn out, and are you planning to do this with any other things you write?
Brandon Sanderson
It's so hard to tell, sales-wise, how it helped or hurt. I don't, honestly, think it hurt—and I think it could only have helped, as more and more WoT readers turned their eyes on me and were able to grab a book to read for free. I do plan to do it again in the future, most likely with the Warbreaker sequel.
#10547
MarlonRand
Is there any information about Way of Kings that you can give us at this time?
Brandon Sanderson
I've wanted to do a long epic for a while. I guess that's what comes from reading Jordan and the others while growing up. And so, way back in the late 90's—when I was experimenting with my style—I started working on ideas for a longer form series. I knew the real trick for me would be to do it in a way that it didn't feel stale after just a few books; there needed to be enough to the world, the magic, and the plot arcs that I (and hopefully readers) would keep interested in the series for such a long time.
What it gives me (the thing that I want in doing a longer epic) is the chance to grow characters across a larger number of books. Dig into their pasts, explore what makes them think the way they do, in ways that even a trilogy cannot. In Kings, I don't want to do a longer 'saga' style series, with each book having a new set of characters. I want this to be one overarching story.
One of the things that has itched at me for long time in my fantasy reading is the sense of loss that so many fantasy series have. I'm not complaining, mind you—I love these books. But it seems like a theme in a large number of fantasy books is the disappearance of magic and wonder from the world. In Tolkien, the Elves are leaving. In Jordan, technology is growing and perhaps beginning an age where it will overshadow magic. It's very present in Brooks, where the fantasy world is becoming our world. Even Eddings seemed to have it, with a sense that sorcerers are less common, and with things like the only Dragons dying, the gods leaving.
I've wanted to do a series, then, where the magic isn't going away—it's coming back. Where the world is becoming a more wondrous place. Where new races aren't vanishing, they're being discovered.
Obviously, I'm not the first to approach a fantasy this way. Maybe I'm reading too much into the other books, seeing something that isn't there. But the return of magic is one of the main concepts that is driving me.
Well, that and enormous swords and magical power armor.
#10548
Melhay
Your stories are so in-depth and unique in the magical systems and religions. I was wondering if you have always, even through childhood, been creative with stories? Have some of the ideas in these books been something you created when young and then evolved into a story now? Have you always been interested in writing stories as you grew up? Did you have that notebook in class scribbling full of stories and ideas while sitting in class supposedly taking notes?
Brandon Sanderson
I've spoken before on the fact I didn't discover fantasy, and reading, until I was fourteen. (The book, if I haven't mentioned it on this forum yet, was Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly.)
Before then, I was a daydreamer. I was always daydreaming—I was never in the room where I was supposed to be listening or studying. I was off somewhere else. Oddly, though, I didn't make the connection between this and writing until I was given that first fantasy novel.
When I read that book (and moved on to McCaffrey, as it was next in the card catalogue) I discovered something that blew my mind. Here were people who were taking what I did, sitting around and imagining stories, and they were making a living out of it.
I hit the ground running, so to speak. Started my first novel the next fall, began gobbling up fantasy books wherever I could find them, began writing notes and ideas in my notebooks instead of (as you guessed) the notes I was supposed to be taking.
Even after all this, though, I was persuaded that people couldn't make a living as an author. So I went to school my freshman year as a bio-chemist, on track for becoming a doctor. That lasted about one year of frustrating homework and classes spent daydreaming before I made the decision to try becoming a writer.
#10549
Nadine
I found this on a blog posted July 2008. Does it have any relationship to reality?
...No matter your race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation or belief system, you will find something to love in The Way of Kings. There were pirates, ninjas, monkeys, fireworks, grand journeys, infidels dragged through streets by dragons and a fair amount of buckles swashed. There were ladies romanced, men romanced, sheep romanced and one scene where even two mice get it on. And if you can forgive an inordinate amount of abuse aimed at Canadians, this just may be the book for you. Be forewarned, however, if you can't abide graphic depictions of sexual content that would make Laurell K. Hamilton blush and cover her naughty bits, you might want to skip this book...
...The way Brandon Sanderson breathes life into this story is inspirational. The characters, the storyline, the magic—seemingly woven (as only Brandon can) from sheer nothingness. One of my favorite parts of the book is where the Wizard Ooflar divides one rather simple system of magic into five complex subsets, each with its own arcane history and labyrinthine steps. Who would have thought the apprentice Pemberly could put an entire village to sleep by tapping out a quadrille in her clogs? Although it would seem implausible, somehow his magical system works, especially the dance-off. I also enjoyed the ten-day feast in section two, chapter 85. I don't know if I'll ever forget the scene in which we see King Horag the Midleth eating live grunthyean orbs. (gag) I loved this book and can't wait for the sequel...
Brandon Sanderson
Ha. These are some of the amusing fake reviews for Kings that readers have been posting on Amazon. For some reason, Amazon put up a page for this book years and years ago, when I got my first contract. Somehow, they heard I was working on a book called The Way of Kings, and jumped the gun in adding a page for it, even though I was still working on the book. (I've been planning, writing, and wrestling with this story for some ten years now.)
Anyway, readers noticed the page and began having fun with it. None of them have read the book, but that hasn't stopped them from reviewing it. There are even pictures of it, including photoshops of me holding a fake book. Look for it on Amazon. It's rather amusing.
#10550
BenFoley
One common theme in magic systems across fantasy is the use of artifacts to focus, increase or do something specific with the magic. Inclusion of artifacts is something you have avoided in your magic systems (although I will say I haven't missed them). Is there a reason for this? How has your writing changed with the 'forced' introduction of artifacts (i.e. finishing the Wheel of Time)? Do you plan on using artifacts in your own works after you finish the Wheel of Time?
Brandon Sanderson
I've not done artifacts for the same reason I've not yet done a lot of things—not because I don't want to, but because I like to keep the focus in a given book or books. There wasn't room for yet another extrapolation in that direction when writing the Mistborn books, and the magic system didn't really allow for it.
However, I think there is a lot of room to explore magic artifacts. I've long been wanting to do something that refines magic and uses technology based on it, in kind of a magic-punk sort of way. Kings, for instance, does use artifacts and magical items—very specific kinds, mind you, that are built into the framework of the magic system. But they're there. One of the big elements of this world will be the existence of Shardplate (magically enhanced, powered plate armor) and Shardblades (large, summonable swords designed to cut through steel and stone.)
This isn't really because of the WoT—I wrote the original draft of this book long before I was published, let alone working on the WoT—but I have always lilked the use of artifacts in the WoT world, and it has been fun to use some of them in that setting.