Recent entries

Isaac D. Marble

When do you think you'll announce the secret project, will it be soon ish or around your State of Sanderson post?

Brandon Sanderson

Secret project should come out soon-ish, but I don't have control over when.

Skyler Cecil

Is there an Investiture cycle on Roshar? Cycling through the crem rain and flora and fauna back into the storm, or something like that. Like the water cycle. If Investiture is finite, is it recycled back into the Cosmere when Investiture like Breath or Stormlight is expended? Otherwise, wouldn't Investiture run out?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, there is such a cycle. It is renewed and changed time and time again. It gets in and out of the Spiritual Realm, often with the birth of new individuals.

John Clark

Out of all your series which is your favorite one to work on?

Brandon Sanderson

I don't generally pick favorites. I love them all. But each does give me a different feeling. Wax and Wayne is very fun, while Stormlight is very satisfying. Skyward was energizing.

Greg Bradford

Is Skyward a new book or part of a current series?

Brandon Sanderson

It is connected to a novella I've written, but is many years later, and so the connection is loose. It's not in the cosmere.

Bryan Cross

Where do you get your inspiration for the more technology based things such as the starships here [in Skyward] and in Firstborn?

Brandon Sanderson

These ships came from sketches I did with the illustrator, looking for the designs that felt the right for me. I wanted most of them to feel like glass cannons--small, kind of frail seeming, but potentially deadly.

James Furr

If, instead of the 16, there had been 20 members at the Shattering of Adonalsium (with the same level of involvedness)...could it have Shattered into 20 pieces?

Brandon Sanderson

It's quite possible that a different number could have ended up working.

Rusty Hodges

In book 2 of Stormlight, Mraize says Shallan is not to harm Amaram, his life belongs to another. Does he know about Kaladin at this point or is she referring to Jasnah. If he is referring to Jasnah this would insinuate he knew she was still alive, which would make sense he clearly knows a lot more then he's let on so far. This question is fulled by some conclusions I have come to about Amaram and Jasnah.

Brandon Sanderson

I'll RAFO this, but you are very astute.

Christofer Haraldsen

Have you seen The Last Starfighter, Brandon? Because I feel a need to re-watch it after reading your sample chapters (which were excellent).

Brandon Sanderson

I love The Last Starfighter, so you could say that it's certainly an influence.

UppityDarkeyes

When the Internet develops somewhere in the cosmere, will Hoid become a forum troll?

Brandon Sanderson

You bet he would. He would probably be like KenM.

RoboChrist

Would humanity be better or worse off by the end of Oathbringer if Honor ended his visions with:

"This has been a pre-recorded message from Honor. If you have any inquiries, please direct them to the Stormfather or to a local spren representative."

Brandon Sanderson

Dial 9 to refill with Stormlight. 

Questioner

Do you have anything else in mind for this world, besides the Skyward trilogy?

Brandon Sanderson

I always know where a story would go after I finish, but my focus right is on making these books the best they can be.

Questioner

I'm sooooo curious about the whole Krell thing! Is there something big hiding behind their identity?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

Questioner

Where did the idea for the light bands come from? I think they are pretty neat!

Brandon Sanderson

I started with my desire to have starfighters changing directions quickly by using energy ropes to spear asteroids - and worked backward to have something that could foreshadow this.

Questioner

Should I brace myself for any love triangles?

Brandon Sanderson

Nope.

Questioner

Is Spin based off of someone you know?

Brandon Sanderson

There's nobody specific I based her on, except maybe the side of me that really loves pulp action.

Questioner

What was Skyward inspired by and how long have you been working on it?

Brandon Sanderson

I've been working on it since about 2012, on and off. It was inspired by my love of stories about kids finding dragon eggs.

Questioner

Will Rig ever fly again?

Brandon Sanderson

I can't answer this without going into spoilers... so you'll have to wait and see.

Questioner

Will we see more animals like that strange slug?

Brandon Sanderson

You will indeed see more of both Doomslug and creatures like her.

mraize7

Can [Kelsier] and [Hoid] be friends or companions or allies?

Brandon Sanderson

Well, anything CAN happen--but for now, I'll let their interaction on screen speak for itself.

But feel free to imagine anything you would like, for yourself. It will be a while before I can get back to this particular interaction.

Toaster Retribution

For Skyward, which character, apart from Spensa, was the most fun to write?

Brandon Sanderson

M-bot. Cobb had his moments too.

beer_in_an_esky

1) Is Ashyn still operating on a sickness-based magic, as indicated in the readings you've done previously? Or are you not ready to canonise that?

2) Assuming it is, was the use of Investiture on Ashyn always sickness-based?

3) If someone who is sick on Ashyn leaves while still unwell, would they still have powers? How about any people they infect on the new world?

Brandon Sanderson

1) Ashyn still has that magic, though I've gone a lot of directions on how I want the culture to feel, so I wouldn't consider that canon yet.

2) No.

3) The powers come directly via the micro-organisms, similar to other symbiotic relationships in the cosmere.

Use_the_Falchion

Do you have a writing/reading soundtrack that feels like it shouldn’t work but it does for you? Or do you ever give books (be it yours or others) theme songs?

Brandon Sanderson

I don't often choose theme songs, but I find that Daft Punk works for me as writing music, even when it really probably shouldn't.

Questioner

What's the word count in Skyward?

Brandon Sanderson

137,293.

Questioner

Do you ever base characters on people you know?

Brandon Sanderson

I often do - but it's usually just one aspect of them, taken and spun into a different character.

Questioner

How long have you had the idea for Skyward?

Brandon Sanderson

The first ideas - about Spensa's character - started around 2012. It wasn't until I decided to put her in this setting that it came together.

Questioner

Which character was the hardest to write and to which one do you relate the most?

Brandon Sanderson

They're the same person. There's a character named Jorgen who was both the hardest to get right, but also the most like me, which may sound a bit odd!

Questioner

What inspired Skyward?

Brandon Sanderson

It might seem strange for a sci-fi story, but my major inspirations were dragon stories like How to Train Your Dragon, Dragonflight, and Eragon.

Questioner

Please tell me, is there a romance [in Skyward]!?

Brandon Sanderson

There is a LITTLE romance, but that's not the main thing on Spensa's mind in this book.

Questioner

What made you choose the title "Skyward" for your book?

Brandon Sanderson

I loved the idea of what it implied about looking up toward the sky and reaching for the stars.

Questioner

What's your favorite part about writing Skyward?

Brandon Sanderson

Spensa's character. She's a blast to write, and I have a lot of fun being in her viewpoint.

Questioner

Is there anything in particular that majorly influenced the path that Skyward took at any point?

Brandon Sanderson

There's a big reveal at the ending that, once I came up with it, made me really excited to write the book - but you'll have to read it to find out.

nah

What's the hardest part about writing sience fiction compared to fantasy?

Brandon Sanderson

I cheat a little, as my fantasy is a lot like SF and my SF a lot like fantasy. But in SF, I can't fudge physics as much, which leads to some unique challenges.

Alvaro of the Abyss

Will you ever write a novel set on Threnody?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, I will--but it will involve characters you haven't seen yet.

ThatTimeI

How do you go about setting the age/reading level of your books? Alcatraz, Reckoners, and Mistborn feel completely different...

Also, where does Skyward fit in the spectrum of maturity?

Brandon Sanderson

It's mostly done by instinct as I look at similar books, at myself at a given age, and at what my readers think. (Particularly those of younger ages.)

Skyward is somewhere just underneath Reckoners in age.

OneArmedLopen

The Lopen is one of my favorite characters. Any chance we’ll get the story of King Lopen?

Brandon Sanderson

There's a chance--not a huge one, but a moderate one.

Coltonx9

I just want to know what sort of tattoo Nazh got after getting himself drunk on Horneater lager.

Brandon Sanderson

It's an embarrassing Rosharan glyph.

Steeldancer

Would it be correct to say that the highstorms on Roshar have left the realms closer together than on other worlds? 

Brandon Sanderson

You could say [that] is true. I'd be comfortable with that idea. Though there are worlds where this goes even further than on Roshar.

matgopack

About your characters - they're always a lot of fun to read about, and varied. Do you have a method while coming up with them and their personalities/motivations that you use?

Brandon Sanderson

Character is the most difficult for me to pinpoint my process on because I do a lot of experimenting, trying different things, and searching for the right voice. The most important thing for me tends to be finding a way this person sees the world that I want to explore more in depth.

matgopack

About Skyward - what in the story/setting excites/excited you the most while writing it?

Brandon Sanderson

I'd say it's writing Spensa's character. When I can get a voice, particularly in a first person narrative, that I really enjoy, the book gets very exciting.

BusinessCress

In Stormlight Archive, all three main characters, Dalinar, Shallan and Kaladin, suffer from various mental health issues. Is that a normal psychological condition for all Radiants or the lead three is an extreme example of how people break?

Brandon Sanderson

I am very interested in mental health, and the way that we--as human beings--react to and interpret the world around us in different ways. This is a theme of the Stormlight books, but it's going to take a lot of work to do it justice--and I want to approach it from different directions. So yes, it's a theme, and these sorts of issues were common for Knights Radiant.

But I'd point out that they are also common themes for being human. And one of the correlations between orders of Knights Radiant is people who overcome, persist, and push through very difficult trials.

basham09

Also, are there any Mistborn movie or tv series deals in the works?

Brandon Sanderson

There are some in the works, but they seem to be moving rather slowly. I have hope, though!

basham09

I am looking forward to picking up this new story and I had no idea it was coming out so soon! What made you decide to put aside all of your other stories to write Skyward?

Brandon Sanderson

I usually need a big break between Stormlight books to recharge, and I look for something different in style and genre. A space opera fight that really well, and gave me a much-needed breather.

Firm_Spell

Probably a RAFO but whose voice Dalinar constantly hears ("unite them"), if it's not the Stormfather (confirmed in the book). I'm confused...It is supposed to be Honor, but Honor is dead.

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

Genabackan

Does the VR tech in Legion eventually evolve into the one we see in Perfect State; do they take place in the same universe?

Brandon Sanderson

If you look closely at the last Legion book, there is a strong clue about this.

Genabackan

By the time of Sixth of the Dusk, are the Ones Above undisputably the most technologically advanced society in the cosmere?

Brandon Sanderson

No, they aren't. There has been some concurrent development, and a lot of sharing technology--to the point that you could make an argument for several societies being equal, though some better in specific areas.

Genabackan

Shalash will be having back-five flashback POVs. In Oathbringer, you seemed to portray her as pre-Shattering. For example, "Oh, Adonalsium!" and referring to Hoid as Midius. Will later Stormlight books focus on pre-Shattering stuff at all or will we have to wait for Dragonsteel for that?

Brandon Sanderson

There will be more of a pre-Shattering focus, but not as much as you're probably hoping.

OddyFan

Um, Brandon, can you tell us something about Dalinar's Unity that is NOT RAFO?

Brandon Sanderson

Nope. :)

DammyJerry

Have you ever thought (just for fun) which KR Order your characters for other books would fit the best? Like, Sazed is Bondsmith, Kelsier is probably Skybreaker.

Which Rosharian Shard, Honor, Cultivation or Odium, better fits with Dalinar's personality?

Brandon Sanderson

I'd agree with the other commenter that Kelsier isn't much of a Skybreaker. But picking orders would depend on what point in the person's life we're talking, and the situation. It's not a hard-fast rule.

For example, young Dalinar is very Odium. Modern Dalinar is very Honor.

Seifersythe

What about Magic: The Gathering color alignments?

Like, would Kelsier be Red/White or Red/Black?

Brandon Sanderson

Kelsier is blue/black. Vin is Red/green. Sazed is white/green--with arguments for mono-white. Elend is red white. The LR is white/black.

mithrilnova

This actually surprises me a lot. I would have expected Sazed to be Bant-colored, and Elend seems much bluer than he does red.

Brandon Sanderson

Actually, I don't know why I said red/white for Elend. Must have been answering quickly. You're right, blue/white is a better match for him. Ham is red/white.

Yata

If a person with Breath (let's say 100 Breaths) dies. After a while (let's say a hour), are the Breaths still in the corpse ? If yes, are those destined for the same fate as an object with Breath inside ?

If a Returned dies for mundane ways (let's say a dagger in the back) and therefore he has still his Divine Breath.Would the Divine Breath keep the CS stampled to the corpse until he run out of fuel/Investiture ? (Like a Ghost in the CS anchored to his corpse until the Breath lasts)

Brandon Sanderson

Breaths in a dying person usually escape with the soul.

Yata

Spensa has this habit in citing "X is one of my ancestors". Is it possible that sometimes she has actually right ? Regardless if this lineage is relevant to the story.

Brandon Sanderson

She's right--but in the way that all of us have a (relatively recent) common ancestor, if you look at the actual genetics. I believe that by her point, centuries in the future, everyone on her colony could trace linage back to both European ancestors and Asian ones. So she's right--but everyone in her colony could say the same things she does.