Recent entries

Thought

What question do you wish that readers would ask you but that no one has?

Brandon Sanderson

Surprisingly, I get this exact question every few months or so. (Mostly in interviews.) I can never come up with something.

Aethling

Where did humanity originate in the cosmere?

Brandon Sanderson

The first planet with humans on it was Yolen.

mcalton2

Can we expect to see a fight between a Windrunner, an Awakener, and an Allomancer in one of the Stormlight books?

Brandon Sanderson

I've said before that it's unlikely that the Stormlight books will ever delve strongly into the connections between worlds. There will be some cool things happening for the cosmere-literate, but this series isn't focused on those concepts. I want it to maintain its plot cohesion for those who aren't aware of all of the behind-the-scenes stories.

Epilogue to Book Two should excite you, though.

Yados

Does Sazed's biological body still exist somewhere? If so, does that body still possess Feruchemical abilities?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, it does exist, though kind of...blended-in, so to speak, as happened with the others when they Ascended. Yes, it still has his abilities, though they are kind of moot now.

Yados

Between the Parshendi and the Alethi harvesting gemhearts, how long has it been since a chasmfiend got to finish pupating?

Brandon Sanderson

Aha. I wondered if someone would ask that. Much like whaling in our own world, there is a big ecological price building for what is going on here. You are right to worry about this.

Yados

What's up with those fish in the Purelake?

Brandon Sanderson

Haven't you always wanted magic fish?

Yados

Are the Heralds native to Roshar?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO (Man, you're good at asking those, aren't you?)

Yados

Could a Shardbearer materialize his or her Shardblade inside another person? What about something inanimate like stone?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

Yados

Could a Shardblade sever a Nahel Bond? Could it slice a spren?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

Yamato

I am currently trying to write a book in which the world is drastically different from earth. Do you think it is too ambitious to start out with such a complex setting?

Brandon Sanderson

No, not at all. Just don't try TOO hard to describe every aspect of it. It's good to be ambitious. However, be careful to keep you number of viewpoints down for your first few attempts--that will spiral out of control faster than worldbuilding will. Don't feel the need to explain too much, keep the focus on the characters, and you should be fine.

Yamato

Will you ever go into more detail about the dead original shardholders? I'd love to know what kind of people Tanavast, Ati, and Leras were.

Brandon Sanderson

They will all be characters in the Dragonsteel series.

Yamato

Out of all your magic systems, which one would you choose to be a user of?

Brandon Sanderson

I'd be a Mistborn if possible. So many fun interactions. Not quite as powerful as some of those on Roshar, perhaps, but very fun.

Yamato

Any advice for an aspiring fantasy writer? Besides the obligatory "Read a lot and write a lot!!!" Characterization advice is especially appreciated.

Brandon Sanderson

Well, I do have my lectures on this topic. Go to writeaboutdragons.com and listen to the characterization lecture. I think you'll find it helpful.

Do remember that your characters should have passions, goals, and flaws that are distinct from the plot of the story. They can sometimes align, but a character should have a life and passions outside of what happens TO them.

Yamato

How did you portray Jasnah's atheism so well? As a staunch atheist myself, I think you did an absolutely brilliant job. Honestly, It made me happy that a religious person was trying to understand my mindset. Anyway, who did you ask to get such accurate ideas of atheist thought?

Brandon Sanderson

I found some really good atheist forums. Not the 'hate on religion' type atheist forums, but the kind with some serious depth. People asking one another about morality, talking about how they felt when people reacted to them being an atheist, and expressing their philosophy. I gained a great deal of respect for them during these readings.

From there, I went and chatted with some atheists I know to gauge if I had a good handle on things. It was important that I get this right, as it's different enough from my own worldview that if it went wrong, it would have gone VERY wrong and I'd have ended up with something insulting.

Yamato

What has turned out better for you, starting with the characters, the plot, or the world when you are beginning the writing process for a book?

Brandon Sanderson

Any time I have the characters from the get go, I feel like I'm leaps and bounds ahead. Having a very strong ending in mind before outlining is also very, very helpful.

Yamato

What is your favorite of your own books?

Brandon Sanderson

I can never answer this. It's like trying to choose your favorite child. :)

Odium's_Shard

Lastly, less pressingly, do Spirit Points (Hemalurgic spots) apply to ever magic system, and through the cosmere at large? Ie. could Hemalurgy be used to take any other magic systems aspects, and do other magic systems also have these 'Points', such as Body Focuses, that work in similar ways?

Brandon Sanderson

Hemalurgy crosses magic systems. You could steal things from people on other worlds, if you knew the right places for the spikes.

Odium's_Shard

Does the Spiritual power used in any given magic system come from the supporting Shard itself, or through it from the remains of Adonalsium and the Power of Creation?

Brandon Sanderson

From the Shard in most cases. But it's also often built into the world innately, and so the Shard (if someone is holding it) doesn't always have control over who can or cannot use the magic.

Odium's_Shard

So, firstly, is the Cognitive Realm the only way to access the Spiritual Realm from the Physical Realm, and vice versa?

Brandon Sanderson

No.

Kuri Shardweaver

What's your opinion on golems/constructs/robots? The Lifeless are a somewhat similar concept, but I was curious as to whether there's a world in the cosmere that might have a more classical take on ye ol' fantasy standby guardian, or are Awakened suits of armor as close as we can get? Is the Future Mistborn trilogy going to have Anti-Allomancer Alluminaughts?

Brandon Sanderson

Ha. I am fascinated the idea of golems, and when I play an RPG I'm often trying to make golems of one sort or another. However, I worry that the idea is a little overdone in fiction, so my takes on that sort of thing come in more unusual flavors.

Kuri Shardweaver

Are there any plans for a world where the magic system operates through devices that transform and empower individuals with spectacular abilities? Like...say...a belt with an ornate buckle...a bracer..things like that?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

Robospawn

How extensively do you outline?

Brandon Sanderson

Depends on the book. Alloy of Law had a few pages. The Way of Kings had hundreds of worldbuilding notes. The outline for [Words of Radiance] sits open on my computer right now at...12 pages single spaced. It's maybe 2/3 done.

Zenith

Szeth mentions that Lashings don't work with shardplate (on?). Is there any way to get around this (As in, lashing with Shardplate on, or lashing people with Shardplate on), and, if so, does it have anything to do with the Knights Radiant and/or their Ideals?

Brandon Sanderson

This has to do with the nature of the magics in the cosmere. They interfere with one another. Something that contains a lot of power--we call it Investiture--resists the efforts of magic to influence it. A strong spirit can interfere as well.

Odium's_Shard

Can magic systems from one world work in any given other?

Brandon Sanderson

For some, it will take quite a bit of work, but it's possible to get them each to work. Sel's magics are regional, and so they are going to be tough. Scadrial's magics are the easiest.

mycoltbug

Are there any ramifications beyond leaving one's world behind when they worldhop to other worlds? IE physical ailment, aging, time travel lag X1000

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

mycoltbug

Would a Breath imbued object stop a Shardblade?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

mycoltbug

Is Hoid's base magic system Lightweaving?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

mycoltbug

Is it possible for a non-native being to use a Shardblade?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

mycoltburg

Is there any ramifications to the holder of a Shardblade for using a Blade in a manner that it wasn't intended?

Brandon Sanderson

Depends on the type of Shardblade. (You have seen three different kinds in [The Way of Kings].) For most, no. For some, most certainly.

mycoltbug

Could a Shardblade holder potential drill a hole through the planet by using his Blade like Dalinar?

Brandon Sanderson

Uh... I think that you'd hit the core and that would not be a good thing for you.

Stroniax

What is your favorite world of the cosmere?

Brandon Sanderson

Favorite world? Probably Roshar, as it's the most unique.

Stroniax

Is there a way to harvest BioChromatic Breath from a planet, if it holds any? (If a person dies, and their body turns to dusty he dust of the earth, then doesn't [Nalthis] therefore hold thousands, if not millions, of BioChromatic Breaths?)

Brandon Sanderson

Possible. It would be the same thing as harvesting the nature of Preservation or Ruin, which--on Scadrial--took the form of nuggets of metal.

Stroniax

Are Surgebinding and Awakening related?

Brandon Sanderson

All of the magic systems are related, and these two do share some defining fundamentals.

Stroniax

Does Szeth-son-son-Vallano's Surgebinding require an honorspren like Kaladin's?

Brandon Sanderson

No, it does not. (Hm....) Gold star to you.

Stroniax

What did Jek and Szeth do to become Truthless?

Brandon Sanderson

This will be answered in his book, during his flashback sequences.

Lance Alvein

Did Cultivation come to Roshar with Honor, or was she already on Roshar when Honor arrived?

Brandon Sanderson

Good question. They came together.

McCullough

Having to do with Legion, if you could take a picture of any historical event what would it be?

Brandon Sanderson

Wow, tough question there at the end. Hmmm.... So many choices. Sermon on the Mount, perhaps?

McCullough

I love Wax as a Skimmer and a Coinshot. Is that your favorite Twinborn combination? If not, what is?

Brandon Sanderson

It's certainly one of my favorites. However, some of the characters in the modern day trilogy have some really neat combinations as well.

Stroniax

Is Jek-son-son-Vallano important?

Is Jek-son-son-Vallano Szeth-son-son-Vallano's brother?

Brandon Sanderson

He is the same person as Szeth; I just changed the name. Sorry, no hidden truth there.

McCullough

In what ways do you feel that finishing The Wheel of Time helped to prepare you for The Stormlight Archive and how did it change your writing in general, if at all?

Brandon Sanderson

I gained three things, I feel, by working over the years on [The Wheel of Time]. (And, in particular, by studying [Robert Jordan]'s work in depth.) I learned how to better balance lots of different viewpoints, I got a better grip for foreshadowing and subtlety over many books, and I gained a deeper understanding of how to write a really sold third person viewpoint.

Lightflame

Can you give me a hint about Nafti, the Uvara girl that Derethil brought with him when he left the Great Abyss?

Brandon Sanderson

There is more truth to that story than some may think.

Lightflame

Do all Shards have some sort of Shard-induced weakness, like how Ruin and Preservation can't see metal?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

Lightflame

When Shallan is appealing Jasnah, Jasnah reveals that she has heard about Shallan's step-mother, Malise Gevelmar. Has Malise Gevelmar ever met Jasnah or one of her associates (excluding Shallan)?

Brandon Sanderson

No, she has not. You'll learn more about Malise in [Words of Radiance]. She really is just a rural lighteyes of not much consequence. Shallan's mother, however...

Lightflame

You've confirmed that several Heralds have appeared or been mentioned in the modern (non-prelude, non-vision) parts of The Way of Kings. Have any members of the Knights Radiant (the one from the days of Urithiru, not near-Radiants like Kaladin) appeared in the modern parts of The Way of Kings? And if you have to RAFO me, could you give me a hint about the Heralds?

Brandon Sanderson

I can answer that--no, no Radiants from those days have appeared on screen in [The Way of Kings].

dyring

A Coinshot able to store weight can, as you showed us with Wax Push in a ridiculously powerful manner, as the weight/mass is the largest factor which controls the Push strength.

I'm wondering if the same can be done with soothing(or rioting). If you where to increase your identity, that may/should increase your emotional imprint(or whatever you might call it), would your soothings/riotings become vastly more powerful in a similar way as weight makes steelpushing more powerful?

And if it does, is this how the Lord Ruler improved his Soothing in such a spectacular fashion?

Brandon Sanderson

Well, the Lord Ruler--don't forget--could compound any Allomancy he wanted. That creates some crazy effects. As for what you discuss in your first question, I don't want to touch too much on Identity yet as I am saving it for later books. Talking too much here might undermine my ability to reveal interesting and cool things in books when the time is right. I like your theory, and it has merit, but I'm not going to give you a yes or a no as it delves too much into what Identity, as an attribute, can do.

Kurkistan

Would it be fair to describe the three realms as the Spiritual Realm providing motivation/general directives (gravity, desires, energy, etc.), the Cognitive Realm interpreting and applying those directives, and the Physical Realm as where these directives--as interpreted by the Cognitive Realm--are actually implemented? All of this with interactions/change flowing back and forth between the Realms as well (Physical phenomena affecting thought affecting the spirit, for example).

Brandon Sanderson

Ha! That's a very interesting way to look at it. The theory isn't all there, but it's thinking along the right lines.

rags

If I used a Hemalurgic spike charged with Allomantic powers on a person on say Nalthis, will the focus of Allomancy change because the power is being used on another planet?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

rags

How is Harmony balanced when a part of Preservation's power is expended on human sentience? Isn't that what caused all the trouble to begin with?

Brandon Sanderson

Indeed. Hm... What could Sazed be doing with that extra power...

rags

We know that there are 10 orders of Radiants and 10 different powers, with each order having access to 2 of them. Any reason why this "class restriction" exists (they are lot more combinations possible with 10 powers)?

Brandon Sanderson

There is a reason. I don't know when I want to get into it, however.

Kurkistan

Can Hemalurgy be used to steal Shardblades directly, transferring ownership from the victim to the spike's recipient without a need for the recipient to physically take the Shardblade first?

Brandon Sanderson

A novel use of Hemalurgy which is not outside the sphere of its powers.