Miles spoke about people in red and gold, is that to do with Lightsong's colors is that connected in any way?
Okay he spoke of people where?
While dying, Miles spoke of people in red and gold--
Oh red and gold.
Is that to do with the fact that Lightsong's colors are also red and gold?
No, good question.
The broadsheet in Shadows of Self, is that a face or a mask?
*silence*
Okay.
In Rithmatist there's a Tower in Nebrask, why don't the Rithmatists just build a big moat of acid around it?
You'll see, when I get there. They have tri-- Number one, a big moat of acid is really hard, you think about how much acid you would have to get in there? It's got to be enormous. Because remember the Tower moves.
Okay, didn't know that.
Yes, the Tower moves, and so there's this huge swath they have to keep defended, it's enormous. But that's one of the big things, the other thing is you can't just leave them there because they will find a way across, 'cause they know how to cross boats and things now. Because they can get between the islands.
[Mraize's] cosmere treasure room had a white tree branch-like thing, is that the bones from Sel?
It is not from Sel, it's from Yolen.
So, what happened to Shallan's family? As in--her brothers--the things that happened to Shallan's family, is that related to the black sphere from Gavilar that Szeth hid in Jah Keved?
It's vaguely related but not specifically.
Sazed's obviously Harmony now, if he connected with the other Shards would he become the original Adonalsium 'cause all the intents are morphing, or would he--
There are theories that would happen, there are theories it would destroy him.
Have you ever thought about writing a horror novel?
A what?
A horror novel.
You know, I've had little, vague things about, but never anything big enough. Like I'm most attracted in horror to the kind of cthuloid, dark eldritch style stuff, so if you saw a horror novel from me it would be along those lines probably.
In Shadows... did we see a Shardpool? And was it Harmony’s or some other mysterious god who...
So where do you think it is in Shadows?
In one of the newspaper articles.
I am RAFOing that, the whole newspaper article. So the newspaper articles, who knows what’s going on in them. They're tabloid-ish so maybe, maybe--
How did you come up with the idea of windspren?
Windspren in specific? I was thinking about the way the wind is often anthropomorphized, right? It's treated as if it's something alive. And that, for years, just stuck in my head. For a while there were only four windspren, one for each of the quadrants: the north spren, the south spren, the east spren, the west spren, or the west wind and things. But eventually I split them into many more, because I was working with the honorspren and things like that.
What's the most cosmere-icly-significant in Shadows of Self?
In the latest book Shadows of Self? Shadows of Self is not terribly cosmere-significant, the next book has a lot more.
So the middle series?
No, no, no, The Bands of Mourning, the actual next one has some relevant stuff. Oh, what's the most relevant in this? The fact that Hoid is eavesdropping--
On the carriage?
In the carriage. That's pretty cosmere relevant, but there's not a ton in this one. I wanted this one to stay really focused on Wax. You'll see some more worldhoppers in the next one and stuff, so keep your eyes open. They're hard to miss, honestly, in the next one.
How come you don't have any gay, lesbian, or transgender characters in your books?
I do! This one [Shadows of Self] actually has one. Ranette is lesbian. Let's see, transgender is awkward because I have the kandra who are kind of no-gender and both, that doesn't really count, but it's kind of me testing the waters and seeing whether I can write someone who has fluid gender and not be offensive with it, does that make sense? So keep an eye on what I do with the kandra through the books. The other gay person is Drehy from Bridge 4, he's based on my good friend Ryan Dreher who is gay, and so you will see his husband appear in the series eventually as well, but we really haven't talked about that one yet, there really hasn't been an opportunity, but Ranette we've talked about and it becomes more and more obvious as we talk about it in the books.
Are we likely to see any more from Sixth of the Dusk's world?
You are likely to see, if you keep your eyes open, cameos from it. I am not planning anything in that world currently… It went really well, I've just so much on my plate.
I read online that you stated that Instabam's power was over mashed potatoes. Is that actually true in your mind, and if it is would you ever consider writing that story in the same vein that J.K. Rowling did Fantastic Beasts? As a comic relief--
As a comic relief? I could totally see doing that. I just keep thinking that if people got to get superpowers, there have to be stupid ones, right? People've got-- They can't all be “I can fly”, some of them are "I can control mashed potatoes" or something like that...
Wayne's ability to heal himself, obviously doesn't mimic his natural ability because he can regrow fingers. So if he lost a limb, could he regrow the--just heal it roughly until he stored up enough Health and then regrow the limb at a later time? Does it have to be an instantaneous--
No, he could totally get that back.
And if say somebody was born with an extra finger, could they cut that off, heal that up and have a whole fingers-worth of Health saved?
It depends on how they view themselves. Healing in the cosmere is based on replacing-- returning you to the state you view as your natural state... Almost every cosmere magic is going to work that way, unless-- There’s certain ones that-- Yeah almost everyone is going to work that way.
Sazed is Harmony, so does he rule over all of the worlds? Or just--
Just Scadrial.
So he's not involved in the others?
He is not really involved in them. I mean he's aware, and increasingly aware of things, but he is focused on one.
Who would win in a debate between Lightsong and a stick?
*laughs* Ah the Stick would probably win!
The dark orb in the Stormlight prologue, is that native to Roshar? Or could it be from somewhere else?
I'm gonna explain what that is in the next book, so I'm going to RAFO that.
Mistborn Era 1, Elend had a lot of books in his library, and he really wanted to become a better leader. Would there have been any books from other Shardworlds that could have ended up in his library?
That is possible, but he did not read any.
Someone asked you last year if the Unmade could be bonded and you said technically yes. Have we seen any evidence of this, or will we?
Uhh, you-- Eh-- Not yet, no. It doesn't really happen. Technically it could but it just doesn't really happen.
Are the Unmade seeking anything on Roshar?
The Unmade, are they seeking anything? Technically yes.
And are they attracted to something on Roshar?
Um, yeees.
They are both of the above. And also you said--
The Unmade are not all necessarily sapient. Keep that in mind. Not sapient always in the way that we think of sapience.
Dalinar, his memory issues, are they his boon or his curse?
You will actually find out. That's coming. I’m not going to tell you that. You've got a whole flashback sequence dealing with this sort of stuff.
Could you have a good conversation with Adonalsium, back in the day?
Back in the day? I actually have to RAFO that because I actually haven't said whether Adonalsium was a force or an individual. So it is an excellent question, no one has asked me that before, but it's not one I can answer.
That was a bit of a sneaky one, because it seems like it would be an easy one to answer, but it gives away too much
It does.
Why are there so many Kholins that are Radiants? Is there a story reason or...
There is a story reason, kind of. So the Kholin family is in Alethkar, which was the hereditary-- one of the homes of the Knights Radiant. It's still kind of in the forefront of the-- how shall we say-- the collective unconscious and things like this. Plus there's--
And then they are on the forefront of that.
Yes. I mean-- Yeah. And so the spren, some of them are naturally looking for where a lot of Radiants used to be. So it's just a higher concentration of spren around the area, if that makes sense?
I finished Shadows of Self and TenSoon is still wearing the dog body, why is that?
Because he found he liked it.
Really? Because he hated it so much.
He did, he actually changed back and just didn't like it, he couldn't adapt. So he went back to what he had found very familiar now.
Has any of the Shards, outside of the Greater Roshar system, had a champion before, like...
Outside of? Yes.
So I take it that a spren exists simultaneously in both the Physical and Cognitive Realms...
They do.
But are they conscious simultaneously of what's happening in both.
No, they do have to transition.
They have to transition. And does a spren's intelligence affect its ability to transition? So like a more intelligent type of spren finds it more difficult to move over--
Yep-- But the moving over creates a lot of-- Yeah, like some of the ones you'll sometimes see, you'll think that they are-- Some of the spren that aren't intelligent are actually mostly in the Cognitive Realm and you're seeing a manifestation here, but they're not really conscious of what's going on here, they're responding to stuff in the Cognitive Realm.
Ok so they could be pretty damn clever but there's no one to talk to?
Yeah.
I make cocktails, and I want to make cocktails based on the characters, have you got any ideas? Particularly Kaladin and Vin, what would they drink?
...Kaladin and Vin, ah boy. Vin wants something simple, I mean she's going to want something to relax, so maybe something fruity and simple. Kaladin, he'll want something stiff, right, something hard...
The next one actually has a mixed drinks scene. Fortunately, you'll be happy to know, I went to a bartender friend to get some advice on how to make it work, so... If you make Kaladin's stiff and blue, that might be good because of Alethi blue.
With spikes, would you be able to actually transfer Breaths, when they get to the other planets?
So spikes rip off pieces of the soul and so Breaths are not going to be part of the soul. You could maybe get a divine Breath but I haven't really decided on regular Breaths, they're kind of stuck there in the Physical Realm which is not a thing that spikes are dealing with. Divine Breath, potentially, because that's something that's actually melding onto your soul. But, you know, when you're using the Breaths they reach through to the Spiritual Realm so, maybe if you got it while the Breaths were kinetic, right, while you're using them, then you might be able to rip them off. I'm not a hundred percent certain on that one.
There's still things to decide upon.
Yeah there's still things, like I have to kind of see. My instinct says no right now. But, you know, how they interact is not something that I have-- Yeah.
Is Mistborn: The Final Empire based on the French Revolution.
Yes it is. Specifically the stuff with Elend.
It must be very difficult to write Dalinar, since it's--
Yeah he's a very different person, it's kind of brutal to write him now. But it works, it's a good counterpoint.
*inaudible* Shallan and Kal are both younger, so you have less to write about than Dalinar?
Oh yeah the flashbacks cross about 20, 30 years with Dalinar so it is a challenge. But you get to see a lot of sweeping changes in his personality which is really fun.
After the Ascension and everything, how the Allomancy got exponentially weaker after generations. Is something happening after that in the current Mistborn?
Yes, but it’s going to hit a certain point of saturation where it’s going to stop weakening. It’s already kind of, the weakening is…
Evened out?
Yeah
If a Shard were to wield Nightblood more directly, like Odium's champion and Odium channeling his power through Nightblood, would we see a lot of world ending stuff from that?
That-- What you just described would work no differently from a Knight Radiant wielding Nightblood
Okay. And that would be scary powerful?
No. No, they'd feed off the Investiture and eventually would either run out or be drawing it so quickly that it would dissolve the person's soul.
So souls are made of Investiture?
Yes, in the cosmere, souls are. So you'd have a little while, but eventually the person would just die and get eaten.
If an Elantrian were to get a hold of Nightblood and draw it, how would Nightblood react to that-- What kind of power would be unleashed?
So Nightblood needs kinetic Investiture to feed upon. The Elantrian would have to be able to get a conduit to the Dor to feed Nightblood or Nightblood would just eat their soul.
So if they used AonDor to fuel Nightblood--
There are some types of AonDor that would work, and there are others that would not.
And would Nightblood just keep going until either the Aon was--
He would dissolve the Aon as he drew the power from it.
So it wouldn't just empty the Dor?
No, it would not empty the Dor.
If a Hoed goes to the shardpool in the mountains, what happens to them in the Cognitive Realm?
What do you think happens to them?
I want to say that the IRE, but I know they’re not because they’re really, really, really, really old.
I have...
I have a theory that that’s how you get seons.
Here’s the thing, here’s the thing, what have I said about the Cognitive Realm on Sel?
That it’s really, really dangerous.
Yes. Any guesses why?
Because the Shards are Splintered so all the power of the Dor is kind of sloshing around and it’s basically like a highstorm there.
So, what would happen if someone went into there through the shardpool?
It’s probably not as good as they think it is?
No.
Would they get splintered like that?
No they’d just...
Would they get ripped apart?
Yeah. That’s why it’s really dangerous.
Ouch.
So the Elantrians are just dying when they go in...
So when the Hoed or the Elantrians go in...
For the...let’s just say they’re cast into a very dangerous environment without any preparation for it.
So how’d the Ire get there?
They have gone before or they may have been properly prepared.
There’s some theories, that are theories that could totally be the case. Or you could theorize others as well.
What is Endowment’s long term plan? Like just even in general, is she just like “Keep Nalthis safe” like Sazed is or is she like, does she have a plan for...
Nooo, um...
You don’t have to tell me but like, does she have a plan that involves the cosmere...
Not really.
...or is it just to stay on...
She’s more focused on her thing.
What about a person makes a Ryshadium choose them? And why are so many in Dalinar’s family…
I will talk about that eventually. That is a RAFO.
For any other Secret Histories in the future, would those be on different planets or would you stick to Scadrial?
It’s possible to do others. The next one I write is probably still be Kelsier and Scadrial. But if I did another I would just call it, y’know, like “Warbreaker: Secret History”.
If you had to build a team of various magic users from all the worlds that we know right now, kind of like an Avengers or Justice League, who would you have?
Oh boy, I have no... I don’t want to talk about this because I don’t want to predispose people toward...
Oh no, I’m just talking pure...
Yeah but it’s being recorded.
Oh, cool.
But I would want someone from every magic system...
To be part of the council?
But yeah definitely someone from every... would be important.
Would the name of the team be a spoiler? The whole team.
I haven’t even thought of... Seventeenth Shard...
Oh yeah, that is kind of like that.
In Perfect State, will we get more from that universe?
I’d like to, but I’ve got so many things going. So we’ll see. I know what I would do, but it would have to be like... I’d have to find space for it.
Would the two antagonists get together?
Yeah probably.
Do you know who Phineas Gage is?
No.
Okay, so he was a miner and had an iron rod shoot through his head...
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah…
...and it changed his personality and stuff.
Yeah, I have read about that.
So if like consciousness and personality can exist independently of a body, if something like that happened to somebody in the cosmere would it change their personality?
It would change their personality. Unless it were a hemalurgic spike but then that does usually twist you as well. Yes it still would. In the Cosmere most of these things will work the same way, because the body’s interpreting what’s going on.
How do you strike a balance between making sure you write something descriptive enough to get the scene across that you want but not overdoing it with too much...
Usually the thing to do, is to try to be really concrete. Don’t just say “a dog” say “a wet dog, limping and whining” and describe one really powerful sentence or two, and leave it at that. Describe a few of the small, powerful details and let the readers fill in the rest is a good rule of thumb. If you like things more descriptive you can go up from there. But that’s kind of where to start.
And Hoid was a visitor at it [the Shattering] but he wasn’t partaking in on it.
That is what the implication is. For sure.
Who invited Rayse to the Adonalsium-Shattering party?
Hehe, you will have to see. That is definitely a RAFO.
If someone burned atium in the modern era, after Sazed changed things around, would it do the same thing that it did in the previous era?
Yes it would.
It would? Interesting.
If you could find some.
If you could find some…
If it didn’t then Marsh would be dead.
Good point.
If it changed its powers.
I’m very curious about pewter. How much Feruchemical pewter, steel, and gold would you have to take in in order to be equal to burning pewter and flaring.
Oh…um, okay. So you wanna...ok, let’s back this up. So you wanna know feruchemically what would it take to match burning?
Yes.
Okay. So burning pewter, I kind of imagine...roughly doubling. Roughly.
Double your strength?
Yeah. But without the muscle mass change, it’s a magical boost. So because of that it has some pretty dramatic effects, like when Vin jumps and things like that.
So it’s only a double, so would flaring it bring it any higher?
Yeah. Flaring would go higher.
Would it be like triple?
Maybe like triple.
Maybe like tripling...that’s fascinating. So I always thought normal burning would triple it and flaring would quadruple.
Yeah I always felt kind of double. You won’t see people burning pewter and lifting a car.
Right, exactly.
You see people burning pewter and delivering a really solid punch.
Gotcha, thank you. That is fascinating…and would it be about doubling speed and healing ability?
I haven’t worked out the numbers on that exactly. I have an instinct that says that burning pewter, healing goes a bit faster but I have to look in the books and see what we’ve done in the past and then kind of canonize it.
How much of Newcago would a Steelpusher have to eat to move the city?
(Laughing) A lot.
With Mat’s foxhead medallion, would Allomancy work on him? Or would that stop it?
I would say that it would…urgh, mixing magics. I would say it wouldn’t stop Allomancy from working on metals he’s carrying but it would prevent emotional Allomancy from affecting him.
Could Nightblood receive a boon and a curse from the Nightwatcher?
... She could try. I have no idea how that would turn out. I think it would take them and nothing would happen, would be my guess.
Is there a correlation, at all, between Awakening steel, a blade, and the revival of spren every time a Shardblade is summoned? I mean, I know Invesiture is Investiture is Invesiture.
So revival of the spren so--
Similar.
Okay. So, are you talking about a live Shardblade or a dead one, or it doesn’t matter.
Like Nightblood.
Okay.
Awakening the steel, like that, Shardblades <are like Awakening metal> and stuff.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The big difference here is that in one you’re using a physical component, right, and Investing it. In another, a more pure Investiture is passing into the Physical Realm and taking on an embodiment, a shape. Does that make sense? And so, similar but different things. There is a correlation, but it’s not--yeah.
What’s your favorite part about touring? Like the q&a’s or the readings?
No, the readings get old.
*inaudible*
Well each signing I’ll do a different little speech. The q&a’s are more fun because they are different. The reading gets a little old, but the first few times it is good because I’m refining it and it’s fun. So, I’ll say the actual interactive part is my favorite.
*inaudible <compares signing to marathon>*
Though I will admit that sometimes the best part on tours is going back to the hotel and going to sleep. But that really depends on how late the signing is going. Like starting at 4, it’s easy here.
What’s the latest you've ever gone?
I’ve gone ‘til 5.
AM?
Yeah. That one started pretty late but they went pretty late. Normal signings, 1 or 2, is as late as they go.
