Recent entries

    /r/fantasy AMA 2013 ()
    #10554 Copy

    Herowannabe

    What happens when a blind person burns Gold- especially of he "sees" a version of himself that isn't blind? Can he see the other version or just hear/feel/sense him? What about the other version, can it see things? Could a blind person use gold in this way to see the world around him?

    Brandon Sanderson

    A blind person would indeed sense these things, but not have the vision with the eyes. In the same way that a blind person still dreams, but doesn't "See" in them. (As I understand it.) I'd suggest talking to someone who is blind and getting their take on how this would work.

    /r/fantasy AMA 2013 ()
    #10555 Copy

    Herowannabe

    I recently picked up the Mistborn Adventure game and am loving it. I made a character who is a blind Mistborn because hey, I thought it would make for some interesting possibilities. As I understand Allomancy, he can hear/sense well enough to get around with Tin, plus even though he's blind he can still "see" steel lines (like the inquisitors), and I assume Atium would work the same way- that is, he could still "see" Atium shadows. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

    Brandon Sanderson

    No, you're right. That works. He'd have to burn metals a LOT though. It might warp him a little. :)

    /r/fantasy AMA 2013 ()
    #10557 Copy

    theFinisher4Ever

    Was the Lord Ruler using Feruchemy + Allomancy to Soothe all of the people around him? Or was he, as I like to think, flaring for so long that he became a Soother Savant?

    Brandon Sanderson

    He lived long enough and used his metals enough (particularly Soothing) to become nearly a savant in every area, if not a full savant.

    /r/fantasy AMA 2013 ()
    #10563 Copy

    Chaos

    You have said the Scadrians on the southern continent does have interaction with the Metallic Arts, but use them in very different ways. Does this mean there are different, for example, Allomantic abilities for those Scadrians? Or is it more a cultural thing?

    Brandon Sanderson

    The abilities are the same. The way they harness and use them, though, is different...

    /r/fantasy AMA 2013 ()
    #10564 Copy

    AptoCanavalian

    Dear Brandon, If you could have a dinner party with six of the characters that you have written about, which six would you choose and why? Would your answer change if the party was in someone else's house?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well, it would be tough--I'd have to decide if I wanted the party to be crazy, interesting, or low risk.

    For example, inviting Hoid and Kelsier to the same party could result in murdering. Having Sazed around with someone like Jasnah would lead to some great discussions of philosophy.

    unknown

    Wait--are you implying Hoid and Kelsier would want to murder each other, or that they would team up to murder other people?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Hoid and Kelsier do not get along. At all.

    /r/fantasy AMA 2013 ()
    #10565 Copy

    samwisevimes

    I had a question about the Parshendi, do they have a negotiating form? I ask because it seems they must have shifted forms before/just after the betrayal and are now stuck in war form, but if they had the ability to negotiate before why not now?

    Brandon Sanderson

    More of this will be answered in book two. They aren't 'stuck' in warform, but do have limited options.

    /r/fantasy AMA 2013 ()
    #10567 Copy

    Nepene

    In Warbreaker Lightsong mentions that the Returned's forms are dependent on contemporary beauty standards. In the Emperor's Soul Shai implies that if others did not find the Emperor's Soul plausible it would not take as well. Is my reading of their statements correct, is their magic dependent on how others view you as well as how you view yourself?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. This is a factor.

    /r/fantasy AMA 2013 ()
    #10568 Copy

    Nepene

    In The Emperor's Soul and Elantris the magic systems have very different methods and powers, though both work through symbols. Assuming they adapted the symbols to their local geography could they use each other's methods? Could an Elantrian forge a soulstamp say?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Birth in a certain location on Sel gives a certain affinity for the local symbols, and their usage. To use the magic of another region, one would need to have a rewritten connection to that area instead.

    /r/fantasy AMA 2013 ()
    #10569 Copy

    Nepene

    You've said you want to write a book set in the Southern Continent. I did enjoy the Emperor's Soul a lot, so I am curious about you writing that future book. How do they use magic differently, and why should we be excited about reading a book set there?

    Brandon Sanderson

    The southern continent is where people have discovered how to harness the metallurgic arts in a more mechanical method. (I've hinted several places that this is possible. I've been holding off doing it until we go here.)

    Chaos

    About the southern continent, would it be possible for other Scadrians to discover this method of using the Metallic Arts, or is it unique to the southern Scadrians?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It is technology-based rather than genetics based.

    /r/fantasy AMA 2013 ()
    #10570 Copy

    Nepene

    If Ruin had won, what would his long term goals for the Cosmere be?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Ruin's goals and motives were about fulfilling the needs of the Shard inside of him. It overwhelmed his personality, and corrupted him. He would seek for all things to be reduced to a state of entropic equilibrium.

    /r/fantasy AMA 2013 ()
    #10571 Copy

    Nepene

    You've mentioned several philosophical concepts used in the writing of your books, like Jung's collective unconsciousness, Plato's cave. Could you expand a bit on your use of those in your books, and whether you think it is necessary to use philosophy to make a good fantasy world?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I don't think it's necessary at all. The writer's own fascinations--whatever they are--can add to the writing experience. But yes, some philosophical ideas worked into my fiction. Plato's theory of the forms has always fascinated, and so the idea of a physical/cognitive/spiritual realm is certainly a product of this. Human perception of ideals has a lot to do with the cognitive realm, and a true ideal has a lot to do with the spiritual realm.

    As for more examples, they're spread through my fiction. Spinoza is in there a lot, and Jung has a lot to do with the idea of spiritual connectivity (and how the Parshendi can all sing the same songs.)

    Nepene

    Not completely sure where Spinoaza comes in. I guess the shards are part of the natural world and have no personality without a human wielder.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes on Spinoza there, and also the idea of God being in everything, and everything of one substance. Unifying laws. Those sorts of things. (Less his determinism, though.)

    /r/fantasy AMA 2013 ()
    #10572 Copy

    ryanthelion

    I know that you are very meticulous in developing your stories. Were the shardblades, shardplate, mistborn cloaks, or even Nightblood from Warbreaker developed in a similar fashion, or is it a more organic process to making cool weapons and armor? How do you blur the line between what makes sense, and what is just plain fun?

    Brandon Sanderson

    There are connections in the things you mentioned above, though I don't want to speak of specifics yet for risk of spoiling future revelations.

    As for blurring the line between what makes sense and what is fun...I err on the side of the fun. However, part of my meticulous planning is about how to make the fun make sense. I feel that is part of what makes this genre interesting. I decided I wanted to do a story about the Knights Radiant, with the Plate and Blades. From there, I spent a long time thinking about what would make those kinds of weapons reasonable and important to a society.

    You can do anything, but do try to focus on laying your groundwork and being consistent.

    /r/fantasy AMA 2013 ()
    #10574 Copy

    Satsuoni

    You have mentioned that certain spren are an embodiment of concepts. How does that work for the concepts like honour, that can mean opposite things to different culture groups?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Human perception has a lot to do with why spren act like they do...

    /r/fantasy AMA 2013 ()
    #10578 Copy

    Satsuoni

    You said that every person on Scadrial has a bit of Preservation in them. It is possible, then, to accumulate enough Hemalurgic charge from killing normal people by, say, steel spike (at once, or in order), to make that spike grant Allomancy? Building on this, is it possible for the spike to accumulate charge while being imbedded in acceptor body, by killing people with the protruding end?

    Brandon Sanderson

    My, you're making the Scadrial magic systems sound a lot like the one from Nalthis.... Hm....

    DrogaKrolow.pl interview ()
    #10579 Copy

    DrogaKrolow

    Where the hell in Warbreaker is the Terris lady?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Hehehe. Do you have any guesses?

    DrogaKrolow

    Nurses. One of them.

    Brandon Sanderson

    *pauses* Why do you guess that?

    DrogaKrolow

    I don't know.

    Brandon Sanderson

    That's a pretty good guess.

    DrogaKrolow

    I mean they are the only females apart from the main characters who are somehow important. So I guess somewhere there because I don't think she's like in the fifth plane somewhere in the back of the alley where someone walks by.

    Brandon Sanderson

    That’s a very good guess. I guess you have narrowed down your options. Um, yeah… um...so… I’m just gonna say that’s a ththth-- the-- he seems-- Yeah. So, there you go. I'm surprised...

    ...You’re not supposed to be able to guess who the Terriswoman is, by the way.

    DrogaKrolow

    So we will see her somewhere else?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, you will see her somewhere else. Yeah, you're not supposed to be able to guess. So that's why I'm surprised.

    Warsaw signing ()
    #10580 Copy

    Questioner

    *inaudible* when you are going to publish or finish writing Era 3 Mistborn *inaudible* <Do you know how long they will be?>

    Brandon Sanderson

    I have very good outline for Era 3. Three books. It will be a little bit longer than Era 2 books. It will be this length *points to probably Era One books*. But yes, I’m not planning to write those until Stormlight 5 is written.

    Warsaw signing ()
    #10581 Copy

    Questioner

    <> <and then he flies away, end of scene> <Lift eating pancakes> <>?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. That's intentional. There's more to that story, but I'm cutting around it a little bit because I don't want to spoil Oathbringer, where we really dig into the ramifications of that change. I didn't want-- Because I wouldn't-- that would raise so many questions, so I did cut around that idea and leave it out of the end of Edgedancer intentionally. So, next book will answer that.

    Kraków signing ()
    #10582 Copy

    Questioner

    In all your books, who's your favorite character?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You know, I usually cheat on that question and I say "whoever I'm writing right now", cause I like them all, they're my children...

    Questioner

    Okay, but you have to pick one.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Probably Dalinar, probably but...

    Translator

    My favorite is Steris.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Steris is a lot of fun.

    Kraków signing ()
    #10583 Copy

    Questioner

    Is there going to be more Lift in the next book?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No, you’ll see some of her, she's reserved... most of her you'll see in the book 6 and on but you'll see little glimpses of her in the other ones. The stuff she has in Oathbringer is a riot, it's very fun.

    Kraków signing ()
    #10584 Copy

    Questioner

    I was thinking, was there <inaudible> Allomantic metals <inaudible> random or was there something behind it?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I wanted the metals that had an alloy, that was commonly used and is easily accessible to people in a pre-industrial society.

    Questioner

    When they go and discover more of the periodic table, is there a chance they’ll discover <inaudible>

    Brandon Sanderson

    There is a chance, yes.

    Kraków signing ()
    #10585 Copy

    Questioner/Translator

    How are you feeling now that you're near science fiction since you're known for fantasy novels. <inaudible> Young Adult?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Most of my books are what we'd call hard fantasy anyway; which is fantasy that uses science fiction's styling to build it's worlds. So I don't know that for me there's a hard line between science fiction and fantasy. There certainly isn't a hard line between my interest on one side or the other; I like all kinds of speculative fiction. Though I will say that I have trouble making anything normal. Legion is a good example which is a psychological thriller that ended up being science fiction and a little bit fantasy.

    Kraków signing ()
    #10586 Copy

    Questioner/Translator

    How do you create such a complex character as Legion? How, where did you get the aspects from and did you consult any psychiatrists?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Legion came from a conversation I had with friend of mine named Dan Wells. And he loves to write stories about... horror stories about people who are dealing with mental disability. And I told him what if there was somebody who was schizophrenic and the people they saw helped them out instead of inspiring their paranoia. And he said "that doesn't sound like a horror novel, you should write that, Brandon; it sounds like your style of novel". And it's true: if you haven't read Legion, it's about a guy who sees hallucinations of people who all help him solve crimes. And the inspiration is really all the weird voices that authors have in their heads about all these characters.

    Kraków signing ()
    #10587 Copy

    Questioner

    How many hours a day to you spend on writing and how much do you sleep?

    Brandon Sanderson

    *laughter* I'm an insomniac, that helps a little bit. But actually I don't... I have a very good work-life balance. People think that I must be writing sixteen hours a day but I'm not. I'm very good with my time and I have no commute which saves me a bit of time. So I spend around eight to ten hours working a day. A chunk of that is answering interview questions or email or things like that. I spend maybe four hours a day with my wife and my kids, doing whatever they want and a couple hours goofing off.

    What more can I ask for?

    Kraków signing ()
    #10588 Copy

    Questioner

    My question is for both of you: regarding the translation process, is word-for-word translation more important or do you go with the feeling and how much communication is done with Brandon during the process?

    Translator

    When I was at university, I had two lecturers. One said: "The original is sacred. You mustn't do anything too original. It's so important, you have to remember/take everything." and the other when I went fifteen minutes later to another class it was "Oh dear. It should read well. Forget the original, it should read well". So I think I found a kind of balance between those two stances.

    Brandon Sanderson

    And I always tell translators to err on the side of reading well rather than preserving the exact words. Particularly because, some of the languages we're translating into, you can't preserve exact words.

    When Anna wrote to us I sent her to my assistant Peter, who is an editor and continuity editor and I let him interface with all of the translators because I would probably just ask him anyway to look the details up in our wiki. We do occasionally have to answer new questions, though, because for instance -- as Anna pointed out to me -- Polish has a lot of gendered words that aren't gendered in English and sometimes I'd use a phrase and would have to say whether this person was male or female.

    Shadows of Self San Jose signing ()
    #10590 Copy

    Questioner

    Thing about Stormlight, are you kinda writing a series about the nature of abstraction?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Kinda yeah see…*recording paused* journey before destination.

    Questioner

    Yeah, that is my favorite, so far. I mean I don’t know all the orders yet. Because that is...I’m looking forward to the rest of it.

    Brandon Sanderson

    It is, the nature of abstraction and that sort of stuff is a very big part of it.

    Firefight Seattle UBooks signing ()
    #10593 Copy

    Wetlander

    How much time elapses between the beginning of the main part of the story [where they start out at the Shattered Plains] and the end of the series?

    Brandon Sanderson

    And the end of the series? Because the end of the series, um, we have a 15-year gap between [books number] 5 and 6. So, the first five will probably be Wheel of Time-ish, sort of, each one picks up where the last one left off; we have a little more time, maybe, than Wheel of Time, but not terribly much, so it will probably be just a couple of years for the first ones, but then we will jump.

    Barnes and Noble Book Club Q&A ()
    #10595 Copy

    Nadine

    Will The Way of Kings series be based on one of the worlds and magic systems you have already created or are you inventing a totally new one for this series?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It will be new. There are going to be a lot of different types of magic in the world (I see there's a question below asking about that, so I'll answer more there.) But there will be two main magic systems for the first book. The first will deal with the manipulation of fundamental forces. (Gravity, Strong/weak atomic forces, Electromagnetic force, that sort of thing.) The second will be a transformation based magic system, whereby people can transform objects into one of the world's ten elements.

    Kraków signing ()
    #10596 Copy

    Questioner

    Do you have any idea when you’ll finish this series?

    Brandon Sanderson

    So there’ll be two five-book groups, first five should finish fairly soon. But then there’ll be a break while I write something else and then I’ll come back to the back five, so i’m not sure, but the first five will have their own arc.

    Goodreads: Ask the Author Q&A ()
    #10597 Copy

    Kurkistan

    Could Miles heal back his Allomancy if it was spiked out of him?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No, he could not. He would no longer be an Allomancer. Also, he'd probably be dead. :)

    Kurkistan

    Thanks!

    I'd thought maybe he could just do some super-tapping from his existing Health in his goldminds (since he'd still have his Feruchemy)...

    Brandon Sanderson

    Oh, I see what you're asking. Using Feruchemy to heal the removed portion of soul. That's actually plausible, not so different from healing other kinds of soul-wounds. If he survived, then yes, this actually might work. (That's why I get for reading the questions so quickly.)

    /r/books AMA 2015 ()
    #10598 Copy

    Overlord Jebus

    The Knights Radiants have access to two Surges each, are the two Surges completely seperate or can they be combined together? Something like maybe allowing a Lightweaver to create a solid illusion by combining their Illumination Surge and their Soulcasting?

    Essentially, do each of the Orders have a special talent only they can do that isn't available to any other Order?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, they do, but it's not always directly obvious in a straightforward way, such as your example.

    Overlord Jebus

    Would the lashing system be an example of this? Full lashings apppear to be mostly Adhesion and and the basic lashing seems to be mostly Gravitational, does this mean Bondsmiths will be able do full lashings and Skybreakers can use partial and basic lashings?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO.

    Warsaw signing ()
    #10600 Copy

    Questioner

    Did you ever feel trapped by the magic system you <write/create>, for example you want to change something but you can't because of scenario you set up something in other way?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, all the time and it’s good for me. It forces me to state my rules and forces their characters to stay to their rules, so it’s very good for my writing but happens all the time.