Recent entries

    Firefight release party ()
    #11151 Copy

    Questioner

    Why did you choose the cities you chose for Steelheart and Firefight?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I wanted to choose cities that I was familiar with. Like cities I had driven in, cities I knew my way around in, and things like that. Which-- It was really just based on that concept, though I've always liked Chicago because as a kid going to Chicago-- that was the big city close to Nebraska. It was the one I knew and it was like the mid-western big city, if that makes any sense. So I always felt a kinship to that. That's why I picked Chicago. I also wanted one with a lake so I could fre-- turn the lake to steel.

    Questioner

    ...Have you chosen one for Calamity?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. I originally chose Montreal, and my publisher-- I actually said "We could do Montreal or Atlanta" and they like Atlanta better. So I decided to go ahead and go with Atlanta.

    Firefight release party ()
    #11152 Copy

    Questioner

    For new writers is there pitfalls in trying to use, like, a more famous story to tell their story?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You know, I don’t think there are any major ones, just make sure the serial numbers are filed off enough. You know the best versions of these things are like when you realize-- well we talked about-- The Lion King, is Hamlet and when they sat down with Hamlet and said "We’re going to do Hamlet with talking lions" they made it different enough to claim it as their own. And that’s the real thing you have to do, is make sure you're claiming it as your own.

    Hero of Ages New York signing ()
    #11160 Copy

    Questioner (paraphrased)

    How do you find an agent?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    One way is to go to awards ceremonies or writing conventions, such as WorldCon. Brandon stated he met his agent while he was attending the Nebula Awards in NY. He was at a bar, drinking sprite, and talked to someone nearby who happened to be Jim Mintz, an editor at Tor, and also met his agent, Moshe Feder (who was at the signing as well).

    Hero of Ages New York signing ()
    #11161 Copy

    Questioner (paraphrased)

    How much pre-writing do you do for each book?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    He wrote 50k words backstory for Mistborn, and 200k words backstory for The Way of Kings. It takes about 8 months to write a novel. Though it only took a month to write Alcatraz, which was a parody of conspiracies, and included bad super-powers, an anti-epic fantasy (and that a possible movie from Dreamworks was in the works at the time).

    Hero of Ages New York signing ()
    #11162 Copy

    Questioner (paraphrased)

    Someone asked about corrupt religions in Elantris & Mistborn.

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    He mentioned that he teaches one class/year at BYU on sci-fi writing. He fears the misuse of religion, but that he presents "fair and balanced" viewpoints in his books. He also stated that "fiction helps you see through other people's eyes" and quoted Robert Jordan: "I really like when my books raise questions, I just don't like giving the answers."

    Shadows of Self Chicago signing ()
    #11163 Copy

    Dragon13

    In your mind, what would constitute a worldhopper? Is it someone who makes a single trip between worlds (for example, the exodus from Yolen—not that it was an exodus, but a single trip), multiple trips between worlds (such as Hoid), or simply leaving a particular world?

    Brandon Sanderson

    [...] Here's the thing. I would call anyone who is aware that there are multiple worlds in the Cosmere and has visited more than one a worldhopper.

    Dragon13

    Do they actually have to have made it to a second world?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I think that... You’re getting at people like-- I would say that they are a worldhopper kind-of, but not fully. They’re kind of...

    Kurkistan

    The Doctor's companion?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah, the Doctor’s companion type thing. I would define a Worldhopper as someone who has been to another world. I would call someone who has not actually been to another world "Cosmere-aware," but not necessarily a Worldhopper.

    Dragon13

    I was thinking more along the lines of the Shard who does not have a planet.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Oh, Shards transcend these definitions.

    Argent

    They're kind of worldhoppers by default.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Shadows of Self Chicago signing ()
    #11166 Copy

    Dragon13

    Any chance we'll be seeing further correspondence between the writers of the letters? In further books, perhaps?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You will see more letters.

    Footnote: The question refers to the epigraphs of The Way of Kings (Part II) and Words of Radiance (Part IV), which form a letter (from Hoid to Frost) and a response (from Frost to Hoid).
    Shadows of Self Chicago signing ()
    #11167 Copy

    Dragon13

    Syl identifies herself as an honorspren.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Dragon13

    Would Wyndle identify himself as a cultivation spren?

    Brandon Sanderson

    He would definitely... Yes. I think you could say that he would.

    Dragon13

    By the same logic, would a voidspren follow the same naming convention, so to speak?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Here's the thing. Certain spren have decided that they are the most pure forms of Honor, or that they are the most pure form of whatever, where all of them are kind of... Syl's got a good argument for what she is. But there are other spren that would be like "well, I'm an honorspren too, I'm just this variety of honorspren." Does that make sense? Syl's like "I'm an American!" and I'm like "I'm an Nebraskan!" Yes, you're an American. I'm an American too. It's kind of similar to that. But she would be the most pure... many would view her as the purest form. Wyndle would view himself as the purest form of a Cultivationspren.

    Shadows of Self Chicago signing ()
    #11168 Copy

    Dan

    The 16 Shards, are they finalized?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I have finalized them with the reservation that I can change them when I do their adaptation if something works better. So while I have them all written out, I don't canonize. So I guess "is it canonized?", the answer is no. But they are written down, and I could tweak them. Once I put them in a book, they're canonized. I like to give myself a little bit of flexibility before I put them in a book.

    Calamity Chicago signing ()
    #11171 Copy

    Eric

    In Secret History we learn the 16 Shards that Shattered Adonalsium. Was that done [on behalf of the anti-Adonalsium force]?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You’re focusing too much on this idea of an anti-Adonalsium. It—the original question I believe that was asked me was “is there a force that is opposed to Adonalsium” and it left me a lot of wiggle room. In other words, the people who killed Adonalsium, you could say were a force, any person who opposed Adonalsium... What they were trying to get was a “devil” but to do that you must assume Adonalsium was a more Christian-style God, and I haven’t confirmed any of that.

    Calamity Chicago signing ()
    #11176 Copy

    Dragon13

    Of the short stories included in the Mistborn Adventure Game, I know you were involved in The Eleventh Metal. Are the others considered canon?

    Brandon Sanderson

    The Allomancer Jak [and the Pits of Eltania] one, yes. Everything else, no.

    Calamity release party ()
    #11178 Copy

    Llwvyn

    Hoid has said that what he does, when he heals or comes back to life or whatever, heals the soul

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Llwvyn

    But Hemalurgy is like ripping off a piece of the soul. Could he heal that?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It is possible. Well, his particular brand of healing is very Spiritual Realm based. And so, it would-- he could. Not all brands of healing are capable. It depends on what's happening, and things like that. But yes, he would. Most Shardbearers [Surgebinders?] when they're in the throes of their powers would heal spiritually. *brief pause* Not all of them. Not all healing will do that, though.

    Llwvyn

    Yeah. Because I was thinking that maybe you could spike him multiple times and compound his power.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. Spiking him could do some weird things though. But spiking can do weird things to anyone.

    Words of Radiance San Francisco signing ()
    #11179 Copy

    Questioner

    So that bit at the end [of Words of Radiance] with Szeth. Getting that black sword...

    Brandon Sanderson

    That's setting up for book 3, which is going to be crazy.

    Questioner

    There's another book with a black sword...

    Brandon Sanderson

    It's the same sword, yes. In fact I wrote the original version of the Way of Kings involving the character who has that sword. He's in the first draft from 2002, then I wrote Warbreaker about him, then I wrote this.

    Words of Radiance San Francisco signing ()
    #11182 Copy

    Questioner

    Why did you gloss over *audio obscured* for Jasnah?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Again you'll want to read on, but Jasnah-- that was not going to happen in this book. In the initial plot it didn't happen, and Shallan was unable to, in the initial scenes I wrote, be able come into her own and so I had to make major revisions to the plot for this outline, the biggest thing I did was that. And once I did that the story started working.

    Words of Radiance San Francisco signing ()
    #11183 Copy

    Questioner

    When you were planning for Zahel being Vasher, how long did you [plan] that?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Vasher was in the 2002 version of The Way of Kings by name, as Vasher. I only changed him to the new name after I finished this entire draft. Because I'm like "oh, he'd probably go under a pseudonym". So he's in Roshar for 12 years our time—I mean I had written him 12 years ago, in Roshar.

    Questioner

    And what's he doing there? Why? Is that a RAFO?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You'll have to read the Way of Kings Prime but he is in there by name, it blew my assistant's mind when he went back and found it.

    He was doing much of the same thing that he did in this one. But in that book-- in Way of Kings Prime the big defining difference was that Kaladin took the Blade and Plate, and Zahel—or Vasher as he was named there—was his teacher then, and that was a much bigger part of the book because the book was about become-- you know. And it was the first book and him and his teacher, so yeah.

    Words of Radiance San Francisco signing ()
    #11185 Copy

    Questioner

    Do you know how you're going to write how Hoid travels between worlds?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes I do. Yes. Yes there's a big clue in [Words of Radiance]. There is a very big clue in the very first book I published.

    Footnote: We know now that the trick is to jump into shardpools, or "perpendicularities". We see one in Elantris and Rock tells a story of Hoid coming out of one in WoR
    #perpendicularities #worldhopping
    Calamity release party ()
    #11186 Copy

    Little Wilson

    Can you give us any hints about Vax's magic system?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No.

    Little Wilson

    *sighs* Okay.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Nope, nope, nope. Big RAFO. *interruption*

    Isaac Stewart

    It's a magic system based on RAFO. The more RAFO you get, the more Investiture you're able to bestow.

    Calamity release party ()
    #11189 Copy

    Little Wilson

    And so are there any Shards that we don't know of that are Shattered?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Zas678's sister

    Four, right? Ish?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Eh... eh... Honor is gone.

    Little Wilson

    And Devotion and Dominion.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Devotion and Dominion are gone. There are others. The question is, [is] Cultivation gone or not? I'm not-- I haven't answered that for you. There are others. So this is what I can't-- I'm not gonna <just> share the answer. This is why I'm not gonna give you answers on these things.

    Calamity release party ()
    #11190 Copy

    Questioner

    What is the metal that powers the airships?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Ettmetal.

    Questioner

    *sigh* Oh, come on. I know how alkali metals work, just tell me which one.

    Brandon Sanderson

    It is not a metal that is-- um-- It is in the line, but it's not one that exists in our world.

    Questioner

    Mmm, okay.

    Brandon Sanderson

    It is way too explosive to-- it's more explosive even than the ones in our world.

    Calamity release party ()
    #11191 Copy

    Little Wilson

    You mentioned that half(-ish) Shards are whole at-- during Shadows of Self. Is that counting Splinters?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Okay, one more time.

    Little Wilson

    You mentioned that half-- like I think it was at the Bands of Mourning release party-- you said that "half-ish Shards are whole" during Shadows of Self.

    Brandon Sanderson

    "Half-ish Shards are whole?"

    Little Wilson

    Yeah, you didn't want to do the math, because it was-- *interrupted*

    Brandon Sanderson

    Oh, I get it. You're saying-- Okay, so I'm sorry. I'm trying to think of Shards that are half-powered. That's not what you're saying. Half of the existing Shards. 

    Little Wilson

    Yes, yes.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Okay, got it. Yeah.

    Little Wilson

    And does that-- is that counting Splinters? Splintered Shards?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Um, no. I mean, a-- Splintered is one of the ways that they are not considered whole.

    Zas678

    Like completely Splintered as in Dominion and Devotion.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah. That's what-- That's the opposite of whole.

    Zas678

    But having a Splinter, like Endowment...

    Little Wilson

    Because I-- I was kind of going with "Shattered" <and> "Splintered". So Shattered would be kind of what I was going with Devotion and Dominion. 

    Brandon Sanderson

    Okay.

    Little Wilson

    And then Splintered would be more like... You mentioned that Honor kind of Splintered himself off to create the spren before--

    Isaac Stewart

    Oh, and that's mentioned isn't it?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Right, but you've got to keep in mind that-- um... So in Scadrial, Ruin and Preservation did the same thing. Their bodies are part of the world. They-- if their exist-- like, the things on the Spiritual Realm don't matter where they are in relation to each other and things like this. All those <piece> spren are still Honor, when he was alive. Does that make sense? Like, yes those are little Splinters of Honor, but they are still Honor. It's not like he's diminished, because his whole essence is the world, right? There is no diminishing that. And so that thing is we're talking about the fracturing of the mind and the killing of the Shard. That's the distinction between whole and not whole as I was making it for you there.

    Calamity release party ()
    #11192 Copy

    Little Wilson

    Have we seen any of them [Rashek's children] in Era 2?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Any of the Lord Ruler's descendents?

    Little Wilson

    Yes.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes...

    Little Wilson

    Where?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It is not necessarily... Um... I'm not gonna answer that.

    Zas678

    Is it-- Are they just descendants in the same way that, you know, after two thou-- after thirteen hundred years they're all descendants?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You will-- They're not all, but there's a lot of them, percentage-wise. So it's not like you're...

    Zas678

    Specially just kind of...

    Brandon Sanderson

    You're looking for something that's not really there. I'll go ahead and tell you that. There are descendants of the Lord Ruler. But it's not like they have some secret coven or anything like that. At least--

    Zas678

    The Illuminati!

    Brandon Sanderson

    At least, you know, there are-- there are-- How should I say? It's not outside of reason that there are people who are descendants of the Lord Ruler who are part of a coven or something. But you know what I'm saying?

    Zas678

    Yeah, it's not like... super secret magic power society.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah, mhm.

    Zas678

    There could be a group of people who are like, "We're so much better."

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah.

    Calamity release party ()
    #11193 Copy

    Zas678

    How does the Nalthis year compare to normal years?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Uh, that's a PAFO. That's a Peter and find out. If you know much of orbits, and things like this, you will know that most of them have to be pretty close because of the nature of Goldilocks zones and things like this. But they all--

    Zas678

    Yeah. Yeah. They all have to be "year-ish", but the exact "ish" is going to be...

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. Mhm.

    Footnote: Brandon's comment about the period of orbits in the Goldilocks zone is incorrect.
    #nalthis #pafo
    Calamity release party ()
    #11194 Copy

    Zas678

    How long either before modern day or before the Hierocracy was the Recreance?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Um...

    Zas678

    Like 200 years-ish? 100 years-ish?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Okay, Recreance to Hierocracy is what you're asking? 

    Zas678

    Yes. Or to modern day, I don't care.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Uh, so Recreance to Hierocracy... Hierocracy is in recent memory. Recreance is not.

    Zas678

    Okay. So that's probably like a 500-year difference. Something like that.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Uh, yeah, or more. Hierocracy, though, is recent-ish memory.

    Calamity release party ()
    #11195 Copy

    Zas678

    About Bands of Mourning... Marasi finds ReLuur's missing spike, and she describes it as pewter... Which is not one of the four metals conventionally used in kandra blessings...

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Zas678

    ...and is used to steal Feruchemical abilities. Was Marasi just mistaken, or is something going on there.

    Brandon Sanderson

    That you will eventually find out.

    Calamity release party ()
    #11196 Copy

    Zas678

    Did Vasher visit Roshar before the Recreance? Because he had-- *Brandon mumbles question* Because he had to see Shardblades, and... presumably live ones.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah... I'll RAFO that. I'll RAFO that. It is an assumption that he had... He doesn't necessarily have to have seen alive ones. He could have heard records of them.

    Zas678

    Okay. Because I've tried to make out a timeline, to be like, "Okay, if this is here..."

    Brandon Sanderson

    Kara has a timeline-- Not Kara-- Karen has a timeline in hand. But I would have to look at it to give you exact dates, but yeah.

    Zas678

    Okay. So you didn't have to see...

    Brandon Sanderson

    He did not have to see.