Recent entries

    Calamity release party ()
    #11251 Copy

    Questioner

    You mentioned the other ruined cities... Are there any other cities that you were thinking of putting into the book, but ended up not?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah, I had-- I brainstormed a few with the team. Cities I was thinking of-- Toronto we-- Toronto was the big one.

    Isaac Stewart

    What was the funny, weird thing about the city?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Um... I wanted to do a mushroom city, and I didn't do that. I dunno, I had a bunch of them that I bounced off of Isaac and Peter. This is the one we decided on just because the salt thing is so *unintelligible*, you know?

    Isaac Stewart

    Yeah, we did a lot of Canadian cities, is what we were thinking at first.

    Brandon Sanderson

    And then Random House came in and said, "Can it be an American city? Please?" I'm like, "Okay, but you'll have to fight off the Canucks."

    Calamity release party ()
    #11252 Copy

    Questioner

    Are you gonna-- So you had the Reckoners series, right? 

    Brandon Sanderson

    Uh-huh.

    Questioner

    Are you gonna do another series, like, another trilogy after that? Kind of like what you did with Mistborn?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Um, maybe. The next series will be related to the Reckoners, but not directly tied to it. I might come back to the Reckoners, but I'm not one 100% sure.

    Calamity release party ()
    #11253 Copy

    Questioner 1

    If could be an Epic, what would your Epic name be and what would your powers be?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Um, I'm not sure. Let's see... Epic name... Mr. Prolific. Right? That'd be a good name. *pause to sign and gets distracted* 

    Questioner 2

    What was your question? What was the answer to the High Epic? The question she asked?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Oh, oh, I was gonna-- My name was Mr. Prolific.

    Questioner 2

    Mister what?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Mr. Prolific.

    Questioner 2

    Mr. Prolific? *laughs*

    Questioner 3

    What was your power?

    Brandon Sanderson

    If I could choose I'd be able to fly. But I don't think you get to choose. So it's probably the ability to make books materialize out of thin air. *group laughs* And then use them as weapons.

    Ben McSweeney AMA ()
    #11254 Copy

    Oudeis16

    If you burned gold allomantically, who do you think you would see?

    Ben McSweeney

    Hmmm... well, there'd certainly be a version of myself that joined the US Navy at 19, 'cause that was a thing that very nearly happened. A classified ad and one phone call made the difference that day.

    It's hard to imagine a version of myself that isn't an animator, but it's easily feasible to imagine that I could have stayed in illustration and never split the XP to go dual-class. I have no idea what I'd be doing now or if I'd even still be drawing at all, but it'd certainly be different.

    Somewhere down a leg of the Time Trousers is a version of me that never discovered Brandon's work, or decided to draw up some fan-art, or posted it to his fan-forums... or tried doing any of those things at a different time in life, because I happened to cross Sanderson's path at just the right time.

    The thing about gold shadows is that they show you "a version of who you could have been", but there's a near-infinite set of possibilities for that.

    Oudeis16

    Yeah, the default seems to be pivotal moments in your life, but life isn't exactly short on near-pivotal moments. It's sorta a rorschach test; when you think about gold, what are the moments in your life that you think are pivotal?

    What do you think the Sailor would think of you if you met him via gold? From our limited sample (Vin and Miles) goldshadows haven't shown a tendency to get along very well...

    Ben McSweeney

    Hard to guess. If military discipline took hold, he might be a different kind of person not just in terms of life history, but also personality and views. If he saw combat, he'd definitely be a very different Ben.

    Ben McSweeney AMA ()
    #11256 Copy

    Phantine

    Have you seen the Deep Forger?

    https://twitter.com/DeepForger

    It seems like once the processing time comes down a bit, it'll be a pretty powerful tool for doing concept art and rough outlines, but I'm not really into the illustrating business. What are your thoughts on it?

    Ben McSweeney

    It's pretty neat, but it's worth noting that what Deep Forger does is create an approximation based on certain distinct styles of painting, and then applies that effect to a photograph. It's not doing anything particularly creative, it can't produce a Monet or a Picasso from scratch, without input. And from looking at the samples, it seems that most of the time the photographic source origins are still pretty clear. Sorta the same way rotoscoping rarely fools anyone into thinking it's hand-keyed animation.

    That being said, I'm often impressed by what I see people doing with Zbrush and other 3D sculpting software and then applying the right lighting and render techniques to create some very illustrated results. The trick is that it often takes as long (or longer) to produce content that way as opposed to illustrating it traditionally. The advantage is that you can often do a LOT more with a well-sculpted 3D model, even when it's a static object.

    I don't feel that traditional illustration as a craft is particularly at threat, because the real value in an illustrator isn't in the skills their hands produce but in the brains that come up with ideas and new applications and twists, and that's some next-level AI stuff.

    Digital painting has totally changed the landscape in which we work, but it hasn't changed the heart of the illustrator... just the tools. As such, we'll always be using the most effective and efficient tools that we can, but the fundamentals that lie beyond tools and techniques haven't changed much.

    Phantine

    Yeah, I guess my real question is more along the lines of 'does this seem like it'll be a useful tool, and where would that fit in your normal workflow?'

    Ben McSweeney

    I don't think it'd fit in the workflow of what I do... I could perhaps see some potential for it to serve as a method for creating photobash assets that would more easily merge with a larger painting (like serving as a method for creating backgrounds, if you have the right location or can dress a set), but part of the weakness of something like Deep Forger is that it requires an existing image to manipulate.

    A huge part of what I do is visualize and illustrate things that don't exist, and often can't exist in the physical world. I can source reference and I do, pulling ideas from here and there to flesh out the kernel of a concept, but ultimately I don't have anything more than description and design mandates to build from... and that's something a computer can't quite do yet. Someday... maybe.

    Ben McSweeney AMA ()
    #11257 Copy

    IBNobody

    Thinking of all the interior art from The Rithmatest leads me to an important question...

    Can you draw a perfect circle freehand? With chalk?

    Ben McSweeney

    Hahaaaa, not a chance. But even a Rithmatist spends much of their young life learning that skill. Some have it easier than others, but it's not something that just comes to people with Rithmatic ability. It's very much a skill.

    That being said, I do think the best way to draw a circle would be to lock your arm out and then spin on one foot, effectively turning yourself into a compass.

    Calamity release party ()
    #11258 Copy

    Questioner 1

    Have we met Jezrien yet, in the books?

    Brandon Sanderson

    What's that?

    Questioner 1

    Have we met the king of the Heralds in the books yet?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Uh, yes you have.

    Questioner 2

    And it's not Zahel.

    Brandon Sanderson

    No. I-- Fans have picked out who he is. It-- he's moderately obvious. So the-- so he's not supposed to be a big secret. But I will pop him out a little bit more in the third book, so if you don't want to get spoilers you can wait til then.

    Calamity release party ()
    #11260 Copy

    Questioner

    What is Tia's cola brand?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Tia's cola brand is, um...

    Questioner

    <Non-determined>?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Non-- Like it's a in-world cola. I just didn't want to mention a name of one. If-- If I were going to choose one, it would be something like RC, or something like that.

    Questioner

    Yeah. Something obscure and random.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Like... obscure. Kind of indie cola. Probably one I've never even heard of, right?

    Calamity release party ()
    #11262 Copy

    Questioner

    Could I have you write the name of-- or the intent of the Shard that's hiding on it's uninhabited world away from everybody?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Mostly because I don't want to canonize these things and so I get locked into it and the decision is absolutely made. I haven't changed many of them, but I have tweaked them before. I've tweaked like how I wanted to represent the intent, so...

    The Gathering Storm Milford signing ()
    #11265 Copy

    Questioner (paraphrased)

    Do you have new stuff, or new ideas?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    Yes—one is The Silence Divine, a world like ours where you gain magic by diseases; another is a world where the only superheroes are all evil super villains and a group of regular people called the Executioners [Reckoners] gather to hunt them down and take them out.

    The Gathering Storm Milford signing ()
    #11267 Copy

    Questioner (paraphrased)

     Will there be any sequels to Elantris?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    In 2015, the 10th anniversary of the series, he intends to release Dragonriders, three books based on side characters. They will take place 10 years after events, in the city of Dakhor.

    Footnote: The only Dragons, or references to dragons in the Cosmere are from the unpublished Dragonsteel,set on Yolen. This proposed title is questionable, as is the "city of Dakhor"
    Sources: Dragonmount
    Words of Radiance Chicago signing ()
    #11268 Copy

    ladyknightradiant

    Have we seen all four of the genders for the Parshendi?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. 

    ladyknightradiant

    So it's more than just malen and femalen?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well, male and female. So, basically, in my original notes I was trying to decide if I should call them [something else?] but they-- eventually we ended up-- It's basically, they have a male neuter and female neuter, and then a male and a female. So yes, there are four genders. [...] And, if you can't tell, the malen and femalen are both asexual, completely.

    Footnote: Of note, but irrelevant to this entry, is that the questioner, ladyknightradiant, is the one who put together the Where's My Chull? children's book for Brandon. You can find the full illustrations here.
    #parshendi #update footnote
    The Gathering Storm Milford signing ()
    #11270 Copy

    Questioner (paraphrased)

    Regarding the Mistborn books, do you think you will ever write a prequel trilogy?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    I've considered it, but I don't think it's a good idea. I love the hero's journey, like Rand's journey at the beginning of the Wheel of Time. When writing the Mistborn books, I knew Robert Jordan had done epic fantasy the best it could be done, so I thought,  'what hasn’t been done?' The answer I came to was 'what if the hero lost?' The idea was a good one, but that would make a downer of a book.

    Audience Member (paraphrased)

    [Star wars prequels reference] *general laughter*

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    *laughter*

    I wrote Mistborn a thousand years after the hero lost. I'm thinking of writing a sequel set centuries after Mistborn. 

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    Brandon went on to say that he wrote Mistborn as 1000 years after the heroes lost, and he is more strongly considering a sequel trilogy that would take place about 600 years after Mistborn.

    Calamity release party ()
    #11271 Copy

    Questioner

    How hard was it for you to write Kaladin *inaudible* end of the second book?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It was pretty hard. Knowing people whom I love, who have depression, when they are in a depressive funk. And knowing I had to get that across accurately, but try not to make people hate him too much? It was a challenge.

    Calamity Chicago signing ()
    #11272 Copy

    triforceorder

    Is the dying process - death, to Cognitive Realm staging area, to the Beyond - a universal process in the Cosmere?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. it is a universal process. People don’t always hang out as long, depending on how much Investiture is around.

    Calamity release party ()
    #11274 Copy

    Questioner

    Are there any Shards who-- that have merged like Sazed's Shards?

    Brandon Sanderson

    That is a RAFO, good question. Excellent question.

    Questioner

    Just trying to think outside the box.

    Brandon Sanderson

    I think that's the first time I've been asked that.

    Calamity release party ()
    #11278 Copy

    Questioner

    So is it possible to Awaken a Shardblade? That's the question-- that's my question for you.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Um... With the magic system of Awakening, you mean?

    Questioner

    Yeah.

    Brandon Sanderson

    So, all forms of Investiture strongly resist other forms of Investiture.

    Questioner

    Makes sense.

    Brandon Sanderson

    *brief interruption* Nightblood is essentially an Awakened... Trying to do that.

    Questioner

    'Cause he shows up in Words of Radiance, right?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. So, it-- let's just say it'd be very, very hard. Because it's like saying, "Can-- I want to turn on a lightbulb that's been turned on." Yes, you can... maybe... I don't know what that even means. It's already Invested. It's already Awakened.

    Calamity release party ()
    #11279 Copy

    Questioner

    Could a Forger, like, reforge a Shardplate to look differently?

    Brandon Sanderson

    So here's the thing... Um, yes, *but*... Anything that is Invested is-- resists all of the forms of Investiture. And the level of Investiture in it determines how hard it is. Forging is one of these things that-- It's very hard to reforge things that are Invested. Not impossible though. So yes, *but*... Do you see what I'm saying? There's that-- there's a pretty significant "but" on that one.

    Calamity release party ()
    #11280 Copy

    Questioner

    I was wondering, like, are we gonna... From the Secret History...

    Brandon Sanderson

    Uh-huh.

    Questioner

    The people he met with... Are they the ones from Bands of Mourning, and Are we gonna see them anymore?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Which people? Nazh and Khriss?

    Questioner

    Yes.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Uh, Nazh-- Khriss is in Bands of Mourning. Nazh is referenced in many of the books. He's been in-- uh-- he's been in a lot of them... Just briefly, or annotating maps or things like that.

    Questioner

    Okay. So are we gonna see them more kind of like Hoid in the future?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah, they're-- they are Hoid-esque. Khriss is the one who's been writing all the Ars Arcanum from the beginning, so...

    Calamity release party ()
    #11281 Copy

    Questioner

    It seemed like in Alloy of Law you made us like Marasi better than Steris, and then kind of switched it. Was your intention the whole time for them to end up with Steris, or...?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, yes.

    Questioner

    Okay, it was.

    Brandon Sanderson

    In fact, I like Steris a lot in the first book. But you are seeing things through the eyes of other characters. And Steris takes a little bit of time to warm up to. Like, many people like her. And once you get to know here--which, I always knew her--then there's a level of <thoughtfulness> there.

    Calamity release party ()
    #11282 Copy

    Questioner

    Marsh is still alive hundreds of years after.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Uh-huh.

    Questioner

    He's got, like, Lord Ruler level healing powers. Why does he still have a crushed eye socket?

    Brandon Sanderson

    So all healing in the cosmere has to do--or almost all has to do--with your perception of yourself.

    Calamity release party ()
    #11284 Copy

    Questioner

    How many magic systems have you written?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Uh... You know, this is a hard one, because do you count each Order of the Knights Radiant, or each Surge as their own magic system, or...

    Questioner

    I have never read those books, so I don't know.

    Brandon Sanderson

    So... probably a dozen. Maybe two.

    Questioner

    Why so many? When so many people just stick with one?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Uh, because it's fun.

    Calamity release party ()
    #11285 Copy

    Questioner

    Who owns all your copyright for all your symbols and logos and everything else?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I own the copyright on most-- almost-- on all of those. 

    Questioner

    On everything?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yep, yep. And that is something we did intentionally after noticing that... sometimes, like the Wheel of Time--they weren't good at keeping track who owned those, and it was really problematic when they wanted to do t-shirts and things. And so I just bought the rights when I did them.

    Questioner

    That's awesome. Cause I've, uh, looked at licensing and royalties and other things like that with some companies, and it's...

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah. I don't think you want to do something like that. Now cover art you don't want to buy outright. The artist needs to be able to use that for other things. But the symbols you can... most artists will sell you those outright.

    Calamity release party ()
    #11286 Copy

    Questioner

    What are the chances that one of Megan's alternate realities could secretly be the cosmere, but we'll never see it?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Heh... Um, I would like to keep these two separate. But if you believe in infinite variety then I suppose...

    Questioner

    If I believe it hard enough! Okay, alright. But they're-- But they're meant to be separate.

    Brandon Sanderson

    They are meant to be separate. I will do other things with that-- within-- kind of that idea of multiple dimensions and things like that.

    Questioner

    In the Reckoners? In that world?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah.

    Calamity release party ()
    #11290 Copy

    Questioner

    So... that's "[Aon] Ire"...

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, it is.

    Questioner

    ...and that's the symbol for Ire in Secret History.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Questioner

    I was wondering if-- Is this just an in-world depiction of an out-world symbol, or does this actually have some kind of metalurgic value?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Isaac?

    Isaac Stewart

    Yes.

    Brandon Sanderson

    <I may> refer to Sir Isaac.

    Questioner

    Alright, thank you very much.

    So the question is...

    Isaac Stewart

    Okay.

    Questioner

    So this is the symbol for "[Aon] Ire".

    Isaac Stewart

    Mhm.

    Questioner

    And this is the symbol in Secret History for the part called "Ire". And what I'm wondering is... Is this just an in-world representation of an off-world symbol, or is there some kind of metalurgic... in-world meaning to the symbol outside of it. They're just too close to be coincidence.

    Isaac Stewart

    There is a... Obviously there's a relation between the two. I would say that, as far as we know, there is no <metalurgic> connection.

    Questioner

    So as far as we know there is no metalurgic connection, but that could change in a future book. Potentially. Or not. That's all you got for me?

    Isaac Stewart

    Um... I'm trying to figure out what I should say <about it>. And I think... The first thing is obviously they aren't on the planet that they ought to be on.

    Questioner

    Obviously. I mean, not even in the Realm that they ought to be in.

    Isaac Stewart

    Right. And so... It's more symbolic of "this is not in the Realm that it ought to be, but it's taking on attributes of the Realm that it's in."

    Questioner

    So the Realm that it's in is Shadesmar. But it's more near the Scadrial...

    Isaac Stewart

    It's the Scadrial edge of Shadesmar.

    Questioner

    And so it's taking on attributes of that area that it's not supposed to be in but it is in.

    Isaac Stewart

    Right.

    Questioner

    Okay. 

    Isaac Stewart

    There may or may not be intersignificance *inaudible*.

    Questioner

    I will pay attention to that.

    Isaac Stewart

    Pay attention. We may-- we may do something with that. It may just be a fun little thing.

    Questioner

    A fun little thing just there, right. So for now it's at least an interesting in-world representation of an off-world thing, but it might at some day be *inaudible*. Cool!

    Words of Radiance Washington, DC signing ()
    #11293 Copy

    Shicaca

    Is there anything to, I was looking at the map of Roshar, and it kind of looked like a spiral galaxy to me, like it was flipping in a certain direction--

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, that is intentional. You are onto something that no one has figured out yet.

    Audience

    Tell us, tell us!

    Shicaca

    I was thinking if it's connected to manipulating gravity... *inaudible*

    Brandon Sanderson

    You are onto something and it's not exactly what you think you are onto but you're getting close to something that they've all wanted to know for a while.

    Words of Radiance Washington, DC signing ()
    #11298 Copy

    Questioner (paraphrased)

    In order to use magic from one world on another world, do they need a bit of [the first world's] Shard with you?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    It helps a lot. But there are other ways to do it. What's going on in the Cosmere is people have 3 sets of DNA. They have Physical DNA, Spiritual DNA, and Cognitive DNA. Their Spiritual DNA is what encodes the magic system into them, their Investiture. So if you can find a way to rewrite your Spiritual DNA, you can do all kinds of funky things. That's what Hemalurgy does. It rips off a piece of someone else's soul, staples it to yours. So if you went with a Hemalurgic spike to the right place, ripped off a piece of someone's soul and stapled it to yourself, you could create short circuits that will let you do all kinds of goofy stuff.