Questioner
I've got a Mistborn question for you. So, Identity? Can you store, like-- is your physical appearance part of your Identity?
Brandon Sanderson
It is to some people. To most people, it's a part of it, yes.... I don't know the answer-- don't take that as "You can store that." and things like that. It's involved. There are certain things you can do. But it's not as simple as it might have sounded, what I just implied.
Questioner
So, does that apply to your Identity, if you're in the Cognitive Realm? Or the Physical Realm? Can you store that?
Brandon Sanderson
The reason you look like you do in the Cognitive Realm is because it's Identity, things like that. I'm not gonna talk about specifically how storing that works really. Although there is the idea that your soul is the key to Investiture and stuff like that.
Questioner
With the Heralds we know that there's only one left... one Herald that's still bound to the Oathpact--
Brandon Sanderson
OK, only one Herald was about, was abandoned-- You'll find out the mechanics of that in the next book.
Questioner
So are we going to see more of Taln...
Brandon Sanderson
You will see more of-- the Oathpact is not completely broken, the others are still bound to the Oathpact.
Questioner
Even though they kind of sort of said they were abandoning it?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, so there's still connection there, so you'll find out more about all of this and how it works.
Questioner
Was that really the end of the Evil Librarians?
Brandon Sanderson
No. Did you see the last page? About Bastille? Yeah. That'll be the actual end. Once I can get a Bastille book written, that'll be all right. And she's going to un-dreary-ify things, because Alcatraz has a skewed perspective of the world.
Questioner
So I have a question about the cosmere. I recently read The Stormlight Archive books and I love them, and then I reread Warbreaker and I noticed something. When Siri was teaching the God King how to read, she says one of the letters is called shash and this is the name of one of Kaladin's slave brands. I was wondering why.
Brandon Sanderson
It was just a coincidence, that one's been asked of me before, yeah it's just a coincidence.
Questioner
Do you know when the next Alcatraz book will come out?
Brandon Sanderson
Working on it slowly, but it's happening. This one, Oathbringer, took longer than I expected, so it slowed me down a little bit. But it shouldn't be too much longer.
Questioner
Rithmatist?
Brandon Sanderson
Rithmatist, that's the other one. No promises of when; working on it slowly.
Questioner
Really cool what you're doing with Tor. I'm really enjoying the chapters every Tuesday. Me and two of my coworkers are just kinda geeking out about it.
Brandon Sanderson
I'm really glad to hear it. That was my idea.
Questioner
How many sharpies do you go through in one of these things?
Brandon Sanderson
You know, it's not as many as you think. It's maybe three. I go through them really fast when I have big stacks to sign, for the publisher or something. But a sharpie is good for about 200, 300 signatures for me. And a line like this is maybe 500 people, each with maybe three books.
Questioner
So, you know the White Sand graphic novel you made? Did you only sign, like, 250 of those? How many did you sign of those?
Brandon Sanderson
I'm not sure how many. I sign them when people bring them by, but I'm don't know how many numbers there were.
Questioner
No, when you first printed it.
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, the numbered edition. I'm not sure. There aren't that many.
Questioner
I'm like, 199.
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, there's 200 or something like that.
Questioner
When's the next Alcatraz coming out?
Brandon Sanderson
Slowly. Slowly but surely. I'm working on it. Oathbringer went a bit long, longer than expected, but I will see what I can do now that it's done.
Questioner
Elantris. I heard you're maybe doing another?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, some day. It may take me a little while, but it will happen.
Questioner
What would be your dream cast for a Steelheart movie.
Brandon Sanderson
I'm not sure if I would have a dream cast. They are who they are in my head. Mostly, I want to be there in the casting meetings, if it's someone I can be "Yeah! It can be them!" then we'll go with that. I don't really have a dream cast.
Questioner
You're writing so many stories at once with so many different characters. Does it ever get confusing?
Brandon Sanderson
Once in a while. But the way my brain chemistry works, it's good for me to be always thinking about something new and jumping around a little bit, it helps me a ton. Different writers are very different. They don't want to do that at all, and it's just fine. There's no one right way to do it. I don't usually have trouble. It's the excitement of keeping track of it all that's fun for me.
Questioner
What was your inspiration for Waxillium?
Brandon Sanderson
My original pitch for myself for Wax was Clint Eastwood finds out that he's inherited a noble house, and has to move to New York City and take over the family finances.
Questioner
Any advice you would give to a second grader learning to write?
Brandon Sanderson
For second graders? Until about high school, my recommendation is just to encourage them to write whatever they feel like writing. Not imposing too much structure, it's just about momentum. Just "Go go go" will be my recommendation.
Questioner
Now I just gotta know how [Nightblood] got there.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, you do. There will be some hints in the next book.
Questioner
Is there going to be a Renarin Point of View in this next book?
Brandon Sanderson
There is.
Questioner
Oh my goodness! Please don't corrupt him.
Questioner
Your movie coming out? Adaptation?
Brandon Sanderson
We've been trying. We've been trying for years. It's just not going too well, so far. We have hope. Lots of things are in development, but we'll see if it actually happens.
Questioner
What's the relationship between the Knights Radiant and their opposite gender spren? Is that important or not?
Brandon Sanderson
Ah it is slightly important.
Questioner
I have to RAFO it though?
Brandon Sanderson
It's more important narratively than it is in the world. It happens more often but it doesn't mean anything when it doesn't happen, does that makes sense? So it's slightly important, partialy it's a narrative trick. I want to keep some gender balance and it's a lot easier to play off someone different than yourself, and things like that so I naturally do that. It doesn't necessarily mean anything when I don't. It depends on the personality of the spren.
Questioner
What inspired you to start writing?
Brandon Sanderson
It was the books I was reading. I wanted to learn to do what they had done. Anne McCaffrey was a big part of it. But I was reading it, I was like, these books have had such a profound effect on me, I want to learn to do that for other people.
Questioner
I've been dying to ask you this question, especially ever since I've read Way of Kings, it's been growing on me. How much of your work has been influenced by Terry Warner? Bonds That Make Us Free?
Brandon Sanderson
I haven't read any of him.
Questioner
I have been telling people you're my favorite writer for two reasons: ...your quality of writing is fantastic, and your quantity is high. That's very rare to get both of them in the same author.
Brandon Sanderson
You know, it's this weird thing where I have found that the more I keep up my momentum, the better I write. The worst things I write are the things where I take a long break in between. And it's sort of this thing like, if you stop playing baseball or a while, you're gonna start missing the ball. And I found, just for me, that if I do stuff that keeps me going, so I use a lot of these novellas and things to make sure I'm keeping momentum. And it's hard sometimes, because books take a lot of revision, and you can't just write them and send them out. So you have to do, like, six or seven drafts sometimes. Just keep that momentum.
Questioner
...I still haven't finished the last [Wheel of Time]. Because I'm like, I don't know what I'm going to do without them in my life.
Brandon Sanderson
I know that feeling. When I sat down and read the ending that Robert Jordan himself had written, it was a weird, surreal moment, that it was done.
Questioner
How can I get on the waiting list for the leatherbound of The Way of Kings. Because, I know, when it comes out...
Brandon Sanderson
I don't think we're gonna be doing the waiting list for leatherbound Way of Kings.
Questioner
So I'll just have to keep up on it? Keep looking at the website?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah. We'll try to make sure that we get enough of them, maybe order a few extra of that one.
Questioner
How do you keep your magic systems straight?
Brandon Sanderson
You know, I've never had trouble with that. I forget my keys, I forget where I put my wallet, but I don't forget stories. I get the stories right.
Questioner
The Ryshadium mounts. Are they actually-- Is there an actual bond, like the Nahel bond?
Brandon Sanderson
They are slightly Invested through a symbiotic relationship on Roshar that gives them better-than-average animal intelligence.
Questioner
Why did you make Adolin kill someone?
Brandon Sanderson
Adolin's on the edge. He was just really frustrated with this guy who tried to murder his dad multiple times. Adolin demanded that it happen. It wasn't me forcing it to.
Questioner
Because I was reading that during my creative writing course. Everybody in there was wondering why I was so mad...
Brandon Sanderson
You can slap him around sometime, if you want. But he made the call himself.
Lurcher
Reading Mistborn: Secret History, Kelsier sees fauna and flora in the Cognitive Realm. How does that work, are there people thinking about...
Brandon Sanderson
You'll see, there's actual... there's an actual ecosystem in Shadesmar.
Lurcher
Even if people aren't really--
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah. Well, think about it this way. The places people are thinking about will create landscape that this stuff can grow on. Where they're not thinking about it, there's just not going to be anything there, so nothing is going to grow.
Lurcher
What happens when a Reshi island dies?
Brandon Sanderson
So, it becomes that big old shell, and eventually-- shells, they last a long time, but people are gonna move off of it.
Lurcher
Will people try to get the gemheart?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, people will try to get the gemheart.
Lurcher
Can you burn a metal wrapped in another metal, if both are Allomantic? Like, the inner metal, could you just burn that before?
Brandon Sanderson
No, you're gonna have to work your way through the outer one.
Lurcher
And what if it was a non-Allomantic metal? The same?
Brandon Sanderson
It's gonna depend on how thick it is, and stuff. But I would say, if you wrap it in a non-Allomantic metal, that's not good for getting to the metal. It's viable, but it just depends on how thick it is, and things like that. Like, sometimes things have been plated to keep the access to the metal off, but usually you would want to do that in aluminum, to make sure.
Lurcher
What would have happened if the Lord Ruler survived to take the power from the Well? Would he have tried to fixed Scadrial?
Brandon Sanderson
By that point in the Lord Ruler's life, he probably would not have. He would like the world where it is, and he was not 100% cognizant of how far he had fallen from his original ideas. So, it would not have been, I think, a good thing. It may have been not as bad as the disaster that followed, in fact I know it would not have been, but in the end, Scadrial needed to go through that eventually. So it would have just delayed that.
Lurcher
So, would he just kind of use up the power? Held it, and let it--
Brandon Sanderson
He would have done something with it. Maybe with the Southern Continent or something. But he wouldn't have fixed anything, he probably would have made things a little worse.
Lurcher
Another what if. What if Kelsier hadn't scared Vin away when Hoid was-- What information would he have told Vin?
Brandon Sanderson
So, he would not have revealed terribly much of use to her. He was there trying to find out things for him.
Lurcher
In the battle of the Tower, Eshonai is fighting Dalinar, Dalinar removes his helm, and she recognizes him. She acts like she wants to speak with him. Possibly to negotiate. If Kaladin hadn't shown up and saved him, what would have happened?
Brandon Sanderson
There's a chance they would have worked it out. Not a really good one, but there's a chance.
Questioner
What inspired the sword stances in The Way of Kings? Windstance and stonestance--
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, it was old-school, what they call-- the old books that you would see-- sword training guides. Where you would see a guy in a stance, and then go like this, and things. I just thought they were really interesting, and I developed the stances around that.
Questioner
What's your favorite Magic color deck? Favorite combination?
Brandon Sanderson
I'm playing blue!
Questioner
So, you have this [Mistborn] trilogy, and then you have the trilogy coming after, and then--
Brandon Sanderson
Another trilogy.
Questioner
Another trilogy. Is there any sort of date or time?
Brandon Sanderson
No. The Wax & Wayne books will finish very soon. I'm working on the last one of those. So those two will be complete. Then it might be a little before I jump to a 1980s level.
Questioner
So, I loved your Shadows for Silence story. It was just so creepy, and I like how you included the family history aspect of the name. Do you think you'll write another story in that world?
Brandon Sanderson
I will.
Questioner
I am so excited! It was really cool to see you write a more creepier story than your other books. I really liked that change.
Brandon Sanderson
It is gonna be nice and creepy.
Questioner
I am assuming in the next [Elantris] book, you plan on addressing... the bad guy of Fjordell?
Brandon Sanderson
Wyrn? The next book will take place in Fjordell. It focuses mostly on Kiin's family, that's Sarene's uncle. They are the main characters in that one.
Questioner
Do you plan on keeping most of those characters? Like Raoden, Galladon?
Brandon Sanderson
You will see of them, but it's kind of more of an Anne McCaffrey style sequel. In this one, new main characters, with the old ones a little more in the background.
Questioner
When were you planning on having the fourth Wax & Wayne book?
Brandon Sanderson
So, it'll be the next Cosmere book I write. I probably won't get to it until earlier next year. So well see when the publisher decides to publish it after I turn it in.
Questioner
 What is your favorite class of Knights Radiant.
Brandon Sanderson
Ooh, probably-- see, that's hard. I like them all. I would probably, if I were to choose one for myself, probably choose Bondsmith.
Questioner
I'm curious. Are any of those rare metals from Mistborn on any other world?
Brandon Sanderson
So, not those exact metals, unless they've been taken off-world. But there are other metals like them that you could find.
Questioner
So they could have Allomantic lore?
Brandon Sanderson
They theoretically could...
Let's just say it's not a coincidence that you find Investiture manifesting as metal on other places. Such as Shardblades, as well.
Questioner
So, the end of Bands of Mourning. When Harmony is showing Wax, kind of, what's going on outside the world. Is that Odium?
Brandon Sanderson
That's a RAFO. Here's your card.
Questioner
Are there ever any Coinshots or Lurchers that get motion sick?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, that does happen. It's kind of like being left-handed in Roshar. There are certain things that are not a good match.
Questioner
Is [Nightblood] like, the Shardblades, kind of thing?
Brandon Sanderson
It is. So, what happened is: Vasher, who was involved in the creation of Nightblood, visited Roshar and came back with this knowledge, and they tried to create something.
Questioner
So he based it off those?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes. And they got it kind of right.
Questioner
Did the Lord Ruler ever have any children?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, he did.
Questioner
Where did you come up with the idea for spren?
Brandon Sanderson
So, the spren are based a little bit on Platonic philosophy, and a little bit on Shinto philosophy. And it's kind of a melding of those two concepts.
Questioner
My friend is mad at you about the last of the Librarians series.
Brandon Sanderson
Okay, well, it's not the last. Because, tell them to look at the page at the very end end, some people missed, another character-- Alcatraz wrote the last one, another character refused to let be the ending. She is going to write an actual last book. There's a last page hidden in there.
Questioner
Do you know if anyone is planning on writing any more about Alcatraz's story? Maybe not Alcatraz?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, one person. Bastille has refused to let it end. Alcatraz tried to end it in the most awful way possible, intentionally, so she's not gonna let him get away with that.
Questioner
With the Kaladin soundtrack, how similar is that going to be to other studios, like Two Steps from Hell, audiomachine?
Brandon Sanderson
Hopefully fairly similar. Two Steps from Hell tends to go a little harder than I think most of this album is going to be. I love it, but every one of them is, like, trailer music. That's what Two Steps from Hell is, right? And I think you'll find a few more quieter pieces on the Kaladin album, but that's what we're shooting for, a symphonic album like that.
Questioner
How long until the next Rithmatist?
Brandon Sanderson
Um, that's the slow one. Stormlight 3 taking as long as it has, that's what it has slowed down. I keep saying it's only gonna be a couple years, but-- I don't know, honestly...
My goal is to start closing up some of theses series in the next couple of years, so I'm hoping to finish off the Legion trilogy and Wax & Wayne next year, and just start closing some things off.
Questioner
Do you already know how The Stormlight Archive is going to end?
Brandon Sanderson
I do!
Questioner
Do you have all the details in mind, or do you just kind of have a general idea and you figure it out as you go?
Brandon Sanderson
So, I'm a planner. I tend to like having a pretty detailed plan. For something like The Stormlight Archive, that generally kind of boils down to: the next book has a five page plan, the book after that has a three page plan, the book after that a two page plan, one page, one page, and the last book we go back to a five page plan. So there is lots of wiggle room in one of these outlines, but at the same time, I've got touchstones and things I know I'm writing toward.
