Recent entries

Questioner (paraphrased)

You say you put limits on magic to make it interesting, do you do the same to characters?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Yes! A lot of characterization comes from conflict in what the characters can't do.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

He was asked a question about creating Steelheart and it boiled down to being unique with names and powers is hard, he had a hard time finding things that Marvel and DC haven't done already.

stormfather (paraphrased)

Does the plague on the Purelake has anything to do with the fact that the magic fish form symbiotic bonds with spren?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

No, worldhoppers brought a disease to Roshar that they didn't have before. It's the common cold. Rosharans' Investiture makes it so they're usually a healthy bunch so something like the cold is kind of frightening. "It's a plague of the sniffles."

stormfather [Alternate wording from ZenBossanova's report] (paraphrased)

Another person asked about the plague in the Purelake.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Turns out, that was a pathogen introduced by worldhoppers. People on Roshar normally have greater health than elsewhere in the cosmere because they are more Invested (Stormlight and all that). This plague was what we call… the common cold.

Questioner (paraphrased)

What was your inspiration for Grandpa Smedry?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

[Brandon's] mother, who was always late to things. [Brandon]'s the inspiration for Alcatraz *he held up his broken phone to us*.

the_archduke (paraphrased)

Could a Knight Radiant pass their Nahel bond the way seons can be passed in Elantris?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Theoretically possible and in fact has happened in previous eras.

Questioner (paraphrased)

Is it possible for a seon to abandon someone?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Yes and we might see it in a later book. He avoided answering the follow up about how this could happen.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

The potato in the minefield was his favorite bad metaphor.

the_archduke (paraphrased)

Is the Ars Arcanum written by a person we have met yet?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

He said some people have met this person. I pushed and he said this person is from an unpublished work.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

He enjoys coming up with Epic weaknesses more than Epic powers.

Noah Hill

Is there any chance we will have a deeper backstory for Bridge 4 members? Maybe an anthology or something with short stories that detail backstory for Rock, Lopen, etc? That would be amazing!

Brandon Sanderson

I do intend to dig into some of them a little. (Rock, for example, is currently plotted to have a viewpoint sequence in a later book.)

Brady Dill

What kind of college classes (not English courses) would best prepare someone for writing fantasy?

Brandon Sanderson

Whatever you're fascinated by! You can incorporate basically anything into a story. If you love numbers, study economics. If you like history, pick an area and type and become an expert. Whether it be law or botany, you will find a way to use it in your books.

Judy

Brandon, your books are always seamless and so well put together. Do you use any specific software when compiling a story?

Brandon Sanderson

I'm afraid I don't. I use Microsoft Word. Compiling is all done the old-fashioned way with lots of editing.

Jason Wright

If a kandra eats a bead of lerasium, can he burn it? Alternatively can he gain Allomancy via Hemalurgy?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes on both counts.

Trevor Allen

There is certain type of chicken that makes two appearances in Words of Radiance, is that chicken an Aviar?

Brandon Sanderson

No, but good question.

Catherine

Does the metal on [Scadrial] contain within it any sort of spren-like being, or anything similar to that, and also, does the Splintered nature of the Shards on [Sel] have anything to do with how the magic manifests itself without a physical representation?

Brandon Sanderson

Scadrial did not have an analogous, self-aware Invested set of entities. The power has to be "let go of" in a way.

Jaz

When you're writing/planning a new series, how much time would you say you spend on world building? Do you like to have a good sense of the world before you starting writing or do you adapt and evolve the world as you write?

Brandon Sanderson

I do a moderate amount ahead of time, but it depends on the series--most importantly, the length of the book. If I'm writing a shorter work, I can develop more on-the-fly, knowing I can make it all consistent after the fact. If I'm writing in a series, I need much more ahead of time. Developing the world for The Way of Kings took years.

Brian Seavey

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers who are educated in a field other than literature and in a profession already that is not centered around writing?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes! I'll tell you that you're in luck. Take what you've learned in your field of education, and in your profession, and apply it to your writing. RJ used his experience as a solider; Grisham made a career out of writing books related to his work. You have special experience and knowledge that will make your books distinctive. Make use of it!

Heather

Do you get inspiration for the settings in your books from anywhere?

Brandon Sanderson

Settings are often inspired by something I've seen in our world, then taken to the extreme. The storm on Roshar, the mists on Scadrial...even Elantris was based on my readings about leper colonies.

WeiryWriter

In Elantris the Aon used for healing is Aon Ien, but the definition given in the back of the book says it means "Wisdom". The other Aons have effects and definitions that go together, but "Healing" and "Wisdom" don't seem to match. Is there something there or is it an error?

Brandon Sanderson

It's more a cultural thing. When I was naming the Aons I had some of them cross-align like this because I feel that languages, and cultures, are often messy. (Drive on a parkway, park in a driveway kind of issues.) This is the only one that ended up in the glossary that was like this, though, so I probably should have spotted that and changed it.

Moogle

If a non-Windrunner Surgebinder (who had spoken all the Ideals of their Radiant Order) summoned Jezrien's Honorblade, what color eyes would they get? A blend? Different colors for each eye?

Brandon Sanderson

:) I'm going to RAFO eye color questions for the moment. We'll actually be dealing with some of these in the books. Maybe not the specific ones you ask, but the concepts in general.

William Anderson

Do all Epics' weaknesses come from things in their past?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

William Anderson

Can a Seeker inside a Coppercloud Seek someone out of one?

Brandon Sanderson

It is possible.

William Anderson

What about a Soother instead of a Seeker?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, again possible.

Catherine

Does a Shard's power being manifested either physically or not (through metals vs through light) have anything to do with its individual abilities/powers?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO. :)

Anthony

Sixth of the Dusk doesn't have much that directly ties it to the cosmere. Is this a world we'll see later?

Brandon Sanderson

It is not hugely important to the cosmere. We will see signs and hints of it, but don't expect a book set there.

Marina

Zahel/Vasher is in Roshar for Nightblood? Will we know in Stormlight Archive why these two were separated? Or in the sequel of Warbreaker?

Brandon Sanderson

The Warbreaker sequel will give clues about this, but the actual event happened between that and [The Way of Kings]. So I'm not sure where I'll slip it in.

Crimzonwarlock

In your opinion who is stronger in the the world of dreams? Perrin or Egwene?

Brandon Sanderson

I'd say that at this point, it's less a matter of who is stronger, and more a matter of what they're doing. Perrin could probably win a fight, but his raw knowledge and understanding is less--he works on instinct.

Kirsty Cabot

Were there any characters you found difficult to connect with when writing the remaining books of The Wheel of Time series?

Brandon Sanderson

I've never really been able to get into Cadsuane as a character, and so she was the most difficult for me to do. I love Aviendha and Tuon, but both of them think so differently from the rest of the characters that they gave me a challenge.

Moogle

If you used Stormlight to Awaken, would you drain color or create frost?

Brandon Sanderson

You'll have to see if this happens in the future! (Note that mixing the investitures is usually not easy to do.)

William Anderson

Can "modern" (as in Adolin's) Shardplate be summoned similar to how "dead" Shardblades (as in Oathbringer) can be?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

Adrienne

In Well of Ascension, it mentions that the language of Terris had a gender neutral pronoun. If you actually constructed the language, what was that pronoun? Or did you just leave it as its English translation of "it"?

Brandon Sanderson

I didn't spend a long time on the languages in Scadrial, since most people were speaking the same tongue. I just used "it" in my own writings. Roshar has a lot more detail on the languages, because culture-clash is a bigger part of the theme of the series.

Marina

We know that Pattern was with Shallan before the murder of Shallan's mother. Will we see in the next books how they met?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, you will probably see this some day.

Marina

You said that Shallan will have different apprenticeships, we know 2 , Will be Hoid another?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO. :)

Krystal Hammond

How much do you use science to influence/guide your world building in what most people would identify as a fantasy setting?

Brandon Sanderson

I use it quite a bit, but as I'm writing fantasy, I go by the rule "do what is awesome first, then explain it." Meaning, I am looking to tell a certain kind of story, and while science is often a springboard into a magic, I will sometimes chose to do what I think makes the story better as opposed to what is scientifically rational. The way the Metallic Arts work with mass is one example.

Justin Carmony

One of my favorite things about being a Brandon Sanderson fan is how consistently you publish books, I always know you'll have a new book coming out without having to wait years. What do you do to help keep up the consistency and overcome the times when you sit down and the "creative juices" aren't there, or at least not easily accessible?

Brandon Sanderson

I throw away a fair amount of fiction. If it isn't flowing, I write anyway, then file that chapter away under junk. I also hop projects a lot. I've found this makes me much more creative and eager to write.

Christien Skousen

Were the aliens in Sixth of the Dusk from [Scadrial]?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO. :)

All I've said is that they're from a planet you've seen/heard of before.

Alex Clarke

Did the Lord Ruler know how to worldhop?

Brandon Sanderson

He was familiar with the idea that people lived on other planets, but had no interest--or experience--in visiting other places. During his Ascension, he could have left Scadrial, if he'd wished.

Hanna

Do Zahel and Hoid know each other?

Brandon Sanderson

They've met.

Otherwise, RAFO.

Mariya Kiryakova

What was your inspiration for Kaladin?

Brandon Sanderson

Kaladin was inspired originally by reading about surgeons in the middle ages.

Annie Lown

In the Wheel of Time books, did the Creator have a power, similar to the True Power that the Dark One had?

Brandon Sanderson

I'm afraid I don't have the answer for this, not for certain. I think that readers of the text could argue both ways. For example, a certain event in the epilogue of [A Memory of Light] could be interpreted this way--though everyone in Team Jordan seems to have a different opinion on what is going on, and [Robert Jordan] didn't leave an explanation.

William Anderson

Why are do the Windrunners, Elsecallers, Stonewards, and Dustbringers have an extra connection on the Surgebinding diagram? Why do the Edgedancer, Skybreaker, Lightweaver, Willshaper's have a broken connection on the diagram? What are the dragon type things in the back of the diagram?

Brandon Sanderson

The dragon type things are a certain animal you've seen several places in the story so far.

These connections will be explained eventually, but remember it's not the orders being connected, but instead their elemental representations. This diagram is very metaphysical, and some of the elements of it are cultural.

EHyde

On Roshar, do they have an equivalent for cats, like how they have axehounds instead of dogs?

Brandon Sanderson

No, they do not. Though there are various domesticated animals fulfilling a similar role across the planet. (Domesticated minks and pigs come to mind.)

Mandi

In [Words of Radiance] Shallan notes that spren don't appear around dense groups of people, even if emotions are high. Why is that?

Brandon Sanderson

You'll find out more eventually. There are several reasons, but imagine how a creature attracted to a specific color would respond if you dumped every color together in a big mess.

Val

How quickly are you able to get back into the storyline flow when you begin another book? e.g. Do you have to review notes extensively for a few days?

Brandon Sanderson

This is one of the most difficult things for me to do. I wish I had a better way to do it, actually. I usually lose a few days or more while trying to get into a book I've stopped for some reason. My primary method is to read what I've written before (or, if it is a new book in a series, the last part of the previous book.) That tends to help get me into a mood, so to speak. But it can take days of thinking, working, and throwing away my work to get into the groove.

Tirithna

Does Shardplate have one general style as a pattern, or do different types exist (like European armour vs. Japanese armour), as the different kingdoms have different cultures?

Brandon Sanderson

Different types exist, but it's more along order lines than cultural ones. (That said, a person's culture could certainly influence their armor.)

Leinton

So a friend and I who share a passion for sword fighting have been trying to find the real world correlates for the stances that Sharbearers use. So far we've made connections between Windstance and Haidong Gumdo, and Smokestance and the late Medieval/early Renaissance fencing. I was wondering if you could give us more information or at least hints on the other real world correlates?

Brandon Sanderson

I developed these with Ben McSweeney's help, and we plan to include representations of all the stances eventually. However, a few are NOT based on real-world equivalents, because of the size of Shardblades. Look at how various very-large weapons like zweihanders or Zanbat's were used.

Jerry Dol

Won't it be difficult to keep the storyline interesting for 10 books straight?

Brandon Sanderson

We'll have to see! I think the storyline for the series is quite captivating, but I've never done something this long before.

Tirithna

As [Feruchemy] is the magic system combined from Ruin and Preservation's powers, and they created humankind on Scadrial, how is it that it only occurs in persons with Terrispeople in their ancestry?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO :)

Jesse

I love stories in any medium, and I would love to tell one myself. But, I don't think I have anything in particular to say that hasn't been done a thousand times before. I invariably come across some story that already parallels my ideas. What makes a story worth telling even when its like has been done before?

Brandon Sanderson

The answer is simple: YOU are what makes your story worth telling. Harry Potter wasn't an original story, and yet told very well, it became an excellent series.

My suggestion to you is to ask what unique passions or life experiences you have that aren't found in the average fantasy book. This genre still has a lot of room to grow. A person passionate about sports could write a very different fantasy novel from one passionate about lawn care—assuming they take what they know and love and make us, as readers, come to know and love it as well.

Good luck!

Jerry Dol

How much time do you usually spend on creating a magic system?

Brandon Sanderson

It really depends on the book, the length of the story, and how integral to magic is to that particular story. Some are as fast as a couple of days; some take months and months. It is also difficult to answer this question because I spend a lot of time thinking about a book before writing, and the Magic is often part of that. I will often spend years with an idea growing in the back of my mind before writing--and in those cases, the actual "outlining" may take a month, but that doesn't begin to cover the time spent on the idea.

William Anderson

Who is the oldest character we know?

Brandon Sanderson

Frost is almost certainly the oldest by a small amount. After that, Hoid.