Recent entries

Questioner

When you were writing Elantris and you introduced Hoid, did you already have planned for him to be what he is now?

Brandon Sanderson

Hoid started appearing in books I was reading when I was fifteen; I would imagine him in other people's books. By then, I already had this character in my head that had been worldhopping between Anne McCaffrey's books, and David Eddings' books, and all those things. So I did know what I was gonna be doing. I didn't know where it would all go. I didn't have the whole cosmere built, but I did have him. He was my first D&D character. I'm being recorded; I don't even know if they know that, that I used Topaz (is what he was called back then) as my first D&D character. He's in my first book that I tried writing when I was fourteen.

Questioner: (paraphrased)

Do the singers/listeners/Parshendi/parshmen have a collective noun?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

I haven't really thought about it, but for now they would prefer to be called singers.

Questioner: (paraphrased)

Is Elend's symbol on his first new uniform from Tindwyl the Bridge Four symbol?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

No, it is not. Tindwyl wasn't very Cosmere aware.

Questioner

What would happen if a Parshendi were to attract a spren and bring it into the Highstorm? Like, an Honorspren of some sort?

Brandon Sanderson

Sapient spren have a choice of whether they get bonded or not, unless you entrap them some way. But simply attracting them...simply going into the Highstorm with one wouldn't work, what you said is 'attracted a spren', so, to answer that actually... The thing is, honorspren, all the spren of Honor and Cultivation, not honorspren capital, Honorspren or whatever... The spren that create the orders of the Knights Radiant have not, in the past, been attracted to Parshendi because of certain events in the past.

Questioner

*inaudible*

Brandon Sanderson

You'll have to Read and Find Out.

Questioner

Is Eshonai going to be a Radiant? You mentioned in the beginning that there's going to be ten books, ten Radiants - and Eshonai's book is one of them...

Brandon Sanderson

So. In the past, parshmen were - Parshendi were not allowed to become Knights Radiant. However, what I said, might imply that that could change.

Questioner (paraphrased)

How about the other way around? Can a Parshendi bond a Knights Radiant spren?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Historically, the Parshendi were not made Knights Radiant, or the parshmen weren't.

Questioner (paraphrased)

Can they become squires maybe?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Historically they did not, but it's not impossible.

Brandon Sanderson

I really like that one [the mystery of Roanoke]. I actually, for a while... You guys are gonna hate me for this, but I, for a while, was gonna have the second Rithmatist novel deal with that. And then I threw that out the window; one of the reasons why the second Rithmatist novel's taken forever is I threw that whole concept. But it was gonna be Lost Colony-focused, for a little while.

orangesrhyme

Wonder if this [the UK Dawnshard cover] is a confirmation on what the Dawnshard mural looks like

Peter Ahlstrom

It is not a confirmation of that. Though that's clearly what the artist is intending to represent.

Questioner

In Skyward, Jorgen's original callsign, he asks to be "Jorgen." Is that also his real name?

Brandon Sanderson

Jorgen? Yes.

Questioner

So he asked for his real name to be his callsign?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, cause he is not quite as imaginative as he should be. It's supposed to kind of be a joke. Jorgen has trouble with stuff like that.

Questioner

I've been curious cause I couldn't find anything about a real name.

Brandon Sanderson

Yep, it is actually his real name.

Questioner

 What are you most excited about for the Wheel of Time TV series?

Brandon Sanderson

Episode 6 is my favorite, Episode 7 is really good. Episodes 1 and 2 are both really good too. There are no bad episodes in Season 1. I haven't read Season 2, all of them, so I can't say. I've read the first two. But Season 1, I'll go beyond that. All of Season 1, every episode is above average in good television that I have seen. So no whammies, and the writing is really solid. Among the fanbase there are going to be discussions about the changes made. Like I said, there are on a level around the Tolkien movies. 

Questioner

And there are some significant changes in Lord of the Rings.

Brandon Sanderson

I would call them about equivalent to that. More changes than Game of Thrones, more like the Lord of the Rings films, less than something like I, Robot or one of those completely off the rails ones. I've been viewing it as a different turning of the Wheel. [...] Because none of the changes are such that I wouldn't see them fitting in another turning, so to speak.

Questioner

I'm so excited. You haven't actually seen it, right?

Brandon Sanderson

No, the only parts I've seen were the ones that were being filmed while I was in Prague. Moiraine is sooo good. Rosamund is really good as Moiraine. That's a casting choice on the level of Ian McKellen as Gandalf. She's so good in the role. I really only got to see her and Lan, and Lan was good. I got to see just a liiitle bit of the other ones, I didn't get enough to judge.

Questioner

After the first Everstorm, what form did the parshmen gain?

Brandon Sanderson

You want me to name that form? I'm not gonna name that on stream; I've got it written down somewhere, but let's not canonize that yet, so that's a RAFO. It's a good question. It goes on that list of things that I should canonize, like what Dalinar's name means, and some of these other things that are on the list of "would be really nice if the wikis could actually have a word for this." We'll put that on Karen's list to make sure she grabs out of my notes and canonize.

Janci Patterson

I found it! This is what was in my notes for the colors of the miasma: iodine, bromine, acytylene, ammonium hydrosulphide

LewsTherinTelescope

I was wondering if you could answer a couple questions about the White Sand omnibus, as I've gotten the impression you're mostly the one running that?

1. Khriss prologue: Is this Khriss's introduction from the prose, or is it a different scene?
2. Slatrification: Brandon's mentioned wanting to retcon out slatrification, and Volume 3 does not contain the main (I think only?) time it was actually used in the prose. However, in Volume 1, it is mentioned a few times by a couple characters. Are you changing this in the omnibus, or is this being left as-is?
3. Khriss's notes: Are these just things from the prose that didn't really make it through into the graphic novel prior, or will we be getting some new nuggets of information as well?

Isaac Stewart

1. Khriss's introduction is adapted from the prose but has been changed to better fit her character and the needs of the rest of the store.
2. Slatrification was never meant to even be in Volume 1, but somehow it slipped in. Slatrification has been entirely edited out of the omnibus.
3. Khriss's notes are meant to help flesh out the world in ways a graphic novel normally can't. Some of it is world building that has been taken and adapted from the prose. There's new stuff there, though. I hope readers will enjoy it!

xland44

Speaking of Rithmatist, is the reason for the lack of a sequel still due to further research being necessary? Or is it just due to schedule?

Peter Ahlstrom

Both, plus Brandon really wants to find a good writer with Mexica heritage to coauthor it with.

Lostboy289

Im confused. Why does the heritage of the person writing it matter?

Peter Ahlstrom

Because what Brandon wants to do requires a lot more research than he is up for. Someone with a personal connection is more likely to have already done the research.

Nesh

Oh and is Hoid an older Alcatraz Smedry? (This is a joke I know Alcatraz isn't in the Cosmere but with Hoid being present at the Shattering and Alcatraz's Talent being breaking things... That could include Gods.)

Brandon Sanderson

Re: Alcatraz. Ha!

asmodeus

I'm curious to hear more about the ending

it's a very busy, and a very impactful ending, and it is going to have a different emotional response from the characters than from the readers

we don't feel any parental love towards Jeshua Weight, and she is mostly presented as being not very likeable

but Jorgen, and even the rest of the humans on Detritus, are going to be taking this very differently 

Janci Patterson

On the ending, it went like this:

Brandon: you know what we should do? Trap the politicians in a ship and blow it up.

Me: ...my politician characters are Jorgen's parents. ...are we blowing up Jorgen's parents?

Brandon: yeah! Do that! Blow up his parents!

Me: ... ... ... okay.

In my head: right before I jump in his POV. That'll be something.

Rasarr

Oh, Janci, if I can bother you with a question. Is a "season" on ReDawn the planetary year?

Janci Patterson

I'd need the context. I'd assume a season is a season, but I don't remember how it was used.

jemand2001

Alanik mentions seasons as a measure of age.

Rasarr

Alanik says Quilan is a few seasons older than her, I wonder if it means a few years or less than one.

Janci Patterson

Oh, yeah! Probably a planetary year then.

Janci Patterson

On the elves--I wanted to give them a setting inspired by Valenwood, which has cities built on trees that move around. Brandon suggested I plant them in acclivity stone and set them in the atmosphere.

Questioner

When Galladon appears in Way of Kings why is his skin not silvery?

Brandon Sanderson

When Galladon appears in The Way of Kings why is his skin not silvery. That's a RAFO but there is a good reason for it.

TheKingOfCarrotFlowers (paraphrased)

I asked Brandon whether the Heralds were once mortal

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

He RAFO'd me, which I expected, but he explained that the reason he had to RAFO it was because he doesn't want to build anticipation or expectations about the heralds yet, since they won't really be heavily featured until the 2nd set of 5 books.

halo6819 (paraphrased)

Is the too still pool of water on Roshar the Origin?

halo6819 (paraphrased)

He said it was a good question and to pay attention to the bar scene in WoR.

Arcanist Lupus (paraphrased)

Is the Seventeenth Shard meant to represent a specific Shardic intent?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

The Seventeenth Shard has a specific purpose, and the name was chosen very deliberately.

Arcanist Lupus (paraphrased)

Was Adonalsium shattered intentionally, and if so, was the intention malevolent?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Yes and RAFO

Peter Ahlstrom

The next trilogy is 1980s, and the main character is a brown Terris geek girl.

Of course things could change by the time he starts writing it in 2020.

BryanL

Does FM have any death metal in her playlist? Would Spensa like it?

Janci Patterson

I made FM's playlist. It's on my website. I did it in Spotify. Obviously, you can imagine her music as whatever it is, and whatever you're imagining is correct, but those are the songs that I listened to when I wrote those descriptions.

Elijah Stormblessed

What news do you have on that one [Bastille]? Does it have a release date or timeframe?

Janci Patterson

It doesn't have a release date. It's Fall next year. I am doing a pass on it right now, this week. I actually just reread The Dark Talent yesterday. I wrote this book two years [ago], but I of course read all the books was very up on the continuity back then. And then I go to this revision, and people are like, "Where is Shasta?" And I'm like, "I don't know; where is Shasta? Better go back and read it."

Janci Patterson

If there were ever future Skyward novellas, could I name a taynix "Hoid"? They made the very good point that, technically, since we have old Earth, those would be in their literature. So, technically, one could...

Brandon Sanderson

That is reasonable. What I don't like to do is to confuse people on whether the cytoverse is in the cosmere, which it's not. But this would totally... I mean, in the Alcatraz books, someone at some point says that Alcatraz's mom killed Asmodean, which is a Wheel of Time joke, there's a mystery of who killed Asmodean. There's stuff like that. So yes, you may name a slug "Hoid."

Janci Patterson

I've seen the Boomslug sticker. Fun fact: we actually change the color of the Boomslug because it looked better on the sticker. They were black-and-red, and now they're red-and-black. Because Isaac actually sent me, "Here it is black-and-red; here it is red-and-black." And I was like, "It's cool. We can change it in the books." He was right; it looked better.

Mateo Fileti

Do you have any plans of writing coauthored stories for the Cosmere?

Brandon Sanderson

Basically, my coauthorship slate is full, right now. I've found about where I can handle it, and it's about three people. Right now, it's Steven Bohls, Janci, and the Dan Wells projects we're working on. That's about all I can handle, where I can get back to people at a reasonable time, and things like that.

That said, I have left one asterisk on there. Well, I guess I'm gonna put two asterisks. Two different, separate asterisks. Number one is that if this is successful and people like it, then probably. There's a reason I'm trying this out, that the first one I did was not connected to any of my worlds, at all. (That was The Original, with Mary Robinette.) And then eased into picking up a series that I was planning just not to be able to get back to. The finally easing into one I'm actively working on. And I kind of eased into that, just to see what people are enjoying. And they seem to be enjoying the active, working-on one the most, of all of those. Which is a plus for doing Cosmere-related things. But, again, it's kinda gonna be: do people like this?

The other askerisk is: I have told Isaac Stewart he is welcome to write, in the Cosmere, anything he would like to, and I will coauthor it with him. I will work on it to make sure. Because Isaac was there from almost the beginning. Peter was the person who was working with me before the Cosmere was released, but I met Isaac in 2004, and Isaac started working with me on Mistborn art right then in 2004. I've told Isaac he can do whatever he wants; he's got a blank slate to be involved in the Cosmere in any way he would like.

Janci Patterson

There's one he's had kicking around for a long time that I really hope he writes sometime.

Brandon Sanderson

We're trying to find time for him to be able to do that.

I would say that there's a good chance you get some Cosmere stuff in the future, but it's not near-future. Near-future, I want to make sure that I'm supporting the things that I'm doing. It would be very easy, I think, to go all James Patterson, where suddenly I'm not writing anymore, I'm only doing this. And I don't think I would enjoy that. Not a dig against Patterson, but I don't want to go that direction.

Brandon Sanderson

One of the things we're doing with these novellas is: I don't have time in the mainline books to devote to developing these characters. The mainline books are about Spensa (and, to a lesser extent, some few of the characters, like Jorgen). But I don't really have time to dig in; they're hundred-thousand-word YA action-adventure books. One of the goals with this [Evershore] is to be like: basically, Janci, FM is yours now. Let's make her a real character, rather than just the little bits that I can give in the novel. And it was really fulfilling for me to just basically turn over one of my children and be like, "Raise this child, FM." And then have you come back and be like, "What about this? What about this? What about this?" She'll still be in the books I'm working on and things, but I consider her now Janci's character that is playing a role in the stuff I'm writing, because she's now so vivid and alive. And that has been really satisfying for me as an author.

Janci Patterson

I thought it was really fun, too. Jorgen wasn't on my original list of characters, because I was given this list of, basically, people I could do anything with. And he's not one of those. But I thought it was really fun.

Brandon Sanderson

We were much more kind of collaborating on Jorgen.

graciemoo

What's Khriss's favorite magic system?

Brandon Sanderson

She does not think any of them are magic, so it would be in some sort of fiction book she's read in-world. They're all just science.

Brandon Sanderson

The initial premise of Dragonsteel, which you guys will eventually be able to read, is: the King has a bet on whether people from a rural village can be trained to be as smart as people from the noble court. And this is part of the bet. And that’s kind of the initial place that this starts and goes.

Hoid shows up pretty overtly; he’s got viewpoints in this book. He is not hidden at all; you will see him when he comes on screen, and you will know him. I think he goes by “Cephandrius” in this one.

You will be able to read that, eventually. Like I said, it’s not bad. It’ll be easier for you to compare when you get to the Bridge Four sequence, which was originally in Dragonsteel, and compare it to the new Bridge Four sequence from Way of Kings and see how the new Bridge Four sequence is so much more strong.

It is no longer Cosmere canon. Nothing in it really spoils too much. It spoils some of the magic system that’ll eventually be part of Dragonsteel, and some of those things. But when I go back to this planet, it’ll be Hoid’s viewpoint. Jerick has basically been written out of the Cosmere; I don’t know that I will ever do a book about him. It’s possible, but there’s so much overlap between his story and Kaladin’s story, now, that I don’t know if I could do it and make it interesting and distinctive. One young and somewhat brooding man raised to be a scholar from a no-name village is probably enough for the Cosmere. Even though there are distinctive different parts, since Kaladin’s father was educated.

Ninety

Would you mind giving us one tidbit that we don't know about the Purelake?

Brandon Sanderson

It was originally called the Everlake. And then I just didn't like that, for some reason; I decided to pull back. I'm like, "Eh, it's not that big. It's really shallow, that's the cool thing about it."

Questioner

Have you ever thought about making the Steelheart series a graphic novel?

Brandon Sanderson

You know, we thought about it for a while. And then what we eventually decided is that we wanted to focus our graphic novel efforts on things that hadn't been published yet. There is actually a mini graphic novel of Mitosis, the short story, but that's the only one. That was when we were experimenting with it. It's not impossible that someday we will.

Steeldancer

This is hypothetical, it probably wouldn't actually happen. If a Knight Radiant goes to Nalthis, dies, gets Returned...

Brandon Sanderson

It could happen.

Steeldancer

Would they retain their spren bond?

Brandon Sanderson

Probably not, would be my guess. I've never had that question before, but I'm gonna say no.

Questioner 1

Why the number four, for Bridge Four? Is there a reason for...?

Brandon Sanderson

Nope, it just is what appealed to me. There is no greater significance, other than I wanted to do it, and it just felt right.

Questioner 2

We always wondered if it was because it's like bad luck in Asia.

Brandon Sanderson

It is bad luck, but I didn't pick it for that reason specifically.

Questioner

We want to know if Adolin is the hottest character.

Brandon Sanderson

If Adolin's the hottest character in the entire...?

Questioner

In the cosmere.

Brandon Sanderson

I don't know, Blushweaver's pretty hot. Adolin's pretty hot.

Questioner

I thought you might go with a Returned.

Brandon Sanderson

But the Returned are supernaturally hot, and Adolin is only naturally hot.

Questioner

With a Returned it's almost unfair.

Brandon Sanderson

It is unfair. If you're gonna go without any magical enhancements, Adolin's gonna be up there. He's got personality hotness and physical hotness, so yeah.

Questioner

Could a coppermind be able to memorize physical memory?

Brandon Sanderson

Ooh, never been asked that before. I am going to RAFO that, but in an "I need to think about it more" sort of way, cause I have actually never been asked that. My gut instinct says no, but maybe. I'm gonna have to really ponder on physical memory and the cosmere, and how that all works. Good question. Not often I get stumped by one like that.

Questioner

Is there gonna be a sequel to Warbreaker?

Brandon Sanderson

Someday, yes. I can't promise when because it's kind of a side project thing, but I've got it outlined, which is step number one.

Questioner

Are there any plans to revisit Threnody or some of the other worlds that were mentioned in Arcanum Unbounded?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes. I have a novel on Threnody I want to write, and I have a short story and a novel I want to write on First of the Sun. We'll see if I can get to any of those.

Questioner

Is Adonalsium's God Metal aluminum?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO.

Questioner

My RAFO question will probably be, will an Allomancer or a Mistborn take that chip of Honorblade that fell off and burn it?

Brandon Sanderson

*hands RAFO card*

Questioner

Will you give us a spoiler without context for the next Stormlight book?

Brandon Sanderson

Let's see if I can think of one. This is usually pretty hard for me. Let's see... Wit's very annoyed. He often is.

Questioner

Is there a metal that's the opposite to aluminum, that can store pure Investiture rather than blocking it? And is that metal dragonsteel?

Brandon Sanderson

Innately store it? RAFO! Not Feruchemically? Good question.

Questioner

Is Thaidakar a Cognitive Shadow?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes he is. Have you finished Rhythm of War?

Questioner

I have, yeah.

Brandon Sanderson

So you know who Thaidakar is, right?

Questioner

No. Does it say in the book?

Brandon Sanderson

No, but it calls him... It's Kelsier. They call him the Lord of Scars, someone else confirmed it, it's Kelsier.

Questioner

The "Lord of Scars" thing is what had us thinking, but we weren't sure if it was true.

Brandon Sanderson

It is Kelsier. He's been doing some stuff.

Questioner

Shallan has two spren. I assume the Shardblade she is using in Words of Radiance is Pattern. But had she sworn the Third Ideal at that point?

Brandon Sanderson

I will get this whole timeline explained for you. It's really intricate, though.

Questioner

When's the next book coming out?

Brandon Sanderson

Next book is Cytonic. Book after that is Wax and Wayne 4, book after that is Stormlight 5.

Questioner

Which is your favorite Unmade?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO. We'll see, I don't know if I have a favorite yet.

Questioner

Is it possible to turn Breaths into... how does Awakening work on Roshar and Shadesmar?

Brandon Sanderson

You can still use it normally, as you would expect it, as the magic works. People are trying to figure out how to turn one type of Investiture into another, and it it is harder than it seems. They haven't cracked it yet.

Questioner

So they always have to bring their own form of Investiture?

Brandon Sanderson

A Returned can feed off of other Investiture, just like Nightblood can. One of the reasons to move to Roshar is: it's easier to get Stormlight than it is Breaths.

Questioner

That makes sense why Zahel, then.

Brandon Sanderson

That explains Zahel, right.

Questioner

On Threnody, is it possible for non-intelligent creatures to become shades?

Brandon Sanderson

It is possible, it doesn't happen natively.

Questioner

If you were in a Rithmatic battle, what would your defense be?

Brandon Sanderson

It would probably be a Knight or Shardbearer, even though it's a little harder... I don't know if you were talking about chalklings, or which defense I would use?

Questioner

Yeah.

Brandon Sanderson

I don't know. See, I name them all after my friends, so... I'd probably pick the Eskridge defense. That makes me pick one of my friends over another, but you know.