Recent entries

PrinceDusty

You've talked about some of the correlation between Aviar abilities and Allomantic abilities. Are there any Aviar abilities that are not related to Allomancy, or what are some other abilities that we might see?

Brandon Sanderson

I'll RAFO that, mostly because I want to be free to pick and choose from my list as I canonize them. A lot of Aviar abilities are Cognitive type stuff, just from the way I built them so I can separate the magics. The whole Seeker/coppercloud thing, a lot of Aviar abilities are going to be riffs on that, or they're going to be riffs on glimpsing the Spiritual a little bit. And you see a lot of that in Allomancy. There are abilities that they have that you won't see in Allomancy.

The trick is Allomany is so broad. I built the main magic systems to be able to get a little bit of everything. You see the same thing in Stormlight. So seeing Aviar abilities that you haven't seen some version of it in Mistborn or Stormlight, it's going to be... Mistborn and Stormlight touch on all different parts of the magic system on purpose. But I think you will eventually see some that don't. But they're all going to work on the Cosmere magic, so you can say they're all related.

PrinceDusty

Where might we see them?

Brandon Sanderson

Aviar are known in the cosmere but are very, very rare. But as you move forward in the future, perhaps you'll see them more often.

Questioner

What inspired the idea of the Lenses from Alcatraz?

Brandon Sanderson

The Alcatraz books really did come from me wanting stupid things that I do to be superpowers--and I've always worn glasses, and even when my friends got Lasik or contacts or something, I was like, "Bah, I like glasses, I like how they look; I want to wear my glasses!"

So I wanted glasses to be cool. And so I made a whole bunch of magical pairs of glasses. There is really...If you're questioning anything in Alcatraz, and saying, "Why did you do this," the answer is almost always, "Because I wanted something dumb I do to be cool."

Steeldancer

On Threnody, the Shades, their eyes turn red when they get really mad. Is that the same thing as with the Voidbringers and all the other ones?

Brandon Sanderson

I have a subtheme in the Cosmere of the redness and it's supposed to be intentional.

Steeldancer

So it is the same thing?

Brandon Sanderson

It's the same theme. But I do not mean to imply that it's the same Shard.

Steeldancer

But it's the same effect?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes. I'm doing it intentionally. Red eyes specifically are meant to mean something but I use in a few other ways the same one. 

Questioner

When a Shard changes hands, does the god-metal change names and/or properties?

Brandon Sanderson

It can. It doesn't as a rule.

Questioner

So it'll still be raysium?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes. Well, the name, you would change the name, probably. But it shouldn't necessarily do anything different. The name that it's given is cultural. So you could continue to call it that. People might call it that. I think people in-world would call it something else. But depends on the person.

Questioner

Are you gonna come out with this map as a poster someday? *shows map*

Isaac Stewart

We will do a poster eventually. We need to run out of the ones we already have, but we will eventually.

Questioner

I actually *inaudible*

Isaac Stewart

The other one is almost exactly the same. It's the underlying part that's different, because that one is part digital, part oil painting cause I'm still trying to finish it.

Questioner

Is this all yours too? *shows something*

Isaac Stewart

That's not mine, that's— Dan dos Santos are those and the ones on the back are Howard Lyon.

Questioner

What would happen if <he> were *inaudible*?

Brandon Sanderson

Humans have tried doing that and it hasn't worked. And Hoid is— I would categorize him [as] human. Kind of.

Questioner

What is this stuff that is coming out of the wall on the cover of Oathbringer?

Brandon Sanderson

Have you read Oathbringer?

Questioner

I'm on page three hundred and...

Brandon Sanderson

Okay. It will make sense probably when you get to the ending, where that scene takes place. If it doesn't you can ask me, but you should get that answered.

Questioner

Who would win in a fight, Odium or Harmony?

Brandon Sanderson

Well, why don't we RAFO that and you'll see.

Questioner

Is Virtuosity the Shard Hoid turned down? Could it have become something different if he were the one who took it?

Brandon Sanderson

It could have become something different slightly. But if he had taken it it would have remained as Virtuosity. The Vessel does have some influence over— That is a very good guess. I'm not going to tell you yes or no, I'm just going to tell you you made a very good guess.

Questioner 1

In The Way of Kings, when Hoid is talking to Kaladin and he says his name is Hoid, he said that he took the name from someone else.

Brandon Sanderson

He did.

Questioner 1

So why is he Hoid in everything else?

Brandon Sanderson

Hoid is not his original name.

Questioner 1

So...

Questioner 2

Does he still go by his original name ever?

Brandon Sanderson

I don't know if you've ever seen his original name.

Questioner 2

I've read your [honor]'s thesis [Dragonsteel Prime].

Brandon Sanderson

Oh, he doesn't go by the name that is in there very often but there are people who know him by that name.

Questioner 1

What is his original name?

Brandon Sanderson

Well he's assuming that the name he is using in there is actually his original name. He's using the name Cephandrius. Which you're assuming is his original.

Questioner 2

Closer to the truth than Hoid is.

Brandon Sanderson

It is closer to the truth...

Questioner 2

Cephandrius is closer to his original name than Hoid, it's an earlier alias.

Brandon Sanderson

Well Hoid was one of his very first aliases.

Questioner 2

So I stand corrected.

Brandon Sanderson

But, Cephandrius is more him.

Questioner 2

Does he still go by his nickname he got.

Brandon Sanderson

To some people, Topaz.

Peter Ahlstrom

Cephandrius Maxtori.

Questioner

I have a copy of your Dragonsteel [honor's] thesis, I haven't read it though.  And I was wondering, how you've grown as an author, do you like people to read that or would you rather they wait until you do the better version?

Brandon Sanderson

I-- I'm-- That one I don't really like people reading that much because it has an inferior version of Bridge Four that I don't want people to meet. Does that make sense? Like the Bridge Four team--

Questioner

...And when you re-write it it will be better?

Brandon Sanderson

Well Bridge Four won't even be in that book anymore I moved them to Roshar. So you go back and you find the version of Rock that is not quite the right version and you'll find-- Teft is basically the same dude but a lot of the other ones have changed and morphed and they basically won't feel right anymore, if that makes any sense. Feel free to read it, don't feel bad reading it but that's the part that I'm not--

Questioner

Is that the only part you are worried about? And the rest you are like "It's not my best writing" but--

Brandon Sanderson

The rest is not my best writing but whatever. But the Bridge Four stuff, I'm like I did it so much better that it's not even going back and seeing it in rough sketches, it's like if da Vinci had painted a Mona Lisa that was ugly and a different person? You don't want it cemented in their mind that that is what the piece of art is. The rest of it I don't mind so much, I mean the main character his conflict will change dramatically because I pulled that out and gave it to another character in the books. So basically the only thing remaining that is still going to be canon is Hoid and his story, the story what's going with him there is still stuff he would have done...

Xandeis

Dragonsteel, is that by Brandon or L.? Yep, I am soooo confused.

Brandon Sanderson

I just did a post on my website explaining this

Questioner

In Stormlight with the way the Radiant armor works, is it going to be similar to in Aether of Night where it grows? Or do they summon it like the Shardblades?

Brandon Sanderson

Mmmm, someone's read Aether of Night! RAFO! You should find out before too much longer. I've been working very hard to keep that mechanism hidden until we can have some things like this happen on screen. But it's getting increasingly hard.

Questioner

In Steelheart, what does his past life have to do with his weakness? 

Brandon Sanderson

What does Steelheart's past life have to do with his weakness? I can't tell you that, because it's a spoiler. When you come through the line I can tell it to you. When you come through the line talk to me, because I can't answer spoiler questions.

Questioner

I have read it already.

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, but who here hasn't read Steelheart? *people raise their hands* See? That's why we can't answer that. But I will answer it when you come through the line.

Questioner

You kinda talked about where you got the idea for <highstorms>, but in the Firefight-- The Reckoners series, was there a particular character you gave them their powers because you thought that power was [cool]? 

Brandon Sanderson

So the question is: In The Reckoners, was there a particular power that I gave to someone because I just thought that power was cool. And yeah, the tensors. They can turn things to dust. For years I'd been walking around looking at our society where we have all this metal and this wood around, and things like that. I just loved the idea of just being able to turn it to dust. Maybe it's like a "reducing things to their more primal state" or whatever-- but anyway it was one of those magics that was in my head for a while. And really superheroes are magic. I don't pretend that they're science fiction, they're magic. So I just designed these magics that feel cool to me.

Questioner

So at the end of Calamity...

Brandon Sanderson

Mhm.

Questioner

You did sort of leave me hanging in the dark on Phaedrus. And you said that when you finish a book you sort of go on a little bit.

Brandon Sanderson

Okay, so, what do you want to know?

Questioner

What happened to Jonathan Phaedrus. I've got three theories.

Brandon Sanderson

So, okay, tell me your theories. *brief interruption*

Questioner

My theory is... One, he could self destruct. Two, he could become a dark hero. Three, Megan could develop her talents enough that she brings Tia back from a different dimension. Or some combination of the other three.

Brandon Sanderson

Prof is not heading toward evil. 

Questioner

Obviously.

Brandon Sanderson

His trajectory is turned away from that. He is very seriously disturbed by what happens. And in the next book...

Questioner

Oh, there is another book?

Brandon Sanderson

If I write another book it will be about Mizzy. Her viewpoint. I haven't promised I will, but-- I mean, in the next book-- I have an outline for the next book, and in that Prof has kind of become a recluse, and things like this. It would be possible to find a Tia from another dimension and bring her through. Prof won't accept that as Tia.

Questioner

See that's what I was thinking.

Brandon Sanderson

That's the problem.

Questioner

But I can see him becoming sort of a dark brooding hero type...

Brandon Sanderson

Yeah, so, we'll see. I may not keep to these things when I actually write the book. Right now I have him retiring to-- not retiring, just kind of going off for a while, if that makes sense?

Questioner

Maybe he'll go back to teaching science.

Brandon Sanderson

And not accepting the Tia from the Firefight dimension as actually Tia.

Questioner

What's your favorite Epic?

Brandon Sanderson

No one's ever asked me that before. I would say Limelight is my favorite Epic.

Questioner

I listen to a lot of your books, and the fight sequences are so detailed. How... Do you have people, like, live-action it out for you?

Brandon Sanderson

I do not, but I do a lot of having beta readers. And you can ask my beta readers, the action sequences are often the things that need the most work. Because I will not know what things are working or not working until I get those reads back where people say, "I'm not clear here, I'm not clear there." A lot of times, when I'm writing the first draft of the fight scene, I'm looking for the emotional connection to the character. What they're trying to accomplish. And then I see which of the things I wrote work with the readers and they can visualize, and then I back up and try again on the ones that don't.

Questioner

What is it about Kaladin's personality or his history that would make it so hard for him to say the next Ideal? 

Brandon Sanderson

That is a RAFO, that you will have some explanation next book.

Questioner

I was wondering, Investiture, could you use something *inaudible* could you use Allomancy by using *inaudible* <Breath>? 

Brandon Sanderson

Yes. Most of these are possible, but for a lot of the magic, it's hard to figure out how to do it. There is more to it than just having Breath and using Allomancy. Some of these are easier than others. For instance, Vasher is able to live off of Stormlight very easily.

Questioner

Yeah, I made that assumption because he's been living there. But I also noticed that Azure is still using color.

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, Azure is still using color.

Questioner

Is there an origin to how you designed [the Mistcloak]?

Brandon Sanderson

Yea, there is an origin to the Mistcloak. It was actually gonna be in the video game that didn't ever get made.

*crowd groans* I know, I know. But I will eventually use that some day. There's been talk of just doing a graphic novel of this character that I had written a story for. I wrote something like 20,000 words of story for the video game that didn't end up getting used, so we might turn that into a graphic novel or we might make a video game out of it or something. But that was the origin.

Questioner

What is your favorite parable from the Way of Kings?

Brandon Sanderson

I'm not sure if I have a favorite. It's kind of like what I'm thinking about or feeling at the moment. One of the reasons I haven't written the whole thing out is because I want to be able to add to it when the right mood strikes me and stuff like that. I will say, the ones I haven't written yet will probably be my favorite if that makes any sense.

Questioner

So how big are spren, like when Kaladin sees a spren, how...

Brandon Sanderson

It depends on the spren. Lifespren are real tiny, little dots. Windspren *presumably gestures*, like that. Some spren are as large as buildings. There is no strict size increment, but you can guess the size if I don't say otherwise. It really depends.

Questioner

I want to know what Sazed's robes look like.

Brandon Sanderson

Sazed's robes are long, and they've got a V pattern.

Questioner

Is it sewn in or is it stitched in? *inaudible* 

Brandon Sanderson

It is sewn into it. The V pattern is just sewn into it like that. Of alternating colors. Not alternating, various colors. Kind of a rainbow look.

RiyriaMistborn

My question is a follow up to what you answered in my Well of Ascension. I asked if Hoid had any love interests, and you said, "Several". My follow up question is, have we seen any of those <interests> or are they all gonna show up in Dragonsteel? 

Brandon Sanderson

They will show up in various books but you have not seen them yet. They're across a long span of time, so. 

Questioner

Have we seen Hemalurgy used anywhere other than Scadrial?

Brandon Sanderson

I believe you have. Let's do that as a, "I believe you have."

Questioner

Mraize's Basement Emporium. Is that more like a trophy room or a "In case of emergencies" room?

Multiple people

Or a bank vault?

Or a weapon's vault?

Or both?

Brandon Sanderson

So, yes...

I mean, he can't use the aether, right? ...He can't use the aether, he doesn't have an aether. But the sand, the sand does stuff. So a handful of sand is a really useful amount of sand to have if you're not a sand master. Because sand reacts to Investiture. So if you let it fade and you take it somewhere, as soon as Investiture goes kinetic, it'll turn white again. So you'll be able to use it to tell who's using Inve-- it works just like a Seeker, like bronze pulses...

So having white sand, having sand around is really good. If you can keep the little beasties that are growing on the sand around, they will react to basically the Investiture equivalent of radiation. So that's handy.

Questioner

There is Ironpulling and Steelpushing. And then there's also the Surge of a Windrunner that changes their center of gravity. Are those combined somehow?

Brandon Sanderson

Combined, no, but trying to deal with different facets of the same idea, yes.

Questioner

When did Shallan take the first oath?

Brandon Sanderson

That's been quite a while. She's been on this path longer than almost anybody. Jasnah's been going for a while. If you look at the timeline, I think Jasnah beats her. But she's been on this path for years.

Questioner

Do we get to find out when she took that first oath?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, I'm planning to delve into that. It's supposed to be a "Wait, What?" I'd have to look exactly at the timeline, Jasnah beats her. Jasnah definitely beats her. Well, maybe not. I'd have to look at the timelines. This is why I have Karen, to keep my timeline for me!

Questioner

What is your favorite Italian dish?

Brandon Sanderson

It depends on my mood. There are some times where I just want a comfortable spaghetti and meatballs. But sometimes carbonara. I would probably in a vacuum choose the carbonara. Probably. But it just really depends.

Stormlightning

If Hoid could have picked to join any order of the Knights Radiant, regardless of the oaths he had to swear, just the powers, would he have picked Lightweaver?

Brandon Sanderson

He would have.

Stormlightning

Tell me more!

Brandon Sanderson

Lightweaving matches him very well, he's quite familiar with it and experienced with it. He's very good at using it and he likes it.

It's the fulfillment of a long, long quest of his to finally get full access to Lightweaving.

Stormlightning

Even though he had some sort of Lightweaving?

Brandon Sanderson

He did have some sort of, yes. He's a very very happy Hoid.

Questioner

How would an Awakened with Breath piece of cloth react if it got hit with a Shardblade?

Brandon Sanderson

A Shardblade would probably be able to cut it, but it depends on how much Breath we're talking about.

Questioner

So if it had enough, it might be able to block it.

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

Questioner

Approximately how much Breath would it take to Invest a regular object enough to that a Shardblade couldn't cut it?

Brandon Sanderson

I would have to look at the notes. One of the things we're doing right now is, we're unifying the actual unit of Investiture. So, I'm not going to answer that until I have that codified, but it is one of the projects we're working on right now. I'll have some answers for you more...we'll just get a unit of measurement that we can use, probably based on that.

Questioner

Has Hoid just collected--like he does--the spren, or...?

Brandon Sanderson

He has legitimately bonded the spren. Let's just say, he has given up on trying to cheat some of the systems and has decided to try to play by the rules.

Questioner

What is the stylization of the symbol of the Faithful in the Reckoners series?

Brandon Sanderson

It's the Superman symbol, but I couldn't say that.

Questioner

Where do you come up with your names for books?

Brandon Sanderson

It really depends on the book. Sometimes I'm using a real world culture's linguistics as inspiration, sometimes I'm building a linguistic trick for them, so it really depends. Listen to my podcast, Writing Excuses, look for the episode on, we're doing one on conlangs or naming. We've got some episodes on that.

Questioner

I want to know if Nightblood can be killed in the same way as a spren.

Brandon Sanderson

Well, that's a RAFO. Nightblood does not have the same spren bond, and so the renouncing of oaths is not going to affect him, but there are certain things that could.

Questioner

We know the Moon Scepter helps to change Identity and Investiture? So in the case of Raoden *inaudible* <not able> to use his magic as powerfully away from Elantris - Elantrians off-planet, would the Moon Scepter allow them to use their magic...

Brandon Sanderson

So the Moon Scepter is part of a key that they are trying to figure out how to do this. Because Elantrian magic can be really powerful. All of the Selish magics can be really powerful. Because they are drawing from the Dor the way that they do, you're basically hooked up to a giant battery.

So, none of the other Cosmere magics you've seen have that level going on. The closest you're going to get is when you've got a Bondsmith powering the magic for the Knights Radiant. Cracking how to make that work on other planets is a really important thing that people are trying to figure out.

Questioner

Is there a reason, with 16 being such an important number, that there are only 10 orders of Radiants?

Brandon Sanderson

That is relevant.

Questioner

Am I going to have to read and find out?

Brandon Sanderson

Let's just say 10 is a number that is relevant to Roshar and its inhabitants.

Questioner

And what's the significance of the number 10?

Brandon Sanderson

The significance is that it is very significant.

Questioner

Will we find out by reading it?

Brandon Sanderson

Maybe, that's why you're getting a RAFO. Potentially.

Questioner

Szeth has trained with all ten Surges, is he going to also help train new Radiants?

Brandon Sanderson

That is something you can expect has been an advantage to them in the intervening time, so yes.

Questioner 1

I know I mentioned my tattoo that I wanted to get yesterday, and I was wondering what, cause I want the planets that feature in that system to be colored and everything is black and white, and so I was wondering what color I could get for each of them.

Brandon Sanderson

Wow, ok, I don't know if I can answer that right here, you probably want to email that to us. I can give you an off the cuff answer. I don't know if it'll be like a canonical answer or something like that. Give them to me and I'll tell you what my instincts say.

Questioner 1

Sel?

Brandon Sanderson

I would do Sel as a blue color. Probably a light blue.

Questioner 2

Nalthis?

Brandon Sanderson

Nalthis I would do as like a vibrant pink, orange, or something like that.

Questioner 1

Taldain?

Brandon Sanderson

Taldain I would do as yellow.

Questioner 1

Would I do like the half and half or?

Brandon Sanderson

I would do half and half, yeah, or if you wanna do black and white. Black and white would work very well for them.

Questioner 2

Scadrial?

Brandon Sanderson

Scadrial I would do as a rust red, like a deep red.

Questioner 1

Threnody?

Brandon Sanderson

Threnody, let's see. 

Questioner 1

I was thinking like a dark blue/green mix as well.

Brandon Sanderson

The problem is you would want to do Roshar as either a brown or a Kholin blue. Probably a brown for the stone, so in that case you could Threnody as like a dark blue and you could do Sel as light blue. You don't have a green in there, so Sel could go green if you wanted it to.

Questioner 1

I forgot to ask about Sixth of the Dusk.

Brandon Sanderson

Oh, that would be mostly water, so that's a blue one.

Questioner 1

Like a vibrant blue?

Brandon Sanderson

Vibrant blue. So we've got three blues. But you can change one of those to green, and I would say Sel goes green.

Questioner 1

Like an emerald green?

Brandon Sanderson

Like a grass green. Because a lot of people are concentrating on "Wow, it's so green!".

Questioner

So Wayne is my absolute favorite character. What was your main inspiration for him?

Brandon Sanderson

Wayne started with a character, I wanted to do someone who changed personalities based on the hat they wore, and it actually started as a haberdasher, a hat maker, and as a character starring in his own story in the Mistborn world and it didn't work. He needed somebody to play off of and so I shelved it and started The Alloy of Law where he could have somebody to play off of. Wax actually grew out of Wayne.

Questioner

Do you have any updates on the next Wax and Wayne book?

Brandon Sanderson

No updates right now; cancelling the Apocalypse Guard and writing a new book in its place has put me just a little behind, but it was the right thing to do because the book needed help. And so I'm just finishing up Skyward 2 and Skyward 1 is coming out in November and I have until January to write something else, because January I need to start another Stormlight book so if it doesn't happen before then I'll probably do it in breaks between chunks of Stormlight.

Questioner

On your Tor.com release of Oathbringer, I made a comment, it was about the windblades being powered by Urithiru. Would that be barking up the right tree or the wrong tree?

Brandon Sanderson

That is a barking up the wrong tree. Good question. I don't think I've seen that question before.

Questioner

Even Alice brought it up in the next chapter.

Brandon Sanderson

Did she? No, that's a false correlation, the strata are more just there because of how Roshar works, than they are to make you draw a parallel there.

Questioner

And only Shallan and others can really see the colors, just like Tien.

Brandon Sanderson

Mmmm. That is not a false correlation, right there.

Questioner 1

I was just wondering about the timeline in Alloy of Law. How long does it take Wax to get back to the city after Lessie died?

Brandon Sanderson

That's... I would have to look exactly at the timeline. I believe it is months and not years, but I am not 100% sure. It might be, like eight months?

Questioner 2

I thought it was six months.

Brandon Sanderson

Six months? That's the sort of thing that I have to look at a timeline for. I'm not gonna remember that, but yeah, something like that.

Questioner

So if I came back tomorrow, could you answer that?

Brandon Sanderson

I probably could not. If you send me an email I probably could. But this sort of thing I have to go, dig into the timeline, say "Hey Peter, where's our timeline on this. Hey Karen, what's the month...get out the master timeline," and stuff like that.

Usually I do a lot of the books, writing them without really worrying too much about the timeline, and then I give them to Karen, and Karen's job is to make all the timeline fit. And she'll come back to me and say, "We need more time here, for these people to get here," and things like that. And so I adjust the books to match the timeline. And so, a master timeline is not something I take into a large account when I am writing. It's more important in Stormlight books 'cause of the storms. You can't just off-the-cuff if there's a storm or not a storm. But in a lot of other books doesn't matter as much.

Questioner

I was just a little confused when Marasi said that Wax had come back at the same time as the thing, it didn't make sense at the end.

Brandon Sanderson

We'll see. You can always fire us an email, and we'll go to the master timeline and see what Karen says.

Cannot Have My Pain

Did Harmony ever lie to Wax and/or Wayne during The Lost Metal?

Brandon Sanderson

I believe he did. I’d have to look through them all; I believe he did.

Questioner

Aimians and honorspren have a lot in common. They can change their appearance, they are blue, they don't seem to die. Are those Aimians descendants of humans and honorspren?

Brandon Sanderson

No, good question though! The reasons they can change shape are similarly related. Excellent question.

LewsTherinTelescope

Is Starling the apprentice who the kite story was going to be centered around? If so, do you still plan to write that? Or have this and Sunlit Man supplanted it?

Brandon Sanderson

I do someday still plan to write this. Starling was to be involved in that, and might still be. We shall see if I can make all the things work, but you're right. The kite magic one did involve Starling, and it might still, if I can figure it out. I'm not 100% sure I can figure it out. The problem with the kite magic is: I need some good concept art. Because every time I sit down to actually describe it in text, it reads real silly. You can have some silly magics now and then, but...

Questioner

Has anyone, Shard or otherwise, tried to leave the cosmere and will we see that on screen?

Brandon Sanderson

So far... Yes, and I think yes, it's likely. So yes and yes.

Questioner

In Stormlight Archive, of all the oaths that you know, which order's would be the hardest to keep?

Brandon Sanderson

The thing about it is the spren self-select. So if you're going to give them to a random person then in that case, I'd say the Windrunners, but it could be the Skybreakers. One of those guys that are closer up on the dial to Honor and things like that are probably gonna be the harder to take for a random person but that whole self-selection thing ends up making it...