If a Mistborn were to burn a piece of a Shardblade, what would happen?
This would be hard to make happen, but it would be possible. A Shardblade is going to act as, basically, an alloy of the god metal of Honor and so what would it do? RAFO, but it is possible and it would do something. It would not be inert. It would be Allomanticaly viable.
How does a Rithmatist draw a Mark's Cross structure if they can't cross their own Lines of Forbiddance?
You can get it right up close, and I kind of made it my mind that if you get right up close it kind of snaps together. That was my work around for it, that you can get up and make it. It's also like a magnetism thing where you can kind of push into it a little bit. The harder you push, the more force it pushes back on them.
So those were my workarounds in my head. That one actually didn't strike me until I was halfway through the book and I was like "Hey wait a minute, how do you actually make this line work?" So I kind of put those two things on it. That's the in-world in but I didn't talk about it a ton in the books.
What's your favorite idea that you're never actually going to get around to writing?
That I'm never, or that I am eventually?
Either or.
I always talk about my favorite idea that I haven't written yet which is the idea about the magic system that's based on diseases. Like, when you catch the common cold, you can fly but when you get over it, you lose the power. Which I just think would be kind of cool and kind of chaotic. I had another idea the other day that was really cool but it was for a video game. If I tell you, it would spoil it, so I'm not going to tell you that one. But, I don't know if I'll ever make this one, because I don't know if I will ever be able to make video games. I have tried and it has not worked, so we'll see.
The two paintings--The Battle of Twilight Falls, and the one that Kaladin sees in Shadesmar. Are they the same?
I believe that they are, but I could have...When I wrote the original scene, I intended them to be, but I might have changed something later on. They would be by the same artist. You can say yes, unless I changed something. There was something I was thinking of changing. I'd have to go back and look at them side by side.
But they sounded different. One has black in it, that the other one doesn't.
The thing is, that artist, and people seeing it, I intend them to each see something different in the paintings they see. But I don't know that I actually decided to make that the same painting. But the same artist.
What's Morningtide's real name?
Morningtide's real name? I don't know it off the top of my head, so I'm just going to give you a RAFO card.
Are the delvers, are they new since Jason's time?
They existed, but Jason didn't know about them.
Ohh, because we couldn't find any trace of them...
There's no trace of them. They were basically added in when I was doing Skyward. It was my evolution of where I wanted to take the whole thing.
In Defending Elysium, you had a guy in a white room with the communications. Then Spensa sees the delver in a white room...
That is an intentional harkening of the same idea.
Are they closely connected?
I wouldn't say closely, but I would say moderately.
The most exciting project I'm working on right now. I discussed before getting to know Brandon Sanderson, and we ended up becoming really good friends. And he has a book series, the Reckoners series: Steelheart, Firefight, and Calamity. And he was approached a little while ago by Audible. They saw a lot of success with those books on Audible and wanted him to write a spinoff series for it. But he's got a lot on his plate right now, and he actually asked me to pick it up for him. It's been really exciting.
He's been fairly hands-off, which has been both good and bad. I wish I had a little bit more direction, but it's also been nice to have full autonomy. He just kind of said, "Take it where you want." Right now, we have this spinoff series of a different team of Reckoners set in that Steelheart world. But we decided just a few weeks ago that we wanted to consolidate these books when we go to print and kinda change them a little bit to actually be Book Four and continue the series. Four, Five, and Six, and stuff. It'll hopefully mash together these two different Reckoners teams.
It's pretty exciting. They have kind of a demanding schedule for these three novellas, but it'll be shorter books for Audible. But once we can go to print (Audible's gonna hold the rights on them for two years, and then we get to go to his press, Delacorte), that's when it'll be released as Book Four.
That's a really interest project to be taking over and moving new direction at the same time.
It's tricky because, when he approached me about the project, he said, "Okay. We want this to be a series that people don't have to have read any of the Reckoners books before, and they can just pick it up fresh. But we also want it to be satisfying to everyone who's read it before. And also we want it to be three independent books that are following a new team. And also we want it to be a sequel." So it was super intimidating. I kept telling myself, "Okay, I can do that." And then it got more involved and more involved, trying to simultaneously make it a sequel as well as a spinoff has been a little bit challenging.
So far it's going really well. I'm almost done with the first one in the spinoff trilogy.
Have you taken out any insurance policies to make sure we get to the 10th book of Stormlight, Brandon?
I don't if any insurance policy could do that other than making good outlines and making sure that somebody is tasked to do it, in case. I always used to say it's not far enough along but at this point, we're getting far enough along that we would want to have someone finish them.
If Khriss were to describe the Cognitive Anomaly to another Silverlight scholar, how would she do so?
She would RAFO you.
And then, is the Cognitive Anomaly either one of Nalthis's lagrange points or that another RAFO?
It's a RAFO. Everything about the Cognitive Anomaly is a RAFO. I'm sorry.
It was worth a shot.
It is an anomaly and that is all we're saying.
Have you ever thought of using Skimmers to have infinite electricity. Like on a Ferris wheel kind of thing. Like Skimmers on this side tap and then Skimmers on this side store.
Oh, you're just using like Allomancers or Feruchemy. I mean yeah, that's totally something that in-world they will probably end up doing because the energy is simply coming from another place like Investiture is energy but there's more efficient ways than that to actually get Investiture into energy. I mean, a lot of Investiture gives off light. You could make it give off heat. Like, way easier ways to use Investiture than to put people on dynamos and create power that way but you could do it. You could absolutely do it. If you were hard up for making it work and the only thing you had was a Feruchemist or an Allomancer, you could create electricity that way.
Is Lift going to show up in Stormlight four?
Yes but she's not going to have a big part. You'll have to wait for 6 before she gets a big role.
*Inaudible interjection*
That as well but 6 is where you really see Lift quite a bit.
Did Nightblood cause the Cognitive Anomaly?
*Hems and haws*
I'll give you a RAFO card.
In Part 2 of Oathbringer, the chapter headings are to Hoid, right, from other [Vessels] I'm assuming. One of them talks about Hoid. They reference to him as holder of the one gem [bearer of the First Gem]. Is that the gem that is then split into Shards perhaps?
RAFO. Mhm. RAFO.
Is Jasnah being able to Soulcast at a distance the resonance of her two Surges or is that just a Radiant thing that's not with the fabrials.
Jasnah's Order is better at that than others. It is not impossible that you could imagine a Lightweaver being able to do it.
Has an unborn child ever been Ascended?
Ascended to be a Shard? No, that has not yet happened.
Maybe not a Shard but...
Oh. Ascend to like a... No. I would say no. It hasn't ever happened. It's not implausible that the mother could Ascend and the child would... But it hasn't happened.
There are Allomantic savants, are there Feruchemical savants?
Much harder to do. My feeling on Feruchemical savants was because it was your own power in the first place, you can't steep in it so much in the way. But, if you can get someone else's power or if you are fueling your Feruchemy another way, you would become one. So, the Lord Ruler is a good example.
Was Miles a...
Yeah. Miles would be the same sort of thing.
Is that why he didn't die as quickly in the execution?
Yes.
So yeah. Normally no but if you can Compound you become... basically that is how I am explaining part of the Compounding abilities.
Similar to how holding Stormlight and Voidlight causes an emotional reaction, does holding a lot of Breath create an appreciation for beauty?
Yes, I would say that it does.
Does every form of Investiture create an emotional reaction?
I would say yes.
You talk about dragons, are you ever going to write a book with a dragon in it?
Yes. There are dragons in the Cosmere. Hoid has talked to one. If you read the letters in the beginnings of the Stormlight books, there's one where he's talking to someone he calls, "You old reptile." That's actually Frost ,who's a dragon. The planet that Hoid comes from, there are dragons on. It's where I got the word Dragonsteel which is the name of my book. I just didn't end up publishing that book but they're still in canon. So eventually I'll do a new version of that book and release it. There are actually dragons off world even, but they can shapeshift in the Cosmere.
Is reincarnation a thing in the Cosmere?
Reincarnation is not a thing in most of the Cosmere.
*Small exchange*
You could call the Returned reincarnations and there are other things along those lines. You could call the Fused are straight up reincarnation. It happens in some places. If you've read Stormlight, there's a group that are reincarnated time and time again. In general, no but there are groups that reincarnate.
Why is Spensa's dad a coward? Why does everyone make fun of Spensa?
He's not actually a coward. Read the book and you'll find out. Everyone makes fun of Spensa because their society focuses too much on a false version of what is a hero. They focus too much on the idea of if you're a hero, then you're good; if you're not a hero, then you're bad. They're basically kind of building themselves up by tearing her down which is a bad way to do it and don't follow their example.
Why are the Librarians in Alcatraz evil?
Because they find it much more fun that way.
If you had a group of Elantrians on Roshar and they wanted to set up an Elantrian complex similar to the city of Elantris, what would they have to do to get that set up?
The only way they know how to do it is to get Investiture from Sel and pipe it, basically. That's not the only way you could do it but that's the only way they know how to do it. You've seen them doing that in Secret History. Basically if they want their powers to work, they have huge workarounds they have to put in place. That's not all of it but that's basically... Yeah.
Theoretically, could an AI develop cytonic powers or is it purely biological rather than consciousness.
It is possible that an AI could.
What do you when all your characters seem to think and act like you do?
What I do if I were in that problem is, I try to pick some attribute that's very different from me. A belief system, a way of acting, a psychology. And then go read a whole bunch of blogs by people who are talking about dealing with that issue and then try to do a steelman, is what they call it. The opposite of a strawman, make that person's argument or life philosophy as strong as you can make it in that character. And see what happens.
When do you think Alcatraz... The next one... Do you have a release date for that?
I hope it's next year.
Do you have any idea?
We're probably a year to a year and a half away.
Yeah. We have to wait on the art. Whatever the art takes. Tor hasn't seen it yet either. We have just finished it and Janci wrote half and I wrote half and it turned out pretty well.
Wayne from the Wax and Wayne, worldhopper?
Wayne is not a worldhopper.
What would happen to the listeners if Odium were to be Splintered?
Odium being Splintered would not terribly affect the listeners. Now, various other members of that faction like the singers and the Fused might see effects. The listeners could deal with that very easily. Wouldn't even affect them.
I've got a question about Doomslug. Is she going to get a part as more than just the mascot of the series.
That is a RAFO.
Felt told Dalinar that the Nightwatcher doesn't like to talk to foreigners. If he had the opportunity to talk to the Nightwatcher, what would he ask for?
*Excited* I would have to think about it so I'm going to give you a RAFO. I'd have to consider actually what he really, really wants.
Could you rewrite Elantris to make Allomancers?
Could you rewrite Elantris to make Allomancers. If you really knew what you were doing, could you create a program?
Right.
It would be way easier with Forging and even that would be really hard. I could see you imitating the powers the right way, that you could end up with something that was functionally the same. It just wouldn't be an Allomancer.
Warbreaker Returned. We know that some of them have been Returned. Has anyone ever been Returned twice?
RAFO.
Is it possible?
RAFO.
If it's possible for Nightblood to actually interact with a Shard, what would happen?
A Shard would try to stay very far away from Nightblood. Nightblood could not plausibly destroy an entire Shard but the Vessel could be in danger.
Was the Shin invasion a cover for gathering lots of Shardblades and hiding them away?
RAFO.
There was a green cremling in the read today. Is that like - is it just like natural? I've never - or is that...?
Any time a cremling shows up that is oddly colored or things, you should pay extra attention to it. They won't all be relevant, but it is a running theme that you should pay extra attention to them.
Has Hoid ever died before?
Define died. He has had his head chopped off. It just, like, didn't work.
Didn't work?
Yeah. He actually ends the book Dragonsteel - that's unpublished - being beheaded. That event happened, although that book didn't happen as the book was written.
Can Nightblood attract spren?
Nightblood could theoretically attract spren. I don't think he really does yet, but I think this is theoretically possible.
In the Sixth of Dusk, where does the magic come from?
The magic comes from the same place that the magic comes in all of the Cosmere.
That doesn't help. What Shard or Splinter of Shards...
That's a RAFO.
What is behind Spensa there *points to book cover poster*?
That was done by the artists. I would say that's probably Detritus, but that's just their interpretation of it. I wouldn't take the covers of these books as canonical.
Humans have red blood, are there any other types of beings in the Cosmere that also have red blood?
I haven't decided yet, so that's a RAFO.
Can you explain the difference between a singer and a listener?
Singer is the name of the people in their own language. Listener, this group that split off from the singers and did not want to be called singers anymore, called themselves listeners and that name perpetuated. You could say that singer is the name of race and listener is the name of the nation.
If something is heavily Invested, it's harder for a Shardblade to go through it, right?
Kind of. It depends on the kind of Investiture and things that are going on. But yes. If you want to block a Shardblade... Like a metalmind would be a good thing to use to fight a Shardblade.
A person with a lot of Breath, like the God-King, would you be able to chop them with a Shardblade or no?
It's going to get very tricky on that, so I'll RAFO that for now. Let's just say that there are things. For instance, a Shardblade excising someone who's been Hemalurgically spiked is a theoretical possibility.
Is there a metal form of the Dor?
There is a metal form of the Dor.
*Written* How many people are intentionally killed in the process of creating a typical medallion?
*Written* Not as many as you think.
So the white hair. Did she have white hair or did Shallan just imagine that she had white hair?
That is another RAFO.
There are a lot of RAFO's about The Girl Who Looked Up.
There are a lot of RAFO's.
So, the girl who looked up, could her hair change like the royal locks?
RAFO.
Was her hair long or short? Or does it not matter?
It is long.
Why are there no spren in the prelude chapters for Way of Kings?
No specific reason. There's nothing happening there. Mostly, what happens is I write the initial write-through without very many spren and then they have Karen go through and say, "this would be a good place." Just kind of like special effects for a movie. It might just be that I've already released those and read those so much she doesn't want to add as many.
Is Kelsier evil?
Kelsier has evil leanings. I would not say evil but he's on the line.
Can a mistcloak be infused with Breath?
Yes.
In Scadrial, there were cans that were food *inaudible*, what type of metal were they made of?
Tin cans. Just like here.
But you say tin, but was it aluminum?
No. They're probably actual tin.
Do you approve of the fanonization of ‘Bavatar’?
*laughs* That’s pretty funny, I haven’t heard that before. Yes, I approve.
