Recent entries

    Stuttgart signing ()
    #4607 Copy

    Paleo (paraphrased)

    Have Rosharan mathematics advanced far enough to know Julia sets?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    Yes, they know Julia sets. Some of the mathematics are farther along at this time than ours, some are behind. Kinda like abstractionalism is a centuries-old art style on Roshar, calculus was discovered way earlier.

    Stuttgart signing ()
    #4608 Copy

    Paleo (paraphrased)

    Is Wisdom a Shard? If so, how bad does it want to survive?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    There is a Shard with a similar intent. The Shard has realized that survival might not be the most desirable/important.

    Stuttgart signing ()
    #4609 Copy

    Paleo (paraphrased)

    There's symbols in the temple at the end of The Bands of Mourning which none of the characters recognize. Are they from any writing system known to us or did Kelsier make them up?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    RAFO.

    Footnote: Paleo also mentioned in passing that the symbols didn't resemble any Aons or other symbols he knew. Brandon didn't react much to that.
    #rafo
    Sources: Paleo's report - 17th Shard
    Stuttgart signing ()
    #4611 Copy

    Paleo (paraphrased)

    Are the Ashynite magic system, in which micro organisms cause diseases and bestow powers, and the Old Magic related? You could sort of see the powers and the disease as a boon and a curse. If so, does the "Old" part come from that?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    Yes, they are related, but the name comes from the magic actually predating spren bonds.

    Stormlight Book Four Updates ()
    #4616 Copy

    Brandon Sanderson

    Time for another update on your book, everyone! If you missed the previous update, it can be found right here. This update will get into some nitty-gritty outlining and wordcount details, which some of you might find boring. (Just a fair warning.)

    Since the second update, I've indeed started into the book full-time. However, you might have noticed a little delay in the progress bar ticking up. This is because at the end of February (just before going to Hawaii) I decided that Starsight (Skyward Two) needed some more work.

    I requested that the publisher push that book back a couple of months (it's now scheduled for first week in December) as I did a medium-sized overhaul based on some decisions I'd made after reading the beta reader comments. I'm pleased to say that revision went really well, and Starsight is in excellent shape. It did put me a little behind on Stormlight Four, I'm afraid. Looking at my tracking spreadsheet (which I used to gauge how I'm moving along) when I started into Stormlight four first part of April, I was about 45k words behind. I'm moving at a good speed, and am about 42k words behind now, with about 15k words finished.

    This is merely a way of marking guideposts; I don't intend rush the story in order to meet arbitrary deadlines. This is partially me just trying to give you, and my publishers, an idea of when to expect the book. If I finish it by January 1st, the book can come out Christmas 2020. If I don't, we will probably have to nudge it back.

    For reference, one percent on my progress bar is 4k words, and I anticipate the final book being 400k words long. A lot could happen during the next year of writing--the book could go super long, like happened with Oathbringer. Or I could run into some serious plot problems, which require time to work out. (For example, I've already thrown away chapter one after doing a short reading of it at an earlier convention--trying again with a slightly different tone.)

    That said, I really like the new first chapter, and am now well into the fourth chapter. I promised you an update on the outline this time, and I'm looking at this book in a different way from the last two. As you may remember, I tend to plot each Stormlight book as if it were three volumes, combined together. (Along with a short story collection in the form of the interludes.)

    With books two and three, the outline divided the novels into "books" by section. Part one of Oathbringer, for example, was "book one" of my three-part outline. Rhythm of War, however, is plotted more like The Way of Kings--meaning the separate books in it are divided by viewpoints.

    In TwoK, Kaladin's complete arc was "book one" of my outline. Dalinar's was "book two" and Shallan's was "book three" with all of them being interwoven into the final product, and with Part Five being a capstone epilogue to them all. This novel is similar, though with more viewpoints.

    We have what I'm calling the Primary Arc, which focuses on four characters who are all together in one place, their plots interweaving. The Secondary Arc is three different characters, their arcs interweaving, but in a separate location from the primary arc. The Tertiary arc is the last two characters, in a third location.

    There will be ties between the three arcs, but the book will read a little more like TWoK than Oathbringer--with several separate stories that imply interesting things for one another, but which generally focus on their own goals. Book Five should, then, be an interweaving like Book Two or Book Three.

    That's the plan, anyway! I'm not 100% done with the outline yet, as I want to explore some viewpoints first to make sure everything is lining up the way I want.

    The next update probably won't be until mid summer, as I want to take a nice chunk of writing time to determine how things are progressing before I come back to talk here.

    Until then, please enjoy listening to the community playlist of favorite epic tracks that remind them of Stormlight. This is what came of the previous thread, where I asked for suggested music to listen to while I work on Book Four. I've been doing so, and am slowly cultivating a shorter list of my favorite tracks that I'll release at a later date. Thanks to /u/DevilsAndDust- and my assistant Adam for putting this together.

    Stormlight Book Four Updates ()
    #4617 Copy

    Brandon Sanderson

    Hey, all. Brandon here, back for another update on your book.

    January went well, and the outlining process is moving along. I've set the percentage bar perhaps a little higher than it deserves to be, considering that I plan to get the outline for Book Five done as well y the time that hits 100%, but I haven't started it yet. That said, I'm feeling very good at what I've accomplished so far. I've cracked a few tricky problems in the plotting, ones I anticipate being the toughest parts of the outline--which makes me optimistic that I'm further along than the wordcount might indicate.

    I did have to stop to do a quick 3.0 revision on Starsight, the sequel to Skyward, which is coming out in November. That's finished as of around 1:00am this morning. I'll be diving back into Stormlight now, though I'm in LA this week doing pitch meetings for Dark One as a television show. (So far so good, but these are very preliminary-type meetings, so don't expect any big announcements anytime soon.)

    Plan is to be finished with the outline of Book Four by March 1st. (Tentative title: The Rhythm of War, but I'm not 100% on that yet.) Then I'll dive into the book.

    Writing a Stormlight book is not an easy or quick process. To finish on time, I'll need to do 40k words a month every month this year--which is a tall order. (My average is around 30k a month, though, so it's not impossible.) That would have the first draft done by January 1st, then give me six months of grueling revisions to finish the final draft by July, which would allow a Christmastime release. This isn't set in stone, though, and if I don't meet this schedule the book could slip into the beginning of 2021.

    For now, I'm going to solicit a little help from you. While writing Stormlight 3, I built a specific playlist of some of my favorite epic-fantasy-feeling songs. I've posted it before, but if you missed that, find it here.

    You can click on my profile to find the similar playlist I made for Skyward. I have been searching through other playlists people have made on Spotify with the right kind of music so I can build a similar playlist for Stormlight 4, but I thought I'd kick the question to you folks as well.

    Do you have any suggestions? What songs in specific (songs are better than artists, as I try to keep my playlists varied with only a couple of songs from any one given artist) do you listen to while reading the Stormlight books? What songs would you suggest to me that I listen to while writing the book? (Other than the Kaladin album, of course.)

    Generally, I prefer things that have an epic instrumental feel to them--though I don't mind words here and there. And I get tired of things that sound TOO trailer-esque. (Inception sound. Inception sound. Inception sound.

    For reference, my favorite song on the Oathbringer playlist--and the one I play in my head at the climax--is Alive by Phil Lober. Anyway, please suggest things for me to put on my playlist. Songs that are on theme, or even songs you just think are epic for whatever reason. (Though do look through the other two playlists I've made first, to double check the song isn't on one of them. I probably won't put any repeats on this playlist.)

    And as a final note, I won't be having replies from this thread sent to my inbox, and I don't know if I'll have time for many specific replies to questions. But I do plan a more involved AMA sometime in the near future, where I can answer questions. I will also hop back on the thread at some point and grab the suggested songs.

    Anyway, I'll give you another update when the outline is finished. Until then, Journey before Destination.

    Bonn Signing ()
    #4618 Copy

    Cultivation's Champ

    I wonder whether Jasnah has been to the Cognitive Realm of planets other than Roshar?

    Brandon Sanderson

    She has not, she is not horribly cosmere-aware as of the end of Oathbringer, she is starting to get an inkling. Give her some time and you might be impressed with how quickly she can come up to speed.

    FanX Spring 2019 ()
    #4621 Copy

    Steeldancer (paraphrased)

    Have you ever heard of the Alcubierre Drive? 

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    Yes, I know about the Alcubierre drive. 

    Steeldancer (paraphrased)

    So, if we took two speed bubbles--mechanized, because Allomancers aren't powerful enough to pull it off--could we create a functioning Alcubierre drive?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    You are theorizing in the right direction. 

    FanX Spring 2019 ()
    #4622 Copy

    Steeldancer (paraphrased)

     According to General Relativity, there should be spatial distortion in speed bubbles. So, why does no one notice it?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    There is spatial distortion in speed bubbles, that's why bullets are refracted when they enter a bubble. However, I played with it a bit, and ignore the redshift that should happen. The barrier of the bubble absorbs it, otherwise everyone would just be irradiated. 

    FanX Spring 2019 ()
    #4623 Copy

    Questioner

    Can Hoid eat?

    Brandon Sanderson

    He can, yes.

    Questioner

    And is there anything that he can't eat?

    Brandon Sanderson

    There are things he does not like. He would be-- Eating something that's still alive would be very difficult for Hoid. But he-- There aren't foods that would be forbidden to him by his particular ailment.

    General Reddit 2019 ()
    #4625 Copy

    allofthe11

    Is Dalinar based off of Genghis Khan to any extent, and if so did you blend him with other historical figures?

    Brandon Sanderson

    One inspiration for the Alethi is the Yuan Dynasty, which has Mongolian roots. Because of that, I've included little hints here and there connecting the peoples. I'd imagine Dalinar more as a Subutai than a Genghis, but the episode where he recruits a guy who shot him with an arrow is based off of a piece of folklore that surrounds Genghis, so it's not off base to note the connections there.

    General Reddit 2019 ()
    #4626 Copy

    Ilkhan2016

    Breath and Stormlight are both forms of Investiture. AFAIK you can power any of the magic systems from any form of Investiture. Zahel is on Roshar, I believe, primarily due to how easy Investiture (Stormlight) is to come across.

    AFAIK the form of Investiture doesn't change anything about the abilities. For example, Szeth was sucked out of Stormlight when he drew Nightblood; and Azure used Stormlight to Awaken in Shadesmar.

    /u/mistborn is that right?

    Brandon Sanderson

    A lot of this depends on the Investiture and the magic in question. Azure was legit using Breaths, for example--ones she'd brought with her. But Szeth was able to feed Stormlight to Nightblood, much as Vasher uses Stormlight to keep himself alive.

    To Awaken with Stormlight, the easiest thing to do would be to first change Stormlight into Breaths--something that Azure doesn't know how to do. (Admittedly, Hoid doesn't either, so it's not like it's a simple thing to achieve.) You could also theoretically use some magical (or mechanical) means to power your Awakening with a different form of Investiture.

    Extesian

    This is very interesting. Is it possible then in the Cosmere for the 'intent' (spin or however described) of Investiture to be changed? And I mean within reasonable limits (not the powers of six shards or any of that). Can a Shard effectively grow in power in a place (e.g. toward an avatar) through another Shard's Investiture being changed (not just corrupted)? Or is it just making one type ('intent' - you should canonize a word for this :D) of Investiture mimic the properties of another?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Most of the ways of accomplishing what you're talking about would involve either 1) fooling/overwriting your spiritual makeup somehow. (This is what Hemalurgy does, for example.) 2) Refining the power somehow into a more pure form.

    But there are a lot of variables. The way magic from Nalthis works, for example, the system is just looking for any available Investiture to power itself--and so basically anything will do, regardless of the source. This includes consuming your own soul, in some cases...

    You'll see terminology coming along eventually that facilitates talking about all of this. I'm not yet decided on some of it.

    Celestial_Blu3

    How many Breaths does [Azure] have by her final appearance in OB?

    Brandon Sanderson

    That's a RAFO, I'm afraid.

    FanX Spring 2019 ()
    #4628 Copy

    Questioner

    Does BioChromatic Breath cure color-blindness?

    Brandon Sanderson

    So... having enough Breath will interact very strangely with color-blindness. It won't heal it, necessarily, but it will have an interesting effect.

    Questioner

    Ah. I was hoping--

    Brandon Sanderson

    Are you color-blind?

    Questioner

    I am. So the entire time I read the book I was hoping it could cure color-blindness.

    Brandon Sanderson

    You will have an interesting time. I think you would be pleased with how it affects it.

    Questioner

    Will we ever see a color-blind person in the books?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I want to do one. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get it in there... but you will be pleased with how it happens.

    FanX Spring 2019 ()
    #4629 Copy

    Questioner

    Was Lopen ever actually a slave or did he just see a slave wagon walking by and was like, "Hey, can I join you guys?"

    Brandon Sanderson

    I'll get to his story eventually. But he did not spend a long time in a bad situation like some of the others did.

    Questioner

    *inaudible* One of the people just would walk up and it's like, "Hey, can I join you guys?"

    Brandon Sanderson

    It didn't happen quite like that but it is a little bit goofy.

    FanX Spring 2019 ()
    #4630 Copy

    Questioner

    So...what is the safehand about-- Like how did that develop into a thing, having one hand being scandalous?

    Brandon Sanderson

    So it relates back to philosophical treaties written in world, long ago, where a woman was saying 'these are feminine arts, these are masculine arts'; that sort of thing. It was partially a way to control access to Shardblades, when Shardblades and Shardplate first entered the-- common people being able to have them because the Knights Radiant had abandoned them. At the same time there was a struggle for power over language, and this happened long ago. Really the reason is "humans are weird".

    FanX Spring 2019 ()
    #4631 Copy

    Stormlightning

    Is the bird that talked to Allomancer Jak a kandra?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Haha, RAFO. Allomancer Jak thinks that it probably must be.

    Stormlightning

    Are you gonna say if it's an Aviar?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I'm going to say Allomancer Jak has a strange blend of trustworthiness and not. He doesn't think that he's lying when he says things.

    FanX Spring 2019 ()
    #4633 Copy

    Stormlightning

    How hard would it be for a Sleepless to imitate the larkin powers in one of their hordelings?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Oh, they would take generations and generations of purposeful attempts at mutating that out.

    Stormlightning

    Could they theoretically do it?

    Brandon Sanderson

    They could theoretically do it.

    FanX Spring 2019 ()
    #4634 Copy

    Stormlightning

    Would the Ghostbloods try to recruit [a Sleepless]?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Um, the Ghostbloods would not trust a Sleepless.

    Stormlightning

    They wouldn't? So they wouldn't even try to get one?

    Brandon Sanderson

    They would not. They would expect a Sleepless to take over their organization or try to. And try to stay far away from the Sleepless.

    Stormlightning

    What about the Seventeenth Shard?

    Brandon Sanderson

    There are members of the Seventeenth Shard who would be interested in recruiting one of the Sleepless. Generally they represent a wildcard faction that a lot of other people are wary of.

    Stormlightning

    I guess Khriss and them just know about them?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. The Sleepless are cosmere-aware.

    Stormlightning

    Are they worldhoppers?

    Brandon Sanderson

    There are Sleepless on many planets. They have mostly settled on Roshar for various reasons.

    FanX Spring 2019 ()
    #4636 Copy

    Questioner

    How did Hoid get the name Cephandrius?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Cephandrius? Cephandrius is one of his very earliest aliases. Not his real name, but very soon after he stopped using his real name.

    Questioner

    Okay. Is there any relation to his real name? With that?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I will give you a RAFO card.

    FanX Spring 2019 ()
    #4637 Copy

    Stormlightning

    So about the Girl Who Looked Up, when her hair turns white, I'm just wondering, was that a Shallan-caused thing, or was that external?

    Brandon Sanderson

    External.

    Stormlightning

    It was nothing to do with her?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Everything in that had something to do with her.

    Stormlightning

    But she didn't cause it? Subconsciously or otherwise?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well, she was involved, but the original source of that-- Yes, she is involved in that--

    Stormlightning

    But she didn't know something that caused it, even way back in her memory?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No, no. You're going the wrong direction for that.

    FanX Spring 2019 ()
    #4638 Copy

    Questioner

    At the end of Oathbringer, or near the end, Kaladin is talking to Syl about not getting Shallan or whatever, and he says that she really just reminded him of someone, who is it that she reminded him of?

    Brandon Sanderson

    She reminded him of Tien, his brother, because his brother was a burgeoning Lightweaver, and Lightweavers, you'll notice, when they're around someone, that person starts to act a little bit more like a little bit of their best self. There's a bit of, also, counteraction to feelings of darkness and despair, it's just a natural Lightweaver sort of thing. And so, part of what Kaladin was drawing from Shallan was that feeling. I think it could've totally become love. And he's now cutting that off, he's saying it couldn't at all have become-- it could have. But that was part of what was drawing him in.

    FanX Spring 2019 ()
    #4639 Copy

    Questioner

    So I was wondering, can Siri and Vivienna, does their hair change to unnatural colours, like pink and green--

    Brandon Sanderson

    It can. Yes.

    Questioner

    What would elicit that?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well, I would have to go back to look at my notes, honestly. I would expect you could get green by eating something that made you sick, right? They're gonna associate these colors partially with associations that people are putting on them, the same way that spren are acting like the associations that people give them, but I would have to look at the culture, because in their culture, they may not associate green with disgusting the same way we do, right, if that makes sense. So that's why I'd have to look at the notes. These things are partially based on their own interpretation.

    FanX Spring 2019 ()
    #4640 Copy

    Questioner

    I have a question about the Sibling, actually. So, do you-- Can you say something about who or what the Sibling is?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Who or what the Sibling is? I can tell you, the Sibling will be a matter of discussion in a future novel of The Stormlight Archive. That's a RAFO. You will find out a lot more as the narrative progresses. The Sibling is very relevant, but I don't want to say too much right now. 

    Questioner

    There is a lot of rumors that there's something going on...

    Brandon Sanderson

    ..Saying too much about the Sibling is gonna give big spoilers, so I'm just gonna stay quiet on it, alright?

    FanX Spring 2019 ()
    #4641 Copy

    Questioner

    I'm gay, and I thought it was really cool that you had a gay bridgeman. Do you have any other LGBT stuff, your characters--

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah. Mistborn series has Ranette, who's LGBTQ--

    Questioner

    Is she?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. It's, you know, you'll... So that's in the Wax and Wayne books, I don't know if you've read those. 

    Questioner

    Yes, yes, I remember her, okay. 

    Brandon Sanderson

    So yes, we've got her, we've got him, there are others that will show up here and there. Drehy is kind of special in that he's a very good friend of mine that I put into Bridge Four, so he's one of the ones that I kind of say "is it okay if I do it like this? Is it okay if I do it like this?" I kinda let him voice his character and things like that sometimes.

    FanX Spring 2019 ()
    #4642 Copy

    Questioner

    You've stated before that Denth's ability to change is hair color is independent of him being Returned? So meaning he has the Royal Locks. Are Siri and Vivenna descended from him, or just a separate line of the same family tree?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I will RAFO that. But he does have the Royal Locks, so you can at least assume that they're related, at the very least.

    FanX Spring 2019 ()
    #4643 Copy

    Questioner

    Does Marsh know much about what Kelsier's doing during Arcanum Unbounded?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. 

    Questioner

    Okay. Anything else on that, or just a yes until further--

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. He knows. He's aware. 

    Questioner

    I'll read into it. It's probably on 17th Shard or something.

    Brandon Sanderson

    That's just me, that's not in there anywhere. He's aware, but he's - yeah, yeah. He wasn't aware of all the stuff like he is by now, though, that's what I'll say.

    FanX Spring 2019 ()
    #4645 Copy

    Questioner

    What was your motivation behind-- for killing Elhokar and simultaneously ripping my heart out?

    Brandon Sanderson

    So, it was-- I never feel like I'm killing characters, I'm letting characters take risks and I'm letting other characters have agency to do the things they're doing in the books. That whole plot cycle was more-- less me killing someone off and more me letting Moash go down the dark path that he have been demanding that he go down.

    Questioner

    Okay, but you realize half the fandom-- or the whole fandom practically wants him dead now.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, yes. Well, they should! He made a very, very bad decision, and he deserves everything that the fandom is throwing at him.

    FanX Spring 2019 ()
    #4646 Copy

    Stormlightning

    You've talked about how Hoid really appreciates his new Lightweaving abilities, but what about the Soulcasting side of things?

    Brandon Sanderson

    So, you'll have to see.

    Stormlightning

    Is he excited about that, or does he already have all of that?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No, he doesn't have all of that. He knows more than a lot of people do, and knows to be more-- frightened of Soulcasting than others are. Frightened is perhaps the wrong term. Wary. 

    FanX Spring 2019 ()
    #4647 Copy

    GyozaGuy

    Allik Neverfar has those medallions that let him to talk to people in their language, but he has an accent because it knows his parents aren't from that area. So I'm wondering, if he and his parents are both using those in a foreign land, does he no longer have an accent and his parents would?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I would say that they would both still have an accent. 

    GyozaGuy

    So it's not connected--

    Brandon Sanderson

    It's connecting to the soul of his parents and it's kinda picking that out. There are ways around that. If you are really good with the way Connection works and things like that. Obviously you've seen Hoid speaking without an accent all over the place. The medallions are kind of a crude, early version of doing that sort of thing, not really in control of the magic more, and so I wanted to build in some little indications that things are not quite as fluid as they will someday get.

    GyozaGuy

    So it's more of a hack and not a rewrite of the Connection.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah, exactly.

    Bluebar

    It's not a direct link from them to the Investiture.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah. If you find someone who's using the magic themselves, you'll see that they-- like Dalinar didn't have, the people who spoke with Dalinar didn't have accents when he was using the same sort of Connection magic to give them linguistics and things like that.

    FanX Spring 2019 ()
    #4650 Copy

    Questioner

    I was wondering about how Alcatraz book 6 is coming along?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Its coming along really well. It's almost done. I've written my half, Bastille hasn't finished her half yet. Otherwise known as Janci -- A friend of mine that I'm co-writing it with so that I can blend the voice and make it sound a little more distinctive. It was sounding too much like Alcatraz, so I wrote a big chunk of it, and then I asked her to write a big chunk of it, and she is smoothing the voice together. I think she is near the last chapter of it, of the chunk she had been writing... It's going to be really cool. The ending that I have, it's really zany and it's really crazy, but it is great.