Recent entries

    Calamity Philadelphia signing ()
    #7351 Copy

    Questioner

    I want to know more about the character Steris, like what was the inspiration for her, because watching her evolve has been one of my favorite things in the Mistborn series.

    Brandon Sanderson

    A couple things. One was I’d never written anyone as directly on the autism spectrum as she was, or she is, and I wanted to see if I could get this right. She also, I wanted to have a contrast between her and her sister. And that’s part of what I wanted to have, these two things. And I want to kind of pull the reversal on the reader, where this assumption when you go into a book is these two main protagonists are meant to hook-up, and I wanted to kind of twist that on its head because I didn’t think they should *audio cut off*.

    Calamity Philadelphia signing ()
    #7353 Copy

    Questioner

    Would setting Stormlight lanterns around a wounded person make them heal any faster?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No. Not your average person.

    Brandon Sanderson

    And regarding that healing thing, I’m going to have to back up on that one just a little bit because there would be nominal effects in the same way that if you’re sick and you go sit in the sunlight.  That makes you feel--Stormlight has, not the same effect but it would have a nominally similar effect…Does that make sense? Or a similarly nominal.

    Calamity Philadelphia signing ()
    #7355 Copy

    marcos

    As of Words of Radiance, are there two groups of Skybreakers running around claiming to be Skybreakers?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Nale’s group is the only one I think I’ve had on-screen, so yeah I think there’s only one. Why would you ask that?

    marcos

    Was the group that Helaran joined the actual Skybreakers?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Oh, I get what you’re saying. Okay. Yes, there is one unified group that call themselves the Skybreakers, good question.

    Calamity Philadelphia signing ()
    #7358 Copy

    Questioner

    Do you have any plans to write a series of short stories about, like, very minor Epics?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It is possible, since I did Mitosis, that I would do something like that again, but I can’t promise.  The next series will take place in one of the parallel dimensions that Megan saw.

    Calamity Philadelphia signing ()
    #7360 Copy

    AndrewStirlingMacDonald

    So there are many--According to Sixth of the Dusk, there are many commonly known aviar talents, can you give us a couple? Like examples we haven’t seen yet?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Those are from the notes, I’d have to dig them out. Let’s just say they’ll be very useful for navigation in the future.

    Calamity Philadelphia signing ()
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    Oudeis

    What is Wyrn’s or Hrathen’s seons’ names?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Um that is--

    Oudeis

    Or if you don’t know the name off the top of your head then what the Aon translates as.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Right. It’s been ten years, it’s in the notes. It will be important when I write the second ones.

    Calamity Philadelphia signing ()
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    Oudeis

    Can seons be harmed by a sword-blow?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Regular sword, no.

    Oudeis

    There’s a point where Ashe is distracting some soldiers and they’re swinging their swords, and I was wondering was that clever of him or was that legitimately brave. Like was he actually risking himself.

    Brandon Sanderson

    He was not actually risking himself. He’s the same...it wouldn’t... Yeah.

    Calamity Philadelphia signing ()
    #7370 Copy

    Titan Arum

    So Drehy in Bridge 4 has been described by multiple people as long-limbed and lanky which reminds me of another type of person not from Roshar. Was he born on Roshar?

    Brandon Sanderson

    That right there is me describing my good friend Ryan… that we always joked was the missing link, and that’s a joke for every time he sees it, because he has long limbs. So that one is not-- that one is just an inside joke with me and my friends.

    Titan Arum

    Okay, because the eunuch Terrismen are described like that--

    Brandon Sanderson

    They are.

    Titan Arum

    --so I thought maybe.

    Brandon Sanderson

    That's a good question, but no, that’s just there because every time he reads the book he will crack up.

    Calamity Philadelphia signing ()
    #7373 Copy

    VirtuousTraveller

    Have any other Shards--if the Shards were split, for some reason, to I guess protect, why is it that some of them clumped together, like Ruin and Preservation, and Honor and Cultivation?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Some are more naturally like that, but at the same time they also had personalities driving them, and it’s mostly the personalities.

    VirtuousTraveller

    Friends would have gotten together in the same place kinda sorta?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah, or business associates how are “We can do something cool together”. Before Odium just hunted them done and y’know… But the personalities are driving most of that.

    Calamity Philadelphia signing ()
    #7376 Copy

    Questioner

     For the White Sand graphic novel, is it going to be a book for each novel?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It’s actually three books for the first one.  Because graphic novel--turns out my longwindedness, even trimmed down, takes a lot of pages. So once we finish those three, if people like them, we’ll do the second.

    Calamity Philadelphia signing ()
    #7378 Copy

    Questioner

    At the end of Words it was talking about--I think, Teft was talking about how Bridge 4 was lighting up during the battle. So are they affected by Kaladin?  Or are they going to become...

    Brandon Sanderson

    So, they are what we call squires right now.

    Questioner

    Okay, so they are squires.

    Brandon Sanderson

    So yes.  They are affected by Kaladin, right now.

    Calamity Philadelphia signing ()
    #7379 Copy

    Questioner

    Are we going to get Soonie pups?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Someone offered to make them, they wrote to us, but it just seems like it is so much work that we're not planning it right now, and we would only do it if you can have a stuffed dog that you could turn inside out into a blob monster. That was my requirement and I don’t know if it’s actually going to happen.

    Words of Radiance Philadelphia signing ()
    #7381 Copy

    Kurkistan

    If Wayne was inside of a speed bubble and punches somebody who's standing outside it, what's happening with his fist and them: are they like sucked into the bubble, or what?

    Brandon Sanderson

    So, I have... So exiting a speed bubble, while it's going, has weird ramifications on lots of things. It would be really hard to punch somebody through a speed bubble--

    Kurkistan

    So would the surface like distend around his fist--

    *Illustrates with fist "stretching out" invisible film*

    Brandon Sanderson

    It's going to steal your momentum, but if you actually managed to do it, then-- yes. Anything in the speed bubble that's touching through is counted as being as part of the speed bubble.

    Kurkistan

    Okay, so his bubble would end here *Draws invisible surface in the air* and his fist would be out there *Illustrates by "punching" arm through the fake surface, demonstrating the fist extending past the bubble while he arm is within*, but still fast?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Kurkistan

    Oh okay, thank you.

    Brandon Sanderson

    That's how I've imagined it so far.

    Kurkistan

    But the bubble does end at [the same place still, with the fist extending out past its boundary].

    Brandon Sanderson

    The bubble does end, yes.

    Kurkistan

    *Makes pleasantries and goes to leave*

    Brandon Sanderson

    And when you're punching through, it's going to-- your momentum is gonna'-- you're going to lose momentum and get a ricochet, because you're lurching from-- *notices Kurkistan (very foolishly) acting like he's about to leave* anyway... I'll let you figure that one out on your own.

    Words of Radiance Philadelphia signing ()
    #7382 Copy

    Kurkistan

    Are flamespren, are they all doing their own thing, or is there some Ideal of "Fire" sitting in the Spiritual Realm that they're all based on?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Each spren is based on the Ideal of Fire.

    Kurkistan

    And is that sitting in the Spiritual Realm?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, we're using sort of a Platonic Ideal, and that concept is in force, so *sounds hesitant* "yes", but [spren] are manifestations of it.

    Kurkistan

    So these Ideals in the Spiritual Realm: Divine Breath, does that heal by accessing some Ideal of Human Health: so a guy who had never had a tongue and doesn't know how to speak all the sudden has a tongue and can speak?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You are... *LONG pause* You are, um, on the right track.

    Kurkistan

    Okay.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Because the Breath is... eh. How can I explain this? You are, yeah... So... So each Breath is a shade of deity, right?

    Kurkistan

    Yeah.

    Brandon Sanderson

    And each Breath incorporates into it this sort of idea of being endowed by the deity Endowment, correct?

    Kurkistan

    Yes.

    Brandon Sanderson

    And so each Breath you hold brings you one step closer to becoming like that, and so what you're saying is... is "yes", kind of true, yes.

    Kurkistan

    But it's like within the Breath, not sitting off by itself-

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, yes yes exactly.

    Fantasy Faction Q&A ()
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    Jean_Santos45

    Are Legion and Emperor's Soul contained in their own worlds or are they part of the universe of The Stormlight Archive, etc (anywhere with Hoid in it. lol)

    Brandon Sanderson

    The Emperor's Soul is set on Sel, the world of Elantris. It's far off, though, so you have to have your eyes open to catch the clues. Hoid shows up in a deleted scene, and is referenced in the story.

    Fantasy Faction Q&A ()
    #7385 Copy

    Hoosay

    So while writing two massive books in Memory of Light and Stormlight 2 you found time to write (at least) four novellas? I'm not going to ask how you manage it, I just want to know how you stop your fingers falling off?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well, two of these are older. (The ones that are free on my website.) The other two I wrote while traveling, when it's difficult to manage something as in-depth as the WoT/SA.

    But the real answer is that if I spend too long editing, and not enough time actually writing, I find myself burrowing down for a week and wanting to write something new. This is where a lot of these side projects come from.

    Fantasy Faction Q&A ()
    #7386 Copy

    Brandon Sanderson

    The obvious question is probably, "Why isn't your New York publisher doing these?" Well, to be honest, these books aren't right for Tor. They're just too short, in my opinion, for a traditional bookstore release. (Though I originally did do one of them with Tor.com.) I wanted to release nice collector's edition print versions and cheap ebooks at the same time. It's not something that is profitable for a large publisher, and so is better suited to doing myself. (EDIT--Note, with Legion and The Emperor's Soul, I'm working with very talented small presses for the print editions and am self publishing the ebooks. I don't want to take credit for what Subpress and Tachyon are doing, as they've been fantastic to work with. I love the Tachyon cover.)

    I'm not sure if this means I officially get to join the indie writers, or if I'm already too far entrenched in my place to ever be considered indie. However, considering the company, it seems like a great place to be. I'm a firm believer that both indie publishing and big-six publishing will have a place in the future of books, and that both serve very useful roles. Seems like this is one of the best times in the history of publishing to be a writer, with more opportunity for more people and more voices.

    Shire Post Mint Mistborn Coin AMA ()
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    Argent

    I'll ask you... about how you took the pretty minimal description from Brandon's books (I think we just knew that the Lord Ruler's face was on one side, and Kredik Shaw was on the other) to full coin designs.

    Isaac Stewart

    As for designing the coins based on Brandon's descriptions, I brought it up at one of our Dragonsteel work meetings. We discussed what the coins ought to look like, I looked up old coins for inspiration, then I worked up some really rough designs and got them approved by Brandon. You can consider these designs to be canonical as to how they would've looked in the Final Empire and later on in Elendel.

    Ben McSweeney

    For TLR, I actually started from the basis of this piece, but aging him further so that he appears more mature and regal.

    The design for Kredik Shaw is an amalgamation of different versions I've done. I would expect that the building on the coin is merely the "main palace", and possibly only part of that. The Kredik Shaw palace complex would be much larger.

    My favorite is actually TLM (Spook) "revealing the Elendel Valley" after the Catacendre. It came out much better than I anticipated.

    Shire Post Mint Mistborn Coin AMA ()
    #7388 Copy

    Oudeis

    I loved Nazh's "cameo" in the [Nicki] Savage story of Bands of Mourning. I especially like the touch of the map with the ripped edge in the book. Did the events really happen in the book as she describes in her broadsheet piece, or was the actual meeting punched up a bit for drama?

    Isaac Stewart

    Thanks for your kind words on the [Nicki] Savage story. I hope we get to see her again. Since she's learning the art of storytelling from Allomancer Jak, I suspect her version of events was slightly embellished. :)

    Oudeis

    Well she has been in two of the stories so far, so fingers crossed!

    Isaac Stewart

    I'm blanking on this just a little bit. Which was the second story she was in?

    Oudeis

    In Shadows of Self, there was a broadsheet article about a woman in the southern mountains who ran into a strange red and black person by a placid pool. Her name was [Nicelle] Sauvage, and I admittedly made a bit of an assumption that she and [Nicki] Savage are the same woman.

    Isaac Stewart

    You are exactly right! She did appear in the Shadows of Self broadsheet. Thank you for reminding me of that.

    Oudeis

    The name adaptation threw me off, I only picked it up this last time I read through it in my epic-cosmere-re-read leading up to Oathbringer.

    I do have to admit, while pretty cool, the dashing stranger who tried to kill a nice woman and destroyed public property in the sky above a metropolis using unknown arcana seemed... a little out-of-character for Nazh as we've otherwise seen him.

    Isaac Stewart

    [Nicki] added some extra drama to her version of events to make it more interesting. I don't think Nazh would've tried to kill her, though he might want her to think that he was. He's easily annoyed by those who get in the way of his missions, even if they're just nosy adventurers. :)

    Warsaw signing ()
    #7389 Copy

    Rasarr

    If you took a Parshendi... And they were born outside Roshar and never visited Roshar in their lives, would they hear the Rhythms beyond Roshar?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Would they hear the Rhythms beyond Roshar... If you took one that was not born on Roshar, would they feel the Rhythms off-Roshar or just Rhythms in general?

    Rasarr

    Rhythms in general.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, they would sense them.

    Rasarr

    Even beyond Roshar?

    Brandon Sanderson

    What they are sensing... it's something that pervades the Cosmere but on Roshar has specific way of manifesting.

    Rasarr

    Is it the same thing that Soothers and Rioters are using?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Now you're straying into RAFO territory with your question/good question...

    Warsaw signing ()
    #7394 Copy

    Questioner

    *inaudible* when you are going to publish or finish writing Era 3 Mistborn *inaudible* <Do you know how long they will be?>

    Brandon Sanderson

    I have very good outline for Era 3. Three books. It will be a little bit longer than Era 2 books. It will be this length *points to probably Era One books*. But yes, I’m not planning to write those until Stormlight 5 is written.

    Warbreaker Annotations ()
    #7396 Copy

    Brandon Sanderson

    Bluefingers Explains That He Has to Execute Siri

    Bluefingers is right when he says that there's a good chance Idris will do better in the war than everyone assumes. Of course, the main reason they'll do better is because of how the Lifeless were launched without support or planning.

    If this war were allowed to progress, Idris would be able to draw allies from across the mountains (as I mentioned earlier), and Yesteel's ability to create swords like Nightblood would end with T'Telir falling and then the entire world being cast into chaos and destruction.

    Warbreaker Annotations ()
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    Brandon Sanderson

    Lightsong Notices the Pahn Kahl are Imitating Priests

    If you're still confused about this, most of the priests you've seen in the Lightsong sections are Pahn Kahl scribes imitating priests to increase confusion. The skin tone is the clue, and Lightsong noticed it a chapter or two back, but couldn't figure out what exactly was bothering him.

    The previous chapters of the book—everything before the evening of Lightsong's infiltration of the tunnels—never included Pahn Kahl imitating priests. We've only seen them a couple of places, mostly in the Lightsong sections here.

    Warbreaker Annotations ()
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    Brandon Sanderson

    Vivenna Throws Nightblood at the Soldiers

    These men in soldier uniforms, as hinted at by how they react to Nightblood, are just a bunch of Denth's mercenaries wearing uniforms to hide them. The guards at the front gates, however, are actual court guards. They don't know that insurgents are now in control of the palace; they're confused and are taking orders from Bluefingers, whom they see as someone with respect and authority.

    The priests of the various gods are not so accommodating. There's mass chaos among them, though many parts of the city don't even know something strange is going on. The tunnels out of the Court of Gods are clogged with priests getting their various deities out of danger, which is why Bluefingers is slightly frustrated in the Siri scenes. He can't get the God King out to the boat he has waiting. (He wants to keep him as a prisoner. Executing him as he outlines to Siri is a backup plan, one he decides to implement.)

    Warbreaker Annotations ()
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    Brandon Sanderson

    Another note here is that Nightblood can sense where Vasher is. This is because Nightblood has ingested and fed off Vasher's Breaths in the past. When he does that, it connects him to someone. It's also, by the way, one of the secrets as to why Vasher doesn't get sick when holding Nightblood, even though he's a good person. It's not simply familiarity (though that is part of it). Nightblood has a built-in test. If he feeds off you and you survive, then you become somewhat immune to his powers.

    Warbreaker Annotations ()
    #7400 Copy

    Brandon Sanderson

    First is Nightblood's mention of Yesteel. I believe this is the first mention of him in the book. If you've been paying attention, you probably realized that there was one person missing out of the Five Scholars. Vasher, Denth, Arsteel, Shashara . . . and this guy. You'll see him in the sequel. (And yes, he's much better at sneaking than Vasher or Vivenna.)