Questioner
I was reading stuff online about like a Mistborn videogame?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, we'll still working on it. It's taking much longer than we thought. The developer, that producer of the game and I had chosen, they, ah, had a falling out and split and so we had to start over from scratch and that's what really threw us for a loop. We then took it to a really prestigious one-- game company that I love and they considered it for a long time, but it turned out that they just didn't have the time and couldn't do it. So now we are kind of back to square one finding a third group to do it.
Questioner
I write as well, and I was wondering what books you use to improve your own writing?
Brandon Sanderson
I have found both of Orson Scott Card’s books to be very good. Stephen King's book is very good. I find that my writing improves more when I read people's writing that I admire and then ask myself what they did well. That helps me more than some of the textbooks.
Questioner
That's kind of how I was feeling too, for myself, so excellent.
Brandon Sanderson
Breaking down someone who's really good at this, like Anne McCaffrey, or somebody like that, and saying "what is she actually doing?".
Questioner
From the very beginning did you already know-- like cosmere? Like was that your goal setting out?
Brandon Sanderson
It was my goal very early on. In fact, before I wrote any books I wrote a short story about Hoid. So he goes back to before the very first book that I wrote. So yeah it goes back pretty far. I can trace inspirations back to Asimov tying Foundation and Robots together and feeling like that was really cool and wanting to do something like that, if it makes sense. And so I would say that’s probably like the first seed was when I read the later Foundation books and they tied them together.
Questioner
I've always thought in Steelheart, or in the Reckoners series, what influenced your characters like that, like was there comic books behind that?
Brandon Sanderson
I've read a lot of comics, so you can find--
Questioner
Any specific ones that influenced you?
Brandon Sanderson
Watchman influenced everyone. Kingdom Come is one of first that made me really think about comics. My favorite was the old Eastman and Laird original Turtles. But I don't know if that's as much inspiration as me just enjoying it. I don't know. I like the graphic novels like the Killing Joke... that feel like a self-contained story.
Questioner
(paraphrased)
Warbreaker had just come out, and I was talking about how you used more comedy in the book, and I was asking about it and everything else, and I was so pleased that you've done such a wonderful job with it, I enjoyed the humor aspects, besides it just sets everything up perfectly.
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
I feel that a great book is going to have a wide range of emotions, so I try to stick various different ones in.
Questioner
What book has inspired you the most?
Brandon Sanderson
I'd say Les Miserables.
Questioner
Oh really, why's that?
Brandon Sanderson
I love Victor Hugo’s writing style. His use of character and his use of language.
Questioner
Who is your favorite Epic, because I have read Firefight.
Brandon Sanderson
I would say that, ok it's a spoiler-- Megan is my favorite Epic.
Questioner
Do we not know that at the end of Steelheart?
Brandon Sanderson
You do, but there are people here who have not read Steelheart.
Questioner
My boy was wondering...I said, what would you want to ask him, and he said, why is Alcatraz a bad guy but he doesn’t do bad things?
Brandon Sanderson
You can just say to him that Alcatraz is not a bad guy but he has a poor opinion of himself. He has bad self esteem.
Questioner
You've touched on [The Emperor's Soul], are you going to write a bigger one about that?
Brandon Sanderson
It’s unlikely because I think it works so well as it is. But you will probably see Shai again at some point.
Questioner
Is there a Hoid cameo in Shadows for Silence?
Brandon Sanderson
There is not. I intentionally didn't put one in, because I didn't-- couldn't come-- there was no reason for him to be there, and I didn't want to be doing it just to do it, if that makes sense, like, the Cosmere isn't just a bunch of cameos, it is a story within itself.
Questioner
How far ahead in the timeline is Sixth of Dusk?
Brandon Sanderson
Pretty far.
Questioner
Can I have a general--
Brandon Sanderson
Most people that I'm writing about now are dead.
Questioner
Is it up into the third trilogy of Mistborn?
Brandon Sanderson
It is that era, yes.
Questioner
Sweet! That's what I thought.
Brandon Sanderson
It might be a little bit before that trilogy, but it's that era.
Questioner
Do you have to have done the third oath before you can convert your spren into a Blade?
Brandon Sanderson
In most orders, yes.
Questioner
What about Shallan then? Did she do it, cause she was a kid when she first--
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, um... you will find out more.
Questioner
With Syl being able to be revived, is Adolin ever going to be able to revive his own blade, or--
Brandon Sanderson
Ah, that would be very difficult, because the original-- in most cases, the original person who broke the oath would have to be the one.
Questioner
Are we ever going to find out who brought Nightblood to Roshar?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
Questioner
Are we going to see more of that world [Threnody]?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
Questioner
In [Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell], the Evil that destroyed the Homeland, was that Odium killing a Shard?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO.
Questioner
My brother and I have been debating about Hoid and how he got his abilities. We have a couple theories. One of them is Hemalurgy. The other has to do with the portals into the worlds themselves, because the birds in Sixth of Dusk--
Brandon Sanderson
Ok, he doesn't have Hemalurgy right now. He has powers that predate the Shattering of Adonalsium. Not all of his powers predate, but he does have powers that predate.
Questioner
Ok, so I was wrong on both counts then. Am I wrong on both counts?
Brandon Sanderson
I'm not saying that, I'm saying that he does have powers that predate but he has also gained powers since.
Questioner
Does Sazed talk to Wax when he has that thing in his ear, while he’s praying?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, that is Sazed.
Questioner
I'm concerned that that bloodthirsty sword is off on his own again.
Brandon Sanderson
He, ah, he is, he is in dangerous hands right now, let's just say that.
Questioner
When it comes to like, touring and stuff like that, how do you pick these locations?
Brandon Sanderson
Sometimes, it's my publisher, sometimes it's me saying let's go somewhere different. And sometimes it's places where I've come a lot where they do a good job, like when I come to a store like this, I feel like they do a good job, so I put a good report into the publisher and say, feel free to send me back to that store.
Questioner
Ok, because I'm a student at Sunset University, and I have a lot of people who are fans there, and I'd love it if you know--
Brandon Sanderson
The best way to get me into places like that is if you have a local convention, science fiction convention, having them invite me to be guest of honor, I do that sort of thing a lot.
Questioner
I struggle because I go through books so quick, and so I've gone through a lot of your recommendations, and a lot of other recommendations from other people on reddit, on your reddit page, but where do you find books that you read?
Brandon Sanderson
These days normally it is people ask me for cover quotes. And so what people send in, I read the first few pages, or my wife, she reads voraciously and what she finds-- Like The Immortal life of Henrietta Lacks, I got that from her, if you haven't read that it's really good. It's like half non-fiction book, well it's all non-fiction but half like science writing and half biography, it's really cool. Definitely check out Uprooted when it comes out, that's very good. You've read the Hyperion books?
Questioner
Yes.
Brandon Sanderson
Ok, what else is good that you may not have really read? My recommendations right, if you've read Guy Gavriel Kay...
Bystander
Yeah...the student of yours who wrote a book?
Brandon Sanderson
Ah yeah Brian McClellan's. You've read Brian McClellan's? You've read everything! Something old and long...Elric [by Michael Moorcock]. Elric's pretty decent. It depends on if you like heroic fantasy, you know more of-- that, and David Gemmel, both of those heroic fantasy, try one, see if you like that style there's a ton of them out there.
Questioner
The Nahel bond, what determines whether you get a Cryptic or an honorspren?
Brandon Sanderson
The spren themselves.
Questioner
So it doesn't have to do with the Orders of the Knights Radiant?
Brandon Sanderson
If you match, you have to attract the spren, the same way you attract emotionspren, you have to attract the right spren for the Order.
Questioner
Since Hoid is the Horneater god, are there, or at least implied, would other Shards--
Brandon Sanderson
Hoid is not a Shard.
Questioner
Or other Shards that are related to Hoid, since they are in the same time period. Would they also be Horneater gods?
Brandon Sanderson
I think that the Horneaters might interpret things very differently from their reality, as they are viewing certain things happening--
Questioner
So would they originally be from Roshar, or would they have travelled from somewhere else?
Brandon Sanderson
That's a RAFO, it depends on the person. Hoid is not originally from Roshar.
Questioner
Is there a way to tell between different Investitures?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
Questioner
For each Shard.
Brandon Sanderson
Oh, for each Shard? Each Shard-- Most of the magics have built into them that ability, but I wouldn't say that everyone does. I am trying to remember if they all do... I lot of them have a power that would allow you to do that, but I don't know if every one of them does.
Questioner
No, I mean that, in the ones that do have [this ability], they can tell the difference between each one.
Brandon Sanderson
If you were really good at burning bronze, you could use bronze to distinguish between different types of Investiture from different planets even. And that sort of skill does exist in other magic systems.
Argent
Is it like a wavelength kind of thing?
Brandon Sanderson
Yea, that's exactly what it is.
Questioner
Is it possible to become a Sliver if you burn enough atium?
Brandon Sanderson
I don't think so.
Questioner
Is there a limit to how many Shardblades you can have? Be bonded to?
Brandon Sanderson
Theoretically, not really. There are some things that could bound that. I can imagine people having a lot. In the original draft of The Way of Kings (2002) Amaram had two. And so, it's definitely possible to have multiples, and I had not thought of someone trying to bond every Shardblade.
Questioner
So that means you can be bonded to more than one spren.
Brandon Sanderson
Well, those Shardblades... Can you be bonded to more than one spren? That question's answer is also yes. Potentially. But there is a much harder limit on that.
Questioner
Can you tell us which Shard is with the new story?
Brandon Sanderson
This is a world that does not currently have a Shard.
Questioner
If you were to use Allomancy to fly faster than light, would it be like the Navigators in Dune, where you pick out the best possible route through the stars?
Brandon Sanderson
No, good question though! That's not quite the way, I haven't really given you the tools to figure it out, because I feel that the tools to figure it out, I couldn't give to the characters early enough. I wanted it to progress with the technological development, so hints are only just really brief in the story.
Questioner
May I ask you what your revision process is?
Brandon Sanderson
My revision process is very goal-oriented. I decide what I want to change about the book, I write it all in a big notes file, and I organize them by how important it is and how far-reaching the changes are. And then I start revising with <the file> open beside me, always watching to make tweaks to fit the goals I have established.
Questioner
Oh, okay. And do you find yourself able to remember everything you've written when you go back and--
Brandon Sanderson
No, that's why-- you got your document here and you've got your revision file here and watching [the revisions file] while revising I'm trying to clear things off this list, and then things near the bottom will move up. And I'll sometimes need to do two or three drafts to clear everything off the list, but being goal-based in it helps me a lot.
Questioner
The prevailing theory on the 17th Shard is that [Hoid] worldhops using Shadesmar. I was wondering if you were willing to confirm or deny that?
Brandon Sanderson
Hoid has indeed gotten between worlds before through Shadesmar.
Questioner
And would you be willing to give us a hint as to how he does that?
Brandon Sanderson
There are hints in the books. There is a hint in the very first cosmere book I released [Elantris]. [...] Which I thought was a huge hint, but so far I haven't seen anyone talking about it.
Argent
Really?
Brandon Sanderson
Mmhmm. [...] I thought that once people started figuring the Cosmere, they would see the massive in-your-face hint I put in that book, but so far, as far as I know, no one has. *brief conversation about Brandon's tendency to drop sneaky hints and how he likes doing that* Now, the one [hint] about the map [of Roshar], that one I don't think is obvious. I know people have been trying to figure it out. It's something fun once you figure it out, but it's not something huge and obvious. The Elantris once was, like, enormously "HIIINT!"
Questioner
In Shadesmar you describe the beads, they are like little beads, this big, BB size...
Brandon Sanderson
They are bigger than BB size.
Questioner
Okay, and everything melts into beads. But when people pick them them up, do they form into the thing they are supposed to be, or just one bead represents the stick, and--
Brandon Sanderson
One bead represents the item that is seen and views itself as a cohesive thing.
Questioner
Is there a picture inside it, or...?
Brandon Sanderson
We will get more into this as time progresses.
Questioner
In the future Mistborn trilogies, is there going to be any spectator sports revolved around the magic system?
Brandon Sanderson
That is very likely. In fact, one of the reasons I wrote The Rithmatist was to play around with a magic system that's used as a sport, as a game.
Questioner
Why can Stormlight heal Lopen's arm, but can't heal Kaladin's scars?
Brandon Sanderson
Because *photo pause* a lot of the healing in the Cosmere works on principles of expectation and how you envision yourself.
Questioner
So Kaladin has accepted the scars.
Brandon Sanderson
Kaladin has accepted the scars, and Lopen never accepted the one arm. It's a good question, it's one I am hoping people will ask. [...] It's one of these ties when I built the magic systems that I wanted certain threads to run through them, so when I eventually have them being used in the same books, that there will be consistency among them, that so they won't feel like everything's just thrown together. So, for instance, the intention and expectation, for instance, in Warbreaker-- What you want to have happened influences what does happen, the expectation, the way you are thinking about things. Very important for most of the Cosmere magics.
Questioner
Elhokar's assassination attempt, the drained spheres [from his Plate] - was that <him> Surgebinding?
Brandon Sanderson
That's a RAFO. Good question. [...] Let me say this. Drawing the Stormlight from an active set of Shards is very difficult to do.
Brandon Sanderson
I'm actually writing a-- I planned, I don't know if I'll get to it, but I planned an in-between [Stormlight] books short story called King Lopen the First of Alethkar. And I'm hoping I'll get a chance to write that and stick it up there for you guys, but yes. Because if you see at the end he is claiming to have been a king for a while. You will find out why he claims that.
Questioner
Will Jasnah be one of the characters that gets her own book?
Brandon Sanderson
She will be.
Dragon13
Have we seen any characters who is a part of multiple [secret] organizations, for example the Ghostbloods and the Sons of Honor?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes you have. *photo pause* I've a big cop out there, because you of know of one who is in the Ghostbloods and the Lightweavers. You give me opportunities, and I will answer truthfully.
Dragon13
I was wondering, the point of views for the prologues *photo pause* will we ever see one from Gavilar's point of view?
Brandon Sanderson
That's a big ol' RAFO. Because I want it to be surprising to see who you get each book.
Eric
If Adonalsium Shattered with intent, would he always Shatter with the same Shards?
Brandon Sanderson
It is plausible that it could've gone a different way.
Eric
So it could've been different Shards?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, that's plausible.
Eric
The gemstone [Gavilar] gives to Szeth in the beginning of the book [The Way of Kings], is that the gemstone that's spoken of in the epigraphs?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO.
Questioner
[I noticed] Nazh's name at the bottom of the illustrations a lot - is that a character that's going to come in in the future?
Brandon Sanderson
He's already appeared in the books. Very very cameo-ish tangential things, you have to be really looking to spot him.
*brief conversation about space age Mistborn*
Argent
Books, plural?
Brandon Sanderson
He wasn't in The Way of Kings, no. Not on screen, I don't think.
Questioner
I was kind of curious, is Nightblood gonna be able to drain Stormlight or is it going to drain--
Brandon Sanderson
Nightblood will drain any Investiture it can get its hands on, so yes.
Questioner
Will main characters from books 1-5 [of Stormlight] also show up [in books 6-10]?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes. They will be about as prevalent, maybe a little bit more than ones from 6-10 are in these [Stormlight 1-5].
Questioner
Is it possible - not will there be, but is it possible - for a Parshendi to become a Knight Radiant?
Brandon Sanderson
In the past, they would've said— How about this, in-world everybody would tell you no. It's never happened.
Questioner
I'm assuming there's going be be ten opposite orders to the Knights Radiant? Yes? No?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO! That's big ol' RAFO!
Questioner
That spren that are of Odium, that are in the Everstorm - are there more of those and will they pair directly as opposites of the <Nahel spren>?
Brandon Sanderson
There are more of them. There is not an exact one-to-one correlation?
Questioner
Are gemhearts, the gems in those chemically identical to mined [gem] stones?
Brandon Sanderson
*clarification* They are very similar. Not 100% chemically identical, they are far more pure for one thing. You would call them the same substance, but you would say, "Wow, this gem has no impurities." They may have flaws, but no impurities. Meaning, in a lot of gemstones the colors waver and vary as they different minerals come in, and things like that, and so what makes a--
Questioner
So it's just a pure ionic bond?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah.
Questioner
Is Jasnah still alive at the end of the book, since the whole scene where she kind of appears...
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, she is.
Argent
*photo pause* Why does she take so long to come back?
Brandon Sanderson
Because Elsecalling is not precise even if you know what you are doing, which she doesn't.
Questioner
Can I ask about the wrong decision in the beginning of the original The Way of Kings?
Brandon Sanderson
In the original [The] Way of Kings Kaladin wins and Shardblade and Plate and keeps it.
ladyknightradiant
Have we seen all four of the genders for the Parshendi?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
ladyknightradiant
So it's more than just malen and femalen?
Brandon Sanderson
Well, male and female. So, basically, in my original notes I was trying to decide if I should call them [something else?] but they-- eventually we ended up-- It's basically, they have a male neuter and female neuter, and then a male and a female. So yes, there are four genders. [...] And, if you can't tell, the malen and femalen are both asexual, completely.
