Recent entries

Questioner

What happens if a kandra eats Nightblood?

Brandon Sanderson

That would be bad for them.

Jason

Can kandra absorb living matter, non-organic matter?

Brandon Sanderson

They do absorb living matter, but it’s more what can they eat. So, chasmfiend carapaces, they probably couldn’t digest.

Questioner

In transitioning from Merin to Kaladin, was there any plot sacrifices that were particularly difficult for [you]?

Brandon Sanderson

No. I had been disappointed enough in the way that Merin turned out in the original draft of The Way of Kings, that transitioning to someone more vibrant and more interesting in Kaladin really didn’t feel like a sacrifice to me.

Andrew

Can [you] tell [us] when [we] will see Cohesion and Tension Surges? Will [we] see it in Stormlight 3?

Brandon Sanderson

You are unlikely to see very much of it at Stormlight 3. That is dealing more with characters on the, in the back five, but you will probably see a little bit of it.

Smolderwolf

Do worldhoppers in the cosmere teleport between planets, or physically travel the space between?

Brandon Sanderson

Both are possible.

Jason

What's the favorite title from my books?

Brandon Sanderson

Oh, I would say brightlord is my favorite. I really like how brightlord works.

Michael

Have you decided whether it'll be Dalinar, Szeth, or Eshonai as the focus of Stormlight 3?

Brandon Sanderson

Nope, I’m writing Calamity right now, and when I’m done, and I’m, the first thing I will do is go to Stormlight 3, and I’ll start writing on the flashback sequences for all three and decide which one matches the best.

Questioner

What's the range influence of a Shard's power in the cosmere?

Brandon Sanderson

Ahh, it varies.

BlackYeti (paraphrased)

There's some similarity in the effect of Hemalurgy and the Dakhor magics. What would happen if you were to try combining the two?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

You would have some pretty evil dude, I would expect.

BlackYeti

You've said before that the Horneaters are hybrids, half-human--

Brandon Sanderson

Not really half any more, but yeah.

BlackYeti

Are there any other hybrid creatures, would you consider the koloss to be this? Koloss-blooded.

Brandon Sanderson

Not really, I don't consider them, but the Herdazians also have a bit of Parshendi in them.

BlackYeti

Kandra, you're not getting any more of those. But they can die, so what's stopping them from creating new kandra out of the mistwraith just by recycling the Blessings?

Brandon Sanderson

That is mostly just cultural.

*paraphrased* In The Bands of Mourning, you might expect to see kandra using other kandra's spikes.

BlackYeti

Suppose you had a full Feruchemist, who got enough Breath to reach the Fifth Heightening. What would happen if he started storing in atium?

Brandon Sanderson

Hehe-- I'm going to RAFO that one.

BlackYeti

With most magic systems, you've said that you need some sort of gap in your soul for the Investiture to get in. On Nalthis, there's obviously a bit of it that they can give away. Is this how Vasher is able to get Stormlight?

Brandon Sanderson

Oh, is this-- Yeah.

BlackYeti

In The Final Empire, Kelsier says that it will take 300 years before atium grows back in the Pits of Hathsin. How does he know this?

Brandon Sanderson

I think it is mentioned somewhere else how long it takes a crystal to regrow, and he's just basing it off of, in the past, when a crystal is damaged, how long it takes one to come back... I'm pretty sure that that is even mentioned somewhere, but if not, that's just how he knows.

BlackYeti

Regarding Vasher... what was his name before he Returned?

Brandon Sanderson

That is a RAFO, but just a minor one... Vasher's past is a factor in Nightblood the book, and so I'm staying away from all answers about that.

EmagSamurai (Paraphrased)

I asked for something about honorblades that we don't already know.

Brandon Sanderson

One Herald (other than Taln) kept his honorblade (or, at least, took it back)

inksplattersandearlyhours (paraphrased)

I told him I was curious about what he was going to do with Moash after Words of Radiance.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

He raised his eyebrows and exchanged a look with his publisher (who started laughing- which- in joke? incoming plot twist? who knows).

Then he promised that there would be Moash POV in the next book!

Jaller (paraphrased)

The last question I asked was if anyone had tried to include Allomantic metals in cooking.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Brandon said that other than Wax putting steel in whisky, he didn't think so.

Jaller (paraphrased)

I also asked Brandon about that part in the Wandersail chapter of [The Way of Kings], where Syl leaves Kaladin before he meets Hoid because she gets a bad feeling. I wanted to know whether this related to why Vin decided to not meet Hoid in [The Hero of Ages].

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

He said that they both got a certain impression from him, but wouldn't say whether or not it was the same thing, and stated I would have to RAFO what that was exactly.

Jaller (paraphrased)

I asked Brandon whether kandra could replicate Parshendi carapace.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

He said they couldn't.

Jaller (paraphrased)

I asked whether or not it was to do with the same thing as hair and if that was the reason why.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

He said sort of, yes.

Maffu17 (paraphrased)

Do Splinters have to be sentient to be considerate as such?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

He did clarify that Splinters don't have to be sentient to be Splinters.

Maffu17 (paraphrased)

Can you define the Ars Arcanum Author's term Initiate?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

He said Initiation was deliberately vague and didn't define it.

CthuluSpren (paraphrased)

Could you tell me anything about the other [Dysian] Aimians?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

You'll be surprised when you see them, they're barely humanoid.

CthuluSpren (paraphrased)

Could Wax, Vin, or the Lord Ruler burn Nightblood?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Firstly, you're assuming Nightblood is not Allomantically inert, but if it was, it would be like trying to burn someone else's metalmind.

luke.spence (paraphrased)

How many parties were there to the original Oathpact?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

The Heralds and Honor. They thought that by walking away from their oaths, that it would break the Oathpact. They're going to find out that it's not quite as broken as they had previously thought (meaning the Heralds).

luke.spence (paraphrased)

You mentioned that human can’t bond Honorblades, but Nalan tells Szeth that his bond with his Honorblade has been broken. Can you clear this up?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Humans CAN bond Honorblades. There's a crucial difference between Honorblades and Shardblades. When you drop an Honorblade, it does not disappear, even if it has been bonded. A Shardblade will disappear when dropped.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

An invested object resists any attempt to put additional investment into it. Just like you can't pull metal that's inside a person's body. When the Shardplate cracks, the streams of Stormlight that you're seeing are actually the plate doing what it's supposed to: healing itself. So, theoretically, you could maybe pull a tiny fraction of that Stormlight out, but you can't just stick your hand up to the outside of the plate and retrieve it. However, if you have the plate open with the gem exposed and you were to touch the gem, then you could pull the Stormlight from it."

luke.spence (paraphrased)

Are the Heralds actually aware that Taln is back?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Are the Heralds aware that Taln is back? Uh, you're implying that this person actually is Taln. *smiles* Which is not guaranteed. It's not guaranteed. However, the return of the Voidbringers does indeed indicate to them, in their mind, that he would have returned.

darkanimereal1 (paraphrased)

So they assume because the Voidbringers are returning--

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Because the Voidbringers are returning, would be a clue to them that Taln has returned.

luke.spence (paraphrased)

How much Stormlight equals one Breath? Do you have an actual ratio?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

I have a ratio. It's not on me.

darkanimereal1 (paraphrased)

Okay, that's a Peter question again.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Yeah, well, I may not answer it even then.

luke.spence (paraphrased)

What caused a Desolation to end? Was it just the defeat of Odium's forces? Because the Desolations start when the Heralds break under torture.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Because the Heralds can no longer be in existence. There is a certain period of time that they can be there, and after that, if they're there, they will start a new one. So the Heralds do need to leave for a Desolation to end

darkanimereal1 (paraphrased)

Oh. So they've got a time limit.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

They do. Otherwise the Desolation will start again. What they discovered is not all of them have to. As long as one remains, the Desolation will not start again.

luke.spence (paraphrased)

So, by the nine leaving, did that actually break the Oathpact for them? Did it change the cycle of Desolations?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

They have not completely broken the Oathpact, despite what they may think.

darkanimereal1 (paraphrased)

Did Taravangian go to see the Nightwatcher before or after Gavilar's assassination?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Um, oh man. I'm going to have to look at my timeline. I believe it's before, but I can't guarantee I'm right, because these things are all happening around the same time.

darkanimereal1 (paraphrased)

Because he says that Gavilar confided in him the night of.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Ooooh, you're right. Nope, it's after. It is after. You can send that question to Peter so we can confirm it. There might be something I'm forgetting about Taravangian.

darkanimereal1 (paraphrased)

The Weepings--Shallan and Kaladin react very differently to them.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

They do.

darkanimereal1 (paraphrased)

It just seems to me that the Weepings feel very close to Cultivation.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

The primary thing you’re noticing -- and I'm not going to say there's not any magical influence -- but the primary thing you're noticing is that Kaladin has seasonal affective disorder and Shallan likes the rain. That's the primary thing you're noticing. I like the rain--my wife hates it. My wife gets depressed when it rains and I love when it rains.

Questioner (paraphrased)

Please don't tell me you're going to do a love triangle between Adolin, Kaladin, and Shallan.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

*carefully* I'm not a fan of the traditional love triangle. However, I am fond of conflict in relationships.

darkanimereal1 (paraphrased)

So, the Purelake in Shadesmar is mountainous. Does this in any way have to do with the fact that the Purelake is so shallow?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

No. I haven't yet discussed the nature of the relationship between Shadesmar and the Physical world.

darkanimereal1 (paraphrased)

So, when Dalinar has his vision in what he assumes in the Purelake, he sees an obsidian fortress. Is that fortress in any way related to the fact that the Purelake in Shadesmar is mountainous?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

No.

CorwinofAmber (paraphrased)

So one of the things I really like about this is that in the Ars Arcanum and the blurb on the back of the dust jacket, they're not just Brandon Sanderson explaining the magic system, or Brandon Sanderson summarizing the book for casual perusing, they're written in world by characters in the world, and I was wondering if you could tell us or give us a hint as to who wrote the dust jacket.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

I can tell you it's not the same person as who’s writing the Ars Arcanum, and neither of those are Hoid. How about that? That gives you something. I had to fight to get in world text on the back cover. I personally really don't like summary blurbs. Those summary blurbs are either bland or they spoil too much, and they really get on my nerves. They're marketing copy, not author copy. And so I fought and I fought and I fought. I won with Elantris, getting the prologue on the back of the hard cover, but then they didn't do that for the paperback. But for the hardcovers of these I won, so I'm glad you appreciate that—I intend to keep doing that. But yes, they're being written in world by a group of people on Roshar.

Questioner (paraphrased)

Are we going to be seeing more Wit in the Stormlight Archive?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Depends on if you mean the character or actual wittiness. I'm never sure if I'm actually witty or not—you'll have to judge. But the character never knows when to leave well enough alone and will be muddling things for quite a long time.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Each of the ten books will be named after in-world books. Because of this, "Stormlight Archive" is a play on words.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

In the picture of Adolin, the double underlined sigh was "his addition."

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Brandon assumes that eventually they'll make a collective art book of all of the Stormlight art.

darkanimereal1 (paraphrased)

I basically asked how long he thinks it will take him to write future Stormlight books, since [The Way of Kings] took 6 months to write and [Words of Radiance] took 18 months to write.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

My anticipation is that Stormlight should take about 12 months to write. It went in six months the first time because I had written the book already once. And so being able to start over from scratch, I had done it all once, so it was really like, even though I really wrote every word new, it was like doing a second draft. Words of Radiance took so long because I had to lurch out of the Wheel of Time mindset. I hadn’t written this book before, I had written the other one, and I was so steeped in the Wheel of Time doing two books that it took a lot more to pull me out. And I would start on it and would end up getting distracted by some other project like one of the novellas or I'd start on it and then I'd go back and do a revision on Steelheart and then I'd start on it. Eventually I managed to start on it and stay in it, but it took that extra six months of spinning my heels before I really dug into the book. And so, I would say that I'm hoping 12 months. I might be able to do them faster, maybe nine months. I don't know. They are big complicated books to write, and you can't really do these on the speed that you can do other things. It doesn't scale. If I can write a novella that's 20k words and I can write that oftentimes in a week, that doesn't mean that when I'm working on Words of Radiance I can do twenty thousand words a week, because it's just a lot harder to get everything connected. The longer you go, the longer it winds up taking per word.

Questioner (paraphrased)

I was wondering if any of the characters from interludes will end up with their own books.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Yes, they will. Lift, specifically, is one of the characters in the back five. I think she might be the only one who has had a view point so far. That’s, um, no … There are others. So, yes, interlude characters will end up with their own books later on. Right now they’re side characters.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Basic stuff about the 2 types of Aimians, both of which have extended control of their own biology, both of which more or less refugees. He also said that they have cosmere significance.

Cheese Ninja (paraphrased)

Do the Aimians predate humanity like the Parshendi do?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

You're assuming that the Parshendi predate humanity.

Cheese Ninja (paraphrased)

How do Bondsmiths use the Dawnshards?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

RAFO.

old aggie (paraphrased)

Is Roshar a spherical planet?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Yes.

Pechvarry (paraphrased)

What happens when non-Nalthians come to Nalthis.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

They cannot use their own soul to Awaken but could do so with obtained Breath.

Pechvarry (paraphrased)

So anyone could start Awakening once they received Breaths?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

You would probably have to jump through some hoops to Awaken (talks about systems needing rigged up to work on different planets), but anyone can benefit from a Breath. Essentially said "it's not that easy!"

Pechvarry (paraphrased)

Could you make a spike from a Lifeless?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

"Oooo interesting!" He said their soul is so drained there wouldn't be much left, so you could only get the barest hint.

Pechvarry (paraphrased)

But you COULD technically get a charge?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Yes, but it would be very weak.

Ant

The Stormlight Archive already has that feeling of an "epic" tale, not just in the size of the novels and the rich world building but the story too. Do you have any idea how long the book series might go on for?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes. I conceived The Stormlight Archive as a series dealing with ten characters, where each book took one of the characters and delved deeply into their past and their psychology. Granted, the other characters will appear, as Kaladin is a big part of Words of Radiance even though this volume could be described as Shallan's book. Since I have those ten characters, and there are ten orders of Knights Radiant, I built a ten-book series with two five-book arcs: five books and then a break, followed by another five books.

Ant

The use of spren are a brilliant idea, what was the inspiration for these creatures?

Brandon Sanderson

In part, they stem from the underlying cosmology and overarching rules, the dictates of the magic systems of my shared universe. I was looking for a manifestation of that in Roshar. I also was searching for something that would give Roshar a different feel from things that I'd done before. I wanted this book and this series – and everything about it – to feel different from fantasy worlds in the past. I wanted it to be fantastical, but I wanted it to be unique. I wanted something that could consistently remind the reader, "Oh, I'm in a different place. Wow. Their emotions manifest visibly when they feel them strongly. This place is bizarre." That was one of the main inspirations. Looking in our world, one inspiration is certainly the Eastern concept in Shinto mythology of everything having a soul, every rock and river and tree having something living inside of it that is a manifestation of it. Since I was working with the idea of Platonic realms and the like, I spun that off into the spren.

Ant

Where did you get the idea of a world ravaged by fierce storms?

Brandon Sanderson

The original seed of an idea was the storm of Jupiter, this massive persistent storm. Of course, that's a gas giant. The physics are very different. But I remember one day staring at a picture of Jupiter and thinking about a storm that circled the world that was massively powerful. That was one of those seeds that stuck in my brain. This sort of thing happened over months and years until that seed grew and developed and mixed with other things I was thinking of, and the result was Roshar.