Fantasy Faction
Is Hoid drawn to novel-worthy plots? Or does he ever just show up in a completely "normal" time/place, with no ramifications on the cosmere, Shards, etc.?
Brandon Sanderson
He is drawn to places specifically because of what's happening in those worlds. He is there and he is meddling.
Fantasy Faction
In The Way of Kings, when Shallan zones out and draws a picture of a dead noble at a dinner table, was she drawing her own father after she killed him with her Shardblade?
Brandon Sanderson
Ooh, good question! You will want to read Words of Radiance, where her flashbacks may indeed involve this scene that she drew.
Fantasy Faction
Finally, and most importantly, if all your protagonists had an epic all out brawl, who would win?
Brandon Sanderson
Some of them are immortal, but that would kind of be cheating. If you let people who are immortal participate, it's going to very much favor someone like Hoid, who is really, really, really hard to kill. Of course, he would not be very good at offing anyone either, because of certain things in his past. It would be really futile when it got down to the last two. But if we take that out.
You'd have to set ground rules. Do they get access to their magic? Where is it taking place? If we take away all magic and we just say people are beating up on each other, who's going to win? It's probably Kelsier because he'll fight dirty. Vasher fights really dirty, too. If Kelsier and Vasher gang up on the rest, and then it depends who's still not in pieces at the end. It'd be Kelsier or Vasher probably.
Fantasy Faction
And, if the convention of printing books disappeared tomorrow and every one began reading ebooks only do you think the way you write books would change (i.e. being able to disregard wordcounts or even being able to consider serialising a book)?
Brandon Sanderson
I think that would offer some very interesting opportunities. I think I would be unwise not to try to take advantage of them, if such a thing did happen. In fact, it's possible to try right now. I've got thoughts in my head about how I would do this. Because the form of the story is a very important thing to me, if you can't tell from the way I was talking about everything before. The form of the book, looking at the book and saying, what am I doing with this actual thing? What is the shape of it? Elantris had a specific shape, with the chapter triads that were happening at the same time as one another. These things are interesting to me, and I want to do things like this with e-books also. But there are other things we would lose. Just like if you go and you can compare, a great example of this is the US cover of Words of Radiance, which was hand painted in oil by Michael Whelan. It has a certain feel to it.
In fact, you can see the oil. You can see the brush strokes if you look very closely at the painting. You look at the gorgeous digital painting that Stephan Martiniere did for the US edition of Elantris. But if you look at these different covers, one is digital only, and has this interesting use of digital light, and the other has texture and feel. Those are two different forms for creating art, and they both have awesome things to them. I think if we lost the book as a form, we might lose some of that idea—the book as a texture, and what it feels like to hold it goes away. I'd be sad to lose that. But I can't tell right now if that would be the sadness of someone watching an antiquated technology that no longer really matters in life go away, or if it would be losing something that will very much negatively impact society. We will just have to see. Time will tell.
Fantasy Faction
Someone from Earth is about to be sent off to the cosmere. They've read your first Stormlight book, but they've never really taken time to really dig deep and find out about how it sits in the overall "cosmere", so they're totally unprepared. What basic concepts regarding shards, magic systems and world hopping do you think are most important?
Brandon Sanderson
The first, most important thing to say to the person who's being sent there is to enjoy the story you're in. All of the cosmere stuff, the interconnection between my books and all these wonderful little things, are right now mostly Easter eggs. Which means that if you spend the whole book only worried about that, you're going to miss the beauty and fun that is the book that you're part of. I often say to people, don't worry if you read them "out of order," because it's all Easter eggs right now. Don't worry and stress if you miss something about the cosmere, because while someday that might be important, you first need to enjoy the book that you're part of. But the primer I'd give to this person is that the worlds are connected. If you show up on a planet and there's a guy named Hoid around, then be very afraid, because you're someplace very dangerous.
callumke
(paraphrased)
Can you tell me something about the cosmere that you haven't told anyone before?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
There are inhabited planets in the cosmere that don't have any Shards there. There may be inhabited planets that only have a Splinter of a Shard. There are 10 core cosmere planets, which tell the overarching story of the cosmere.
callumke
(paraphrased)
Are all the cosmere books so far set on these 10 core worlds?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes.
callumke
(paraphrased)
Are there any of the 10 core worlds without a Shard?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
All 10 core worlds have significant Shardic influence.
callumke
(paraphrased)
How many Heralds appear in The Way of Kings
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
More than you might expect. Some have appeared, some have been mentioned but not appeared.
callumke
(paraphrased)
You have said previously that The Stormlight Archive will include Lightweaving. Is that still the plan?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes.
callumke
(paraphrased)
Have we seen a Roshar native in The Way of Kings who can use Lightweaving?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes, we have seen someone who has potential.
callumke
(paraphrased)
Is Shallan's memory a Surge?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
I want to wait for the right opportunity before revealing more surges.
callumke
(paraphrased)
You have said before that all the planets had their names before the arrival of the Shards. Is Roshar the planet's name before the Shards arrived?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
Yes.
callumke
(paraphrased)
What is the definition of Investiture?
Brandon Sanderson
(paraphrased)
RAFO. Investiture is off the table as far as questions go.
Oversleep
Could a Feruchemist hide from Lifesense by storing and which metals?
Brandon Sanderson
So Lifesense on Nalthis, someone storing, what now, Investiture? Could they hide from Lifesense? Um, yeah that would work.
Oversleep
And which metals would they need to store, Investiture, Connection…
Brandon Sanderson
That would probably be Investiture, that’s theoretically plausible, hiding your entire sense, a little bit easier with a copper cloud, which is how you would normally go about it, but you could make your Investiture vanish to the point that… yeah I think that’s theoretically possible.
Oversleep
So Lifesense works on Connection?
Brandon Sanderson
Lifesense works by sensing… life, so it’s not necessarily just Connection because you can go off-world from Nalthis and still sense the life to which you are not Connected.
swieczq
Would someone with enough knowledge be able to use Autonomy’s Investiture if Taldain’s star was seen from his world?
Brandon Sanderson
So I’m on a world and I see Taldain’s star, what you're asking if someone could use the Investiture? Oh, OK I see. Yeah yeah yeah yeah. That’s good! You stumped me. I haven’t gotten that question before. I would say yes, if the light particles are reaching you. I mean technically you could use the light from one of those stars to power a solar sail so…
Questioner
I know it’s a RAFO but, are the Ones Above [Scadrians]?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO.
Questioner
I just wanted to make sure.
Mr. Suit
Can spren - like Syl - be pierced by hemalurgic spike? Will it give some effect?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes. A spren can be pierced by Invested metal…
Oversleep
Could it be spiked?
Brandon Sanderson
Could a spike be used to give abilities to spren? That’s not going to work really well.
Oversleep
Could you steal from a spren?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, you could steal the Investiture of a spren. Any Investiture can be used in a spike if you know what you’re doing. It’s actually not that hard to use one on a spren.
Oversleep
Because I thought you said Hemalurgy needs moving blood.
Brandon Sanderson
It needs, uh, yeah… there are places where spren have more physical form, more tangible form.
Questioner
Roshar?
Brandon Sanderson
No, no, no, not Roshar.
Questioner
The Cognitive Realm on Roshar?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, if you go to the Cognitive Realm on Roshar the spren act differently than they do.
Oversleep
So you could spike in the Cognitive Realm?
Brandon Sanderson
Yeah I’ll leave a RAFO with you on that. That’s your fifth one. So there are ways to get any Investiture into Hemalurgy if you know what you’re doing. But yeah this is not something that would be a common use for Hemalurgy. Let’s just say that.
Oversleep
We do not concern ourselves with common uses.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, I know you don’t. But yeah Hemalurgy, when you’re spiking into somebody you… you’ll see when we get around to it.
Questioner
Have you ever considered giving your brain - when you die in a hundred years, [having] written thousand books, have you considered giving your brain to scientists?
Brandon Sanderson
Did you know that there's an app for Einstein's brain? You can download an app that has a diagram of his brain cause he did donate his to science and was dissected.
Questioner
Are you planning to do that?
Brandon Sanderson
Not right now but I'm an organ donor so maybe... I don't think they donate the brain to people.
Questioner
Did Hoid use the bead of lerasium to rewrite his spiritual DNA or Web in a way other than just giving himself Allomantic powers?
Brandon Sanderson
His goal was to become an Allomancer.
Questioner
And did he use it to create other powers than Allomancy?
Brandon Sanderson
It could not give powers other than Allomancy.
Questioner
Because it’s lerasium?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes.
Oversleep
So he did burn it and become a Mistborn, right?
Brandon Sanderson
You have seen him use Allomancy…
Oversleep
Yes, because it’s creating a lot of <misunderstandings>.
Brandon Sanderson
You have actually seen him use Allomancy.
Oversleep
Is gravity a physical aspect of the spiritual bond Connecting objects to the planet?
Brandon Sanderson
Gravity, like all laws of physics in the cosmere, works like it does here with an additional aspect in that mass and energy can become Investiture. So while you are Connected to the planet gravity is not a manifestation of that. But Investiture can override it because Investiture, energy, mass are all the same thing.
Oversleep
So can Connectors alter it, store it?
Brandon Sanderson
RAFO. You know I’m going to RAFO all that stuff.
Questioner
Does titles of the five books from the first arc create a ketek?
Brandon Sanderson
No. I actually considered it but it’s just too confusing so I actually tossed that out before I even started the first book. But I did consider it. It just was too confusing.
Oversleep
You told me - when we were interviewing you on Friday to tell the 17th Shard to tell them you told us how the Cosmere ends and...
Brandon Sanderson
And I totally did, right! The answer is it ends well.
Oversleep
They wanted me to tell you that they were like mindblown!
Mr. Suit
Is it possible to bring Adonalsium together again and was it the reason the Ire was on Scadrial?
Brandon Sanderson
This is a RAFO. There are people who believe it's possible and others who believe it's impossible. It’s one of the big questions of the series.
Questioner
Is there going to be more Lift in the next book?
Brandon Sanderson
No, you’ll see some of her, she's reserved... most of her you'll see in the book 6 and on but you'll see little glimpses of her in the other ones. The stuff she has in Oathbringer is a riot, it's very fun.
Questioner
In all your books, who's your favorite character?
Brandon Sanderson
You know, I usually cheat on that question and I say "whoever I'm writing right now", cause I like them all, they're my children...
Questioner
Okay, but you have to pick one.
Brandon Sanderson
Probably Dalinar, probably but...
Translator
My favorite is Steris.
Brandon Sanderson
Steris is a lot of fun.
Questioner
Will there be a second part of Warbringer [Warbreaker]?
Brandon Sanderson
Some day. I can’t promise when, it will be a side project, but it will happen.
Questioner
Can you make TenSoon puppies? Like, plushies?
Brandon Sanderson
We thought about it, it's so hard to do. So hard. We thought about it, maybe, it's not impossible, but very hard.
Questioner
If Vasher is Zahel, in Stormlight Archive? Will <inaudible>
Brandon Sanderson
That's a RAFO.
You know what that means? That means "Read And Find Out". It means I'm not gonna answer right now because it will give you a spoiler... but read and find out.
Questioner
Do you plan to kill Shallan and do you think she’s an awful person?
Brandon Sanderson
I do not think she’s an awful person, because she is a person, who has done the best she can in some very bad situations and we will see what happens, I can’t tell you whether or not she will live.
Questioner
Have you ever created a character, that you will then thought is too powerful?
Brandon Sanderson
No, I've never had that problem, I have written my characters in a problems that it was hard to get them out of. But usually I get together my friends and I brainstorm, and so far so good, but no, I have never got into that specific problem yet, because everybody's got a weakness.
Questioner
In Mistborn, Ruin could talk to you when you were Hemalurgically spiked, and Preservation could hear you. Do other Shards have different abilities?
Brandon Sanderson
It varies, but yes. But that was related to the way they created people.
Questioner
If I spoke the words <inaudible>
Brandon Sanderson
If you spoke the words it would depend on the spren to choose, but I think so!
Questioner
So, can I try?
Brandon Sanderson
Sure, go for it!
Questioner
Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.
Translator
So just waiting for the spren to appear.
Brandon Sanderson
*completely serious*
These words are accepted.
Questioner
Can Parshendi bond with an honorspren? I mean, spren <inaudible>
Brandon Sanderson
They would have to choose, it's never happened before. On Roshar they would say it’s impossible. That doesn’t mean it actually is.
Questioner
Will Dalinar punish Adolin for murdering Sadeas?
Brandon Sanderson
He doesn’t know. Nobody knows… If he knew, he’d probably will.
Questioner
Comic book. Will there be more?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes. This is three parts, so we'll at least get that done.
Questioner
Are you planning to resurrect Kelsier?
Brandon Sanderson
Well, how far have you read in this book?
Questioner
I have read it all.
Translator
So he's not really dead.
Brandon Sanderson
Well, it depends on what you count as Cognitive Shadow. So resurrect… no… but…
Questioner
There was this quote about the kite that was without a string.
Brandon Sanderson
Yes, he’s looking for a string. He’s indeed looking for a string, so what’s actually going to happen is RAFO.
Questioner
Is next Elantris any closer plans?
Brandon Sanderson
Not really unfortunately, I just have to get as much Stormlight done as I can, before I can do other things. It’s still probably after Stormlight Five.
Questioner
I have a question about Wayne, are his skills of taking another personality, is it his trait, or something magical?
Brandon Sanderson
It is not magical, he’s just really good at it.
Questioner
Do you have any idea when you’ll finish this series?
Brandon Sanderson
So there’ll be two five-book groups, first five should finish fairly soon. But then there’ll be a break while I write something else and then I’ll come back to the back five, so i’m not sure, but the first five will have their own arc.
Questioner
Do you know when <inaudible> be published?
Brandon Sanderson
I can't promise. I'm not a 100% sure. Probably between Stormlight 5 and 6, it would be my guess.
Questioner
Will we find out if Vivenna became a worldhopper like Vasher?
Brandon Sanderson
Keep your eyes open, you might see some more Vivenna in the near future.
Questioner
So Dragonsteel after Stormlight? So that would be 20 years?
Brandon Sanderson
Yes. Unfortunately.
It will be the next to last, because last is the final Mistborn series.
Questioner
Which one of the ten abilities on Roshar <inaudible> it depends on spren?
Brandon Sanderson
Which of the Orders?
Questioner
Of the abilities on Roshar.
Brandon Sanderson
Oh, the abilities of the Knights Radiant?
So, this depends on which spren indeed. Each spren can give two of the abilities, and they're slightly different for each Order.
Questioner
If you could have one, which one would it be?
Brandon Sanderson
Probably Windrunners, cause I would want to fly.
Translator
I would prefer Regrowth it's very much for growing plants.
Brandon Sanderson
That would be very convenient.
Questioner
How do you come up with all these names?
Brandon Sanderson
I do the language first and then I build names that fit. There’s no science to it, just instinct.
Questioner
Could you tell me something about Cosmere, that we don't know?
Brandon Sanderson
Oooh boy, that is so hard, people ask this all the time and I keep running out of things... Was there anything I haven't added recently... There are Shards whose Shardpools are not on a planet they currently inhabit. At least one.
Questioner
What’s your favourite game?
Brandon Sanderson
Probably Dark Souls, lately, I really like those.
Questioner
Are they going to be Graphic Audio audiobooks for all books or just...?
Brandon Sanderson
Eventually, yes.
Questioner
Will there ever be Mistborn video game?
Brandon Sanderson
We tried very hard to make a video game and the company that was making it eventually went out of business and couldn't make it. So we don't have plans right now but we will try again.
Questioner
I wonder, if original shardholders [Vessels] was another sapient species, not from...
Brandon Sanderson
Not human? Or...
Questioner
Human but not from...
Brandon Sanderson
Not from Yolen? So... no, everybody was from Yolen.
Questioner
Sapience was..?
Brandon Sanderson
Not all human, but all from Yolen.
Questioner
Did you eventually <adaptations? based> any of your other novels?
Brandon Sanderson
I think they'll eventually do Stormlight, most likely. I think they will. But we'll have to see. I think there'll be a Stormlight.
Questioner
When's the next Elantris?
Brandon Sanderson
It's a little ways away. I will write one but it's kinda far away.
Oversleep
What if a Connector tried to store his Connection to his time of birth? Because I understand that’s how spiritual age works.
Brandon Sanderson
Right, Connection to his time of birth. I’m not sure exactly how he would manage that.
I don’t think that would work, I’m not sure how you would manage it. There are other ways to make, you’re along the right path, but that’s not exactly what, the terminology it's just not working right there.
Oversleep
By the way Shadows of Self was my favourite Mistborn book. That ending was just emotional trainwreck for me. It was awesome.
Brandon Sanderson
It's weird because I think that the weakest Mistborn novel is actually Alloy of Law but I think Shadows of Self and Bands of Mourning are among the strongest.