Recent entries

    Salt Lake City Comic-Con 2014 ()
    #14853 Copy

    Questioner

    I actually have a weird question. From the Mistborn series it says there are 16 Allomantic metals but then you go into Alloy of Law and the 16 are listed there, minus the atium and another one, so are there really 18 metals?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well, you see those two were not really metals. Those were pieces, fragments, of a god.

    Questioner

    I thought that might be it but the symbols are the same above them from-- the atium symbol is the same as--

    Brandon Sanderson

    No, it's a different symbol, it might be reversed though.

    Salt Lake City Comic-Con 2014 ()
    #14854 Copy

    Questioner

    My one question is how do you make it so writing isn't work, because if I'm writing for work I don't write as well. How do you get in the mind set?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You know for me, taking a walk before hand, listening to some awesome music, and just imagining why this scene is going to be awesome and the emotional impact of it really helps. But at the same time writing is always going to be a little bit work and there is no getting around that. I mean, it's hard sometimes and so-- I don't know. For me I've enjoyed it more as it has become work and I can devote more time to it and things like that. But... Try that.

    Questioner

    Just get in the mood...

    Brandon Sanderson

    Listen to music and put myself in that scene, what it feels like, what it sounds like, smells like. Just put myself here and think about what is going to make it incredible and I'll get really excited about writing it. Excitement translates I think at least for me onto the page.

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    #14856 Copy

    Catherine

    Does the metal on [Scadrial] contain within it any sort of spren-like being, or anything similar to that, and also, does the Splintered nature of the Shards on [Sel] have anything to do with how the magic manifests itself without a physical representation?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Scadrial did not have an analogous, self-aware Invested set of entities. The power has to be "let go of" in a way.

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    #14857 Copy

    Jaz

    When you're writing/planning a new series, how much time would you say you spend on world building? Do you like to have a good sense of the world before you starting writing or do you adapt and evolve the world as you write?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I do a moderate amount ahead of time, but it depends on the series--most importantly, the length of the book. If I'm writing a shorter work, I can develop more on-the-fly, knowing I can make it all consistent after the fact. If I'm writing in a series, I need much more ahead of time. Developing the world for The Way of Kings took years.

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    #14859 Copy

    Kurkistan

    Could Miles heal back his Allomancy if it was spiked out of him?

    Brandon Sanderson

    No, he could not. He would no longer be an Allomancer. Also, he'd probably be dead. :)

    Kurkistan

    Thanks!

    I'd thought maybe he could just do some super-tapping from his existing Health in his goldminds (since he'd still have his Feruchemy)...

    Brandon Sanderson

    Oh, I see what you're asking. Using Feruchemy to heal the removed portion of soul. That's actually plausible, not so different from healing other kinds of soul-wounds. If he survived, then yes, this actually might work. (That's why I get for reading the questions so quickly.)

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    #14864 Copy

    Kirsty Cabot

    Were there any characters you found difficult to connect with when writing the remaining books of The Wheel of Time series?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I've never really been able to get into Cadsuane as a character, and so she was the most difficult for me to do. I love Aviendha and Tuon, but both of them think so differently from the rest of the characters that they gave me a challenge.

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    #14867 Copy

    WeiryWriter

    In Elantris the Aon used for healing is Aon Ien, but the definition given in the back of the book says it means "Wisdom". The other Aons have effects and definitions that go together, but "Healing" and "Wisdom" don't seem to match. Is there something there or is it an error?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It's more a cultural thing. When I was naming the Aons I had some of them cross-align like this because I feel that languages, and cultures, are often messy. (Drive on a parkway, park in a driveway kind of issues.) This is the only one that ended up in the glossary that was like this, though, so I probably should have spotted that and changed it.

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    #14873 Copy

    Adrienne

    In Well of Ascension, it mentions that the language of Terris had a gender neutral pronoun. If you actually constructed the language, what was that pronoun? Or did you just leave it as its English translation of "it"?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I didn't spend a long time on the languages in Scadrial, since most people were speaking the same tongue. I just used "it" in my own writings. Roshar has a lot more detail on the languages, because culture-clash is a bigger part of the theme of the series.

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    #14878 Copy

    Brian Seavey

    Do you have any advice for aspiring writers who are educated in a field other than literature and in a profession already that is not centered around writing?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes! I'll tell you that you're in luck. Take what you've learned in your field of education, and in your profession, and apply it to your writing. RJ used his experience as a solider; Grisham made a career out of writing books related to his work. You have special experience and knowledge that will make your books distinctive. Make use of it!

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    #14879 Copy

    Moogle

    If a non-Windrunner Surgebinder (who had spoken all the Ideals of their Radiant Order) summoned Jezrien's Honorblade, what color eyes would they get? A blend? Different colors for each eye?

    Brandon Sanderson

    :) I'm going to RAFO eye color questions for the moment. We'll actually be dealing with some of these in the books. Maybe not the specific ones you ask, but the concepts in general.

    Goodreads: Ask the Author Q&A ()
    #14881 Copy

    Justin Carmony

    One of my favorite things about being a Brandon Sanderson fan is how consistently you publish books, I always know you'll have a new book coming out without having to wait years. What do you do to help keep up the consistency and overcome the times when you sit down and the "creative juices" aren't there, or at least not easily accessible?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I throw away a fair amount of fiction. If it isn't flowing, I write anyway, then file that chapter away under junk. I also hop projects a lot. I've found this makes me much more creative and eager to write.

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    #14882 Copy

    Brady Dill

    What kind of college classes (not English courses) would best prepare someone for writing fantasy?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Whatever you're fascinated by! You can incorporate basically anything into a story. If you love numbers, study economics. If you like history, pick an area and type and become an expert. Whether it be law or botany, you will find a way to use it in your books.

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    #14884 Copy

    Annie Lown

    In the Wheel of Time books, did the Creator have a power, similar to the True Power that the Dark One had?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I'm afraid I don't have the answer for this, not for certain. I think that readers of the text could argue both ways. For example, a certain event in the epilogue of [A Memory of Light] could be interpreted this way--though everyone in Team Jordan seems to have a different opinion on what is going on, and [Robert Jordan] didn't leave an explanation.

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    #14886 Copy

    Adrienne

    Can the various forms of Investiture on other worlds in the cosmere be classified as "end positive" or "end negative" like they are on Scadrial?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Some can. Not all.

    Footnote: This question excludes "end-neutral" and Brandon has previously established that all magics do fall into one of these three classifications.
    Goodreads: Ask the Author Q&A ()
    #14888 Copy

    Krystal Hammond

    How much do you use science to influence/guide your world building in what most people would identify as a fantasy setting?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I use it quite a bit, but as I'm writing fantasy, I go by the rule "do what is awesome first, then explain it." Meaning, I am looking to tell a certain kind of story, and while science is often a springboard into a magic, I will sometimes chose to do what I think makes the story better as opposed to what is scientifically rational. The way the Metallic Arts work with mass is one example.

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    #14889 Copy

    William Anderson

    Why are do the Windrunners, Elsecallers, Stonewards, and Dustbringers have an extra connection on the Surgebinding diagram? Why do the Edgedancer, Skybreaker, Lightweaver, Willshaper's have a broken connection on the diagram? What are the dragon type things in the back of the diagram?

    Brandon Sanderson

    The dragon type things are a certain animal you've seen several places in the story so far.

    These connections will be explained eventually, but remember it's not the orders being connected, but instead their elemental representations. This diagram is very metaphysical, and some of the elements of it are cultural.

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    #14894 Copy

    Leinton

    So a friend and I who share a passion for sword fighting have been trying to find the real world correlates for the stances that Sharbearers use. So far we've made connections between Windstance and Haidong Gumdo, and Smokestance and the late Medieval/early Renaissance fencing. I was wondering if you could give us more information or at least hints on the other real world correlates?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I developed these with Ben McSweeney's help, and we plan to include representations of all the stances eventually. However, a few are NOT based on real-world equivalents, because of the size of Shardblades. Look at how various very-large weapons like zweihanders or Zanbat's were used.

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    #14895 Copy

    Mandi

    In [Words of Radiance] Shallan notes that spren don't appear around dense groups of people, even if emotions are high. Why is that?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You'll find out more eventually. There are several reasons, but imagine how a creature attracted to a specific color would respond if you dumped every color together in a big mess.

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    #14896 Copy

    Val

    How quickly are you able to get back into the storyline flow when you begin another book? e.g. Do you have to review notes extensively for a few days?

    Brandon Sanderson

    This is one of the most difficult things for me to do. I wish I had a better way to do it, actually. I usually lose a few days or more while trying to get into a book I've stopped for some reason. My primary method is to read what I've written before (or, if it is a new book in a series, the last part of the previous book.) That tends to help get me into a mood, so to speak. But it can take days of thinking, working, and throwing away my work to get into the groove.

    Goodreads: Ask the Author Q&A ()
    #14898 Copy

    Tirithna

    Does Shardplate have one general style as a pattern, or do different types exist (like European armour vs. Japanese armour), as the different kingdoms have different cultures?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Different types exist, but it's more along order lines than cultural ones. (That said, a person's culture could certainly influence their armor.)

    Goodreads: Ask the Author Q&A ()
    #14900 Copy

    Jesse

    I love stories in any medium, and I would love to tell one myself. But, I don't think I have anything in particular to say that hasn't been done a thousand times before. I invariably come across some story that already parallels my ideas. What makes a story worth telling even when its like has been done before?

    Brandon Sanderson

    The answer is simple: YOU are what makes your story worth telling. Harry Potter wasn't an original story, and yet told very well, it became an excellent series.

    My suggestion to you is to ask what unique passions or life experiences you have that aren't found in the average fantasy book. This genre still has a lot of room to grow. A person passionate about sports could write a very different fantasy novel from one passionate about lawn care—assuming they take what they know and love and make us, as readers, come to know and love it as well.

    Good luck!