Recent entries

Brandon Hord

What is your routine as a writer? How do you stay motivated to churn out pages?

Brandon Sanderson

I write every day. My motivation is the same now as it always was: to tell stories. Not much has changed. :)

NOOK

What's the best order for someone to read all the books in the Cosmere?

Brandon Sanderson

It depends. Publication order is just fine. However, I often start people with Mistborn.

Elliot Davis

If Kaladin were to write a self-help book, what would the title be?

Brandon Sanderson

Being a man, Kaladin would avoid writing anything, as it wouldn't be proper. :)

C. Logan Aube

Are there any other time periods you would like to explore with the Mistborn series?

Brandon Sanderson

I'll be doing a 1980's level tech, and a future tech, in upcoming series. So you could say that there are. :)

PhantoMonstrosity

Before Ruin and Preservation showed up on Scadrial, was aluminum already antimagical? Also, is [The Alloy of Law] between Stormlight 5&6?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, [The Alloy of Law] is after Stormlight 5. Specific timing will depend on how long I make the 5/6 gap once I get there.

NOOK

If you had final say on a dream casting for David, who would you choose?

Brandon Sanderson (Part 1/Part 2)

This is a hard one, as I don't generally "cast" my characters with real life actors in my head.

Kidsmomo

Do you remember the first fantasy or science fiction book you read as a kid?

Brandon Sanderson (Part 1/Part 2)

No, though one of the earliest was Dragonsblood by Jane Yolen. I also read the Hobbit pretty early.

NOOK

Did you have the ending planned out for the Reckoners series when you started writing?

Brandon Sanderson

Then I build a series around the ideas and themes that worked in the first book.

I had the ending of the first book well in mind. Once I finished it, I sat down and plotted the next two books.

This is very common for me in a series. Writing the first book, making sure I have the characters and ideas down first.

PhantoMonstrosity

Atium is the best metal to use for Hemalurgy. Does *burning* atium help you figure out where to put the spikes?

Brandon Sanderson

Anything that gets you a glimpse of the Spiritual Realm could help with placing spikes.

PhantoMonstrosity

Would flaring iron and steel also help?

Brandon Sanderson

No, not without additional help.

NOOK

If you could have any of the Epics' powers, who would it be?

Brandon Sanderson

Hm... I mean, Steelheart is invulnerable, can fly, and can shoot lasers out of his fists. It is hard to go wrong there.

Jennifer Lerud

What do you think of the New Adult category?

Brandon Sanderson

I'm reserving judgement. If the readership likes it, then it will take off. If not, oh well.

Jennifer Lerud

Darn! I was hoping you'd say you loved it. Everything I write (almost) is NA. :)

Brandon Sanderson

I think it's a cool category; I'm just not convinced that the public is embracing it.

Argent

For Terris names, is it safe to assume the first vowel is always long?

Brandon Sanderson

This is frequently the case, but it's not 100%.

Eoin Burke

Could a Brass twinborn compound to effectively be a human flamethrower? Also can a compounder store faster?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO!

Yata

Does the Divine Breath's Healing work with someone without a Breath (like a Drab or someone not from Nalthis)?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes, this would work.

Megandia

I know you have your masters in creative writing, as do many authors, though some do not. How much has getting your masters helped you as a writer?

Brandon Sanderson

No class, even the one I teach, can take the place of writing on your own and practicing. That will be the most useful thing to you in your career—practicing lots of styles, lots of writing tools, and lots of types of stories. Your job is to learn for yourself what works for you, and develop your own mix of strategies—writing methods, outlining methods, viewpoint/tense decisions, prose decisions—that help you consistently create great books.

A writing program does several things. First, good writing classes should give you tools to try out, and explain to you what they normally do in writing, and why you might like this too. They give you feedback from established writers. And they give you a writing community to be part of—people to make into a writing group, to bounce ideas off, and to help you along your path.

The danger of a masters in creative writing is that some professors are determined to help people create only one kind of fiction, very narrowly defined, and will try to shove you away from other types of writing. Don't let them do this to you—they should be a resource to you, rather than a force that tries to homogenize you into a single type of storytelling.

Bobby

Do you have any advice for new fantasy writers to smooth out any road bumps on the way to getting published and how do you juggle success with the life you had before your books took off?

Brandon Sanderson

I have a ton of advice, but most of it I can't put here. I have a couple of resources where I go into depth. The first is Writing Excuses, my podcast. I suggest that you start listening the with January 2015 episodes—it will be very helpful. For something more in-depth, I post videos of my writing lectures on YouTube. This is the class I teach at BYU, and goes very in-depth on publishing.

Here, I'll just say this: Practice a lot. Write the kind of books that you wish were being written. Make good habits, and learn to be a writer long before you publish—own being a writer. Do the work, learn to think like a writer, and guard your writing time as if this were your job. Then when it actually happens, it will be more like "Hey, it finally happened" than "Wow. What do I do now?"

E.D.E.

If you could have an Epic power in your everyday life—you know, just every once in a while, not enough to corrupt you—what would it be?

Brandon Sanderson

I would love to be able to fly. It's not the "right" decision, which would probably be some kind of healing/comforting power to make myself and those around me more healthy. (Even if it is to get rid of the common cold.)

But…flying!

Atanas

What would you say is the best approach to battle the growing apathy, greed, violence, corruption, pollution and misery in the world today―using Sazed's wisdom, education, research on religions and unity through equal- mindedness or Kelsier's way of personal example, sacrifice, and unity through action?

Brandon Sanderson

I am more a Sazed than a Kelsier. Sazed is focused on patience, careful change, and thoughtfulness. But we need Kelsiers too—people who are willing to act decisively, to become the type of person that others follow, and to make things happen, even if sometimes there are terrible consequences.

Jessica

In Shadows of Self a few characters use some variation of "Hell!" as an exclamation when things go awry. I don't recall any reference to "Hell" as a place or philosophy in the religions of the Mistborn series. How does this word fit into their world, does it differ from our own?

Brandon Sanderson

The characters in Mistborn have been using "biblical" curses since book one. This was a specific choice made on my part, as I want the "feel" of Mistborn to be like London in the early 1800s. All of my books are to be read as if there's a phantom translator who took it from the original language and translated it into English. In many cases, there isn't a word that is an exact translation—so the translator does their best.

In The Final Empire, there was indeed a kind of "hell." Though there wasn't a specific idea of a devil—it was just the punishment ascribed to the souls who failed or disobeyed the Lord Ruler. Even the skaa knew of this, though religion was forbidden them. So it was a more vague sense, than specific theology, to them.

Cade

Brandon, what has been the influence of your LDS religion on your writing? Have aspects of Mormon doctrine been incorporated into your worldbuilding?

Brandon Sanderson

I'm very interested in the concepts of religion and the ideas that surround it, and I often find myself writing books that deal with things I'm interested in myself. I allow the themes of books like these to grow naturally out of the world I've built and out of the stories that I want to tell. Specifically, I kind of let the characters decide what the themes of a book are going to be. I don't go into it saying, "I'm going to write about this," but the worlds that I create betray my own interests very strongly.

What is it about faith and deity? This is something that is unique about us as human beings, something very interesting to me, and it felt like this area was an open space to explore in fantasy in ways that hadn't been done before. I always find myself gravitating toward things that I feel haven't been explored as much as they could have been. That interests me and fascinates me.

Hoa

How do you prioritize the various series you are writing? Are you influenced by your creative interest, schedule, fans, family, etc.? You have so many wonderful, intricate storylines and series such as The Rithmitist, The Stormlight Archive, The Wheel of Time and others that are all being released simultaneously.

Brandon Sanderson

Deciding what to work on is a balancing act. On one hand, the artist in me always wants to be doing something new, and it pushes me that direction. On the other hand, the completionist in me knows that there is great, great satisfaction and power in finishing a piece of art. It pushes me to work on the established series, and keeps me from going too many directions at once.

In general, I only write new fiction on one story at once. But when I finish one, I have to make sure I do something very different from it to keep me from being burned out. I am absolutely influenced by my schedule, my fans, and my family—all of these things give me ideas, and also require some very careful juggling of priorities to make sure everything gets the time it deserves.

Jim

When doing your worldbuilding and plotting work prior to writing do you ever work with maps and soldiers? Do you build out your fights with models etc?

Brandon Sanderson

I don't build any of my action sequences with models, though that's an excellent question. I have a vivid imagination, and generally don't need to place things on a map to create an action sequence. In fact, I think doing so might be dangerous, as I'd be tempted to describe things happening across the action sequence all over, rather than what is immediately happening to the viewpoint character—which is where my focus needs to be.

Often, the only map-based worldbuilding I'll do is a general sketch of a continent or city so I know broadly how everything is related. But then I write the book, and let what has to happen in the book happen—good storytelling trumps cartography. I can always rebuild the map to be accurate once I write the book.

The exception is large-scale battles, like some of those in The Wheel of Time, where I had to involve real warfare strategy and tactics. In those cases, I need to know enough that it's best to draw it out and have a full battle map.

D.I.

I've heard you are a plotter, yet chose to write The Reckoners as a pantser. What were some of the unexpected difficulties or advantages of pantsing?

Brandon Sanderson

I "pantsed" the first few chapters of Steelheart, but I quickly went from there to creating an outline. The early part was exploration, the first three or four chapters. That's not uncommon, even for an outliner. However, I did then stop and produce a really solid outline for the book. (Actually one of the most solid I've ever made.)

When you're discovery writing, you often have a lot more success creating and discovering characters, in my experience. That's why I often free-write a few opening chapters to a book, so I can get a feel for who these people might be.However, a difficulty with discovery writing (pantsing) is plotting it's very difficult to create a tight narrative without an outline. (That said, many people who love to discovery write can fix this problem in revisions.)

David

Having completed the The Wheel of Time series for Robert Jordan. Who would you want to complete your books if anything should happen to you?

Brandon Sanderson

Boy! Let's hope that I make it. But, having done what I did for The Wheel of Time, I've had to consider this. I think right now, I'd like either Brent Weeks to write it (as he and I have very similar styles, and I like his books a lot) or Brian McClellan, my former student who is now writing excellent fiction. (I can't take much credit for Brian, as he was an excellent writer before he took my class.) I haven't asked either of them to do this, though, so it's more just idle consideration to me.

Howard

How often (if ever) do you reread your own books to make sure the content stays fresh in your mind? Or do you just rely on your notes and timelines you have for your books?

Brandon Sanderson

Depends. If it's been a long time, I'll reread. (Or at least look up specific chapters.) It depends on how much the story is "present" in my mind as well. The Stormlight Archive and The Reckoners have been solidly in my mind these last five years, and I have enough a grasp on the story that I'm in control of it and can work with it the way I need. When I get back to The Rithmatist, however, I'll need to reread the whole thing.

Cassidy

What was your premise behind the main character David [in The Reckoners]? Why did you create him as he is, scared yet fearless at the same time, smart about specific things yet totally ignorant about others, etc.?

Brandon Sanderson

I built David around two pillars of personality. One is his interest in the Epics, which balances between hatred and fascination. The other one is his fierce determination, which leads him to be impulsive and bull-headed at times, but also pretty inspiring at others.

I feel that as people, sometimes our greatest strengths are also our greatest liabilities. In this respect, every human being is a conundrum in at least one or two ways. With David, his fixation on the Epics is a huge strength but he's been so narrowly focused in his interests that he neglected many other areas of study. So he's both smart and stupid. At the same time, he's impulsive and determined, which leads to acts of great bravery, but he lives in a society that beats people down so if he stops and thinks too long, he can often psych himself out.

Caleb

What was it that inspired you to write a superhero series in which all the super-powered heroes had become so corrupt?

Szilvi

What made you think about people with superpowers that could destroy the world, since most people make people with super powers the good guys?

Brandon Sanderson

I did it exactly because I hadn't ever seen anyone do it! I've enjoyed the superhero genre quite a bit during my years, and as a writer I'm generally looking to do something similar to stories I've loved in the past. At the same time, something in me rebels at just doing "the same thing" again. This is the conflict of fan against artist inside me and the result is usually that I spend time thinking about a genre of stories, and try to find a take on it that feels fresh and original. It's like eating my cake and having it too! I feel that I can add something to the genre, giving people a new story, yet also incorporate some of the things I love about the genre the things that make it really work.

mail-mi (paraphrased)

Could you write a clue about Shadesmar on my shirt?

Brandon Sanderson (Written) (paraphrased)

Shadesmar has much investiture in some places.

mail-mi (paraphrased)

There's a bunch of us on 17th Shard doing a role playing game set in the Reckoners universe, and we were wondering if there are any powerful Epics on the west coast that we should know about.

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Night's Whisper is a super powerful Epic on the west coast, and Obliteration could definitely be there for Oregon's destruction.

Skaiiwalker

Can you give me a hint about the Parshendi gods? It can't be Odium, right? Because it's plural...

Brandon Sanderson

No, it's not Odium. The Parshendi gods... *he paused here for a while* are closer to what the humans would call "Heralds".

Skaiiwalker (paraphrased)

What does Investiture look like in the Spiritual Realm?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Er, I haven't said anything about that yet.

Skaiiwalker (paraphrased)

But is it important?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Yes, it's important.

Skaiiwalker (paraphrased)

Could you say that it looks anything like mist?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Well you could say that it looks anything like mist. *smiles teasingly*

Skaiiwalker (paraphrased)

Do Axies's and Jasnah's reversed shadows have a common source?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Yes.

Skaiiwalker (paraphrased)

Does it have anything to do with its draw towards Investiture?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

*After a pause* It has more to do with Shadesmar than Investiture.

Skaiiwalker (paraphrased)

Does Hoid use his Feruchemical abilities with the atium to see the future?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Ah ah ah, I haven't confirmed that Hoid had Feruchemical abilities.

Skaiiwalker (paraphrased)

You haven't?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

*grinning slyly* No, but most people think he has Allomancy.

Skaiiwalker (paraphrased)

We know that Hoid has a bead of lerasium. Does he have any atium?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

He has access to atium, yes.

Skaiiwalker (paraphrased)

Did any atium survive The Hero of Ages?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Yes.

Skaiiwalker (paraphrased)

Are there any kandra on Roshar?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Yes.

Skaiiwalker (paraphrased)

Is Axies one of them?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

No, but good guess. The Aimians are a different race.

Skaiiwalker (paraphrased)

Did any kandra survive the end of Hero of Ages?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Yes.

Lindel (paraphrased)

There's that trick with Feruchemy that lets you make metalminds that others can tap. Could you do something similar with Self-Awakening?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Oh yeah, there are all sorts of tricks that you can do. You could use other peoples Breaths, make it seem like you don't have any Breath-

Lindel (paraphrased)

Awaken an object so that others could access its Breaths?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Yes.

Lindel (paraphrased)

Crem and the Purelake on Roshar. Do they have any connection to Cultivation?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Both existed on the planet before Cultivation arrived.

Lindel (paraphrased)

But both are influenced by her now?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

Yes, she influences both.

Aaron Gable

If you pull a campfire soul out of your pocket in the Cognitive Realm near Threnody, will shades get mad?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO!

David Charleston

Will you ever do any more in the Reckoners' world after Calamity? Both [Megan Tarash] and I hope you will.

Megan Tarash

Leave the man alone, Knees. He's answering the fans' questions, not yours.

David Charleston

How do we win? That's my question.

Brandon Sanderson

I'll be releasing a little instructional manual on this in a few weeks called Calamity. :)

David Charleston

Come on. That answer was about as helpful as a dryer full of water balloons.

Megan Tarash

(I'm only teasing. Please don't kill me in the next book. Please.)

Chris Hansen

Are either the blue-skinned Natans or blue-veined Babatharnams human-Aimian hybrids?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

Greg

Has one world's magic systems been used in battles/wars on another worlds? Such as Allomancy used on Roshar?

Brandon Sanderson

Not in anything large scale.

Josh Freeman

Which of your characters required the most research beforehand in order to write?

Brandon Sanderson

Kaladin took some research into field medicine and depression. He probably took the most.

AndrewStirlingMacDonald

I know they are not a part of the Cosmere, but does the Reckonersverse follow the rules of Realmatic theory?

Brandon Sanderson

No. Instead, it follows quantum multiverse theory.

Maria Goulet‏

Radiant vs. Mistborn: who wins?

Brandon Sanderson

Depends on the situation and the Radiant order.

AndrewStirlingMacDonald

Did Nazh fall in with Khriss before or after the Forests of Hell were colonized by Patience's people?

Brandon Sanderson

RAFO. (Sorry. I am toying with a book on Threnody, and don't want to lock myself into anything yet.)

Caitlin Shanly

Your characters often gain confidence from beg to end of a book. What inspired that trend of personal growth?

Brandon Sanderson

My own life! :)

Sagar M

Do you always know the ending of the stories when you begin them?

Brandon Sanderson

Almost always. I'm a planner. Once in a while, I do a short story where I don't. Even that is rare, though.

Shyninglight

if you could have any of the powers from your books which one would you choose?

Brandon Sanderson

Windrunning, probably.