Your stories are always so unexpected. Do you plan these things or do they develop as you discover the story and the characters?
Parts of it are from the outline, but sometimes I want to develop the characters further and make more organic decisions.
How is Dark One coming along?
It's coming along very well. It's like Harry Potter from the perspective of Voldemort, where the good guys want to get the bad guy. It's like Narnia was trying to assassinate those who come over to their world to destroy it.
The outline is really great, we pitched it across Hollywood. We had a really great response, but no contracts are done. We're planning to release it as an audiobook original. We haven't closed the contract on that yet, but we have an offer.
How do you choose worldhoppers to depict in your books?
There's couple of ways I choose worldhoppers. The background story plays a big part, but some worldhoppers just want to be immigrants. Some people you meet, you'll notice they're from a different planet but aren't involved in any schemes. They just wanted to get to another planet.
There's groups like the Ghostbloods, but there's also just trade between places like Roshar and Nalthis. I have to be careful to not make everyone an easter egg from other worlds. That would strain plausibility very easily.
If a Radiant tried to Soulcast directly with the Stormlight from the highstorm, what essences could they create?
They could basically do whatever they want. There wouldn't be any limitations, but only for Radiant Soulcasters.
If you have a form of manipulating your Identity and a form of healing, are you able to shapeshift or even evolve your body like growing wings?
You'd have to do some real work on your Spiritweb to make that work. It'd take more work than you're implying, but the [singers] for instance are doing this. It'll take a little more work, it's not just blanking your Identity. Hemalurgy would make it very easy, but also very evil. But what you want to achieve is possible.
Shadesmar is an inversion of Roshar. In the Physical Realm, planets are disconnected, but in Shadesmar you can reach one from the other. Is there a point in Shadesmar where I can instantly cross between diametrically opposed points on Roshar?
Yes, technically there is, but oceans, etc. are problematic since there's not enough minds there. There are points, but the transition is more steady than instantaneous. It will be hard, since you're basically leaving the planet when you go far enough. If you just went south, you'd end up on another planet. Kind of yes. Shadesmar gets funky because you end up in no man's land. We'd need to do the exact maths on that one.
Will the Threnody book take place in the Homeland?
The book is tentatively called The Dusk Brigade. A group wants to free the homeland of the Evil. It doesn't go well for them. Opening scene is all ships sinking and people washing up on shore.
The map of Kholinar looks like a lion's head. Is that an allusion to Caemlyn?
It was not a conscious decision to make it look like Caemlyn. The city shapes are based on cymatic patterns that have deep-rooted origins in the history of Roshar. I may make a lot of unconscious allusions, but something like the Misted Mountains are a conscious reference.
How has Sunmaker's sword ended up with Dalinar?
Initially, it belonged to one of the highprinces. After that it went through a lot of people.
Who did the Crownlands historically belong to before there was a king and what purpose do they serve now?
At the moment the Crownlands are the property of the king and work for him, to earn money or to give them away to a lord. Before Gavilar, they belonged to some princedom.
Have we seen Ghostbloods in action outside of the Rosharan system?
You have seen proto-Ghostbloods, but not after the their actual initiation.
Are you involved with the Wheel of Time TV show?
Yes, I get to read the scripts and give feedback. I get to push the characters in the direction I want them to go. The first screenplay was really good.
Did Aginor reappear after the cleansing of saidin?
Ask Maria, the continuity person.
Do you want to build up Hoid to be a character like Randall Flagg?
RAFO
Will Vivenna, Vasher and Nightblood reunite?
RAFO
Do specific colors have an impact on Awakening in Warbreaker?
Not usually, you just need a certain amount to Awaken. But there can be more due to various reasons connected to the cosmere. It is connected to the significance of eye color on Roshar.
Will there be a Rithmatist sequel?
There will eventually. I was working on that when I was offered finishing The Wheel Of Time and just couldn't get back into it yet.
[inaudible - something about Shallan's personalities]
At the end of Oathbringer, she works really hard to suppress her other personas and she will be a lot more stable.
Are there certain topics you want to avoid in your writing?
There certainly are some topics I'd never cover, like certain types of abuse.
How do you write the beginnings to your books?
Beginnings are hard. Usually I write one, trash it and come back to it when I finished the book. After I finished the book, I try to find the perfect beginning.
How was Glys corrupted? Was the process similar to the lesser spren, like painspren?
It is similar, but Glys is self-aware, so slightly different process, but similar. It is through Sja-anat.
Did Sja-anat have to convince Glys to corrupt him then?
RAFO.
Why did Adolin kill Sadeas?
He's young and hotheaded unlike Dalinar.
Was there a good reason for Elhokar to not speak his First Oath earlier or was he just plain stupid?
He wasn't ready yet. It can take a long time and he was hung up on his insecurities.
How is Ashyn Earth-like given its orbit? It should be even less habitable than Roshar.
The Rosharan system was manufactured for a specific purpose. The position of the moons isn’t stable and even the continent itself might eventually vanish.
Ambition wasn't Splintered in the contest with Odium. Is there a reason why he hasn't chosen another Avatar [Vessel] yet?
Yes.
Did the Shin use Honorblades in their invasions? If yes, did they also use Surges?
Yes and yes.
The Voidbinding chart has a red ruby with two imprisoned Voidbringers who have no connection to the Voidbinding skills. Is this the because they are imprisoned or are they in need of the other Voidbringers to unleash their powers like the lightnings are trying to illustrate?
RAFO
What's the most challenging part about art?
He said he has lots of things in his head, but the problem was getting his hands to reproduce the images in his head the way he imagines them. Often they end up looking quite different and that can be frustrating. It took a lot of practice to produce what he wants.
Is Doomslug capable of using Hypertravel as well as taking matter with her?
RAFO. Doomslug will be very important to the next book. She's very relevant to the events of the book coming out in December.
Will the Warbreaker leatherbound contain the Nalthis essay?
No, but the Arcanum Unbounded leatherbound will contain it.
Any tips on creating a magic system?
Focus on what the powers can't do instead of what they can do. It's the boundaries that get interesting. Lookup Sanderson's Laws.
What inspired the Shattered Plains?
Little Wild Horse Canyon and others in southern Utah. That's what inspired the chasms.
Is Nightblood an aluminum-titanium alloy?
No, he's something else. RAFO
Can a Mistborn use the Investiture from a Highstorm?
It takes some effort to convert the Investiture. They can burn metals from other planets, though.
Do we know who built the Steel Highway in Mistborn?
Some people know, but it's not general knowledge.
Do people celebrate their birthdays on Roshar, because Kaladin doesn't seem to care?
Yeah, there are celebrations like birthdays and others as well, but I can't put everything in the books. Some people care more, some - like Kaladin - less.
Can the survival Shard hide in a person?
RAFO
In SA the Stormfather refers to several people as "Child of Honor", but only Kaladin as "Child of Tanavast". Is there significance to that?
Yes, there is.
What happened to Elhokar's body?
It was burned with honors.
What symbol will be on the Warbreaker leatherbound?
He referred us to Isaac, who showed us several designs which are not finalized, but they are confirmed as Tears of Edgli.
Have Rosharan mathematics advanced far enough to know Julia sets?
Yes, they know Julia sets. Some of the mathematics are farther along at this time than ours, some are behind. Kinda like abstractionalism is a centuries-old art style on Roshar, calculus was discovered way earlier.
Is Wisdom a Shard? If so, how bad does it want to survive?
There is a Shard with a similar intent. The Shard has realized that survival might not be the most desirable/important.
There's symbols in the temple at the end of The Bands of Mourning which none of the characters recognize. Are they from any writing system known to us or did Kelsier make them up?
RAFO.
Since your books are "translations" from another language and "Hierocracy" is a foreign word in English, is it also a foreign word in the original language?
No, but good question.
Are the Ashynite magic system, in which micro organisms cause diseases and bestow powers, and the Old Magic related? You could sort of see the powers and the disease as a boon and a curse. If so, does the "Old" part come from that?
Yes, they are related, but the name comes from the magic actually predating spren bonds.
You have described ettmetal as some kind of super-cesium. After the reaction with water, is there residual ettmetal hydroxide and what are its properties?
Yes, there is. There's the potential they'll find it and use it, but as far as the properties are concerned, you get a RAFO.
Is Soulcasting volume- or mass-preserving?
It's mass-preserving, but there are some strange things going on and that's why we don't get as much explosions as we should. You can see a bit of what is going on when Jasnah Soulcasts air, there are some little reactions, but not as strong as you ought to get.
If I took a fabrial to Shadesmar, would it work and what would happen to the spren trapped in it?
RAFO.
Would a spike charge if I threw it at someone with the intention to spike something out of him and hit the right bindpoint?
Yes.
So spike darts are a thing.
Yes, and spike guns are a thing as well.
Lirin was impressed by how calm he felt as he checked the child's gums for scurvy. Years of training as a surgeon served him well today. Breathing exercises, intended to keep his hand steady, worked just as well for covering up fugitives as they did for surgery.
"Here," he said to the child's mother, digging from his pocket a small carved carapace chit. "Show this to the woman at the dining pavilion, she will get you some juice for your son. Make certain he drinks it all each morning."
"Very thank you," the woman said in a thick Herdazian accent. She gathered her son close, then looked to Lirin with haunted eyes. "If... if child found-"
"I will make certain you are notified if we hear word of your other children," Lirin promised. "I'm sorry for your loss."
She nodded, wiped her cheeks and carried the child away towards the town. The morning fog obscured most of Hearthstone. On the outside, it looked like a group of dark shadowy lumps, like tumors. Lirin could barely make out the tarps stretched between buildings, offering meager shelter for the many refugees pouring out of Herdaz. Entire streets were closed off this way. The sounds of plates clinking and people talking rose through the fog. Those shanties would never last the storm, of course, but they could be quickly torn down and stowed. There just wasn't enough housing otherwise.
Glancing at the line of those waiting for admittance today, he wondered how many more people the town could hold. Erik and the other men - once guards at Roshone's mansion, now forbidden swords - organized the line and kept anyone from sneaking in town before Lirin saw them. He had persuaded Brightness Abijan that it was essential he see each refugee and judge if they'd be bringing dangerous diseases into the city. In truth, he wanted to intercept those who might need a wound bound or a treatment.
The woman carried her child up to the watchpost just out of town. Here, a group of armed parshmen lifted her hood and compared her face to descriptions that had been sent to them by the Fused. Hesina, Lirin's wife, stood nearby, ready to read the descriptions as required. She was one of the few women in the city who could read, though Brightness Abijan and several of the other parshwomen were quickly learning their lessons.
Parshmen carrying swords, learning to read. Even a year after their awakening, Lirin found the notion odd, but really, what was it to him? In some ways, little had changed, despite the coming of the Everstorm and the awakening of the Parshmen. Their skin was different, but the same old conflicts consumed them as easily as they had the Alethi brightlords. People who had a little taste for power wanted more and they sought it with the sword. Normal people bled and Lirin had to try to put them back together. He turned back to his line of waiting refugees - he still had at least a hundred to give medical assessments to today. And hiding among them was one in particular. In some ways, it was the man who was the author of all this suffering.
The next person in line had lost an arm in battle, but the wound was a few months old at this point and there was nothing that Lirin could do about the extensive scaring. He held up his finger and moved it back and forward before the man's face, watching his eyes track it.
Shock, Lirin thought. "Have you suffered wounds recently you are not telling me about?"
"No wounds," the man whispered, "but brigands, they took my wife, good surgeon. Took her, left me tied up to a tree, just walked off, laughing..."
Bother, mental shock wasn't something Lirin could cut out with a scalpel.
"Once you enter town," Lirin said, "look for tent fourteen and tell the women there I sent you to bed in that place."
The man nodded dully, though his stare was so hollow Lirin wondered if the man had registered the words. Memorizing the man's description - graying hair with a cowlick in the back, three large bulbs on the upper left cheek - Lirin made note to check tent fourteen for him later tonight. It was the place were he had assistants watching for refugees who might turn suicidal. It was, with so many to care for, the best that he could manage.
"On with you," Lirin said, gently pushing the man towards the town. "Tent fourteen, don't forget, I'm sorry for your loss." The man walked off.
"You say it so easily, surgeon," a voice said from behind Lirin.
Lirin stood and turned with surprise, then immediately bowed in respect. Abijan, the new city lord, was a parshwoman with stark white skin and fine red swirls on her cheeks.
"Brightness," he said, "What was that?"
"You told that man," Abijan said, "you were sorry for his loss. You say it so easily to each of them, but you seem to have the compassion of a stone. Do you feel, surgeon, for these people?"
"I feel, Brightness," Lirin said, "but I must be careful not to be overwhelmed by their pains. It's one of the first rules of becoming a surgeon."
"Curious," she said. The parshwoman raised her safehand, which was shrouded in the sleeve of her Havah. "Do you remember setting my arm when I was a child?"
"I do."
"Such a curious memory," she said. "It feels like a dream to me now, that life. I remember pain, confusion, a stern figure bringing me more pain. But now I recognize that you were simply seeking to heal me. So much trouble to go through for a slave child."
"I've never cared whom I heal, Brightness, slave or king.
"I'm sure the fact that Wistiow paid good money for me had nothing to do with it. He of course wanted his investment protected." She narrowed her eyes at Lirin. When she next spoke there was a cadence to her words as if she were speaking the words to a song. "Did you feel for me? The poor confused child slave whose mind had been stolen from her. Did you weep for us, surgeon, and the life we led?"
"A surgeon must not weep," Lirin said softly. "A surgeon can not afford to weep."
"Like a stone," she said again, then shock her head. "Have you seen any plaguespren?"
"Diseases aren't caused by spren," Lirin said. "It is spread by contaminated water, improper sanitation, or sometimes the breath of those who bear it."
"Superstition," she said.
"The wisdom of the Heralds," Lirin replied. "We should be careful." Fragments of old manuscripts, translations of translations of translations, spoke of ancient diseases that killed thousands, spreading quickly and persistently. Such things hadn't been recorded in any modern text he had read, but he had heard rumors of something strange on the west. A new plague they were calling it. Details were sparse. In truth, he wasn't sure what to watch for, but Abijan moved on without further complaint to him. Her attendants, a group of elevated parshmen and parshwoman joined her. Though their clothing was of Alethi cuts and fashion, the colors were lighter, more muted than humans might wear. The Fused had explained that the singers in the past eschewed light, bright colors as to not distract from their distinctive skin patterns. Lirin sensed the searched for identity in the way that Abijan and the other parshmen acted. Their accents, their dress, their mannerisms - they were all distinctively Alethi, but they hung on what the Fused said about the lives of their ancestors and tried whenever they could to emulate them. He turned to the next group of refugees - a complete family for once - and though he should have been happy to see that, he couldn't help wondering how difficult it was going to be to feed five children and parents who were flagging from poor nutrition. As he sent them on, a familiar figure moved down the line towards him.
Laral wore a simple servant's dress now, with a gloved hand instead of a sleeve, and she carried a water bucket. Ostensibly, she was seeing that nobody in line was thirsty. She didn't walk like a servant though. There was a certain determination about the young woman that no forced subservience could smother. The end of the world itself seemed about as bothersome to her as a poor harvest once had. She paused by Lirin, offering him a drink, ladled it to a fresh cup rather than taking straight from the bucket, as he insisted.
"He is three down," Laral whispered to Lirin, as he sipped. <Laral grabbed him.>
"Shorter than I expected him to be," Laral noted. "He is supposed to be a great general, leader of the Herdezian resistance. Looks more like a traveling merchant than he does a soldier."
"Genius comes in all shapes, Laral," Lirin said, waving for another drink. More to give him an excuse to keep talking.
"Still," she said, then fell silent as Durnash passed by, a tall parshmen with swirled black and red skin a sword on his back. Once he was well on his way she continued softly, "I'm honestly surprised at you, Lirin. Not even once have you suggested that we turn this man in. He'd be executed. You think him a criminal, though, don't you?"
"Criminal? I'm not sure, but he bears a terrible responsibility. He perpetuated a war against an overwhelming enemy force, he threw away the lives of his men in a hopeless battle."
"Some would call that heroism."
"Heroism is a myth you tell idealistic young men to persuade them to go bleed for you," Lirin said. "It got my son killed and my other son taken from me. You can keep your heroism, and give me back the lives of those wasted on foolish conflicts."
