Recent entries

    Skyward Seattle signing ()
    #4301 Copy

    Questioner

    It kind of felt like you let Adolin off the hook for murder.

    Brandon Sanderson

    I would say no, I didn't. There will be more implications there, but what you've gotta understand is, Adolin does not view what he did as murder. His dad is uncertain if it is. And his dad is the ultimate judge of legality. There will be far-reaching implications of this, but kind of the way a society like that works, if you didn't get caught and you are the son of the king, then you get a little-- you know what I mean?

    Questioner

    Is it yet to be resolved?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yet to have the full extent of its implications, how about that? I would say that you are perfectly right if you were to say he did something morally wrong. There are many who would agree with you; there are many who would disagree with you. And that disagreement is part of what the story is about.

    Skyward Seattle signing ()
    #4302 Copy

    Brandon Sanderson

    Someday... once I'm sure everything that it would spoil has been released, I will release [Way of Kings Prime] so you can read it. You can probably see that, if you read Stormlight, a chunk of the book belonging to Taln moved to Szeth, instead, who was a character in the first book but had a slightly different plot. Eventually, we will get to the whole story, though.

    Skyward Seattle signing ()
    #4303 Copy

    Questioner

    What was your inspiration for Wayne?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Wayne had a lot of inspirations... Obviously, there's some Mat Cauthon going on for me when I do Wayne, particularly the way that Mat would see the world differently from the that way he would act. The original inspiration for Wayne was a character who changed personalities based on which hat he wore. He was actually the lead in a Mistborn story I was writing, and he didn't work well without someone to play off of... Some characters work way better when they are surrounded by more normal people. Not gonna say anything about things like the Minion movie (which my children loved), but it's very hard to tell a story about everyone being crazy instead of having a framework of someone to keep it going in the right direction. So that was a big inspiration for Wayne.

    The other big inspiration for Wayne was something I noticed about human nature, where I wanted to tell a story about a character who had some really deep-- Wayne should bother you. Like the way he treats Steris. And the way he treats Ranette. And the way he treats some of the people in his life should really bother you. And one of my goals with Wayne was to tell a story that mimics what I see in real life, where there are people I know and I love who also have this way about them that you realize they aren't quite-- grown-up's the wrong term... Like, all of us are the heroes in our own group of friends. We're all the hero of our story. We each have different things we're working on. And some of them are classic good storytelling things, like "I'm gonna learn to be more bold." Which is totally me. Totally something I need to work on. But some of them are "I treat people who aren't in my inner circle really poorly, especially if they're trying to get into my inner circle. And then when you're in my inner circle, I have a dysfunctional relationship with you a lot of time." And I thought I could only really do that with a character that you loved while you were really annoyed by them, because otherwise I feel like the character wouldn't work. Maybe I could do it a different way, but I really wanted to dig into that in these new Mistborn books, and Wayne was my vehicle for doing this.

    Some kind of nebulous sort of writerly things going on there.

    Skyward Seattle signing ()
    #4304 Copy

    Questioner

    I like Mistborn: Secret History. Is there going to be a Mistborn: Secret History 2?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I hope to be able to write one. But this comes back to the "Let's make sure I'm getting the things that I have promised sequels to moving at a reasonable rate before I do side projects like that." So, I'd like to do one, but I'm not promising one.

    Skyward Seattle signing ()
    #4305 Copy

    Questioner

    What do you feel about people who take your books and are really inspired by them and taking them as their life motto? For the example, the Stormlight Archive mantra "Life before death..."

    Brandon Sanderson

    I am honored. Absolutely. The things that I am putting in the books are things I'm passionate about, things I'm thinking about, things that I think are relevant. I am completely honored. And I guess it would depend on whose motto you take. But absolutely honored, I think it's awesome.

    General Reddit 2018 ()
    #4306 Copy
    lupicorn.png

    lupicorn

    I had a question about what it means to swear the Ideal of Law. Several fans have told me it means to define the law, in the Nixon, "when the president does it, that means it is not illegal," sort of way. I interpret it as becoming the embodiment of the law such that they can't willingly violate any law without breaking their oaths.

    Do either of these interpretations hit the mark? Nale seems to follow the law more so than most and that doesn't just seem like a personal preference.

    Brandon Sanderson

    I would say that both of these interpretations could work for a given Skybreaker, which is why there is disagreement among the order itself. Perception is a big part of the oaths.

    I wouldn't want to squish this discussion by offering too much on one side or the other, as this is exactly where I want the conversation to be going right now.

    Oathbringer Leeds signing ()
    #4309 Copy
    kRYgmKLl.jpg

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    Lift and Hoid disagree on bacon. 

    Questioner (paraphrased)

    Is this because food on Roshar is usually either Spicy (male) or Sweet (female), so salty bacon would just taste wrong to Lift?

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    She just doesn't like the taste, please don't think too much into it.

    Skyward Houston signing ()
    #4311 Copy

    Aerin

    What does M-Bot have against Doomslug and Rig?

    Brandon Sanderson

    M-Bot treats Rig kind of like you might treat a doctor. Even though he's good for you, you may not enjoy having someone poke around at you.

    With Doomslug, it isn't that he has a lot against Doomslug. Doomslug just isn't a good conversationalist. She does a lot of repeating back at you what you say. So getting trapped only with Doomslug would be--

    Aerin

    Can the second book have Doomslug with a bow?

    Brandon Sanderson

    In a bow? I will try to get Doomslug a bow.

    Skyward Atlanta signing ()
    #4314 Copy

    Questioner

    Could a skilled Awakener Awaken a gemheart?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes, but you got to remember, some of these things like metal and gemstones and things do not Awaken well, how about that... Technically yes, it may not do the thing that you want it to do.

    Questioner

    But it'll do a thing?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It'll do a thing.

    Skyward Atlanta signing ()
    #4318 Copy

    Questioner

    Would you be able to cure addiction with Forgery?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You could temporarily mask the symptoms of it, but I wouldn't call it being cured. You would also-- If you did something like the Emperor where you're constantly getting it renewed, the big danger is, since you haven't solved the problem at its core, falling back into it. But it's theoretically possible you could cover up the symptoms and have someone pull out of it that way.

    Skyward Atlanta signing ()
    #4320 Copy

    Questioner

    Is there anything about the Stonewards that you can share that's not a RAFO? I know they're coming later.

    Brandon Sanderson

    They are coming later, so not really. They were more of the Knights Radiant front line troops, as opposed to the Windrunners who were scouts. But you probably already knew that.

    Skyward Atlanta signing ()
    #4324 Copy

    Questioner

    Where do the lines point, exactly, when burning steel or iron?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Generally, right toward your center.

    Questioner

    On the objects?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Oh, the objects. Center of mass, unless you are starting to get really good at it, whereupon you'll be able to kind of see a sort of spectrum that you can pull on and yank on.

    Skyward Atlanta signing ()
    #4325 Copy

    Questioner

    If someone had a Hemalurgic spike and they burned aluminum, would the negation of-- am I going to get RAFO'd?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You're asking if it would destroy the Hemalurgic power? Burning aluminum at that point would not destroy the Hemalurgic power. It would pull the Investiture through whatever you're doing. It would blank your power, but it wouldn't destroy you being an Allomancer with the spike...

    I actually considered this in building it and that would be too easy a way to remove Inquisitors, particularly if there were dissension between them.

    Skyward Atlanta signing ()
    #4328 Copy

    Questioner

    In The Stormlight Archive, are there any on-screen appearances of dragons in any form?

    Brandon Sanderson

    RAFO. Sorry.

    Questioner

    Dragons can be shapeshifters, correct?

    Brandon Sanderson

    They can, yes.

    Questioner

    Do they only have a humanoid form they can appear as, or can they appear as many humans?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Depends.

    Skyward San Francisco signing ()
    #4333 Copy

    Questioner

    How about something related to Emperor's Soul?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I had a really good idea for a sequel earlier this year, but I don't know if I'll ever do it. I don't want to Lucas it. I don't want to take something that works so well on its own, and then make something that makes it not work as well on its own. I might do it, I might not.

    Skyward San Francisco signing ()
    #4334 Copy

    Questioner

    You've written a lot of novels and talked a lot about form. Are you interested or excited about any new formats of writing that you might take in the future?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I would like to try my hand at video games. I play a lot of games. I am really interested in the way that video games tell stories in ways not like books. I generally (though I can enjoy those games) don't like the stories of games that try to do it like a book. So I like things like Dark Souls, that does its worldbuilding and storytelling in a way very different from the way that a book does its storytelling. Or even something like Infamous, where they make you run across to do something, and while you're doing it someone calls you on the phone and gives you an infodump. That's really interesting to me.

    So I would like to try my hand at it at some point. My first attempt, which was getting a Mistborn videogame going, did not work out. But I have not given up. I have no news on that, but let's just say I have not given up on finding a way to worm my way into video games. And you see me doing this periodically. The Infinity Blade books were me wanting to work with video game storytellers to try and figure out how this format works better. And you'll see me doing more of this in the future.

    Skyward San Francisco signing ()
    #4335 Copy

    Questioner

    Do you have any places where you put worldbuilding material out in public?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Once in a while. I put up the outline for Steelheart once the series was done. I usually keep things close to the heart if there are things that have not yet been finished. The dramatist in me does not want the spoilers to get out there. (Even though... studies have all said that if you have spoilers, you generally enjoy a story more than if you haven't. I am incapable of believing those numbers, and doggedly dislike spoilers.) There are some that I'll release, and you can look on my website where I talk about some of this stuff. The Steelheart outline's floating around out there somewhere, and it has a bunch of the worldbuilding elements for that in it. And I'll do more of this as I finish up series and release them.

    Skyward release party ()
    #4336 Copy

    Questioner

    I'm planning a game for Mistborn roleplaying. What are your thoughts on an obligator, an Oracle obligator Misting who (and this is pure theorycrafting on my end) can, burning the alloy of atium and cadmium, put himself into a stasis to last into Alloy of Law era, realize "Where has my Lord gone?"

    Brandon Sanderson

    I think that's a great story. I don't know if it would work 100% in canon, but in a roleplaying game, that sounds feasible and great.

    Skyward release party ()
    #4337 Copy

    Questioner

    Are you ever scared someone's going to ask you a question you don't want to answer?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Scared, no. But the thing that worries me is I flub some of the questions 'cause I'm just not paying attention. I get into the groove of signing and they hit me with something. And I usually flub one or two a night, where I'm just not paying attention. Or I think they ask something, and I'm thinking they asked something they didn't. Those are the ones I don't like. I don't fear them, but I'm like, "Argh." They only happen once a night. But it happens consistently.

    Skyward release party ()
    #4338 Copy

    Questioner

    If you write down a measurement of a firespren, it locks into that. If you write down a measurement that's not true, will that still work? Can you just write down the measurements of a firespren and quadruple its size?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Let me just say this. Human perception of spren has an intrinsic effect on how they act, react, and interface with the world.

    Questioner

    So if I were to take a picture of a firespren, increase the brightness on my phone by 5000, and then write down that recording, the firespren would multiply brightness by 5000?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I didn't say that. I said, "Human perception of spren influences their behavior and their form."

    Skyward release party ()
    #4339 Copy

    Questioner

    I'm an illustrator. I know a couple illustrators in the area have worked with you on some illustrations. So how does that work? I know usually the art director is the only one who has a say in the art.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Isaac is my art director. We have enough influence with the publisher that we hire out everything except the cover, and we say, "You're just putting this in." I pay for it. I started that on my second book, after they didn't pay my illustrator on the first book, because they forgot and lost the check. And it took them, like, eight months to get another check. I'm like, "I'm just gonna pay for this. So I make sure my illustrator gets paid." And from then on, I've just done that. When you're paying for it, the publisher lets you do a whole bunch of stuff.

    Skyward Chicago signing ()
    #4344 Copy

    Argent

    The namesake of the Nahel bond. Was that a person, or is just a name?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It's a word in original Alethi as I was working on it. And actually, the original didn't use "bond." Bond was implied by it. The word meant, "connection to the divine." It's gotten larger since then...

    Blightsong

    So when Vasher takes a similar name [Zahel], he's trying to imply that meaning?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes.

    Skyward Chicago signing ()
    #4350 Copy

    Argent

    When the Everstorm passes over Kholinar in Oathbringer. That is when Ashertmarn appears, that's when they start reporting, "Hey there's a darkness around the palace." Did the Everstorm bring Ashertmarn there? Or did it kind of awaken or unleash it?

    Brandon Sanderson

    A little of both.