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Interviews: TGS Signing Report - Katie Frey
Summary:
Entries
11
Date
Nov 15th, 2009
Type
Paraphrased
Location
San Diego, CA
TourCon
The Gathering Storm Book Tour
Bookstore
Mysterious Galaxy
Reporter
Katie Frey
Links
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1
Question
(Our first question was the obligatory) "Who killed Asmodean?"Brandon Sanderson
The answer will be in one of these three books.Tags
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2
Question
What character is easiest for you to write? Which is most difficult?Brandon Sanderson
The Two Rivers folk were the easiest (Rand, Perrin, Mat, Egwene, and Nynaeve). Aviendha was the most difficult. She thinks more like an Aiel than most Aiel. But he was glad to bring her back to the forefront because he had always liked the way she thought. Tuon was not easy either.Tags
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3
Question
Is there a connection between the spoilage of food and Rand's temperament?Brandon Sanderson
Look at the Fisher King prophecies, and the prophecies in WoT that mention that the "land and the Dragon are one."Tags
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4
Question
What is your favorite scene that you got to add?Brandon Sanderson
"I'm not saying which scenes I added and which parts are Jordan's until all three books are out." He has lots and lots of notes left by Robert Jordan, which aren't organized. No one really knew how Robert Jordan was organizing his work. Some files had only sentences, some whole paragraphs and whole scenes. His assistants, Maria and others, what Brandon calls "his own personal Brown Ajah" started asking Robert Jordan questions about all of the characters, where they would end up and how they got there. So Brandon has so much information all jumbled together without any order. And it's his job to take all that and make a book.Tags
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5
Question
What myths influenced Robert Jordan the most?Brandon Sanderson
Native American and Norse mythology are featured prominently, but there are obvious influences from the Fisher King and Grail legends. Brandon also mentioned that Odin and Loki were thought to have originally been one person in the early myths, but was split into two. He noted that Odin had a spear and that Loki was pictured with ravens. Also, Brandon would sometimes ask Harriet about a particular passage and ask where Jordan got his inspiration. Harriet would pull out a book of myth, turn to a page and point it out.Tags
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6
Question
What is Robert Jordan's office like?Brandon Sanderson
He worked on the first floor of a carriage house, the first room was a big library and the second was like a "wizard's workshop." The Brown Aes Sedai whose quarters he describes in The Gathering Storm, with skeletons everywhere, was basically a description of Robert Jordan's office. He had skeletons everywhere, and weapons (though the weapons were left out of the Aes Sedai's room).Footnote
The Brown in question is Bennae Nalsad.Tags
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7
Question
Was the passage about Cadsuane spanking Semirhage already written, or was there just information in the notes? How did you feel about writing that section?Brandon Sanderson
He was given creative freedom to do what was needed. No author can ever stick 100% to an outline, things change as they are being written, and he was given that kind of control in order to make the books work. Regarding that passage in particular, it made Brandon Sanderson cringe, but Robert Jordan wanted it in the books so it stayed.Tags
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8
Question
When are books 13 and 14 due out?Brandon Sanderson
He is three-fourths of the way through Towers of Midnight, and he expects to turn that in in January. He hasn't been able to write as much as he had hoped during this 26-city tour, so that is putting him back a bit, but he is still confident he can get it in close to on time. It took him 16 months to write The Gathering Storm, and some of that writing ended up being allocated to Towers of Midnight. He expects it to be published in the fall of 2010, or at the latest March of 2011.Tags
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9
Question
Did the ending of the Wheel of Time shock you?Brandon Sanderson
No, it "satisfied me." There were "shocking thing in the notes, such as 'Egwene's unexpected visitor' but on the whole the ending was satisfying."Tags
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10
Question
Were you surprised to learn who Asmodean's killer was?Brandon Sanderson
No, not really. He had read every theory out there, and there is basically a theory for every character. One of those theories is right (he won't say which of course!), so since he had already read the theory it wasn't a surprise just an "ah, so it was that person."Tags
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11
Question
When will we see The Way of Kings?Brandon Sanderson
"I'll be posting more about it in 2010; this year is for WoT." He expects it to be available around September 2010.Tags