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An Hour With Harriet

2012-04-30: I had the great pleasure of speaking with Harriet McDougal Rigney about her life. She's an amazing talent and person and it will take you less than an hour to agree.

The Bell Tolls

2012-04-24: Some thoughts I had during JordanCon4 and the upcoming conclusion of "The Wheel of Time."

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  • 1

    Interview: 2011

    Twitter 2011 (WoT) (Verbatim)

    BRANDON SANDERSON (7 NOVEMBER 2011)

    Wheel of time fans. Big news for you. We are going to do a great hunt this tour. Details to come on my website soon.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    I will give out the first Great Hunt Code at the midnight release tonight. I will tweet how you can get it soon.

    BRANDON SANDERSON (8 NOVEMBER)

    Want the Great Hunt clue? I'm thinking of a WoT character who has a viewpoint for the 1st time in A Memory of Light. Make a guess in person here at BYU.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    First person to guess right IN PERSON to me tonight gets the clue. One guess each. Good luck!

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Nobody has guessed the name right yet for the code. If you have a guess, and you know someone here, call them and have them ask.

    TEREZ

    So @BrandSanderson is doing #wotgh again. Don't forget the tag. If you're at his signing guess Taim or Logain. One or the other guaranteed.

    GLEN GARETS

    Wrong. It was Tam al'Thor.

    TEREZ

    Do you know who got the clue?

    GLEN GARETS

    My friend Kyle and I.

    TEREZ

    But did @BrandSanderson give you a code to enter on his website? That's what he did last time, and it looks like it's entered.

    GLEN GARETS

    Well then I guess you know that gave him one then...

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    It has been guessed. The character with a viewpoint for the first time in A Memory of Light is Tam.

    17 SHARD

    I got a picture of him with Brandon and the code, but no name.—Kerry

    17TH SHARD

    Here's a pic of the clue itself: http://t.co/SWhnyD7r

    BRANDON SANDERSON (9 NOVEMBER)

    I put up a blog post about the new Wheel of Time Great Hunt that kicked off Tuesday morning. http://brandonsanderson.com/blog/1032/New-Wheel-of-Time-Great-Hunt

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    I will have a couple #wotgh codes for the signing today. However, until then, know that several of these are very guessable...

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    I will give out the first Great Hunt Code at the midnight release tonight. I will tweet how you can get it soon.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    San Diego airport bookstore (near Gate 35) has signed Alloy of Law and Towers. No #wotgh clues, as it is behind security.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    If I do hide one behind security, I'll pick a major hub. A former Stormleader did find me here and ask for a code. (I gave her one.)

    KATIE FREY

    Thanks for code #2 @BrandSanderson!! See you at the signing! =D

    KATIE

    Code Number 2: TREES BY COUNTRY

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    First person who guesses the name of the first viewpoint in the A Memory of Light prologue and tells me in person gets a code.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    This will be hard as they are a new character. So guess who they work for, and that will be enough.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    For the clue: this person is in someone's army. Guess which army. I don't know if you will get it tonight.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    You have to ask in person for this clue, guys.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Nobody guessed the right army. Here is a list of tonight's guesses. http://twitpic.com/7cmqdb

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Also, "The Dark One's" army or "Army of the Light" does not count. The army's specific name or direct commander is needed.

    BRANDON SANDERSON (10 NOVEMBER)

    I'll do some #wotgh clues for internet guessing soon. I want a few of the codes to be revealed first so you can get a feel for their theme.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Nobody has guessed (in person to me) the army the first Viewpoint in A Memory of Light comes from. Come to my Huntington Beach signing tonight & guess.

    BRANDON SANDERSON (11 NOVEMBER)

    Nobody has guessed the army of the starting viewpoint of A Memory of Light yet to win a #wotgh code. I'll post the list of guessed armies soon.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    For now, I have a clue for you to try guessing a clue on-line. You might want to coordinate with Theoryland or Dragonmount on this.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Here's your clue for the internet code (different from the army one): Felix Pax. Try your guess on the Great Hunt page of my website.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    As always, @terez27 has an excellent summary page up for you all. Is there a list of failed guesses somewhere? http://bit.ly.wotgh

    ROB MOREAU

    I took a picture of the list last night, I was just about the last person through, so I think we are up to date :)

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Did you upload the picture anywhere for me to retweet?

    ROB

    List of armies: http://twitpic.com/7cyrd9 and there is a list of failed attempts on the same document: http://bit.ly/t4HgxV

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    List of wrong guesses last night for the #wotgh code. This one must be guessed in person. http://twitpic.com/7d5uu6

    BRANDON SANDERSON (12 NOVEMBER)

    The army clue for #wotgh has been guessed! I won't post it here; some don't like spoilers. It should be on Terez's page I posted yesterday.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Felix's clue has yet to be guessed, even by him. People have been close, though. A hint is this: (more)

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    The code, which comes from RJ's notes, uses a word that I believe was NEVER used in the series.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Many are thinking the word is "Magic." That is the right idea—but not the right word.

    COREY PODWINSKI

    Circus?

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    You are a very smart person. Now you need some more words to go with your guess. Input them on my site.

    FELIX PAX

    Invalid #wotgh codes: Circus Folk; Circus Show Folk; Seanchan Circus of Blood; Southern Circus; Circus of Winds; Imperial Circus

    BRANDON SANDERSON (13 NOVEMBER)

    You are very close. It's more simple than that. Keep trying; I view this code as being 'yours.'

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Also, it has come to my attention that people might be poking fun at you because I singled you out. If it's the case, I'm sorry.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    It wasn't my intention; I just thought you, in specific, would be interested in this code...

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Back in the US! I hid a code in the Simply Books at MSP airport gate G15. This is behind security, so get it if you are flying through.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    MSP has signed books in both the G15 bookstore and the one on the middle of the C gates. (C12ish?) Code hidden in the G15 store.

    BRANDON SANDERSON (14 NOVEMBER)

    Could the person who got code #6 and entered it tell everyone what it was?

    RYAN D JOHNSON

    Was that the one at MSP? Flying through G terminal there today.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    It was at G15, though someone may have grabbed it by now. There are signed books there too, though... :)

    NETHSPACE

    OK, so, give us a great hunt clue :)

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Ha. Okay, The one about the Aes Sedai is fairly easy to guess, I think. It even has "Aes Sedai" in it.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    It also has some punctuation in it, though, of an organizational nature.

    BRANDON SANDERSON (15 NOVEMBER)

    Layover in Atlanta; signed the books in the Buckhead bookstore near the center of the B Gates. I hid a code in one. This is behind security.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Just got recognized on the plane by a reader. He should have asked for a #wotgh code. Anyone grab that one in the atlanta airport yet?

    MIKAUS

    Book and code acquired. Glad I checked twitter before I got on the plane!

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Looks like @TheMikaus got the Atlanta code. Nice work! #wotgh. I'm off to Houston, assuming this plane ever takes off...

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Ha! So a guy who recognized me on the plane must have friends who follow my posts; he asked for a code after the flight to give to a pal.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    For those asking, yes I gave the dude on the plane a code. How could I not?

    BRANDON SANDERSON (17 NOVEMBER)

    Off to the UK! Here's a #wotgh clue. I said a code had to do with something Aes Sedai could do. Hint: it'd be very useful in RJ's home town.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Those sending guesses at me need to put them into the great hunt page. Warning: the wording must be exact.

    BRANDON SANDERSON (19 NOVEMBER)

    In case you missed it earlier, I'm signing in London today. Forbidden Planet at 1:00. #Wotgh is still a go, also. I have codes for the UK.

    EBOOKWYRM

    On my way down to London now!! How do we get codes?

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    I will have clues about them, and maybe have one or two in the store somewhere.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Thanks to all who gave me Magic cards this tour! I just built a deck w/them, & have time after my London signing. Beat me for a #wotgh code.

    BRANDON SANDERSON (22 NOVEMBER)

    Okay, UK WoT fans. Time to prove yourselves. I hid a Great Hunt code in one of my books in the Waterstones Milton Keynes. Can you find it?

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Just realized that I THINK the clue I left in MK is one that has been guessed. If you find it & send me a photo, I'll email you a new code.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Has anyone found the code I hid in Milton Keynes?

    MATT FELLOWS

    Tempted to make the 200+ mile round trip to go find it if it's still not been claimed...

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    I THINK it has been claimed, but nobody has said so for certain. Where do you live?

    BRANDON SANDERSON (23 NOVEMBER)

    Great Hunt is still going. There are codes hidden in both the UK and the states that have not been found. I still have a few to give away.

    SLEEPINGHOUR (6 DECEMBER)

    Any chance of giving us another #wotgh clue? There are a few codes left that people seem to have gotten stuck on...

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Go ahead and tweet at Peter, my assistant, and prod him. He can give you some hints.

    Tags

  • 2

    Interview: Nov 8th, 2008

    Alex C. Telander

    Do you have any hobbies?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yeah, yeah. It's actually a little bit embarrassing. I play Magic: The Gathering, which is kind of the nerdiest game ever invented.

    ALEX C. TELANDER

    Well, that's not too surprising. George R. R. Martin started as a dungeon master.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    I do role play a little bit, but Magic's probably my hobby. I actually decided a few years back that I needed a hobby. I had to have one because otherwise I would write all the time. And I needed something to balance out my life, so I dug out my cards from my youth and started playing again, got my friends back into it. And we do it mostly as a social thing. It's really fun, though. So, there's my hobby. Somewhat, obviously, self-hatingly, but yeah.

    ALEX C. TELANDER

    Well, I know Christopher Paolini makes swords . . . [not clear] . . . and stuff like that.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    I was on tour here and someone actually gave me a couple of cards. Yeah, it brings out my complete inner geek when someone shows up and says, "Here's some cards for you." I'm like, "Oh . . . I can't believe it, cards!"

    ALEX C. TELANDER

    That's great.

    Tags

  • 3

    Interview: Oct 27th, 2009

    Matt Hatch

    About the Upcoming Epic Magic Battle Between Brandon and Jason Denzel:

    Brandon Sanderson

    See, I’m expecting...the reason why I’m doing it like I’m doing it. I’m giving myself a handicap. I’m not going to draw back into my stock of super cards like I could do. I’m only going to use the cards I’ve been given. It’s the natural, smaller pool. I’m expecting him to go and build the uber-super-deck. He can reach to any cards he wants and build the perfect deck...he’s going to need the fans to tell him what to make and then to make it...I don’t feel sorry for Jason at all. He’s going to come at me with some uber-deck perfected by fans at tournaments...oh he’s good at getting sympathy, but I’m going to expose him for what he is...

    Tags

  • 4

    Interview: Nov 20th, 2009

    Brandon Sanderson

    So, Jason is on Tor.com again, talking trash and showing off the huge numbers of cards he's been lent to build the perfect deck to kill me.

    If you're not aware of what's going on, tomorrow after my San Jose signing, I'll be having an epic set of Magic: The Gathering games against Jason Denzel (who runs Dragonmount, a Wheel of Time fan website). Read what he's said here and here.

    I haven't posted a lot about this because . . . well, I just haven't had time. I've been running, city to city, signing books. In fact, I can only do this update because my plane is delayed in Portland for half an hour.

    Now, reading those articles, Jason would have you believe that he's the underdog in this competition. He's been trying very hard to get your sympathy. And, well, some of the things he says may be true. Yes, I have more experience in the game than he does. But remember, I've put a severe limitation on myself in the form of requiring myself to use only cards I've been given by fans on the tour, so I can't reach into my extensive back stock of cards to build the perfect deck.

    What are my thoughts? Well, I think it will be fun. But I am also so exhausted from the tour I can barely think most of the time. And the match will happen after the last day of the tour, following two signings on the same day, with me having gotten very little sleep on average across the last four weeks.

    In other words, this is going to be by no means an easy win. Jason has been lent thousands of cards to augment his card stable. He's going to have very good decks, and I'm going to be so tired I won't be able to remember what day it is, let alone how many lands to put in my deck.

    But I'm still confident. Confident, at least, that this will be a fun time. We'll set up a streaming video of the match, so watch the updates on my Facebook and Twitter accounts to get the url. Also, I feel it's my duty to let you know that Jason has been trying to CHEAT LIKE A DOG (asking Storm Leaders to steal or hide my cards, maybe give him clues as to what I'll be playing).

    So I figure I'll just tell him. Here are the decks I'll be running:

    1. A WoT-themed deck given me by a fan. I'll play it as-is. It's white, with lots of cards that they've written on and named after characters. Quite amusing.
    2. A deck built from the Zendikar and other packs given me by the wonderful WoT fans. I've built this one out of the cards you've given me, and it's got 95% cards from Zendikar. Multicolor.
    3. A deck sponsored by Joseph-Beth Booksellers using only cards given me by Brian, the Joseph-Beth sci-fi guy. Multicolor.
    4. If there's time, a deck built from several other complete decks given me by fans on the tour.

    I actually don't have these completely put together yet. I was hoping to do that today at the hotel . . . though this delay is going to make that harder. Either way, tune in tomorrow night to see what happens.

    Tags

  • 5

    Interview: Nov 21st, 2009

    Brandon Sanderson

    Tamyrlin & Brandon wiped the floor with Jason and I at Magic:The Gathering.

    Tags

  • 6

    Interview: Apr 20th, 2010

    Brandon Sanderson

    First off, I hope many of you are planning to attend JordanCon in Atlanta this weekend. (Details here—you can still pick up a badge at the door.) This is a great convention, perhaps my favorite of those I attended last year. It's warm and inviting, not too big but not too small, full of relaxed times and good fun. You'll be able to meet Harriet and Wilson, which is a real treat. Red Eagle entertainment will be there too, so you will get some answers to your Wheel of Time video game and movie questions.

    Even if you're not a super huge WoT fan, there will be plenty of good times. For the aspiring writers, I will be doing two full lectures on writing topics (a pair of my favorites from the class I teach.) (Full schedule is here; click the tabs at the bottom to go look at the different tracks.)

    And, of course, there will be some gaming with Brandon. That's actually the main point of this post, so if you're not interested in me turning into an ultra-nerd, this would be a time to click away. . . .

    MAGIC WITH BRANDON

    The main "Play Magic with Brandon" time is Friday night at 8:30 until whenever we decide to be done. I want to emphasize that you DO NOT have to be an expert Magic player to come have fun with us. I tend to play casually, and I stay away from overpowered decks and focus on quirky ideas and oddness. If you don't have cards, it's not a big deal. So show up and play.

    For anyone wondering on more specifics, I'll be bringing a Highlander deck (sixty cards, no repeated cards.) I like playing Highlander or Elder Dragon Highlander, so if you're making decks, bring one of those. I'll also have something wacky (not sure what yet) along with Standard deck made with only Worldwake cards (the ones I bought at Minicon) and my old faithful zombie deck. (That is fun to play but never wins.)

    CAN WE DO A DRAFT?

    Now, that said, my favorite Magic format is limited. I'm sure I'll have time to play people's constructed decks. But I would, really, really LOVE to do a draft with Rise of the Eldrazi. (The set looks awesome.) How many of you out there, going to Jordancon, would be interested in this? I figure if we can get eight people or so wanting to do a draft, we could each pitch in $15 or $20, send someone to buy us a box of cards. We'd have enough for a draft with a few left over packs to give away as prizes.

    To do this, I'd need at least seven other willing people. (Once again, you don't have to be an expert Magic player to join in the fun. We'd probably run two brackets for the prizes—the "I play Magic all the time" bracket and the "I owned a deck once when I was 18" bracket.) Drafts are fun since they level the playing field a little. Everyone plays just with the cards from this limited pool, and nobody has terribly overpowered decks.

    If you're interested, email me. Again, this one would cost money, but you'd be taking home cards in exchange for it. Email me tonight or tomorrow so I know we have enough interest.

    DOES ANYONE IN ATLANTA AREA RUN A GAME STORE?

    The absolute best case, if we could somehow manage it, would be to have someone who owns a game store show up and sell us the cards to use and run the draft. Maybe you could bring some of those nifty foil cards that Wizards gives out as prizes. (I missed the pre-release on this one because I was at a con. Hint hint.) So, if you run or work at a game store, and you would be willing to come sell us cards on Friday night, I'll get you into the con for the day for free. You'll be able to bring flyers about your store, I'll sign your books and write nice things about you, and will post about your awesome store on my website. I might also buy a box of cards from you (in addition to the ones people buy for the draft) to make it worth your time.

    And even if you can't come run the draft and bring us prizes (Snif snif) I'd like to buy some cards from you instead of sending someone around randomly to find some. So if you want to drive over to the convention during the day and bring some Eldrazi boxes to sell me, I'd be happy to meet you and buy them. (If it's close, I could probably send someone from the convention to pick them up, if I had to.) Con is located here, in case you are wondering.

    Heck, I'd even be willing to trade you books for booster packs, if that's something you'd be in to. (You'd have to email me early so I can know what to bring. I have some cool foreign editions of some of my books, and some rare advance copies of some of them too. No The Way of Kings copies left, I'm afraid.)

    Assuming I have responses to this from people wanting to play, I'd probably be willing to buy two boxes worth. I would be looking for a good price point on them. I'm used to buying my boxes on-line at $80 a pop, but don't expect game stores to compete with the internet for pricing. But I'll be spending my per diem money from Jordancon and from Constellation on these, so I'd be hoping to avoid full price. . . . ;)

    Anyway, if you run/work at/own a game store and are interested in meeting me, selling me cards, running a draft, or the like please drop me an email. (Or if you know someone who owns one, send them this link.) Best if you contact me before tomorrow at noon, but anytime before Friday afternoon would probably be okay.

    In other news, I really need to get some sort of contact going over at Wizards so I can get them to give me prizes to give away at "celebrity magic drafts" at conventions like this. Anyone know if Maro reads Wheel of Time? ;)

    Also, forgive spelling errors. My 3-month-old is on my lap and currently attacking the keyboard.

    Tags

  • 7

    Interview: Apr 28th, 2010

    Richard Fife

    So, after setup, I took part of the above photo, ran around and got the ball running on a few things for later, and then settled in for the opening ceremony. While doing this, I noticed in our program a "not finalized" cover for Towers of Midnight. I'm afraid I had no easy way to get it up so that you could see the detail, but I'm sure you're all clever enough to go hunt one down. Jason Denzel of Dragonmount.com soon walked up to the lectern and started us off with a story. I am sure we all remember Jason's trash-talk here on Tor.com over the Magic: The Gathering game he was going to have at the end of the The Gathering Storm signing tour, and then the subsequent beat-down Brandon gave him. Well, seems the truth of the matter was that Jason let Brandon win in exchange for the first chapters of Towers of Midnight, and that while he had promised to keep it secret, he was going to read them to us. Just as he was about to start, though, Alan Romanczuk, one of Robert Jordan's assistants, led a squad of Theoryland.com brutes out to arrest Denzel for crimes against the fandom and dragged him, and the pages, away. I'm not going to even speculate on what they did to him or the pages, but, well . . . here's a before and after shot. And yes, he might very well have been a zombie in the before.

    Anyway, Matt Hatch took over the opening ceremony, where he and his loyal minion Frenzy introduced us to the guests and gave us an overview of what is to come, including the new Writers' Track with Jana Oliver and David Wong, in addition to Brandon Sanderson, and Paul Stevens from Tor and Harriet McDougal (editor of The Wheel of Time, in case you've been living under a rock).

    Tags

  • 8

    Interview: Aug 23rd, 2010

    Brandon Sanderson

    I'll post about what I'm doing, when I'm doing it. I'll also be taking some time to read, play some video games, and build Magic decks. I do want to give a special thank you to those who sent me cards during the last few weeks. I tried to thank everyone, and there are still a few I intend to post about, but some of the items that arrived from my wishlist didn't include a name telling me who originally bought them for me.

    I'm intending to bring these cards specifically to Dragon*Con and do some fun things with them. I'll post later in the week about it, but if you like Magic and are going to Dragon*Con, we should be able to find some time to play. (I'm thinking of bringing an Archenemy deck and trying to take on multiple fans at once in epic, large-scale games.)

    Tags

  • 9

    Interview: Sep 17th, 2010

    Mad Hatter

    You're an avowed Magic: The Gathering lover. What is your color combo deck of choice? Also, preferred edition? I've always leaned towards Revised/Fourth as later editions focused on counters too much for my liking.

    Brandon Sanderson

    I would say Black/Blue/White is what you find me playing most often, and usually Blue/White. Favorite editions? I’m going to disagree about the focus on counters. They’ve actually taken counterspells down a notch or two in recent years, which is nice. Besides, I play casual games, where I don’t run into a lot of counterspell decks, land destruction decks, or card discard decks—you know, the “un-fun” decks. My favorites recently—I really like Eldrazi, the set they released this year, which I’ve had a blast with. Other than that, probably Ravnica and Time Spiral were my favorite of the recent sets.

    MAD HATTER

    I haven't bought any new decks in a few years so I just may have to check out Eldrazi.

    Tags

  • 10

    Interview: Nov 2nd, 2010

    Brandon Sanderson

    At or around 3:30am we were packing up all my equipment, and leaving. Spencer and I were the last two Tower Guards remaining. The bookstore employees had mostly disappeared as well. Just as we were getting ready to leave we noticed that there was a very small group of fans (from the 17thshard.com—Brandon's official fan site) that were waiting patiently outside in the cold for Brandon to play a game of Magic: The Gathering with them.

    Even at 3:30am, Brandon was kind and alert, and he agreed to play "just one" game with them. I've never played, but I could tell that it was five on one. Brandon creamed them all. Muahahahahaha!! It was cool to see that. At about 4am, he said his good-byes, and walked away.

    Tags

  • 11

    Interview: Apr 13th, 2011

    Brandon Sanderson

    Tomorrow my assistant Peter and I are off to JordanCon in Atlanta. Their full schedule is listed here. My panels are below. Please pay special attention to the details of the Magic draft on Friday night, if you want to participate.

    Tags

  • 12

    Interview: Apr 13th, 2011

    Brandon Sanderson

    JordanCon III, Atlanta

    Date: 04.15.11–04.17.11
    Place: JordanCon III: Consaken
    Address: Crowne Plaza Hotel Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia
    4355 Ashford Dunwoody
    Atlanta, GA 30346

    FRIDAY

    1:00 p.m., Oakwood AB
    Opening Ceremonies

    4:00 p.m., Camellia
    Signing, Brandon Sanderson & Harriet McDougal

    9:00 p.m., Azalea
    Magic the Gathering Draft with Brandon Sanderson
    Preregistration is required. Email Brandon if you want to get on the list. There will be a small buy-in of around $10 or $15. Also, if someone wants to come judge the match, you would be welcome.

    SATURDAY

    12:00 noon, Azalea
    Fantasy Writing (Brandon Sanderson)
    A 90-minute crash course in writing fantasy novels.

    2:30 p.m., Dogwood
    Kaffeeklatsch: An hour with Team Jordan (Brandon Sanderson, Alan Romanczuk, Maria Simons)
    Limited to 10 pre-selected participants. Slots are already full; sorry about that.

    4:00 p.m., Oakwood AB
    A Memory of Light: Status Report (Harriet McDougal, Brandon Sanderson, Maria Simons, Alan Romanczuk, Richard Fife)

    5:30 p.m., Oakwood AB
    Costume Contest (Brandon Sanderson, Harriet McDougal, Linda Taglieri, Richard Fife)
    Show off your tailoring skills or just come to watch the parade of Seanchan, Aes Sedai, Asha'man, and more!

    10:00 p.m., Azalea
    Magic with Brandon
    Can you muster a successful Magic the Gathering deck and defeat the Brandon Sanderson? Bring your deck and find out.

    SUNDAY

    11:30 a.m., Camellia
    Signing, Brandon Sanderson

    1:00 p.m., Azalea
    JordanCon's Got Talent (Brandon Sanderson)
    Come give your 30-second book pitch to our experts!

    Tags

  • 13

    Interview: Jun 4th, 2011

    Thomas C.

    Sadly, no one dressed up. Sanderson did get a few gifts. A fan from Wales had brought along a Dalek keyring. One fan had written his name down on a piece of paper, gave it to his sister who gave it to Sanderson to hopefully use in a future book. One had written a letter to Sanderson, which he would read later.

    Once all fans had been and gone, a few hung back. While getting his books signed, one fan, Matt, had brought his Magic: The Gathering cards along with him and mentioned this to Brandon Sanderson, who admitted that they might play at the end of the signing if time allowed. Matt returned, and both Sanderson and Matt played a quick game in the store. From what I gathered (as I don't know much about the game), Matt seemed to make a good start, then Sanderson pulled out an ace card and Matt lost in three moves! Matt didn't seem to mind—I think the experience of playing a game with Sanderson was far more important!

    Tags

  • 14

    Interview: Nov 16th, 2010

    Brandon Sanderson

    Cuthbert gave Brandon packs of Magic cards in Italian and Brandon had him sign one of the cards, which was neat.

    Other things we discussed included the Mistborn movie (Brandon has seen a screenplay and it was pretty good, but the project is not for sure going to be made). Dreamworks Animation has the rights to Alcatraz and Red Eagle has the rights to Wheel of Time.

    There was an April Fools joke at one point that Lindsay Lohan was going to play Vin in the movie by Brandon's friend Dan Wells who does the Writing Excuses podcast for aspiring writers with Brandon. If you haven't listened to their podcast yet you should, its quite entertaining even for people who have no desire to become writers. Brandon mentioned that maybe about 50% of the audience is listening just for fun and may not have an actual desire to become professional authors.

    Finally, Brandon told us that he is likely coming back to Europe next year. He wants to get to the UK very much and will likely go to the Imaginales d'epinal convention which is in March. He said that he generally has more time at conventions to do things like play Magic than at signings as there are events over multiple days, parties, etc...

    Tags

  • 15

    Interview: Aug 31st, 2011

    Reddit AMA 2011 (Verbatim)

    ShutUpElayneTrakand ()

    Most people know how awesome you are and will now proceed to tell you that and beg you to give them answers to questions that they’ll eventually RAFO. I’ll leave it to the others to gush and tell you those things (because they’re true). My question is about the Wheel of Time and is pretty menial but stands solely on a personal gripe with the word—why on earth is the word “loobie” used so much to describe Rand by his ladies—especially Min? Did Mr. Jordan leave a quota for that word that must be used a certain number of times? I just...especially for a character like Min that was, in particular, stronger and much less...sheepish than Rand’s other women, to have that as her affectionate word of choice makes me cringe. I would love to see a return of strong Min vs. sheepish doe-eyed Min, but if there’s any possibility of changing her word choice...I would find some way to repay you for you will have done me a great service.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Ha. I can't see into Mr. Jordan's mind, though I can say that he was fond of using the writer's device of character-identifying traits. You'll find that if you hang out with certain people, and listen to their linguistic patterns, often they will repeat individual words and phrases all the time. (I know one guy who uses the word "Brilliant!" every other sentence.)

    This may be the case where life is more annoying than fiction should be, however. I'll keep the comment in mind. You can pay me in heaps of Magic cards, preferably from the alpha/beta era.

    ShutupElayneTrakand

    That's a done deal. I have a ridiculous amount of cards remaining from the alpha/beta era that have been sitting and collecting dust since I ran out of money in the 8th grade. I know that they would absolutely love a new home.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Ha. I was really joking. Please. Don't give me any really expensive cards. I'd feel too guilty. If you do have some, I'd at least insist on giving you fair-market value in trades for books.

    natron6

    Ya I also feel like the the word adroit/maladroit were used a shit ton in the Mistborn series. Maybe I just noticed it so much because I had never heard those words before reading those books.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Nah. I overused them. Didn't notice it until they were in print, and I added them (and some other words) to my "Be careful; you overuse these."

    Every author does this, but some are better at keeping an eye on it than I am. Hence my 'kill list.'

    Tags

  • 16

    Interview: Jul 11th, 2010

    Dana

    When's the last time you signed books in the SLC airport? If I'm there at the end of July, will there be any there for me? :)

    Brandon Sanderson

    I signed some books in the Salt Lake airport just a few weeks ago, and will do so again when I fly out to Comicon. So there's a good chance! If you call the bookstore and have them order you in a The Gathering Storm, I could sign that. Last time I was there, they were out.

    DANA

    We <3 you, Brandon Sanderson! Now hurry and publish more books, lol!

    HAMM

    Send him a pack of magic cards. That seems to be inspirational!

    MAGICKALMAN

    I'll send him my Black Lotus if it'll help!

    HAMM

    My lotuses (or is lotus singular and plural?) got stolen when I was in high school. I brought decks with me to Vroman's last fall for the Gathering Storm signing, but there wasn't exactly an opportunity to play.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Lol. Dana, I'm REALLY trying to publish as many as possible. Magic cards do help, though... In a more serious tone, I do offer to let people read my older books. So if you're starved for something, you can shoot and email through the website and ask for White Sand or Aether of Night. They're not up to my current standards, but they're okay. And if you're really interested in the larger story happening behind the scenes in my books, those two novels are important. Watch for the Wells of Power in Aether of Night, for example. There will be an Elantris sequel some day. Hopefully. Wait, someone if offering a BLACK LOTUS. Drool. (But I probably wouldn't take it, in all honesty. That's a little TOO much.) The Amazon wish list alone makes me feel uncomfortable. Really, reading my books is enough.

    MAGICKALMAN

    I hope we can get some game on at DragonCon, I'll bring some cards and see.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    I WILL play Magic at DragonCon. Planning to have plenty of time. I wish I could figure out a way to do a draft with fans while out for Comicon. That would be great. Remind me, Magical Man, about this chat when you see me. You too, Hamm.

    Tags

  • 17

    Interview: Aug 31st, 2011

    Reddit AMA 2011 (Verbatim)

    supahamir ()

    What do you do to prevent yourself from being distracted, and what do you do when you hit a block on something in a book you're writing?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Well, sometimes I have to just close the browser (and the like fifty tabs worth of material I've found on reddit) and turn off the internet for a little while... Sometimes it's done by setting daily goals for myself (wordcount wise) and not letting myself go do fun things—video games, etc.—until I've hit my wordcount.

    Motivation isn't a huge problem for me. I keep coming back to the idea that writing, and telling stories, is what I like to do most in the world. Yes, it can be tough at times. It is work. But unless I'm writing each day and creating something, I feel like I just haven't accomplished anything.

    As for writer's block, I did a couple of post on that already. Here and here.

    Wlraider70

    What games do you play, xbox or PS3?

    Brandon

    Both, but usually not online. I do it to unwind, and so getting yelled at by team-mates is not really high on my list, nor is the stress of being forced to compete against other players who have a LOT more time for such things.

    Right now, playing the new Magic The Gathering game on Xbox and really liking it. Big improvement over the last one, which was okay.

    Tags

  • 18

    Interview: Aug 31st, 2011

    Reddit AMA 2011 (Verbatim)

    Nolder ()

    I've been to a couple of your signings and I know you love to get MTG cards as gifts from your fans. Is there anything else you like?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I never say no to cookies or the like. :)

    Tags

  • 19

    Interview: Aug 31st, 2011

    Reddit AMA 2011 (Verbatim)

    Angry Caveman Lawyer ()

    What's the coolest thing you've purchased since you've become a famous writer? (cheesy question, but hey, why not?)

    Brandon Sanderson

    Power Nine Magic Cards. I've always wanted them, and so I finally said, "You know, I had the #1 selling epic fantasy book in the world last year. I can probably afford these now..."

    I'm not much of a spender, though, so it actually was kind of tough to get myself to do it. I love having them, though. (And yes, I'm a nerd. That chick from Gizmodo would TOTALLY have written something snide about me.)

    Tags

  • 20

    Interview: Aug 31st, 2011

    Reddit AMA 2011 (Verbatim)

    MindCanaries ()

    I am coming to the Seattle signing for Alloy of Law. Do you think you'll have time for MTG on this tour? Should I bring my cards? =D

    Brandon Sanderson

    I'll bring mine, but I've got to be frank with you. In Seattle it's hard to find time to play, since I usually end up visiting Google or Microsoft, then going to dinner with friends. (Ken lives there, for example.) So...I'll try, but I can't make promises.

    Tags

  • 21

    Interview: Aug 31st, 2011

    Reddit AMA 2011 (Verbatim)

    RedBeardRaven ()

    Gaming seems to be a decent chunk of your life. Has any games, in specific, influenced your writing or world/magic system creation? (I assume Magic The Gathering has a good influence on some of this, but I just wanted to ask.)

    Brandon Sanderson

    Oh, boy. Hard to say, since I've been playing many of them since childhood. Often, I find myself reacting against their magic systems, since I feel that books need to do things differently than games do. However, the rule-based nature of my magic systems may owe a nod to Palladium's systems. (Which I have always enjoyed very much.)

    Tags

  • 22

    Interview: Aug 31st, 2011

    Reddit AMA 2011 (Verbatim)

    halfmast ()

    Have you had to eliminate any interests or hobbies in order to devote more time to reading and writing?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Yes. Most of the time, it comes down to giving up things like television and video games. I've allowed myself to keep Magic (even encouraged my interest) because it is something social, where the other two really aren't for me.

    Tags

  • 23

    Interview: 2012

    Brandon Sanderson (8 December 2011)

    Okay, A Memory of Light is going fine..the book is awesome, but it feels like I've been working on it FOREVER. I need some motivation, so...

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    I'm going to start doing what I did last year. If I hit my wordcounts, I will open a pack of Magic cards as a reward. Yes, I'm a nerd.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    People are asking how close the draft is to being done. Close, but I keep realizing there are points that need expanding.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Current length of A Memory of Light: 313,000 words. Towers of Midnight—the longest of the two I've done so far—was 335k. A Memory of Light will be at least that long.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    It WILL come out next year, and will not be split again. I'm close to the end, but still have several weeks worth of hard work to do.

    SKYLA GRIMES

    Is there a word-count length that you are encouraged not to exceed?

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Over 400k would really be pushing it.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    And, as 5:00 rolls around, I have managed (barely) to hit my 2k wordcount goal so far today. Time for a Magic pack!

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    This one was sent to be by a fan, via my Amazon wishlist. (No name was included.) Whoever you are, thanks! The rare is: http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=246954

    LOCAL VIEWER

    Is the infamous last scene Robert Jordan left behind already part of the 313,000 words?

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    No, it is not. So the 'finished' length is actually longer. I haven't put that chunk in yet.

    JEFF

    Is your average word count goal/day usually 2k?

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    On a WoT novel, which is much harder, that is a fair count. On something simpler, 3-4k is average.

    DONAGH MARNANE

    I'm just wondering why you have a daily wordcount—surely the quality is more important than the length?

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    I believe that daily goals are important, as crafting a great book requires work as much as it does inspiration.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Laying down a rough first draft, then polishing over and over, is the path I've found to creating excellent work.

    AUSTIN MOORE

    Have you written through the ending for all the main characters? If so, is the rest just "expanding" scenes out?

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Not all of them yet. Just a few.

    ROBYN ESTERBIZZLE

    You are working on the final book in an epic series that people have been reading for decades and you need a game for motivation?

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Even when you love what you do, it can be hard to work 12 hour days to finish a book after an exhausting tour.

    Tags

  • 24

    Interview: 2012

    Brandon Sanderson (9 December 2011)

    Back at work on A Memory of Light. May be the day to reveal a side-character's long-hidden motivations .

    JAMES BIRTLES

    Do we get a clue as to whom this character is?

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    If I told you that, you'd be expecting it. I'm afraid it is a RAFO. This character HAS been a little suspicious.

    LEBO GUME

    Mr. @BrandSanderson please stop teasing A Memory of Light.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Sorry. Some people really want to watch the progress, and so I try to keep the posts as spoiler-free as possible.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    This afternoon's "Brandon opens Magic cards as he writes" comes sponsored by Sarah Bartram, who sent the cards off my wishlist. Thanks!

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    The rare was this card (which is sweet, since I like zombie cards): http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=230786

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Just wrote a scene with Bela in it.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    This scene is one that RJ left instruction for in his notes; it gave me shivers when reading.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    Okay, that scene's done, and it is beyond awesome. Over 3k done; opening another pack sent by Sarah B. ...Mythic rare! http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=247236

    Tags

  • 25

    Interview: Nov 8th, 2011

    Question

    What do you do to keep yourself from burning out? What do you do to decompress?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I play with my Magic Cards. (Laughter) I go and sort them, I go build a deck.

    AUDIENCE MEMBER

    Roll around in them.

    BRANDON SANDERSON

    No! I can’t do that! Then they get bent. (More Laughter) That’s basically what I do.

    Tags

  • 26

    Interview: Nov 23rd, 2011

    Tortellini

    The evening also included Brandon kicking ass at Magic, which was quite spectacular to see. I have never seen anyone play 3 Hypnotic Specters and then lose so definitely... All in all, a great evening and some new ideas to dissect.

    Tags

  • 27

    Interview: Jan 24th, 2012

    Brandon Sanderson

    The leatherbound Wheel of Time charity auction for Worldbuilders is currently at $1,725.00. Wow!

    I believe there are still slots available for the Magic the Gathering: Dark Ascension prerelease in West Valley this Friday. They don't count a slot as filled until you prepay, so give them a call.

    Tags

  • 28

    Interview: Apr 11th, 2012

    Satima Flavell

    You couldn't find anyone less snobbish than Sanderson. Still a keen gamer, he asked the con organisers to set up a tournament for his favourite game, Magic the Gathering. It formed a sizeable part of Swancon's timetable!

    Tags

  • 29

    Interview: Apr, 2012

    Eleanor

    I had Warbreaker and The Way of Kings parts 1 and 2 for him to sign today and I had slipped a pack of MTG cards in Warbreaker; given he wasn't there at 10.50am, I thought he'd need them. He was happy.

    Tags

  • 30

    Interview: Jul 5th, 2012

    Brandon Sanderson

    For those who enjoy hanging out and playing Magic, it looks like I'll be able to swing going to the prerelease of the new core set this weekend. I'll be doing it at Epic Puzzles & Games in SLC, like previous prereleases, at midnight on Friday night.

    No need to sign up this time if you want to come. Just drop by at midnight and we'll figure out what we're doing. Look forward to seeing some of you there.

    Epic Puzzles & Games
    3612 W 4700 S #4
    West Valley City UT 84129
    801-982-0167

    Tags

  • 31

    Interview: Jul 10th, 2012

    Sabrina Fish

    RANDOM QUESTIONS

    If you could play Magic:The Gathering with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

    Brandon Sanderson

    That’s an easy one. Richard Garfield, who created and designed Magic. I want him to sign some of my cards.

    Tags

  • 32

    Interview: May, 2012

    Nalini Haynes

    From your tweets I gather you’re a Magic player.

    Brandon Sanderson

    I am.

    Nalini

    Is this one of the things that you do to de-role?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It is. I have found it is also a wonderful thing to do with readers. I don’t want all of my interaction with my readers to just be: they hand me a book, I sign it and I hand it back, thank you, have a nice day. I want there to be something I can actually do with them, so that they can relax and so that I can relax. Magic is something I’ve played since about the same time I got into fantasy books. It’s something I’ve allowed to be my hobby, because you need hobbies, you can’t just spend all the time writing. So it’s my hobby and I let myself spend time with my fans doing it, and I have a blast doing so.

    Nalini Haynes

    Are you going to be playing Magic in Melbourne?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I don’t know what the format at Supanova is. I want to try to find a time that I can, but I have to go and see what Supanova is like. I think there are breaks and things between signings—I don’t know. I am going to bring my cards. I’ll send out a tweet if I think there’s going to be time to play, but I don’t know if there are tables—never having done it before—I don’t want to make any promises. I don’t want to step on any toes or throw a crinkle into any plans. Probably I’ll go tomorrow (Saturday) and see how it is, and then if there is time on Sunday, I’ll try to find the time to play.

    Tags

  • 33

    Interview: Oct 23rd, 2012

    Brandon Sanderson

    InkWing, which does my Mistborn and Stormlight Archive T-shirts, has another contest where they're giving away a free shirt. See the details here.

    If you've been following me on Twitter or Facebook, over the weekend you saw me post about trading books for Magic cards to fill out my cube. I've now received a bunch of cards and am getting ready to send out a bunch of books. Only super rare cards are left on my list, but you can see it here. My assistant Peter also uploaded another Twitter posts archive.

    Tags

  • 34

    Interview: Jan 8th, 2013

    Brandon Sanderson ()

    "I will be the guest of honor at Minicon in Minneapolis 2015. Playing Magic and hanging out."

    Footnote

    Apparently, Brandon finally arrived at the signing at this point.

    Tags

  • 35

    Interview: Jan 7th, 2013

    Justin Ellis

    My name is Justin Ellis; I've read several of your novels. Now that you're at the top of your game, Brandon...what do you want to do—what would you do—if you weren't a writer? [laughter]

    Brandon Sanderson

    I'd be laying in a gutter somewhere, unable to produce anything valuable for society. [laughter] I don't know. I mean, I was always [?] My mom sent me to school to become a doctor, but that was never gonna happen. [laughter] I don't know. I mean, I went through my grad program—all the other grad students were doing all this work to go get PhDs and stuff, and I didn't do any of that. I was writing books, only. And if I hadn't sold a novel, then, I don't know. Maybe I'd be still working at the hotel, the graveyard shift I worked at for years, writing books overnight. I wanted to be a writer, and I put pretty much everything into it. I'd probably be teaching English at a community college somewhere, and still writing two books a year without anyone ever reading them.

    Jason Denzel

    And playing a lot of Magic the Gathering. [laughter, cheers]

    Tags

  • 36

    Interview: 2013

    Umbriss (8 January 2013)

    Do you have a current list of M:tG cards you want? Going to the signing tomorrow in Skokie, IL and might bring a present.

    Brandon Sanderson (8 January 2013)

    You don't need to do that! But my cube is still missing both a Tangle Wire and a Tooth and Nail. They're hard to find, though.

    Tags

  • 37

    Interview: Feb 8th, 2013

    DJ Stipe

    Brandon was the embodiment of humility. For each thank you he got for finishing the series, he gave a thank you in return to the fan for reading—and it was genuine thanks. He told several people they were his boss, so if they didn't buy his books he wouldn't be able to write them. He fist bumped one long time WOT fan saying that he was right there with him as a long-time fan himself. He has an avid fan base outside the Wheel of Time series, many had gotten into those books because of Brandon's other works. There were also several writers given encouraging words (including at least one Memory Keeper)—he really does support those trying to learn the craft.

    Beyond that, he's just about as close as you can get to being a rock star and still play Magic the Gathering. He signed at least one deck box, one homemade Magic card and one of the Memory Keepers Fireball cards, making it a Bale-fireball. Memory Keeper Mat gave him a framed and signed “Hyrdroblast” #40 of 500 art print by the artist Kaja Foglio from the Magic the Gathering card game. Brandon was very excited that he knew artist but hadn't seen that specific piece.

    When Brandon left it felt to us Memory Keepers like saying goodbye to someone we'd known for some time, not a well-known author we'd just met a few hours before.

    Tags

  • 38

    Interview: Feb 8th, 2013

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    When asked if he ever thought about working a Magic card game into one of his books he admitted that he'd toyed with the idea and might like to.

    Tags

  • 39

    Interview: Feb 9th, 2013

    talinthus

    Of the events that happened, though, none was more personally important than this—I asked Brandon if he'd like to play Magic on Sunday, perhaps catch dinner first. And he said sure. While timing prevented dinner, we were able to draft in his hotel, in the lobby of the San Francisco Ritz, and it was just wonderful.

    As a Memory Keeper, I'd have sat and volunteered for free, just for the joy of watching others be so happy. But the memories made will be kept, and the joy will be shared forever.

    Tags

  • 40

    Interview: Feb 18th, 2013

    Green Fire

    I was at the signing and I asked him,(and I'm paraphrasing now because I didn't get much sleep before or since) "If Hoid would be printed as an Magic: The Gathering card, what would be his color and converted mana cost?"

    Brandon Sanderson

    Brandon said he would be a "Straight Blue Planeswalker" and "expensive" "probably 7 to 9 mana 4-6 colorless UUU".

    Green Fire

    I should have pressured him for a sample loyalty ability or something... but the line was NUTZ.

    For thoes who don't understand the magic color pie/philosophy of each color, there are plenty of essays online, but without me explaining all the info; to me it means he has real power in craftiness and trickery (like we didn't know that before) ;) But that tells us he's not Blue-White or Blue-Black just "Straight Blue", which is important. And as planeswalkers go it puts him up in at least Nicol Bolas' level. Jace is a small fry to a Blue planeswalker with Hoid's level of expertise.

    Tags

  • 41

    Interview: Feb 14th, 2013

    Kazmero

    Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

    When asked how often he plays Magic: the Gathering, Brandon says about once a month and that he doesn't play online because Magic is a reason for him to get out of the house. He was also pretty excited that he'd gotten a tour of Wizards of the West Coast while in Seattle, where they gave him some special cards, etc. I wish I had more time to ask him more about Magic and how it's affected his writing and what he likes about it, etc.

    Tags

  • 42

    Interview: Apr 15th, 2013

    Reddit AMA 2013 (Verbatim)

    duncan6894 ()

    What do you do when you aren't writing, or do to unwind?

    Brandon Sanderson

    My favorite way to unwind is to gather together seven friends, and draft some Magic the Gathering. My personal nerd obsession.

    cj5rox

    Favorite set to draft?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Lately, Innistrad. Historically...original Ravnica block, I think. Hard to say.

    Also love cubing.

    Pyroteknik

    My friends have built a cube with really high power density. It's just a blast to draft fresh and build a new singleton deck each time your play, isn't it?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It's awesome. I don't know why it took me so long to come around to trying it.

    Tags

  • 43

    Interview: Sep, 2012

    Shivertongue

    Finally, do you have any of the Power Nine, and if so, which ones?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Pearl, Emerald, Ruby, Time Walk, Recall. Four left to go. I try to pick them up at times when it means something--for example, I bought my Ruby in Taiwan during my visit there earlier, and my wife gave me one as a gift...that sort of thing.

    Tags

  • 44

    Interview: Nov 6th, 2012

    Question

    What colors do you play (MTG)?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I am historically Azorius, so white blue, though occasionally Esper so white, blue, black. If I had to pick one, it’s going to be white.

    Tags

  • 45

    Interview: Aug 31st, 2010

    Silus Shard of Flame

    It was about 11 when everyone who had stuck around got their books signed and left. Those of us who were still there, and a few who had showed up only a little while ago for what was to happen next, went with Brandon to a (sorta) nearby Denny's to play Magic! People there were myself, fRR, Rubix, Nehex, Swift, and a few others who may or may not be members here. (if you were there and I missed you, let me know!)

    Brandon treated us to a late night snack, which was nice, though appetizers are a little greasy when playing card games. Things went along very nicely, fun conversation, pleasant company, etc, until Cthulu showed up. Or rather, Brandon owned us with his "Cthulu to the face" Archenemy deck. Twice.

    Here's the group that challenged Brandon. From the left: Adam, Brandon!, Me!, Logan (the leader of the rebellion against Brandon's oppression, who fought nobly), Josh, and Jessica.

    And then we left! Ta-dah!

    Tags

  • 46

    Interview: Apr 15th, 2013

    Reddit AMA 2013 (Verbatim)

    ethnicallyambiguous ()

    If Nightblood were a Magic card, what would its abilities/stats be?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Equipment. When equipped creature does combat damage, destroy all other creatures. During your upkeep, pay WUBRG or you lose the game. (Note, I have no development chops, so I have no idea how to properly cost the artifact or the equip.)

    Tags

  • 47

    Interview: Nov 12th, 2013

    Sara

    What are some of your favorite activities outside of writing?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Most of my free time right now is consumed by playing with my three little boys, ages five, three, and less than a year. They are a handful, but also a delight. When I have a spare moment, my nerd obsession is the card game Magic: The Gathering.

    Tags

  • 48

    Interview: Aug 31st, 2013

    WorldCon Flash AMA (Verbatim)

    Question

    Your fan interaction through Magic: The Gathering and airport book signings: planned, or more like luck?

    Brandon Sanderson

    It's a little of both. The signing in airport thing, I lucked into. I just started doing this, and then the Twitter response was so amazing. I'm like, "Well, I've got to get things to hide in these." People were buying tickets and going through and buying books, and then getting their tickets refunded to go in and get these books. And so, I'm like, "My goodness, I've gotta do stuff with this." And so now I hide little goodies in there—nothing amazing, though. But they're fun, they're just little things.

    And I started doing the Great Hunt, which I did for the Wheel of Time, which if you aren't familiar, this is where I hide something in the books in the airport that has a code on it. We're going to do this for Steelheart, actually—my next book. There are going to be these cool things that we printed off just for Steelheart—I'm not going to tell you what they are, but they're awesome goodies. I'm going to hide them in books–not just in airports but around—and then they'll have a code on the back. And the code will take you to a password-protected part of my web site, where you get a free story. And the more codes that get inputted, the more content will unlock on that page. Then on your little code it'll say, "You can share this with your friends, don't post it online, but you can direct message people." So, just keep the fun going. And so anyone who finds this can then share it with all their friends, and they can go read the story. And when you find yours, you'll be able to post a message on the board the first time you put in the code, and then everyone else who puts in the code can just see the stuff. More of them will unlock, and it's going to be this fun thing that we can do together. And this is just completely accidental.

    Magic: The Gathering actually came about because of Jim Butcher. Jim Butcher LARPs with his fans. And he was telling me once that this LARPing thing–it was wonderful because when you go to a signing, it's all so kind of formal, and people get like a couple seconds to talk to you. And everyone's like . . . awkward–you're awkward, they're awkward. He said, "I found that doing something that was just my nerd hobby allowed for a natural interaction." I thought, "That is awesome. I want to do something like that." And I've always been a Magic: The Gathering addict, and so I just started playing Magic at cons, but because of Butcher's advice. And it's been great because even people who don't play Magic know that during that time, you can come talk to me. And it's not going to be me across the table. It's going to be me shuffling my cards and geeking out because I drew a mythic or something like that.

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  • 49

    Interview: Mar 21st, 2014

    Question

    You said you've played Magic since it came out, what kind do you play the most?

    Brandon Sanderson

    I play draft the most right now, particularly cube draft, but any sort of draft I can be a part of I love. [...] And you know, any time I can play I enjoy it, but if there's a set that I can draft some sort of screwy combo deck like spider spawning or swarm or something, then that's the sort of set I love. Or some sort of screwy five color deck.

    Question

    I play a lot of commander.

    Brandon Sanderson

    Every time I play commander I get stomped. I haven't quite figured out how to make a commander deck that doesn't get stomped. But of course I think that the format's all about everyone getting stomped so, it makes sense.

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  • 50

    Interview: Mar 18th, 2014

    Graeme Flory

    3. And finally... I know you're a fan of 'Magic: The Gathering'; would you like to see the 'Stormlight Archives' become a card game along the same lines? Do you think it will happen?

    Brandon Sanderson

    In my fondest dreams I can imagine an actual Magic set being done. It's never going to happen. Wizards doesn't do that. I respect them for not doing it. Magic is its own property. It probably wouldn't even make sense. But if I had that chance, then yes. An actual card game would be fun, and you may see us playing with these kinds of ideas. It would be pretty awesome. But my fondest dream would be an actual Magic set, because Magic is kind of my addiction. There are people who are gamers who play a lot of games and appreciate games. I am less one of those, and it's more that I love this one game that I enjoy a lot.

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  • 51

    Interview: Jan 17th, 2015

    Question

    If your character Hoid were a Planeswalker what color would he be?

    Brandon Sanderson

    You know I might do him like the Reaper King. Like two slash on all five. That’s what I would do him as.

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  • 52

    Interview: Dec 3rd, 2016

    wicktacular

    If Hoid were a Magic card, what colors would he be?

    Brandon Sanderson

    Five color. Although, if he were to drop a color, it would be White.

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