Theoryland of the Wheel of Time

I'm answering questions from 5-6pm GMT (1-2 PM EST) on Wednesday, August 13th, as part of #GollanczFest.

If you had to pick any one of your characters to be your new best friend (besides your wife) for the rest of your life, who would would it be and what do you imagine would be your weekend "Let's hang out, but I don't want to plan anything, so let's do the 'usual'" ritual?

I think I'd dig hanging out with Sazed. The usual would be, "tell me about a religion you've studied."

I always wondered. You say you produce clean drafts, and you apparently produce stories quickly (relatively to a lot of people I've met.), how do you keep cranking it away? What is the motivation to keep creating? (I think this might be the key to why some many people start and never finish projects. ??)

I'm not actually a fast writer, hour by hour, but I am very consistent. I enjoy writing, but I will admit, some days it is hard. What keeps me going? This has changed over the years. At first, it was a desire to prove myself, and to make a living doing this thing I love. Eventually, it has transitioned into a feeling of obligation to the readers mixed with a desire to see these stories in my head told.

Is there any chance we will have a deeper backstory for Bridge 4 members? Maybe an anthology or something with short stories that detail backstory for Rock, Lopen, etc? That would be amazing!

I do intend to dig into some of them a little. (Rock, for example, is currently plotted to have a viewpoint sequence in a later book.)

1. What's the schedule on when Reckoners parts 2 and 3 be released?
2. What are your plans for the Mistborn universe? More specific, will there be a sequel to The Alloy of Law? Will there be Mistborn books taking place in a further future society, with respect to Alloy of Law?

1) Two is in January. Three hasn't been set yet. We'll see when I finish it.
2) Yes, there will be a sequel, probably next fall. And yes, we will eventually go further into the future.

Do you think that there will ever be a movie trilogy or tv series of the Stormlight Archive like they have done with Game of Thrones and Harry Potter?

Boy, I'd love it if there were. I will work to make it happen, though with Stormlight I probably won't be optioning the books for film until a few more are out. I don't have a lot of power over what Hollywood decides to do, though.

When Kaladin helped Adolin fight in the arena, did Elhokar notice him surgebinding?

RAFO. :)

What advice would you give to someone who is trying to write an epic fantasy novel for the first time?

Turn off the internal editor. Write with passion, and don't spend a lot of time on revision. You will grow so quickly as a writer during your first book that you want to power through it, learn a lot about the process, THEN do your revisions. Otherwise, you might end up stuck in an endless loop of revising the first few chapters.

Also, don't spend so long planning that you don't get around to writing. The goal is to train yourself to learn how to write—and you only do that by actually writing.

Both Parshendi and Horneaters are able to see spren ordinary humans can't. Is there a connection between these abilities, or do they come from completely different sources?

Horneaters are human/Parshendi hybrids. (There are several Roshar races that have Parshendi blood in them.)

My eight-year-old daughter read Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia first in a deliberate bid to get you to throw things at her. Any chance you can oblige?

How about a thrown compliment?

"YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY A VERY BRIGHT YOUNG LADY."

You can print that off and toss it at her, if you want. :)

Hope I'm still in time! In London, I forgot to ask: why do you so often include some sort of religious government in so many of your worlds? Is it something that comes from looking at how history developed on Earth, or do you think your religious faith influences the way you write/worldbuild? Thank you very much!

There are a lot of reasons. One is because it happened that way so often in our world. Another is my fascination with religion, and wanting to explore what people do with it. The biggest one, however, is related to how I worldbuild. I like things to be very interconnected, as I think that's how real life is. So, when I build a religion, I ask myself what its political ties are, as well as its relationship with things like the magic, economics, and gender roles of the culture.

What is the next project you will be adding to the progress bar on your site?

I'm going to hop back to Shadows of Self, I think.

How do you feel on being read and worshiped as one of the best writers in the world by people that don't even speak English?

Humbled, honestly. I don't know if "worshiped" is the right term, and I would hope that most people are focused on the stories, rather than on me. They're what matter. That said, it has been incredible to see the reception my work has received.

The "God Surges" you mentioned recently, are they a part of the Way of Kings frontsheet?

You've said that there are three types of Blades in the Stormlight Archive. We've seen "dead" Shardblades, Honorblades—is the third type the "living spren" Shardblades, or is there another type we haven't seen?

Do all Surgebinders breathe Stormlight in, or are there other ways? Is Lift one-of-a-kind in this regard?

All I said regarding this was to tell a fan that it was possible to make an analogy between the god metals on Scadrial and certain powers on Roshar. However, these are not a codified part of the magic system.

Lift is one of a kind.

Nightblood is a very unique kind of Shardblade, but IS a Shardblade.

Everyone likely wants to know how Stormlight Archive #3 is coming along. Have you worked on a pre-draft or where are you in the process at the moment?

Just pre-writing right now. Building the plot. Plan to start writing in earnest January/February.

Did the Davar Soulcaster ever work?

Yes, it did. (Good question.)

Which current fantasy author(s) would you recommend to someone who has read all of the WoT books? (Well, besides for yourself.) :) I plan to read your books%mdash;I've heard great feedback from friends; but other than that, I have a hard time knowing who is 'good enough' to try out.

I very much like the following: Pat Rothfuss, Brent Weeks, N.K.Jemison, Robin Hobb, Steven Erickson, Guy Gavrial Kay, Naomi Novik. (And I don't have any idea which of those I spelled correctly and which I didn't.) But there are a ton of great authors out there. That's just the beginning of the list. One of my current favorites is Terry Pratchett, but his work is VERY different from the WoT.

Hello Brandon ! The fantasy universe is very fond of antiheroes lately, so I was surprised when I read your books with charismatic and inspiring lead characters, who, almost single-handedly, give faith to people and make them claim back their dignity. What is so compelling about creating characters such as Kaladin or Kelsier?

I find that the antihero angle is very well covered by other authors. I am fascinated by people who are trying to do what is right because most everyone I know is actually a good person—and a good person needing being forced to make unpleasant decisions is more interesting to me. The great books I read as a youth inspired me; I'd rather dwell on that kind of story than the opposite. (That said, it's great that the genre is big enough for both types of stories.)

It IS interesting to me that over the last twenty years, what I do has become the distinctive one.

I'm blown away by all the different types of people you portray in The Stormlight Archive (different cultures, social classes, genders, varying levels of...morality). What kinds of things help you create such diverse casts of characters? I'm imagining that you have a secret encyclopedia somewhere that helps you keep all your cultures and customs straight!

I do, actually, have a secret encyclopedia. It's a wiki on my computer, filled with information. That helps me keep things straight. However, specific inspirations are often in the people I meet. I do spend a fair amount of time looking through the internet for blogs/forums populated by people who think very differently from myself. This helps me create realistic portrayals.

Which of your worlds, if any at all, have ice cream, or at least, the ability to make ice cream?

Scadrial probably has it already. Roshar is farthest, not having as much in the way of milk products.

Out of all the books you've written which do you think is the best?

Well, Emperor's Soul is the one that won a Hugo, which gives it some objective credibility for being the best. AMOL was the hardest by a long shot, and in some ways the most satisfying, but I'm perhaps most proud of The Way of Kings. So one of those three, likely.

Of the 7 remaining Stormlight Archive books (or 3 in the sub-series), which one are you most looking forward to writing?

Book ten.

Who is the oldest character we know?
Can a person in Shardplate be Rioted or Soothed? What about Seeked?
Could a Coinshot, in a fight, damage Shardplate?

Frost is almost certainly the oldest by a small amount. After that, Hoid.

How much time do you usually spend on creating a magic system?

It really depends on the book, the length of the story, and how integral to magic is to that particular story. Some are as fast as a couple of days; some take months and months. It is also difficult to answer this question because I spend a lot of time thinking about a book before writing, and the Magic is often part of that. I will often spend years with an idea growing in the back of my mind before writing—and in those cases, the actual "outlining" may take a month, but that doesn't begin to cover the time spent on the idea.

I love stories in any medium, and I would love to tell one myself. But, I don't think I have anything in particular to say that hasn't been done a thousand times before. I invariably come across some story that already parallels my ideas. What makes a story worth telling even when its like has been done before?

The answer is simple: YOU are what makes your story worth telling. Harry Potter wasn't an original story, and yet told very well, it became an excellent series.

My suggestion to you is to ask what unique passions or life experiences you have that aren't found in the average fantasy book. This genre still has a lot of room to grow. A person passionate about sports could write a very different fantasy novel from one passionate about lawn care—assuming they take what they know and love and make us, as readers, come to know and love it as well.

Good luck!

Out of all the books you've written so far, which character is your favorite?

I can't answer that, I'm afraid, as it would be like trying to tell you which of my children is my favorite! When asked this question, Robert Jordan would just say, "My favorite is the one I'm working on right now." I like that answer.

As Feruchemistry is the magic system combined from Ruin and Preservation's powers, and they created humankind on Scadrial, how is it that it only occurs in persons with Terrispeople in their ancestry?

RAFO. :)

Won't it be difficult to keep the storyline interesting for 10 books straight?

We'll have to see! I think the storyline for the series is quite captivating, but I've never done something this long before.

Hi Brandon, so a friend and I who share a passion for sword fighting have been trying to find the real world correlates for the stances that Shardbearers use. So far we've made connections between Windstance and Haidong Gumdo, and Smokestance and the late Medieval/early Renaissance fencing. I was wondering if you could give us more information or at least hints on the other real world correlates?

I developed these with Ben McSweeny's help, and we plan to include representations of all the stances eventually. However, a few are NOT based on real-world equivalents, because of the size of Shardblades. Look at how various very-large weapons like zweihanders or Zanbatōs were used.

Does Shardplate have one general style as a pattern, or do different types exist (like European armour vs. japanese armour), as the different kingdoms have different cultures?

Different types exist, but it's more along order lines than cultural ones. (That said, a person's culture could certainly influence their armor.)

How quickly are you able to get back into the storyline flow when you begin another book? e.g. Do you have to review notes extensively for a few days? Thanks.

This is one of the most difficult things for me to do. I wish I had a better way to do it, actually. I usually lose a few days or more while trying to get into a book I've stopped for some reason. My primary method is to read what I've written before (or, if it is a new book in a series, the last part of the previous book.) That tends to help get me into a mood, so to speak. But it can take days of thinking, working, and throwing away my work to get into the groove.

In Words of Radiance Shallan notes that spren don't appear around dense groups of people, even if emotions are high. Why is that?

You'll find out more eventually. There are several reasons, but imagine how a creature attracted to a specific color would respond if you dumped every color together in a big mess.

On Roshar, do they have an equivalent for cats, like how they have axehounds instead of dogs?

No, they do not. Though there are various domesticated animals fulfilling a similar role across the planet. (Domesticated minks and pigs come to mind.)

Why are do the Windrunners, Elsecallers, Stonewards, and Dustbringers have an extra connection on the Surgebinding diagram? Why do the Edgedancer, Skybreaker, Lightweaver, Willshaper's have a broken connection on the diagram? What are the dragon type things in the back of the diagram?

The dragon type things are a certain animal you've seen several places in the story so far.

These connections will be explained eventually, but remember it's not the orders being connected, but instead their elemental representations. This diagram is very metaphysical, and some of the elements of it are cultural.

In the Wheel of Time books, did the Creator have a power, similar to the True Power that the Dark One had?

I'm afraid I don't have the answer for this, not for certain. I think that readers of the text could argue both ways. For example, a certain event in the epilogue of AMOL could be interpreted this way—though everyone in Team Jordan seems to have a different opinion on what is going on, and RJ didn't leave an explanation.

What comes next? Elantris' sequel or the next installment of The Stormlight Archive? :)

Stormlight Three will be first.

What was your inspiration for Kaladin? Do you plan any European signings—we will be trilled to have you here!

I was just there last week! :) (In spain and the UK.)

Kaladin was inspired originally by reading about surgeons in the middle ages.

Although I have become a big fan of your work, it's not until recently that I've discovered you thanks to Mistborn. Even more recently, I've found out about Cosmere (I have to say that that, Sir, is a brilliant idea). I know that you are writing more than one saga at the same time, so my question is: Should I read your books in any specific order to get the right picture of Cosmere or is it ok however I read them?

They should be okay read in any order so far! Eventually, there will be books that rely on Cosmere knowledge, but those haven't been written yet.

Can the various forms of Investiture on other worlds in the Cosmere be classified as "end positive" or "end negative" like they are on Scadrial?

Some can. Not all.

Do Zahel and Hoid know each other? Can Zahel regrow limbs as well?

They've met.

Otherwise, RAFO.

Did the Lord Ruler know how to worldhop?

He was familiar with the idea that people lived on other planets, but had no interest—or experience—in visiting other places. During his Ascension, he could have left Scadrial, if he'd wished.

How do you keep so many different worlds you created separate so they don't "float" into each other?

Lots of notes, a good internal wiki, and an even better continuity editor. (In the form of Peter Ahlstrom.)

RAFO. :)

All I've said is that they're from a planet you've seen/heard of before.

You have a lot of books potentially coming out in the next couple of years. Is there a particular order that you are writing the books in? As in Cosmere-only one year and then Rithmatist and Reckoners in another? Or do you write whatever suits your whim at a given time, aside from basic outlines?

It's more the latter. I've found that to be productive and creative, I have to be willing to let myself jump to the projects I'm most excited about at the moment.

One of my favorite things about being a Brandon Sanderson fan is how consistently you publish books, I always know you'll have a new book coming out without having to wait years. What do you do to help keep up the consistency and overcome the times when you sit down and the "creative juices" aren't there, or at least not easily accessible? Thanks for all your awesome books & doing the Q&A. :)

I throw away a fair amount of fiction. If it isn't flowing, I write anyway, then file that chapter away under junk. I also hop projects a lot. I've found this makes me much more creative and eager to write.

How much do you use science to influence/guide your world building in what most people would identify as a fantasy setting?

I use it quite a bit, but as I'm writing fantasy, I go by the rule "do what is awesome first, then explain it." Meaning, I am looking to tell a certain kind of story, and while science is often a springboard into a magic, I will sometimes chose to do what I think makes the story better as opposed to what is scientifically rational. The way the metallic arts work with mass is one example.

Will we see a new Alcatraz Book anytime soon?

I have finished Alcatraz 5, but I don't know what the publication schedule for it will be. I think Tor wants to re-release the first four before doing five.

You said that Shallan will have different apprenticeships, we know 2, will Hoid be another?

RAFO. :)

We know that Pattern was with Shallan before the murder of Shallan's mother. We will see in the next books how they met?

Yes, you will probably see this some day.

Can I read your Wheel of Time books without reading the ones you didn't write and still understand and enjoy them? I hate that there are books you wrote that I haven't read and I am finding it impossible to even get through chapter 1 of the first Wheel of Time.

I sincerely doubt you will like my entries into the series if you didn't like the earlier books. The characters and setting were what made me passionate about finishing the series, and I didn't come into the WoT to change or fix it—only to do the best I could at fulfilling what it already was.

Now, mind you, it's perfectly all right for you not to like them. Not every series is for every person, and the WoT just might not be to your taste.

If—despite this—you really want to try mine out, you can read very detailed summaries of the previous books on http://encyclopaedia-wot.org/. These are chapter by chapter, so it will probably take you a while to get through them.

Are you stopping work on Rithmatist 2 to start Stormlight Archive #3? I've seen and heard snippets of SA #3 from your signings/visits and was wondering if you were ignoring the Rithmatist.

I never REALLY started on Stormlight 3. I'm just doing planning and outlining right now, with the occasional scene to give me focus. I can't say right now exactly when I will finish it or Rithmatist 2, though I'm working on both.

What has been your favorite book to write so far?

I've liked them all for different reasons. Some are fun and fast, others are deep and challenging. My favorite would change day by day based on my mood.

What kind of college classes (not English courses) would best prepare someone for writing fantasy?

Whatever you're fascinated by! You can incorporate basically anything into a story. If you love numbers, study economics. If you like history, pick an area and type and become an expert. Whether it be law or botany, you will find a way to use it in your books.

I enjoyed my creative writing classes, but they don't tend to be as useful as gaining an expertise in an area, then letting that make your stories have a passion and weight to them.

In Well of Ascension, it mentions that the language of Terris had a gender neutral pronoun. If you actually constructed the language, what was that pronoun? Or did you just leave it as its English translation of "it"?

I didn't spend a long time on the languages in Scadrial, since most people were speaking the same tongue. I just used "it" in my own writings. Roshar has a lot more detail on the languages, because culture-clash is a bigger part of the theme of the series.

What is the term for a full Feruchemist who is also a Mistborn?

Can "modern"(as in: Adolin's) Shardplate be summoned similar to how "dead" Shardblades (as in: Oathbringer) can be?

They use Full Feruchemist right now. We'll see if it develops into something else.

RAFO.

Brandon, your books are always seamless and so well put together. Do you use any specific software when compiling a story?

I'm afraid I don't. I use Microsoft Word. Compiling is all done the old-fashioned way with lots of editing.

Do all your books take place in the same world or if they don't how do characters/objects travel between worlds e.g. Nightblood, Zahel/Vasher??

They are on different worlds, but in the same universe. There are clues throughout (starting in Elantris) about how people jump between planets. It will be more clear in the future, but you might want to google the "cosmere" and read what people have theorized so far.

If you used Stormlight to Awaken, would you drain color or create frost?

You'll have to see if this happens in the future! (Note that mixing the investitures is usually not easy to do.)

Were there any characters you found difficult to connect with when writing the remaining books of The Wheel of Time series?

I've never really been able to get into Cadsuane as a character, and so she was the most difficult for me to do. I love Aviendha and Tuon, but both of them think so differently from the rest of the characters that they gave me a challenge.

In your opinion who is stronger in the the world of dreams? Perrin or Egwene?

I'd say that at this point, it's less a matter of who is stronger, and more a matter of what they're doing. Perrin could probably win a fight, but his raw knowledge and understanding is less—he works on instinct.

Zahel/Vasher is in Roshar for Nightblood? Will we know in Stormlight Archive why these two were separated? or in the sequel of Warbreaker?

The Warbreaker sequel will give clues about this, but the actual event happened between that and TWoK. So I'm not sure where I'll slip it in.

"Sixth of the Dusk" doesn't have much that directly ties it to the Cosmere. Is this a world we'll see later?

It is not hugely important to the cosmere. We will see signs and hints of it, but don't expect a book set there.

My wife is curious about where your inspiration comes from when coming up with names of people, places, magic systems, etc. what would you say?

They come from all over! Inspiration is a tough thing to pin down. I've had casual meetings, long-time friends, movies I loved, movies I hated, passing something interesting on the freeway, visits to museums, and basically anything else give me an idea. I'm generally looking for some kind of interesting conflict.

Cosmere: does a Shard's power being manifested either physically or not (through metals vs through light) have anything to do with its individual abilities/powers?

RAFO. :)

Are you planning to release White Sand as a graphic novel exclusively, or will the story be published as a regular novel further down the line? Either way, can't wait to read it!

The plan is graphic novel right now. We'll see how the reception is, but I think it would be awesome if this entry into the cosmere story were always in graphic form.

Does Khriss write the Ars Arcanum?

Can a Seeker inside a Coppercloud Seek someone out of one?

What about a Soother instead of a Seeker?

Do all Epics' weaknesses come from things in their past?

RAFO.

It is possible.

Yes, again possible.

RAFO.

Any updates on Shadows of Self?

Working on it right now, actually. Maybe out next year.

Could Miles heal back his Allomancy if it was spiked out of him?

No, he could not. He would no longer be an Allomancer. Also, he'd probably be dead. :)

Kurkistan

I'd thought maybe he could just do some super-tapping from his existing Health in his goldminds (since he'd still have his Feruchemy)...

Brandon Sanderson

Oh, I see what you're asking. Using Feruchemy to heal the removed portion of soul. That's actually plausible, not so different from healing other kinds of soul-wounds. If he survived, then yes, this actually might work. (That's why I get for reading the questions so quickly.)

If a non-Windrunner Surgebinder (who had spoken all the Ideals of their Radiant Order) summoned Jezrien's Honorblade, what color eyes would they get? A blend? Different colors for each eye?

:) I'm going to RAFO eye color questions for the moment. We'll actually be dealing with some of these in the books. Maybe not the specific ones you ask, but the concepts in general.

In Elantris the Aon used for healing is Aon Ien, but the definition given in the back of the book says it means "Wisdom". The other Aons have effects and definitions that go together, but "Healing" and "Wisdom" don't seem to match. Is there something there or is it an error?

It's more a cultural thing. When I was naming the Aons I had some of them cross-align like this because I feel that languages, and cultures, are often messy. (Drive on a parkway, park in a driveway kind of issues.) This is the only one that ended up in the glossary that was like this, though, so I probably should have spotted that and changed it.

Would a Returned who bonded an Honorblade have their eye color change when they summon it?

That's a RAFO! (More because I don't have my notes handy than anything else, though.)

Hi Brandon. Firstly I would like to say thank you for coming to Manchester last week. I really enjoyed the readings and book signing. I am currently reading The Way of Kings and my question is Do you get inspiration for the settings in your books from anywhere?

Settings are often inspired by something I've seen in our world, then taken to the extreme. The storm on Roshar, the mists on Scadrial...even Elantris was based on my readings about leper colonies.

Is there anything in particular that inspires you to come up with new stories and/or magic systems?

Really, anything can be the seed. Reading about science and scientific discoveries tends to be the most helpful, but I can't say specifically what leads me to create them. (Though I'd suggest looking at "Sanderson's Laws" of magic for a longer explanation.)

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers who are educated in a field other than literature and in a profession already that is not centered around writing?

Yes! I'll tell you that you're in luck. Take what you've learned in your field of education, and in your profession, and apply it to your writing. RJ used his experience as a solider; Grisham made a career out of writing books related to his work. You have special experience and knowledge that will make your books distinctive. Make use of it!

Is there a way to get a print copy of Aether of the Night? It's probably my second-favorite out of your books, and I would love a copy for the shelf.

Feel free to print yourself out a personal copy and get it bound. :) Maybe someday I'll do something myself, but there are no plans right now.

Hi Brandon! I'm curious if you have an update on Mistborn: Birthright or any potential happenings with the Mistborn film rights?

I'm afraid there are no major updates to either right now. :(

Hi Brandon! When you're writing/planning a new series, how much time would you say you spend on world building? Do you like to have a good sense of the world before you starting writing or do you adapt and evolve the world as you write?

I do a moderate amount ahead of time, but it depends on the series—most importantly, the length of the book. If I'm writing a shorter work, I can develop more on-the-fly, knowing I can make it all consistent after the fact. If I'm writing in a series, I need much more ahead of time. Developing the world for The Way of Kings took years.

Hi Brandon, love your work and I appreciate you doing the Q&A. I absolutely love the fact that your Stormlight books are so big. I enjoy the feeling of starting such an epic quest and pushing myself to complete higher word count books. That being said, is there a possibility that we might see a 450k, maybe even a 500k word book by the end of the Stormlight Archive or by the end of the Cosmere works? Take care!

Thanks for the kind words!

It's certainly possible. I will write them at the length they need to be. After 400k, though, the print has to start shrinking which makes reading more and more difficult.

Hi! First of all thank you for answering our questions :)

Shadows Beneath the Writing Excuses anthology is available in digital format on Amazon or in hardback in your store but if you are from Europe is really expensive to buy it. Will the hardback be available on Amazon some day?

I don't think it will be. :( This would require us to get Amazon to stock it, I believe, which I don't think will happen. But I'll look into this.

Does the metal on Sel contains within it any sort of spren-like being, or anything similar to that, and also, does the splintered nature of the Shards on (Elantris' world) have anything to do with how the magic manifests itself without a physical representation?

Scadrial (Mistborn world) did not have an analogous, self-aware invested set of entities. The power has to be "let go of" in a way.

There is certain type of chicken that makes two appearances in Words of Radiance, is that chicken an Aviar?

No, but good question.

If a Kandra eats a bead of Larasium, can he burn it? Alternatively can he gain allomancy via hemalurgy?

Yes on both counts.

Any plans on making a trip out to the St. Louis area?

Not right now, I'm afraid. But my tour dates for next year are not set.

Will you ever come somewhere close to Croatia to promote your books, like Italy or Austria?

I do see myself getting to Italy or Austria—but I don't know about Croatia itself. It depends on if a publisher or convention invites me!