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Interviews: Shadows of Self-San Jose
Summary:
Entries
50
Date
Oct 9th, 2015
Location
San Jose, CA
TourCon
Shadows of Self
Links
-
1
Question
About Stormlight, are you kinda writing a series about the nature of abstraction?Brandon Sanderson
Kinda yeah see…[sounds like the recording was possibly paused] journey before destination.Question
Yeah, that is my favorite so far. I mean I don’t know all the orders yet. Because that is...I’m looking forward to the rest of it.Brandon Sanderson
It is, the nature of abstraction and that sort of stuff is a very big part of it.Tags
2
Question
Flashback characters for Stormlight.Brandon Sanderson
Third book is Dalinar, fourth book is Eshonai, fifth book is Szeth is how it stands right nowTags
3
Question
Movies update?Brandon Sanderson
They are taking some time, but are moving along. Right now the farthest along are Steelheart and Emperor’s Soul. Screenplays are being written. I don’t want to do the screenplays but I will do the treatments.Tags
4
Question
Calamity, it is talked about always being in the sky. Is is over North America or a global thing?Brandon Sanderson
RAFO.Tags
5
Question
Emperor’s Soul sequel?Brandon Sanderson
Brandon would like to write more books involving Shai but is hesitant, because The Emperor’s Soul turned out so well and he doesn’t want to ruin it with a bad sequel.Tags
,6
Question
Is it weird having Michael Kramer doing your books as well as the Wheel of Time books?Brandon Sanderson
Yes, so weird. The weirdest thing is that he did a signing with me, and then he did the reading, and then all of the voices of these voices come out of his mouth and I’m like – you're all of them!Tags
,7
Question
Zane: when and how did he get spiked?Brandon Sanderson
Excellent question, that someday I will answer, but not right now. RAFO!Tags
,8
Question
How did Marsh survive for so many years?Brandon Sanderson
Compounding Atium. He got a pouch of it that was featured in an earlier scene.Tags
, ,9
Question
If Kelsier had been born on Roshar, would he have become a Knight Radiant and if so, which order?Brandon Sanderson
I think there’s a possibility that some of the orders might want him, but it really depends on which period he was born in, and what he’s up to, because Kelsier has this dark streak in him and he could go villain very easily, depending on what’s going on with him. That’s kind of how I view Kelsier’s primary attribute, if channeled correctly he’s a great force for good, but he’s like right on the line.Tags
, ,10
Question
Is it true that if you don’t write six pages a day, you implode?Brandon Sanderson
No, but if I don’t write for a couple of days I feel like I might.Tags
11
Question
The key to the [Oathgates], is that [???]?Brandon Sanderson
That’s a very good question, you would find out more about that when you see them from the cognitive side.Tags
12
Question
(beta reader) Did Lord Harms ever get off the roof?Brandon Sanderson
Yes, so many beta readers asked me about that that I think I put in a reference somewhere that he did.Tags
13
Question
About Paalm’s spike, is it that one specifically that allowed her to hide from Harmony?Brandon Sanderson
It was mostly because she was not using a spike made out of any metal that he knew. She could not have done that with any spike. Taking out one helped a bit, but a non-Harmony spike… what you’re seeing there is a weird intentional hack of the magic system that I built in.Tags
, ,14
Question
Was it a deliberate move on your part to make it so that on Scadrial, people who wear aluminum foil hats are actually safe from mind control?Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, yeah that was a big inside joke. When I realized it would work, I had to put it in. I’m doing some fun things. The gun thing is another one I’m very fond of.Tags
,15
Question
How did you come up with the Lighteyes/Darkeyes thing?Brandon Sanderson
I wanted to have some kind of racism in the books that was removed from the racism we have in our world, so I could talk about it in a more isolated way related to the books. So making it related to eye colour made sense because the Voidbringers have these glowing red eyes, the Heralds have these bright eyes. So the idea that of eye colour being related to your level of nobility – which is not true! – entered the culture and became the form of racism and prejudice that they use.Tags
, ,16
Question
If you had to pick one character to have dinner with, who would it be?Brandon Sanderson
I’d pick Sazed. It would not be Kelsier, cause he’s kind of scary, and it would not be Hoid cause he would make fun of me.Tags
17
Question
About the pronunciation of “Sazed”.Brandon Sanderson
I say “Say-Zed”, but in-world they don’t say that. Kelsier says something close to “Say-Zed”, but Sazed himself says something closer to “Saahzd”, more along the flowing way the Terrans speak, but they speak different languages, but you can say it every way you want.Tags
18
Question
Atium: used as a currency, sounds close to ATM, is that coincidental?Brandon Sanderson
That is coincidental. I’ve noticed it but it was not done on purpose. I do do some dopey things, like “Wax and Wayne” was intentional, but most of things like that...Tags
19
Question
Metalminds: if you store weight, how does that work, do you decrease your mass?Brandon Sanderson
Storing weight actually plays with your mass, because if you look at how we do the physics of it… This one is really screwy. Because we are changing mass and playing with it… [Wax example] There is conservation of momentum and stuff like that, but how can you store your mass… Well, in the magic system it works, but it’s one of the weirdest things we do. We kind of play loose and free with the physics sometimes. Like the example that I often cite is Wayne doing a speed bubble, I choose to make light from inside not get a redshift. We kind of look at what is good storytelling first, and then work the physics around it.Tags
, ,20
Question
What’s the relation between spren and Shardplate?Brandon Sanderson
I’m saving that one on purpose, it’s a gun on the mantle. You will eventually find out what’s going on there, but not right now. In part because I’m being recorded for online forums who want to know all the answers to all the things that I say to people [whoops!]. [People going through everything I’m saying] is intimidating sometimes, fortunately I’ve got a good team and Peter catches most things.Tags
,21
Question
How are beta readers chosen?Brandon Sanderson
Mostly off 17th Shard and my Facebook page, Peter watches for people making comments and being involved.Tags
22
Question
In Elantris, if people are dead they do not have a pulse right? So does the blood just go straight to their legs?Brandon Sanderson
You know I worked out a things about this, in order to make what I was doing work I didn’t want to zombify them too much, so I gave them like a blood pump, like a pulse of the heart, very softly, every couple of minutes or something, and remember they’re being sustained directly by the magic so I was able to fudge some of the stuff. There’s some other things that would happen, like the gas would cause them to expand and such, I didn’t want to do that, I didn’t want them to go all the way to zombie and so I made some basic metabolic processes happen, but more magically caused than physically.Tags
23
Question
Sazed is saying that his density also increases when he increases his weight, but Wax says it doesn’t; which is it?Brandon Sanderson
Sazed is making a mistake. His muscular structure changes to accomodate the weight, that’s what he was talking about. Strength and muscle tone and things like that. I might have gotten it wrong in that scene, I don’t really remember, but that’s what we decided to do in the end. The weight thing is really tricky.Tags
, , , ,24
Question
Why does the increase in muscles with weight increase in feruchemy not also happen with allomancy?Brandon Sanderson
With feruchemy, you store your own strength and get it back later. With allomancy, you draw strength from the magic.Tags
, ,25
Question
Why does Taln’s Honorblade scream for Dalinar?Brandon Sanderson
Check out the descriptions of the swords in book 1 and book 2. The hint is they’re not the same sword.Tags
, , ,26
Question
If we knew more about Jasnah’s past, would there be a moment where she’s gifted zircon at some A:Brandon Sanderson
(Chuckles) Um, I think this theory is probably going to lead you to a dead end. important time in her life?Tags
27
Question
In the third Stormlight book, are we going to learn more about the Ghostbloods, and about the organisation Mraize is in?Brandon Sanderson
Yes, and yes.Tags
,28
Question
What’s the favorite question you’ve ever received, and what was your answer?Brandon Sanderson
Would you like some cookies, and yes (something with chocolate and something else to complement it). Followed closely by would you like some Magic cards, to which the answer is also yes.Tags
29
Question
Is there meant to be a direct connection between the efficiency for transferring Breaths and the stamp magic in Emperor’s Soul? Because both work better with things close to what they’re supposed to be like.Brandon Sanderson
Only in that all magics work on the same fundamental rules. I wasn’t specifically linking those two in my head when I wrote them. It’s a fundamental rule in the Cosmere that your perception, what you’re thinking, how much something matches what you doing, and how much you’re able to visualize what you want to have happen, it’s all related in the cognitive aspects of the magics. And the spiritual I suppose.Tags
, ,30
Question
Regarding Hemalurgy and its basis in the Pits of Hathsin being Ruin’s body, my theory is that Kelsier gained his Mistborn powers from being in the Pits of Hathsin.Brandon Sanderson
It’s a good theory. I’m neither going to confirm or deny it. It is possible that you will see it confirmed or denied at some point. I’ve got some things that I want to write about Kelsier. You have not seen the last of that man, I want to write down some stuff that happened.Tags
,31
Question
What’s your most terrifying character and why is it Nightblood?Brandon Sanderson
Nightblood is pretty terrifying… An object created that’s made to destroy evil and doesn’t know what it is? Yeah… I wanted you to think that Nightblood in the hands of Szeth is one of the most terrifying things that you have ever contemplated.Tags
,32
Question
What would happen if one compounds copper?Brandon Sanderson
A lot of people have been asking that, I don’t know why they’ve all suddenly latching onto it. But you are going to get RAFO’d on that.Tags
,33
Question
Nightblood feeds on Investiture, so could an Allomancer burning, say, steel, draw Nightblood and fuel it off of that?Brandon Sanderson
Yes, Nightblood would feed off that Kinetic Investiture, you could make that work. You would need to keep that portal open, and he would eat the power instead of whatever you were planning to do with it, and when you ran out of metal he’d kill you.Question
Would it also work with whatever you have in a Coppermind?Brandon Sanderson
Yes, theoretically that could work too. That’s a very good question, and you’re the first to ask that.Tags
,34
Question
You mentioned that Kelsier is still around meddling, are you planning on having him meddle in a little more overt manner any time soon?Brandon Sanderson
That’s a RAFO. A big, big RAFO.Tags
,35
Question
Are you working on a sequel to Rithmatist?Brandon Sanderson
I started working on it, realized I didn’t know the Aztec culture well enough, so I went and read four books on Aztec culture, but by then deadlines were due on something else so I had to jump. I rebuild my outline using my new knowledge but I gotta find time to write it. It’s going to have a killer plot, I’m really excited for it.Tags
,36
Question
Would you ever want to write an episode for Doctor Who?Brandon Sanderson
I would consider it. But I don’t have enough screenplay writing background right now, so I would have to work with someone else. So if there’s a screenwriter willing to work with me, then yeah.Tags
37
Question
Why did Jasnah try to have Elhokar’s wife assassinated?Brandon Sanderson
Well, you’ll need to get to know Elhokar’s wife a little better before you’ll get an answer to that. But understand that Jasnah is very deliberate in her choices, and protecting her family is one of her most important personal mandates.Tags
,38
Question
When were the Ghostbloods founded?Brandon Sanderson
I’m gonna RAFO that.Tags
39
Question
Does Tia know Prof’s weakness?Brandon Sanderson
Yes.Tags
,40
Question
Are we going to get more of Lift?Brandon Sanderson
Yes, she is one of the main characters in the second five.Tags
,41
Question
Are there lovespren?Brandon Sanderson
A lot of people have been asking about this. There are passionspren. Lovespren I haven’t really talked about much, but....Tags
,42
Question
What happens if you burn atium at the same time as cadmium or bendalloy?Brandon Sanderson
That would be really cool to see.Tags
, ,43
Question
If you could ditch the entire Cosmere and start fresh, what would you write about?[From the audience]: Fifty Shades of Grey fanfic!Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, that. Fifty Shades of Grey fanfic.Question
Except Brandon’s would be much tamer…Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, I don’t think mine would hit quite the same demographic.Question
It would have an awesome magic system though.Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, it would be based on the color grey, where each shade of grey produces a different magic effect.Tags
, ,44
Question
For Stormlight, is there going to be a Jasnah…?Brandon Sanderson
Yes, there will be. She is scheduled right now for book #6.Tags
,45
Question
Was Hoid ever two different people?Brandon Sanderson
There have been other people named Hoid in the past, but you have never met them.Tags
,46
Question
Is OreSeur… is a member of the same species a worldjumper?Brandon Sanderson
Yes, there are several kandra who are worldhoppers.They are usually homebodies, but there are some who have gone off.Tags
,47
Question
Have you ever taken the Myers-Briggs personality test?Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, I am whatever one that Mastermind is.Question
INTJ?Brandon Sanderson
Yeah.Tags
48
Question
The metals, the ones used in Allomancy, are they naturally occurring on Roshar?Brandon Sanderson
Yes.Question
And all the alloys too?Brandon Sanderson
Oh, all the alloys on Roshar… The magic of the metals, the metals are actually the key, so there is no power in the actual metal. You can use metals from other worlds. Metal is like a password.Tags
, ,49
Question
You’ve spoken before how DNA exists on multiple different levels in your magic systems. I hear somewhere that Hemalurgy actually splices something into your DNA - so what does that imply for inheritability?Brandon Sanderson
It is not inheritable.Tags
,50
Question
Should all the Shardworlds have radios and the like, and progress in that...Brandon Sanderson
Should they?Question
Could they.Brandon Sanderson
Yeah, they could.Tags
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