Theoryland of the Wheel of Time

First off, a very talented a reader and graphic designer just whipped up an awesome Mistborn wallpaper for any who are interested.

I love how it looks. Thanks so much, John! That is very well done.

Now, how about some Reader Mail:

I read your post about splitting A Memory of Light and thought your reasoning was very sound. It seems obvious that you care very much about putting out something of quality. I'm concerned though, that you won't end up changing what you write based on reader's reactions to the first book. How do you make sure the book/volumes you end up writing at 800k a year or so from now isn't different from the book you would have written if you had just done the whole thing in one big chunk?

Excellent question. The answer is simple, yet may not be very satisfying. Honestly, I don't know if the book will turn out differently.

It's rarely fruitful to second-guess decisions based on what might happen in the future. Every novel I read, every review that comes out, every day spent pondering . . . these things all influence my writing. Each day we make hundreds of decisions that nudge us in this direction or that. Scenes are influenced directly by events that occur in my life.

Would Mistborn Three have been a different book if I hadn't stopped and written something else between it and Mistborn Two? Probably. Would it have been better or worse? I don't know. Will A Memory of Light Three be different because A Memory of Light One will be released before it comes out? Perhaps. Will it be better or worse? I don't know.

I can say this. The second chunk should be done before the first comes out. And the third chunk saw a lot of work by Mr. Jordan before he passed away. So the structure isn't going to change, regardless. An author also has to learn not to let reviews or reader reactions influence him/her TOO much. Writing is a very solitary art, and the writer learns to trust their instincts. One of the early lessons to learn in writing is that feedback is good, but must be held at arm's length.

If anything, knowing that there is one part out for readers to enjoy will take some of the pressure off of me and, hopefully, allow me to work more smoothly on the next two sections. Thanks for the question!

Finally, to end this all off, I visited a school a couple weeks back and did a presentation. During the signing after the presentation, I noticed one of the girls getting a book signed had a book full of manga sketches. I complimented her on the art, and her response was to offer me some fanart.

So, of course, I asked her to draw me in a rock band with Naruto, Vampire Hunter D, and some pokemon. (Isn't that what you would have done?) The glorious result is below. Thanks Arielle! You made my day, and not just because you drew me with the slim bod of a rock star. ;)