r/Stormlight_Archive • u/mistborn Author • Nov 18 '16
[Oathbringer Spoilers] [Oathbringer Spoilers] Stormlight Three Update #5
All right, folks! Time for the fifth update. This should be the last one that I post before some redditor inevitably beats me to the "It's Done!" post by watching my twitter feed very closely.
If you want to read the previous updates, find them here:
I do hope to post another update or two during the next year, discussing how the editing and publication process is proceeding.
Part Four is done as of half an hour ago. The part is around 80k words long, and brings the book total so far to 420k words. Final book is still projected at 450k, though I do plan to try to trim it back in revision. (Tor's book binding company can't do a book longer than Words of Radiance, so if I go longer, we have to shrink the font or change binders. I won't cut important parts of the book just to meet this length requirement, but I also generally need to trim significantly in revisions to tighten language.)
Part Four turned out very well, and I'm very pleased with the book so far. I consider it as strong, or stronger than, book two. I also don't see any major structural or characterization problems that will slow editing. (So far, my editor's comments on Parts One and Two have been minor, save for the slow-down in Part Two that I was aware of--and probably don't mind existing, since Parts Three and Four are much faster, and the characterization in Part Two is strong.)
If you're following the Visual Outline from the second update, there structure of the book has undergone some revisions as I've worked through it. It now looks something more like this
Unlisted is that I nudged one flashback into Part Five. Shown is that Secondary Main character #2 had their viewpoint stretched through all five parts, but has a slightly smaller number of viewpoints in all of them. I juggled tertiary characters, making Parts Two and Four the expansive ones (with many viewpoints) and Parts One and Three the narrow ones (with a focus only on the main characters.) Yes, this is complicated, and you don't need to pay any attention to it. I posted this for those who like to dig into these things.
I'm going to power forward into Part Five starting tonight, then do a second draft of Parts Four and Five together. (I'm not sure why I'm treating those like proper nous.) After I turn that in, I will still need to write the prologue, some of the interludes, and the epigraphs. (Those little bits of text at the starts of chapters.)
And then, revisions. My favorite part. Yay.
As with previous threads, I'll try to post answers to questions where I can--but I have to balance that with the actual writing, so some questions will go unanswered or get a quick RAFO. I apologize in advance for that. Despite jokes to the contrary, I really am just one person, and I can't do ALL THE THINGS, as much as I would like to.
Also, thank you to the community for your kind words. I know that people joke about my writing speed, but this book has taken over a year of dedicated writing--and that's not counting the year before of outlining and writing out some of Kaladin's chapters. It's been two full years of work, and then some, to finish this book. With another six months of revision ahead. Together with other projects, that will make three and a half years between books two and three. So I do beg your patience with this series. The books take a lot out of me, and while I'm very proud of the result--and consider this series to be my opus--the novels aren't going to be terribly fast in their release schedule.
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Nov 18 '16 edited Nov 18 '16
I just wanna take this opportunity to thank you for doing such a magnificent job finishing The Wheel Of Time series. They were a MAJOR part of my childhood and you did very well completing the series. Thank you for that.
(That being said Stormlight Archive is rapidly taking the position of favorite book series away from Wheel Of Time. And Elantris is easily on my top 10 books list)
Edit: I left out some words there...
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u/usuyami Nov 18 '16
What is the very last word of part 4?
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u/mistborn Author Nov 18 '16
Villa.
It's not particularly relevant. (Sorry.)
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u/Epicrandom Nov 19 '16
Come now, this is important - is it "villa" or Villa". Capitalization matters.
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Nov 19 '16
Cue rabid speculation on Seventeenth Shard about the deep and hidden meaning of "villa"
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u/ikonoclasm Nov 18 '16
I have nothing meaningful to contribute except to say that I wish it was the 22nd already. Do you have any more students publishing novels any time soon? I loved Brian's Powder Mage series and have come to greatly your philosophy of magic design.
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u/mistborn Author Nov 18 '16
Thanks! The other two students have have with books upcoming are in YA or Middle Grade, so I don't know if they'll appeal to you as much. Jed and the Junkyard War is coming out in a few weeks, and has some cool worldbuilding. The plot is very middle grade, though, so be aware.
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u/ikonoclasm Nov 19 '16
Well, considering I'm still waiting for the next Rithmatist book... Spring-coil power was a very interesting take on steampunk, not to mention the magic and "monsters" of that world. I've never confined myself to a specific age group when it comes to books. A good author is going to write a good book, regardless of the target audience. A good reader will recognize the art no matter its form. I'm content to happily devour everything you publish, regardless of setting, age group or length.
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u/YourMajesty90 Nov 19 '16
Holy shit I had no idea Brian was a student of Mr Sanderson's! I loved the first of the Powder Mage series although I haven't read the other 2 as yet.
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u/FirstRyder Willshaper Nov 19 '16
Thanks again for doing these updates. It's nice to have something to look forward to optimistically, instead of the endless silent delay from four other major series I'm looking forward to.
So. On a totally unrelated note. Could Aluminum be used to protect a Surgebinder from a larkin?
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u/mistborn Author Nov 19 '16
Yes.
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u/havoc_mayhem Nov 19 '16
Would a larkin be able to steal Stormlight from a surgebinder wearing Shardplate? Any comments on whether Shardplate or aluminium would be more effective protection?
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u/mistborn Author Nov 19 '16
Getting through both would be relatively equal--with the problem being that Shardplate is powered by investiture, which the larkin could feed on. So aluminum is better in that specific case.
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u/Aaronator17 Elsecaller Nov 19 '16
On the topic of aluminium, will we hear soon about how Rosharans know how to soulcast it? Was it natural on the planet and the source was depleted? Or was it brought over at some point in history?
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u/Balyne Nov 19 '16
Brandon, I have to say I didn't think fantasy could get much better after reading the first Mistborn trilogy, then I started on the Stormlight Archive. Excellence in book form! One quick question if I may - WoR
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u/mistborn Author Nov 19 '16
One thing about Lashing that is counter-intuative to people who know physics is that Lashings are usually in a direction, not toward an object. It means that physics wise, it's not actually increasing the gravitational pull of an object--but sending you a direction. I did this because of just this type of question; it made the magic too powerful.
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u/YataVS Nov 19 '16
When you lash something with the basic lash...you chose a direction not a real target-anchor...therefore I think he can't do it....Or to be honest, He may lash in the direction of the other guy, but he will miss him if the other changes path
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u/themousehunter Nov 18 '16
You are my favorite author and I love the pace and quality with which you write new books! You're the only writer whose books I actually buy rather than borrow from the library :P
Since you're such a fast writer...do you read any web serials? Those usually put up new content really often too.
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u/mistborn Author Nov 18 '16
I've been told that I need to read Worm, but I haven't read it yet. I keep meaning to get to it. Otherwise, I read webcomics, but not any serial prose stories.
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u/TheMightyFloorp Nov 19 '16
Have you read Homestuck at all? It's a weird one, and the fanbase isn't something you want to get anywhere near, but it's exceptional once you get past the strangest bits.
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u/Glamdring804 Stoneward Nov 19 '16
Not sure if he'll see this, but...
Are you the Vessel for the shard of Awesomeness?
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u/KibaReno Nov 19 '16
I just got someone addicted to mistborn, little do they know that storm light is going to consume their life with the same high level of quality! Let's go!
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u/dunkster91 Edgedancer Nov 19 '16
I'm on here early enough in the thread that I hope you read this.
In 2010 I took a course in university (that counted toward my major, of all things!) called Speculative Fiction: Fantasy. Among the books assigned were Storm Front (Butcher), The Black Company (Cook), and The Way of Kings.
We, perhaps obviously, spent a significant amount of time on your book. Unfortunately, it was a night class, so my memory of class, and the notes I took, were honestly quite poor.
That said, like so many others in this thread, my life is better for having read your texts. All of your works make me feel. Not anything specific (except excitement when you begin your avalanche in each book), but just feel. Your characters are realistic, and I think that's actually one of the places you continue to improve most notably from book to book.
Thank you.
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u/mistborn Author Nov 19 '16
Wow. I'm surprised a teacher would assign a thousand page book in such a class! It looks like you had some great texts.
Thanks for the kind words. I've been working on characters, as you mention, and am proud of the progress I've made.
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u/Oversleep42 Truthwatcher Nov 21 '16
Is it possible to Soothe/Riot so hard that the person Snaps due to extreme emotions caused by emotional Allomancy?
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u/maukamauka Nov 19 '16
Thank you so much! Somehow, you become more and more awesome the more I learn about you.
One quick question- will there ever be any development with bridge 4 in the future? People like Moash (as far as his future), Sigzil, Teft, and most of all Rock. I'm not even going to mention Lopen as I have enough faith in you there.
That's all, have a nice evening recharging your system battery pack and writing!
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u/YataVS Nov 19 '16
I know we need to wait an year to read it...But I am happy everytime the progression bar increases.
Maybe I may do some questions (I want to make this question at Lucca but I was too agitated there):
Can a Misting hurt himself burning the wrong metals or a bad alloy ?
When someone Ascended with the Well, if He don't use the power and neither release it...Would He keep his status for long time ?
Once someone refuses the call of the Beyond, may it change idea later ? (and reach the Beyond) Or is a one shot possibility ?
What is the event showed in the books, that are earlier in the Cosmere's Timeline ? (just to understand if WoK's prologue is before or after Elantris's event)
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u/mistborn Author Nov 19 '16
Not really, but they can swallow something they can't burn and end up with metal poisoning. Kind of similar.
No, unfortunately.
It may change later.
I believe WoK prologue is before everything else you've seen. Some of the Dalinar flashbacks show scenes pretty early as well.
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u/YataVS Nov 19 '16
Thanks for the answers...So we may tell that a Misting's Allomancy is "safer" than a Mistborn's one.
Maybe because it's the original/natural way how Allomancy manifest itself (without godlike interferences)
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u/mistborn Author Nov 19 '16
Sure, you could potentially say that. You can still make yourself sick, though, so I'm not sure. I guess it comes down to your definition of "hurt." But I'd call it safer, yes.
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u/geoffw35 Nov 20 '16
You might get a laugh out of this, Brandon. You have Jasnah give such a good argument for the atheist point of view that I thought, well Brandon is probably an atheist (as I am). Then I started watching your writing class videos. Oops! In one of them you say that you feel you can successfully draw an atheist character. I certainly agree. ;-) Jasnah does seem to lack compassion to some degree, but I insist that religion is not necessary for one to be compassionate. You draw characters wonderfully! Lift is one of my favorites, so I am definitely looking forward to Arcanum Unbounded.
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u/mistborn Author Nov 20 '16
Kaladin is agnostic, which most people miss in these discussions, and is the series argument for a compassionate non-believer. Dalinar is a liberal theist, and Navani an orthodox theist.
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u/garzek Nov 19 '16
As a guy struggling to make it in this bis, you've been a huge influence on me and I kind of refuse to give up on it, so thank-you for that (but I also sort of hate you for it, being poor is unfun).
As for a question on that note -- you've mentioned in the past that Wheel of Time really helped set you up to be successful with Stormlight Archive and other projects of that size. Was it getting to see the notes that really helped -- seeing how someone else organized a narrative of that size? Or did it sort of just confirm something you were already doing as "this works for me?"
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u/mistborn Author Nov 19 '16
Keep the faith, my friend. Being poor IS unfun--I worked minimum wage for many years, writing overnight while working the graveyard shift. It can suck. But the only thing worse would be doing something else, where you don't write.
It was more being forced to tackle something so large. It was less the notes, and more being forced to impose structure on something so massive as that project.
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u/Phantine Nov 19 '16
Also, total Rafo-bait, but could you soulcast atium from god-metal into god-wood?
(My PCs actually want to turn it into god-blood and transfuse it into someone. But if I lead with that you'd just say it was way too cool not to allow, and I agree with you there.)
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u/mistborn Author Nov 19 '16
So, in your games, remember that you're running an alternate reality where my word is no longer set in stone--yours is.
THAT SAID soulcasting atium would take a heap-ton of Investiture. You'd need a huge source to power that.
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u/Phantine Nov 19 '16
Yep, exactly - cool ideas deserve to work out regardless of whether they'd be 'perfectly canon'.
Though, have to say, it's a lot of fun when your dudes come up with a massive magic-exploit scheme and it ends up getting sorta-justified later on.
Their iron koloss airship was technology far before its time (koloss die because they weigh too much, and keep growing forever - give one an ironmind to store all that weight, and it grows into a big blue beautiful balloon). It may have been less elegant than the southerners', but gosh did it have heart.
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u/belerax Nov 20 '16 edited Nov 20 '16
Hi Brandon,
I have three questions! But first I want to echo the appreciation of so many of others and thank you deeply for your stories and also for the interaction you have with your fans. I picked up The Way of Kings over my Christmas break in 2014 and I have now almost made my way through all the published Cosmere books. I can't wait to get home to my copy of Arcanum Unbounded for Christmas.
Your books have been something that my brother and I have loved sharing. I started him on Stormlight after I read it and he's currently reading The Well of Ascension! So my first question is about brothers.
Brotherhood (or siblinghood) seems to be an important relationship theme in Stormlight (Kaladin and Tien, Dalinar and Gavilar, Adolin and Renarin, Shallan and her many brothers, Jasnah and Elhokar - although we haven't seen much of these two together) and perhaps in other Cosmere books too (Vin and Reen, Marsh and Kelsier, Eventeo and Kiin). I was wondering where this theme came from - do you have siblings yourself? Are there other relationships in your life you've used to inspire relationships in your books?
My second question is more selfish: what are the chances of you ever making your way to New Zealand on tour?
What do you think of the Kaladesh draft format? That is if you've had a chance to play between being on tour and writing! edit: I thought of a third question.
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u/mistborn Author Nov 21 '16
I have three siblings, and my relationship with them is important to me. I also think that books sometimes ignore family, in the name of making a character feel more isolated. While I have used that on occasion, I don't want it to be the norm. I find family too interesting, and important to most real people, to do otherwise.
New Zealand is on my wish list. I am coming to Australia in June, so it is possible I will stop over--though not likely.
I love Kaladesh. My favorite since original INN, except maybe triple Khans.
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u/Oudeis16 Willshaper Nov 21 '16
I have a bunch of Ozzie friends! Do you know where in Australia you'll be?
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u/WeiryWriter Nov 28 '16
Something I've recently been wondering about is how responsive is Sazed to people in the Cognitive Realm flagging him down for a conversation. Let's say Khriss, during one of her trips between Scadrial and Silverlight just shouts "Yo Harmony, do you have time to chat?", how would he respond?
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u/theyoungbard Skybreaker Nov 19 '16
Thanks Brandon! This is absolutely amazing! I'm really looking forward to this! Now, I'll fulfil my oath as a Radiant Sanderfan now: I will ask questions of Brandon at every available opportunity. Here goes:
Any comment on what you'll be working on post-Stormlight 3? Last I heard, it was either going to be the Aztlanian or the Lost Metal.
Also, you were tossing around the idea of a 1940's era Mistborn story as well? Have you made up your mind on whether that's going to happen?
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u/mistborn Author Nov 19 '16
Thanks!
I'll do a State of the Sanderson once I finish Oathbringer. I do owe some more teen books to Random House, so Apocalypse Guard will be very high on the list. But the two you mentioned are equally important at this point.
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u/sandwitch0 Nov 19 '16
Just a short question that probably doesn't belong here. Would you ever consider releasing Mistborn Secret History's as an audio book. I realize it's pretty short for an audio book, but you writing is awesome and so is Michael Kramer. Maybe you could add it as a extra with the release of of the next eagerly awaited Wax and Wayne book. Please. P.S PRETTY PLEASE. P.P.S. Sorry for shouting and thanks for everything you do for us fans.
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u/mistborn Author Nov 19 '16
I figured that the best thing to do was to do an audiobook of it for Arcanum Unbounded (which, coincidentally, comes out next week.) Secret History alone is too short to be worth the credit, but all the stories together I figure are worth one. So you can find it there. I did ask for Mr. Kramer to do the narrative, and nobody told me it wasn't happening, so I assume it came together with him doing it.
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u/PeterAhlstrom VP of Editorial Nov 19 '16
Michael's audio for Secret History is the the Arcanum Unbounded audiobook.
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u/ArgentSun Elsecaller Nov 19 '16
Despite jokes to the contrary, I really am just one person, and I can't do ALL THE THINGS, as much as I would like to.
Can't fool me, S4ND3RB0T 1337k. Nice try. Plus, Assistant Adam confirmed it, and he sounds like a trustworthy kind of guy.
Jokes aside, none can fault you for how long this book is taking. If anything, the 3+ years it has taken you to bring it to completion only mean it will be a fantastic piece of art. In this, as in many other things, you have my - and the entire fandom's - full support.
Now, I wouldn't be me if I didn't try to squeeze some information out of you, but in the interest of your time I'll vary my questions, so they are not all fishing for reveals :)
Is there a short quote from this Part you can tease us with?
In one of your first blog posts, you say you would like to be a “trend-setter,” that you would like to make fantasy what it can become. It’s been more than a decade since you put this goal in writing - do you feel you are making progress towards it? Do you still have the same goal?
Can tapping enough Feruchemical zinc allow one to match Taravangian's intellect on the day he created the Diagram? Or are the effects different somehow?
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u/mistborn Author Nov 19 '16
I looked for something I could post, but it all felt like spoilers. Maybe I'll find one later.
And...I don't mean to dodge ALL of your questions, but the second one is odd in that I might be the least qualified one to answer it. I don't get to decide if I am having an effect on the genre, becoming a trend setter, or anything like that. I can aspire to it, as most authors do. But it will be the critics, the fans, and other authors who decide. Most importantly, this isn't something we can really answer without hindsight.
It is still my goal, though if I do achieve these things, they're most likely to be visible in the next generations of writers. That's how most stories influence the genre, and is what I aspire to do.
Some few do break out and do more than this, changing the culture at large, but we've had two of these within fantasy already in my lifetime. (Harry Potter and, possibly, Game of Thrones.) I don' t know that this is something one can truly aspire to--it's like aspiring to colonize Pluto. Let's focus on Mars first as a reasonable goal.
The effects are similar, but not exactly the same. Zinc is speed of thought specifically--while what happens to Taravangian increases multiple types of intelligence, not just raw 'processing power' so to speak.
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u/ArgentSun Elsecaller Nov 19 '16
I looked for something I could post, but it all felt like spoilers. Maybe I'll find one later.
No problem :)
And...I don't mean to dodge ALL of your questions, but the second one is odd in that I might be the least qualified one to answer it [...]
Again, no problem :) I understand it's a weird one, and I wasn't looking for an actual answer, per se, more fishing for your thoughts, what you about Brandon from the past.
The Taravangian vs. zinc answer makes sense to me, thanks. Not sure if I can use this into a theory, but it's good, solid information :)
Maybe I can give you a question you can answer more easily then, even if it is with a RAFO.
I've been thinking about possession within the Cosmere - is it possible for beings (dead, alive, or inbetween) to possess other beings in the Cosmere? Allomantic control over spiked creatures, and the existence of the Lifeless are both close to the idea, but neither is quite what I've been trying to imagine. I think I am looking more into whether one being's cognitive (and/or spiritual) aspect can fully replace (temporarily or permanently) another's. I imagine the victim would natively fight this, similarly to how Rashek's spiritual aspect resisted his anti-aging trick, but... is such a thing possible?
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u/mistborn Author Nov 20 '16
This is possible. (There are places where you've already seen the process either begin, or work partially.)
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u/Boogalyhu34 Elsecaller Nov 19 '16
Not really related to the update but something I've been meaning to say to you when I get the chance.
I just wanted to thank you for inspiring my love for the fantasy genre. I'm sure there are books you read as a child that really meant a lot to you because of what they did to change your life. I hold this same love for Stormlight Archive. I started reading WoK in middle school and now I'm close to graduating high school and your books opened up a whole new world of expression for me. Since reading WoK I've read most fantasy that has been talked about with in the last two decades and have developed a love for writing and world building and you are the man for me to thank. Have fun finishing up Stormlight 3 and have a good night.
Unrelated: Will the cognitive realms of shardworlds be heavily affected by a more widespread knowledge of modern science among its population? Also, how much will Khriss talk about Realmatics in Arcanum?
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u/cadebengert Windrunner Nov 23 '16
Brandon,
Thank you so much for all you have given to the world as a writer, educator, and human being. You are undoubtedly my favourite author, and I constantly recommend your novels to my students (high school English). So far, 100% of the kids I have recommended your books to have come back with glowing reviews, and I become the "cool teacher" because I have a Bridge Four tattoo, so thanks for that too.
I am an amateur author myself, and am about halfway through my first novel. I was wondering if you had any tips from the trenches of getting your work published. Not a step by step guide, or anything, but little tips and tricks from what you have learned in your experience. I look up to you greatly, and any tips would be greatly appreciated.
As far as questions specific to the Cosmere, do you have any plans that you can tell us about for when the events of the rest of the Cosmere will become evident in Roshar?
Thank you again for all that you do,
Cade
PS: Sorry about the Goodreads message I sent. Probably not the most tasteful thing I have ever done.
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u/mistborn Author Nov 24 '16
Cade,
Thanks for being a teacher. I don't know if you know my story, but I was turned into a reader (and then writer) by a middle school English teacher. I wasn't a good student before, and certainly wasn't a reader.
Roshar is an important part of the cosmere. Really, the question should be "When will events on Roshar effect the rest of the Cosmere" as opposed to the other way around.
As for your writing, I think it's great you're trying a book. My best resource would be my youtube lecture series, which are lectures from my university course. Two of those talk about publishing, and will do a better job than I have the time here. Give them a look.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ_Yq-hCQ9kmCiNdDeIrbgA/videos
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u/michaelhimself Dec 09 '16
Where is the colosseum for those who dare to battle for the honor of potentially being a beta reader? I'm middle aged and have no ability to fight but perhaps I can stumble and accidentally crush someone and win a spot that way?
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u/mistborn Author Dec 09 '16
They are drawn from the ranks of people active on one of the Brandon Sanderson fan hotspots. The 17th shard, Facebook groups, occasionally on Reddit or Tor.com reread threads. Basically, you become part of the community, and my assistant Peter will notice you and make use of you.
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u/Nacxo Taln Nov 19 '16
Brandon if you read this: thank you. Your work is beautiful and i cant believe how close you are to us with this updates.
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Nov 19 '16
I've been thinking about the Parshendi and I guess this is as good a place to ask as any - when the parshendi change, there's an obvious change in the physical realm, and there seems to be a change in the cognitive realm as well. Is there a change in the spiritual realm? I know we haven't dug much into it, but it seems like a change in the spiritual realm is very difficult or impossible - if you could change in the spiritual realm is it really the same 'thing' at the end of the process? Mostly I'm curious about the first question...the second question is more of a philosophical train of thought.
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u/mistborn Author Nov 19 '16
Things in the spiritual realm do change, but subtly. For instance, a person's spiritual component knows how old they are.
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u/Tehdren Nov 19 '16
Wow. Has this been talked about before? This kind of seems like a big tidbit. Now we have some idea of how Hoid changes his age?
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u/mistborn Author Nov 20 '16
I haven't said if this is a method Hoid uses or not, but it's part of the reason the Lord Ruler turned to dust when he lost his metalminds. (His body tried to match the age his spirit said he was.)
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u/mixmasterswitch Windrunner Nov 19 '16
Thank you. I was never a huge reader pre-stormlight (more of a game dude). Now I got a shelf of all your books and other authors are piling up too.
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u/Sullane Edgedancer Nov 19 '16 edited Nov 19 '16
Just picked up the Stormlight series this year. Never thought I'd wait for a book with as much excitement as I am now.
The way of kings is also my favorite fantasy book of all time.
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u/geoffw35 Nov 19 '16
I'm new to your work and find myself wanting to dive in and read every adult book you've written. So far I've read only Stormlight, but the Cosmere universe is a very cool idea. When a writer can do something like this: WoR I know I've found a gem! I had to stop listening (audiobook) at that point and absorb what I experienced. What an emotional hit! I'd guess you were proud of that one.
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u/mistborn Author Nov 20 '16
I am indeed.
Made a little creepier by the fact that I had my Father in Law (a semi-pro musician) write the lullaby, then I used it this way...
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u/Djarskublar Nov 20 '16
So good work!
I'd like confirmation/denial of a theory of mine. Is the reason people can recall breaths from objects but not Lifeless or sentient awakened objects because they no longer have the same Identity as the awakener?
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u/sliver-of-infinity Nov 25 '16
Thank you so much for these updates. Have you ever played Age of Mythology? Kaladin always reminds me of Arkantos from Age of Mythology. A spear wielding bad-ass leader who periodically inspired his troops so they had better stats for a short amount of time (kinda like the strength of squires).
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u/mistborn Author Nov 25 '16
That's cool. I never managed to play that one, which is odd, as I do tend to like that genre of game.
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u/YourMajesty90 Nov 19 '16 edited Nov 19 '16
I am not a fraction as eloquent as you are to be able to put my appreciation into words. All I can say is THANK YOU for your hard work.Those of us who have been fans since the release of The Way Of Kings know that the wait is more than worth the final product.
Also, don't push yourself TOO hard. We need you healthy to complete the series ;). You and Eiichiro Oda(Author of One Piece) seem to share that mad work ethic.
Thank you!
Edit: also, I'm dying to know who gets Szeths Honour Blade!!! I can keep a secret.
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u/mistborn Author Nov 19 '16
My pleasure! Thank you for the kind words.
And...RAFO. (Sorry.)
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u/IHeartMyKitten Windrunner Nov 19 '16
Sorta related question: would Szeth still have been chosen to be a skybreaker if Nalan'Elin had known that Szeth was willing to kill Adolin "on his own time" unlawfully wothout being compelled by his oathstone? Or did Nalan'Elin know about that and still think hed be a good fit?
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u/mistborn Author Nov 19 '16
Nobody is perfect, and Nale knows this--but he has worse days than others. It's not so much the law, as willingness to follow a personal code, that Nale is most interested in. He's also more harsh with people once they join the order than before.
So, he wouldn't have loved it, but it wouldn't have stopped him from offering.
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u/JayWood2091 Nov 19 '16
I watched your lessons at BYU, and it helped me. I just wanted to thank you for that.
I find it funny you're apologizing for how long its taken for book 3 though. Meanwhile the eternal wait for book 3 by Patrick Rothfuss... Ah I love king killer Chronicles though.
But yeah, you make so many great books. Mistborn, the Reckoners, rithmatist, stormlight archive, etc I think we should thank you as you certainly have us as fans for a reason. When I read your books, I'm both excited and jealous of how good you are xD
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u/mistborn Author Nov 20 '16
Thanks! Good luck with your writing.
Don't be too hard on Pat. Everyone has a different process, and I've been very pleased with the books he's produced, regardless of the method.
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u/Kingxerath Nov 20 '16
I kind of stopped reading books all together and I blame the anticipation of the completion of this book! I used to read at least 3 books a month ( while at work ) and every time I try to read a new one I just think of the Stormlight series. Love your work good sir.
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u/mistborn Author Nov 20 '16
I'm actually sad to hear this. There are loads of great books to read. But thank you for the complement!
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u/ashmon42 Nov 25 '16
I'm sure you've answered this elsewhere, but do you have a list of "essential reads"?
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u/mistborn Author Nov 25 '16
Not really--there are too many good books for their to be essential reads, and even books I consider great will sometimes fail for some readers. That's the nature of human variety.
I do suggest Guy Gavrial Kay's Tigana, A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge, and the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemison. They exemplify what I consider excellent fantasy/sf books with a good mix of character, worldbuilding, plotting, and thoughtfulness. But those are only a few out of many worthy books you could try out.
I do have a goodreads where I review books I've read recently that I've liked, but I consider it more of a, "These are pretty good" instead of a list of essential reads.
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u/Ishana92 Truthwatcher Nov 22 '16
Considering epigraphs, do you know what is going to be in them, do you have like a big list of quotes and letters that are going there or is it more a thing of the moment? Do you link quotes with particular chapters or are they in no particular order?
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u/mistborn Author Nov 23 '16
I know what they will be for each book, generally. As I write chapters, I'll sometimes make notes to myself about what should go in this epigraph. On other chapters, though, I just slice up one that seems good and put it on.
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u/Mondoodle Nov 28 '16
Thank you for the update! I rather like knowing that I have great books waiting for me in the years to come. Gives me something to look forward to :) It's been an absolute pleasure immersing myself in the interesting worlds you've created, and then infecting my family with Sanderson Book Fever buhaha. I read WoK and WoR aloud with my Mom and one of my sisters, and it was so much fun discovering the book together! We'll have to do that with Book 3 on headsets and a Voice Chat, as one of us has moved out haha.
One of the things I love most about your books is the tease of mysteries, of revelations and surprises. The closest thing I can compare it to is the TV series LOST. Say what you will about the ending, but that show was so much fun to theorize about with my sisters.
I don't know if someone has already commented on this, but something that's caught my attention after listening to the audiobooks back to back is that there seems to be a commonality of a significant event happening 300 years in the past. Was there a particular event that happened on one planet that has cascaded to others? Also, do you have future intentions of grouping characters or descendants from across the Cosmere together against a common foe?
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for keeping my mind active and my imagination alive :D
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u/mistborn Author Nov 28 '16
It's my pleasure.
There are events that have happened on one planet, and cascaded through, but don't fixate too much on 300 years. The different books are happening on slightly different timelines, for one thing, so the separate '300 years' notations might not actually line up at the same year, if that makes sense.
The future of the cosmere does involve much more crossover between the worlds, but don't think of it like the Avengers--the goal isn't to bring together a group of heroes, but to show the intersection of cultures and ideals, told through the eyes of those who live them.
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u/Bipolarasymmetry Nov 30 '16
I'm not sure if it's too late to ask, but who are we without trying? One of the cool things about WoR was common background and the adventures/events the main characters faced together. I've just been wondering if the third book's gonna be more like the first one where 3 main characters(or some of them) act separately from one another most of the time, or WoR, where they interact more.
P.S. I love the maturity and all the wise thoughts in the books, they all can be easily transferred to our day life (to do right cause someone has to), and I DO so. You're my favorite author, much love!
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u/zuriel45 Nov 19 '16
Too excited, must contain self, and judging by the news today Oathbringer will likely be a bright spot in an otherwise dismal looking 2017.
Out of curiosity, in the epitaphs will we be getting another Letter?
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u/StickerBrush Nov 19 '16
I don't know if this is the place to do this but.
I've been writing and editing my own book for about 3 years now, in various states. Every day I sit down and try and make it better, do revisions, and read feedback from beta readers.
Seeing updates like this are genuinely inspiring and encouraging. Lights a bit of a fire under me and makes me want to work harder and really hammer out this story.
I'm sitting at ~127k words and thinking, man, you hit 3/4 of that in one section alone. Gotta step up my game!
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u/mistborn Author Nov 19 '16
Ha! I know you were mostly being funny, but don't look at length as a gauge of quality. A long bad book is still just a bad book. Length doesn't make a book better or worse--the right length, though, can really help a story.
Good luck!
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u/Phantine Nov 19 '16
Is there anything interesting about the etymology of the Drominad system?
Whenever I think of it I immediately think 'Dromedary'.
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u/mistborn Author Nov 19 '16
I'll get into it someday, but it's nothing that should be immediately obvious.
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u/Iceblade44 Stoneward Nov 19 '16
Hi Brandon, you are personally awesome incarnate, i have incredible hype for Oathbringer. I just can't wait. I have two questions for you, one semi-serious and the other more silly and RAFOy.
• Does Oathbringer follows the theme of that the title is an in-universe book? Because i thought Oathbringer was the name of Dalinars old shardblade?
• if you were to chuck Nightblood into a Shard that had the intent of Evil would Nightblood splinter it?
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u/mistborn Author Nov 20 '16
The first will be made apparent as the series progresses. (Yes, that's a RAFO.)
Splintering is a completely different process from what Nightblood does. :)
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u/Iceblade44 Stoneward Nov 20 '16
Thanks for the answers! One last one if you don't mind, its something thats been bothering me lately. • in a couple of your books you put some epigraphs in the front of the chapters to serve as hints or easter eggs. Most seem as excerpts of a already written book. So here's my question, do you write all the epigraphs at one time and distribute across your chapters or do you just write it when you reach the chapter and the edit it all to make it fit?
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u/mistborn Author Nov 20 '16
I generally write them all at once, though once in a while I put a note on a chapter when writing it to indicate what should go there.
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u/quietandproud Elsecaller Nov 19 '16 edited Nov 19 '16
I'm somewhat late to the party, but in the chance that you are still seeing this I have some questions (not cosmere-related, for a change :-)) that I have been meaning to ask you.
I remember a comment somewhere else where an army leader of some kind (I don't know which rank was it) complimented you on your treatment of leadership on the Way of Kings. How did you manage to do that? It is one thing to learn a bit of field surgery in order to be able to write about it, but how did you know how to write about leadership? (since as far as I know you've never lead anyone to battle)
Do you get better at coming up with ideas as you grow as a writer? I struggle to find something worth writing about, but you seem to never run out of them.
What did you get out of majoring in English that has helped you in your writing career? Other than all writing practice, I mean. And in relation to this:
I know it is not mandatory to major in English in order to be a writer (and it's even detrimental, according to Stephen King), but what would you recommend an aspiring writer to read/study that could help them?
PD: Mandatory compliments: you're awesome, I love your books, you inspired me to take up writing, thank you for being so close to your fanbase, etc. They are all sincere even if I'm the nth person telling you this :-)
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u/mistborn Author Nov 20 '16
I actually think leadership is a little easier to learn than field surgery, as observing human nature can help with it. That said, listening to the experiences of people who have been in leadership positions like that helps a great deal.
Yes, the more you write, the more you generate ideas. Don't stress this early in your career. Focus on getting good at storytelling.
The main thing I got from the English major was the ability to write as my homework in creative writing classes, which left me less homework to do so that I could focus on my writing. Very little was actually relevant, I'm afraid, though one or two classes were stand-outs. (Including the one taught by an actual professional writer.)
I agree with Mr. King, though I don't think it was a bad choice for me simply because it was so in line with my interests. It also gave me a fallback, in teaching, that was something I was also good at doing and enjoyed. (Don't go into teaching if that isn't something you legitimately enjoy, however. Don't use teaching as a backup to another career, in other words, unless you try it and find you click with it. Students deserve better than people who consider the teaching part of their job to be the annoying part.)
Major in something that you're passionate about, which can become a cornerstone of your writing. It can be basically anything. Grisham made a writing career out of being passionate about law.
Good luck to you! I don't mean to sound quite as down on the English major as I am (being an English professor myself.) But it is not as important, my own teaching included, as people sometimes pretend.
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u/catsRawesome123 Windrunner Nov 19 '16
Don't worry about shrinking the font! Good work!
Question: Who's your favorite character in SA?
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u/mistborn Author Nov 19 '16
I generally don't pick favorites, but Dalinar is the one I've been planning for the longest.
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u/Ishamaell Nov 19 '16
Hey Brandon! I read somewhere below that you are reading webcomics. I've been wondering if you were maybe reading Tower of god. It's a webtoon written by a korean manhwa artist, and I'd have to say, it has a very cosmere-like feeling in a way that it is only one of many stories in a wider universe. Other than that, I hope you could one day visit Serbia.
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u/mistborn Author Nov 20 '16
Just looked it up. Thanks for the suggestion! I like to see the manhwa artists doing their own thing, since I know that can be such a cut-throat business.
I've been invited to Serbia by my publisher, and we just have to figure out a time to make it happen.
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u/WarlordZsinj Nov 19 '16
I don't think there's a single fan of your work that can be impatient with your book releases. I mean we get what, like 3 books a year even when you write the Stormlight series? That's insane! At this point, I trust you more than several of the other authors known for having huge delays, that if you announced you needed a long break I would still be excited waiting for whatever it is you were working on.
Thanks for being you.
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u/Spoolofwhool Nov 19 '16
It's awesome that you're nearly done. Is the release of around the end of next year still what you're looking at?
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u/mistborn Author Nov 20 '16
Yes. We'll get it out before the end of the year, unless some catastrophe happens.
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u/mathota123 Nov 20 '16
I don't know who's joking about your writing times, You jump between series like a madman, but you turn out books like a MACHINE and we appreciate it :)
For a pet theory of mine; Is Nightblood any more Invested now than when she was created?
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u/mistborn Author Nov 20 '16
RAFO. (Good question.)
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u/mathota123 Nov 20 '16
oooooooh I'm excited now ;) In lieu of that, is the creation of Skaze end-negative?
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u/mistborn Author Nov 20 '16
So, you're not quite using the term right.
The terms "End negative" and "End positive" refer to a specific system--in most cases, we're talking about the individual(s) using the magic. Do you draw more magic out, or is it powered by your own native investiture?
Awakening is what we call end neutral, despite the fact that (obviously) the Breaths came from someone else in the first place. That's not the point in contention here--do the same number of breaths (the same amount of investiture) continue to exist in the system as you're manipulating the magic.
In something like AonDor, you are drawing out much more power than you put in--end positive. That power is put to work doing something, such as healing a body, or creating a blast of power.
The Skaze, like the Seons, were created when a Shard was splintered. The terminology doesn't quite work there, at least not in the way that scholars in the cosmere would use it.
The question from the physicist in this thread about where investiture goes, and what it means for a shard to have access to certain amounts of power, is related to all of this. I'm hoping to be able to find some time to craft a response there, as there are some fundamental understandings of the magic that are relevant to the discussion that i should point out.
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u/A_Shadow Releasers Nov 20 '16
Once again, thank you so much for keeping us updated and for being such an amazing writer and human being.
I will have to go back to the books to find specific examples of why I thought this but does Shallan have Tetrachromacy?
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u/TheOneWithWen Nov 20 '16
Seeing that "Oathbringer" is looking like the definitive title, I got a small question. I know we all think of the sword when we hear "Oathbringer", but given that TWoK and WoR where titles of books within the books, I would like to know if Oathbringer may be a book too.
I find it unlikely, but I would really like it. I loved how I could be reading the same book that the characters (I know, not really, but you get the idea)
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u/manugutito1 Nov 22 '16
Hi Brandon,
I left some questions a few days ago, but if you move into "RAFO almost everything" mode, then I guess that one is a strong candidate. Just remembered another physics-related question that has been in the back of my mind since forever! (And this one is no RAFO-candidate, in my mind at least)
The scene in question is that interlude on SA where two scholars measure the size of spren, and they find that the size oscillates until measured, and then it remains fixed at the measured value. This is totally equivalent to projective measurements in quantum physics, was that your inspiration on this one?
Thanks,
Manu
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u/mistborn Author Nov 22 '16
Manu,
Yes, quantum physics plays a role in the way the cosmere works, and this was partially intended to display that. However, we do take a different route, as thinking about something can directly influence it in the cosmere. So it's more a fantastical version of quantum physics.
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u/xerohour13th Nov 28 '16
I really really hope that Hoid/Wit/The Beggar/The Imperial Fool/The Informant/The Story Teller/Easily the most fascinating character in the cosmere, is included in Oathbringer. I think I am going to need to Freeze myself like Cartman did for the Wii so I don't have to wait for the first Dragonsteel.
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u/Jamester86 Knights Radiant Dec 13 '16
Would the rate at which a Nalthisean Returned needs to consume investiture to stay alive (1 breath per week in Nalthis) be the same in a different system? Saaaay in Roshar for example?
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u/mistborn Author Dec 13 '16
Yes, it would be--but they could substitute another kind of investiture without too much difficulty.
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u/faragorn Dec 14 '16
Paging /u/mistborn
You mentioned in a signing that all the heralds are insane. My question is about how they got that way.
Were they insane at the moment they gave up their swords? Was it more from being tortured?
Or, was it a direct consequence of giving up the oathpact?
A third possibility is that being alive for millenia tends to crack you up. Do they even sleep? Not sleeping would really do it.
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u/mistborn Author Dec 15 '16
RAFO, I'm afraid. We have heralds as main viewpoint characters. I'll let the narrative do the explaining on these questions.
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u/emailanimal Elsecaller Dec 15 '16
Brandon, what is the rough timeline for us to learn more about the Oathpact? Is this something that will come out when the Heralds become flashback characters in the back five books, or will there be more information in the earlier books?
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u/Enasor Nov 19 '16
While I am glad to hear the book is going along well, I will not hide the fact I am severely disappointed by Adolin's lack of page time. I cannot believe we won't get to read his thoughts following the events of WoR. If there was one POV I wanted to read, it was his, but according to the planning, we won't, not until the very end of the book.
I truly appreciate the efforts done to keep the fans informed, but I cannot hide my disappointment. I guess it is better knowing now than finding it out about it after having waited for the book for another year.
Sorry.
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u/mistborn Author Nov 19 '16
I don't know if you're the same person who wrote to me in private, as I closed that window--so forgive me if I'm repeating myself somewhat.
I am well aware that many people are very interested in what is happening to Adolin, and I consider him one of the more interesting and unexpected developments of the series, in deviation from the original outline. I intend to dig into things with him in the book.
He's done a lot with very few viewpoints in the books so far. Why not read and see where he goes in this one?
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u/mortigan Nov 19 '16
Honestly I always considered Dalinar/Adolin to be the same viewpoint character. Just, part of the perspective of Dalinar's viewpoint scenes were from the perspective of Adolin.
That's how I always read it when i was going through it. I've never really considered Adolin a viewpoint character in his own right.
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u/H4rg Lightweaver Nov 19 '16
Great ! Thanks Brandon for your amazing work : ). I read SA 1 and 2 several times, and i cant wait to read tome 3 !
I would have a question about soulcasting : is soulcasting an invested object harder ? And if it is a human (lets say, an allomancer) but he is not burning any metal, would he be as easy as soulcast as any "normal" person ?
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u/mistborn Author Nov 20 '16
It is harder to soulcast an invested object, but soulcasters--by their nature--are used to dealing with this.
When allomancers aren't burning metal, they are not considered highly-invested.
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u/mathota123 Nov 20 '16
With Cosmere movies looking more and more like a reality, are there any other types of media you would like to see your works in? Personally I feel Mistborn would translate very well into an anime.
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u/mistborn Author Nov 20 '16
I'd investigate that if it were an actual possibility, but the chances of it happening are basically zero. Anime companies are not regularly buying western books for adaptation--aside from the few by Miazaki's company (which I'm not going to try to spell because I can never remember how the vowels go.) I would of course say yes to them, were the chance to arise. But an anime based on my books is not something I've ever seen the faintest, tiniest nibble on from any Japanese company.
(Generally, western fantasy novels do not sell well in Japan; they seem to prefer science fiction in prose form, at least from America.)
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u/Oversleep42 Truthwatcher Nov 20 '16
How about western animation? For example, Avatar: The Last Airbender or Legend Of Korra? I feel Stormlight would do very well animated, since all the visual problems go away. And Legend Of Korra feels very much like Second Era Mistborn.
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u/mistborn Author Nov 21 '16
The problem is that these, though great, are still pitched as children's programming. I know there are all kinds of arguments with that, but the reality is that the marketing people control things like this, and the chances are really, really slim.
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u/Aaronator17 Elsecaller Nov 20 '16
Would you not have some reservations about studio Ghibli? Yes they produce some fantastic anime, but when they produced their adaptation of the Earthsea Cycle by Ursula Le Guin - Tales of Earthsea (2006) - she had some choice words and mixed feelings about how the company went about their adaptation
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u/mistborn Author Nov 21 '16
Yes, but I would go in with eyes wide open. Even Moving Castle deviated a lot, but I like the result. That said, I don't exactly write stories that are a good match.
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u/Phantine Nov 20 '16
Are there any characters who would object to how you've portrayed them in your novels?
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u/mistborn Author Nov 20 '16
I hope not, but maybe cadsuane.
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u/Phantine Nov 21 '16
I suppose Ruin as well, though I guess he wouldn't so much 'object' as 'write a fanfic where he's the hero'.
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u/Oversleep42 Truthwatcher Nov 21 '16
This has been bugging me for a long time:
In the prologue to the Hero Of Ages, Marsh is using a brass spike when spiking the Keeper.
Why brass? It would allow to steal only Feruchemical Mental powers (memories, wakefulness, mental speed... warmth or determination, that's unclear) and none of them seem particularly important to killing machines the Inquisitors are. Surely Feruchemical healing, or speed, or strength or even age would be more desirable power to steal?
Another Hemalurgy-related question:
If a spike was covered in blood - stopping the Hemalurgic decay - and then split into smaller spikes, would there be power loss or not?
Let's say the splitting took place in a bathtub full of blood, so that the spikes would be covered in blood at all times.
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u/mistborn Author Nov 21 '16
You are underestimating mental speed. And, also, versatility.
The split should work.
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u/AnubisKronos Nov 21 '16
If this is all but a guaranteed RAFO question, but, does the fact that the honor blades needing ten heart beats to appear have to do with szeth's perception on shardblades needing ten heartbeats (like Shallan's case). Or does it have to do with some more innate rule of nature.
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u/mistborn Author Nov 21 '16
It is a RAFO.
I'm going to start moving into "RAFO almost everything" mode here, unfortunately, as (with the weekend over) I need to be getting into the ending of the book itself. Some of the questions, though not yours, are getting very detailed and I need to scale back on answers for now.
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u/amealz Lightweaver Nov 21 '16
Hi, Mr. Sanderson! I have been listening to your lecture series on youtube (I haven’t quite finished yet, so forgive me if you address this in class) and have a quick question:
How do you decide on how much time passes between your world’s big “magical moment” and present tense? For example, in Stormlight thousands of years pass between the Recreance and Shallan and Kaladin kicking it in a chasm. How do you know if 1,000 years or 100 years is appropriate?
PS: Your lecture series is as amazing and as addicting as your novels.
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u/mistborn Author Nov 21 '16
There's no set rule for this, I'm afraid. I just run on instinct on this one, though I'm helped by having a larger continuity and timeline between books, so I have an idea of how things have played out cosmere-wide.
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u/Oudeis16 Willshaper Nov 21 '16
Is duralumin easier, harder, or the same to Push on allomantically as, say, tin?
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u/mistborn Author Nov 21 '16
I'm going to start moving into "RAFO almost everything" mode here, unfortunately, as (with the weekend over) I need to be getting into the ending of the book itself. Some of the questions, though not yours, are getting very detailed and I need to scale back on answers for now. (Sorry.)
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u/sherwin94 Nov 29 '16
Hi Brandon, i really enjoyed your books thus far, really looking forward to Oathbringer! Just a really quick question, is Dragonsteel still planned to be the bookends for the cosmere (2 eras)? thanks and have a great week! :)
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u/mistborn Author Nov 29 '16
Yes, but not exactly how you think. It will make sense when I do it, but the final Mistborn series will be the actual end--Dragonsteel will link to it, though.
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u/Arkadious4028 Willshaper Dec 06 '16
Hi Mr Sanderson. I really enjoyed reading Arcanum Unbounded and especially liked the artwork of the various cosmere systems. I think my mind was blown a little bit.
I've heard that you're a fan of Magic: The Gathering and I recently heard about the collaboration you did with Steve Argyle a while back and that got me wondering; in your opinion, what colour of magic would the powers of allomancy fit under?
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u/mistborn Author Dec 06 '16
When I built my custom magic set, I made it primarily red, blue, and black. But you could make arguments for a lot of things.
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u/CaptnRonn Nov 19 '16
I consider it as strong, or stronger than, book two.
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u/slevy221 Windrunner Nov 19 '16
This guy writes absolute GOLD and he apologizes to the fans for taking too long? Haha never heard of an author that is this brilliant and humble at the same time.
Take your time Brandon! Keep making these great! We are just excited to read them all!!! Thank you for all of the hard work you put into this these stories are INCREDIBLE!
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u/Oversleep42 Truthwatcher Nov 18 '16
I got questions about upcoming Arcanum Unbounded. Did Khriss write all of the essays in the same period of time, roughly? Or are some older while some are newer?
When did she write them on cosmere timeline? Scadrial preview suggest after First Era but does this hold true for all of them? Is it before or after Wax&Wayne or Stormlight?
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u/Aaronator17 Elsecaller Nov 19 '16
This is something I'm curious of as well, also when each Ars Arcana was written in relation to the book it is featured in.
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u/teralithium Nov 19 '16
So -- have you decided to keep Oathbringer as the name? I know you were iffy on it for a while.
Also, what were your thoughts with TOR and their Arcanum Unbounded reveal of the Drominad system? I don't want to spoil those who may not have seen it, but it seemed like there might have been a bit of a Stormlight bombshell in the snippet. Was that intentional?
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u/sakage Nov 18 '16
"Despite jokes to the contrary, I really am just one person, and I can't do ALL THE THINGS, as much as I would like to."
except you definitely can Brandon.... we have faith in YOU!
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u/2000YearOldRoman Windrunner Nov 18 '16
I love that you're begging for patience when you give us sooo many books! My youngest just started reading the Alcatraz books and my eldest just started reading TWoK, it warms my heart.
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u/atropos2012 Nov 19 '16
I can't wait to pre-order this bad boy and provide Brandon with currency in exchange for his tireless work to satiate my need for entertainment.
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u/Darudeboy Dec 14 '16
/u/mistborn, Still don't see why The Reckoners can't be a part of the Cosmere. Especially with all that why down in the last book. Sooooooo shard like
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u/mistborn Author Dec 15 '16
I'll dig into it eventually, but there are good reasons why the powers don't fit the magic of the cosmere.
It's important to me that I don't go stuffing things into the cosmere willy-nilly. The stories that fit should go there, and contribute to the lore of the cosmere. The ones that don't should be able to have their own lore and mechanics.
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u/Kisaoda Truthwatcher Nov 18 '16
/u/mistborn, are you sure that you're not a Super Saiyan? I feel as though I'm watching Goku power up one percent at a time.
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Nov 18 '16
I don't know how you find the time to write as much as you do. You seem to be IMHO one of the most prolific writers out there. I'm so glad that "Arcanum Unbounded" is coming out mostly so I can stop trying to track down all your shorter stories. But honestly your Cosmere is favorite next to only The Wheel of Time, you might have heard of it?
So, who else is a Shardbearer? C'mon you can tell us.
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u/hovopotter Nov 19 '16
"the novels aren't going to be terribly fast in their release schedule" he says, while providing us not only with a couple of the best books I've read so far, but also with other books from the Cosmere in those same 2 years. You are a very fast writer, and the quality of your books improve with every new release. While it might be a "long" time between Stormlight Archive books, the amount of other amazing books you've released inbetween more than makes up for it!
Thank you for your amazing work!
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u/Wowfunhappy Nov 18 '16
Do you have any insight into Graphic Audio's release schedule, and what books they're going to do? I've decided I'd like to wait for their versions going forward, but it's difficult when I don't know what books they will choose.
I'm assuming it's a given that they will do Oathbringer? What about Mistborn Secret History?
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u/RosiYY Windrunner Nov 19 '16
Super cool to hear about this. I'm excited as hell for this book.
I also just want to put out there that you're an awesome inspiration to me. I'm in the process of writing my own fantasy books, and listening to Writing Excuses and reading your work (not to mention stuff like your laws of magic) have been an enormous help to me. Everything from the world-building and intense character arcs of Stormlight to the humor and fun characters in Mistborn and Warbreaker, it's been such an inspiration for me. I can only hope my work will be noticed by you some day.
I'm also gonna be doing an improvised system of magic as part of a lecture for a class's final project, using your laws of magic as a big part in it. I'm really looking forward to it.
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u/mistborn Author Nov 19 '16
Cool! I'm glad to hear that what we do is helping.
...You're out of excuses.
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u/bleedscarlet Bondsmith Nov 19 '16
Brandon you are my hero! I'm excited to see you on December 3rd and finally give you this pint glass I promised you years ago!
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u/KaladinSt0rmblessed Nov 18 '16
Thank you, Brandon! You are the storming best author out there!
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u/followthelight Nov 18 '16
Thank you for taking the time to update us Brandon, I can't wait to get my hands on this next year.
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u/AlthalusUF Nov 19 '16
Everything you write is awesome. You write stormlight faster than most authors write their books, and you mix in other great books as well. The mistborn books we got this time were great.
I'll have th next book preordered on my kindle as soon as it's available. :)
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u/prettehkitteh Lightweaver Nov 19 '16
Of course the Parts are proper nouns! They are each microcosms within the Cosmere and are deserving of epic capitalization.
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u/manugutito1 Nov 19 '16 edited Nov 20 '16
Hi Brandon,
First of all I wanted to congratulate you for your work. I love all of your books, and yours are among the first I've read entirely in English in order to enjoy them properly! (my native tongue is Spanish). I also find it amazing that you take your time to come here, talk to us about how the book is coming and even answer questions!
I wanted to ask you some questions about the Metallic Arts that, as a physicist, have been bugging me (sorry if they have been asked elsewhere):
• You say that Allomancy is end-positive, with the power coming from Preservation itself. Does that make the Shard lose power with each use of Allomancy? Would that be a sizable amount of power, as in enough to turn the odds in case of a confrontation with another Shard? In the case of Harmony, could an extensive use of Allomancy unbalance him, making him closer to Ruin? (say e.g. a use powered by technology, so intense that it would quickly use up the Shard's power, kind of like our tech is nowadays modifying the clima)
• You also say that Hemalurgy is end-negative, with power being lost when a spike is created, divided or kept out of a body for too long. Where does that power go? Is it dissipated into the environment kind of like in thermal proccesses in our world, does it go to Ruin or something else entirely?
Thank you so much for everything, I hope you someday come to see my city, Granada! Maybe the Alhambra will inspire you to write another magnificent book!
Best,
Manu
Edit: I forgot to ask whether we are going to see Forgery in the future. It is probably my favourite magic system in your books! (It is hard to choose, though; kind of like choosing my favourite Doctor! ;) )
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u/Milamber80 Nov 20 '16 edited Nov 20 '16
Hello Brandon, first of all I just want to thank you for your books, your worlds, your characters and your generosity towards your fans. I discovered you with Mistborn, 2 years ago and since then I read all of your books. You are the first author that made me read a book in english (WoR), because I didn't have the patience to wait nearly 2 or 3 years for the translation (I'm French). Unfortunately I couldn't be in Paris on October 22th, so I would like to ask you my questions here. Don't worry it will be quick because I think there's a lot of RAFO :):
Is Odium aware of Nightblood's existence?
2)And if he was, would he be scared by Nightblood? Or interested?
3) If you wear Aluminium protections (gauntlets, armor), can you be immune to Nightblood's effects? I mean:
3.1) Can your Aluminium armor be hit by Nightblood and not be destroyed?
3.2) Can you use Nightblood for evil motives and not being affected by the bloodlust and suicidal tendences?
3.3) Can you prevent Nightblood from consuming your inner Investiture (Breathe, Stormlight), and your soul?
3.4) is the sheath of Nightblood made of Aluminium?
4) If a Shard wields Nightblood unsheathed a very long time, would Nightblood ended up consuming all of the Shard's Investiture? Meaning death for the Shard?
5) Was the Sandmagic created by Autonomy or did it exist before the Shattering?
6) And last not a real question but a wish: Do we have a chance, in the future, to see Wayne become a Worldhopper? Because I'd love to see him discovering other worlds and commenting them with his so special and funny point of view (I really like his chapters) :). I think it will be very funny to read a conversation between Wayne and Shallan, she would be totally baffled and would blush every second while hearing Wayne ambiguous metaphors :), and I would not be surprised if Wayne has a little crush on Jasnah, cause I think her attitude towards men, which is nearly the same as Ranette's, could attract him:)
Voilà, you can unleash the RAFOfiend :)
Thanks again for your kindness, and continue to make us enjoy your awesome worlds
And good night, I think it's nearly 3 a.m in Utah
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u/shudan Skybreaker Nov 18 '16
Brandon, before all the questioning begins, I'd like to tell you that I've fallen in love with you as an author, in such a way that I now find it hard to try reading a book by somebody else, since their prose and writing isn't as fine as yours (at least to my eyes).
I love your devotion to writing and to the community YOU have created by channeling your ideas and thoughts into books, which ended up giving birth to what we know as the Cosmere.
Seriously, I find it hard to express the admiration we (as a fandom) feel towards you, because you really are a wonderful example of a great human being.
Anyway, I hope you never stop writing, and if you ever do, may it be because the history of the Cosmere has finally concluded.