Brandon Sanderson AMA 2015

[Kurkistan]

@Joe

 

Right you are.  Brandon even explicitly says "because Cosmere" in the State of the Sanderson. My powers have become weak with disuse...

[Argent]

New batch, because The Man is physically incapable of not writing:

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/crfnuxq?context=10000

 

Q: Can an Epic be given powers that are permanently countered by their weakness? Ex: Being able to breathe underwater, but whose weakness is water?

A: I'm going to say no on this one, unless the weakness is something more specific. (I.E, you can breathe under water, but your weakness is water with food coloring in it.) The weakness can relate somehow to the powers, but not in a way that if every time you use the abilities, they're automatically negated.

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/crfqbm7?context=10000

 

Q: [...] With the Royal Locks, the individual would be able to change the color in the bit between the cut and the scalp? (In my original question I had meant "below" to mean the bit between the cut and the end whereas your answer uses it the opposite, I think?)

Is the mist /spirit/ a Cognitive shadow then?

(Also if I'm not pushing my luck already, I'll steal one of my unanswered questions from the original post)

What are your current plans with regards to the Jasnah novella you wrote last summer?

A: Jasnah Novella is for my eyes only, unfortunately. It was needed so I could work out mechanics of what was happening, but I don't like releasing it for various reasons.

Distance between scalp and cut, yes you can change that. Otherwise every time you got a haircut, you wouldn't be able to change the hair. Maybe I don't get your question.

The mist spirit is a little more complicated than that. That was actually Leras, kind of. He was in the process of dying. But other things are involved there that, unfortunately, must be RAFOd.

Regarding the mist spirit: my understanding is that the reason he is not a Cognitive Shadow exactly is because Leras never actually died (not until The Hero of Ages, at least). He gave up much of his power and mind to trap Ruin in the Well, but didn't actually die. So what we are seeing is more of a Shard Shadow than Cognitive Shadow, by my reading.

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/crfq5vz?context=10000

 

Q: Are powers such as being able to negate others' powers or being immune to Epic powers possible?

A: Yes.

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/crfpbql?context=10000

 

Q: Is there any chance we could see the lorist categorization system published someday? As a sort of Reckonerverse Ars Arcanum?

A: This is possible, but likely only if I come back to the world for more books beyond the original trilogy.

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/crfo47g?context=10000

 

Q: [...] My question is, what 'causes' an effect in the end for Allomancy? You've got Investiture being filtered through a metal, but does putting it through the metal turn the Investiture cause a Steelpush, or is it putting the Investiture through your soul that causes it? At what point do you turn Preservation's Investiture into a Steelpush, or is there no one 'point' where it happens? [...]

A: [...] Okay, imagine you've got one of those play-dough machines you can stuff with dough, then press a handle on the top to make a little snake-like tube of play-dough squirt out.

Those have appendages you can affix to the front to change the shape of the tube that comes out. The metals are the appendage that determines the shape of the power released, but only certain souls can unlock those metals and use them. [...]

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/crfo0o1?context=10000

(This is Axies' - presumably - question about accessing the Dor remotely)

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/crfnz9x?context=10000

 

Q: What are some of the more common powers, then?

A: I based this off of comic books, so I assumed classic comic book superhero powers--various forms of flight, invulnerability, control over various types of matter, energy blasts--are common enough to have "standard powersets" for research purposes. Basically, this means that people like David and the loreists can make references that readers with a familiarity with comics can understand.

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/crfnwsb?context=10000

 

Q: "Elhokar, the king's son and heir, sat at the high table, ruling in feast in his father's absence. He was in conversation with two men, a dark-skinned Azish man who had an odd patch of pale skin on his cheek and a thinner, Alethi-looking man who kept glancing over his shoulder."

Are these two men - Nalan'Elin and Kalak?

A: RAFO.

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/brandonsanderson/comments/36nm0y/stepping_further_into_the_cosmere_after_the/crfnwjv?context=10000

[Axies]

@Argent

Yep, that was me asking about the Dor... and he crushed most of my theories about how the magic works on the Cosmere.
But the part about the "integral to the workings of cosmere Magic!"... I have to think hard about it.

[Moogle]

Brandon's response to my question on Allomancy was nice! It fails to address how the mists are used, since the metals apparently filter the power in the sense that they do in fact turn it into effect, but maybe I'll get lucky and he'll respond to my followup.

[Argent]

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/crg6xvd?context=10000

 

Q: Hi Brandon,

I've seen you're still answering questions on this AMA so I thought I'd try my hand and see if I could get a question answered.

You've said before that you plot a book extensively but then let the characters grow organically and that is how you keep the book feeling "alive" and stop it feeling stale. How do you account for this when you're writing books later in the series which already have established characters so you can't just re-write a character if something is not going well?

PS, I just got my signed copy of WoR from your site and it came with a Regalia stand up so thank you for the freebee!

A: Often, I plot a series by writing the first book, then developing the detailed outline for the rest of the series. This plays into my writing method, as it lets me figure out who the characters are first, then properly construct the rest of the series to match.

I do often still have problems with character. (Sazed in MB3 required large rewrites, for example.) However, it's more a matter of pointing them the right direction for development.

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/crg6wsq?context=10000

 

Q: How common would teleporting be?

A: Rare.

[Curiosity]

Asked about the "portability" of the Dor.

He answered today.

About using the Dor outisde Sel

(I'm still on fanboy mode let me chill for a bit xD)

 

 

The Dor is inaccessible outside of Sel, i.e., dependent on location, therefore, not Spiritual in nature. It is clearly not in the Physical Realm, so therefore, the Dor must be located in the Cognitive Realm. This was already thought to be true, but it's basically proven now. 

[Kobold King]

The Dor is inaccessible outside of Sel, i.e., dependent on location, therefore, not Spiritual in nature. It is clearly not in the Physical Realm, so therefore, the Dor must be located in the Cognitive Realm. This was already thought to be true, but it's basically proven now. 

 

Could this be why entering Shadesmar from Sel is considered so dangerous?

[Curiosity]

Could this be why entering Shadesmar from Sel is considered so dangerous?

 

It's been my explanation. My current theory is that the Dor is so frantically searching for a holder/user/mind to hold it that it destroys anything that touches it. Sorta-kinda-not-really like the Mist Snapping people. 

[Axies]

It's been my explanation. My current theory is that the Dor is so frantically searching for a holder/user/mind to hold it that it destroys anything that touches it. Sorta-kinda-not-really like the Mist Snapping people. 

I like your idea about the need of a holder giving into a "shatering" of the people that try to go in/out of Sel. I had a differrent theory there.

I believe that the Dor has a Cognitive Shadow of Devotion and that Cognitive Shadow is "stuck in one job" as much as the Stormfather is stuck on "bringing the rain/winds to Roshar". Being the Dor on the Cognitive Realm I think that the idea of the Elantrians thinking "If I get in the pool I dissolve" (as this is the only part "visible" about "etenring the Shadesmar" from that pool) conditioned the Cognitive Shadow's job and now it thinks that that is it's job. Shatter appart whomever to comes inside the Shadesmar. If you have a strong enough idea of your soul, your body... yourself, you can go in and out of the Shadesmar on Sel but if you don't... puff.

(Obviusly that's only  a theory)

[WeiryWriter]

The Dor is inaccessible outside of Sel, i.e., dependent on location, therefore, not Spiritual in nature. It is clearly not in the Physical Realm, so therefore, the Dor must be located in the Cognitive Realm. This was already thought to be true, but it's basically proven now. 

 

 

Could this be why entering Shadesmar from Sel is considered so dangerous?

 

 

This is exactly the case.  I'm working on transcribing something where Brandon spells this out explicitly.

[Argent]

http://www.reddit.com/r/brandonsanderson/comments/36nm0y/stepping_further_into_the_cosmere_after_the/crh8xei?context=10000

 

Q: have you decided to not do the [Mistborn] 1940(?)'s story? or is it just that that won't count towards a separate era designation?

A: Haven't decided 100%, but I'm leaning against it. We'll see.

This is from a different thread.

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/crh8x72?context=10000

 

Q: Hi Brandon! There is one question:

The visions that have Dalinar and Renarin are very different. This is related to the type of their spren ? One related to Cultivation who allows to see the future and other related to Honor who allows to see the past ?

A: Afraid this is a RAFO.

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/crh8x07?context=10000

 

Q: Hello. In Steelheart you mentioned mind control Epics. Just how extensive are some of the mind control powers and are they likely to diffentiate between normal people and other Epics?

A: Mind control powers among Epics are more subtle than you might find in something like the Marvel universe. (Making someone think they want a sandwich, so they wander away from their post, instead of directly controlling them.) But stronger manifestations do exist. They're more rare.

Generally, mind control powers will have more trouble with epics.

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/crh8v9o?context=10000

 

Q: There seems to be a certain parallel between the naming of Elendel and Luthadel. If the former is named after Elend, is the latter named after somebody called Lutha? Luthad? Who is (was?) that?

A: Good Question! Yes, there is a person this city is named after. But I'm not ready to give specifics.

He is pretty adamant on this, he's RAFO'd it at least once before...

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/crh8udr?context=10000

 

Q: May I ask you another question? Knowing that you can only access the Dor from Sel. If an Elantrian worldhops does it returns to a normal human pre-Shaod state? If this Elantrian goes back to Sel it recovers his Elantrian powers or he keeps his pre-Shaod form?

A: An Elantrian away from Sel would still be an Elantrian--but many of the visible signs would fade away, much like something florescent that stops glowing when moved away from a Black Light.

[vineyarddawg]

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/crh8v9o?context=10000

He is pretty adamant on this, he's RAFO'd it at least once before...

 

Perhaps Luthadel was named for a man named Luthor. Lexillimus Luthor.  Who went by the nickname "Lex."

 

/crossover post in wrong thread

[Joe ST]

Perhaps Luthadel was named for a man named Luthor. Lexillimus Luthor.  Who went by the nickname "Lex."

 

/crossover post in wrong thread

 

but then who is superman? I would guess TLR is a good candidate, with his vast magical prowess, XD

[skaa]

My speculation is that Luthadel was named after a previous Hero of Ages, perhaps the one who took up the power in the Well of Ascension before Rashek.

The name sort of sounds German to me (mainly because it starts with "Luth-", which reminds me of the German "Luthor" and "Luther"). If that was Brandon's intent then it could imply that whoever the city of Luthadel was named after belonged to a civilization that had German-sounding names, which may also be where the ancestors of House Venture (Elend and Straff were meant to be German-sounding) came from.

Interestingly, House Venture's homeland is in the Northern Dominance, near what is thought of as the Terris Mountains. We know that Rashek changed the land during his Ascension (e.g. the original Terris Mountains were flattened out, etc.), but if the "German" civilization did originally live somewhere north then it might actually be the Nelazan civilization, which existed in the far north and whose people worshiped the god Trell before the Final Empire.

Edited May 23, 2015 by skaa

[Argent]

I've had this headcanon that Lutha was a lover, or at least some kind of love interest, of Rashek. Doesn't fit as well with Brandon's silence on the topic, but it's the first thing I thought of when I first read the confirmation that Luthadel was named after a person.

 

More answers from the AMA now:

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/crhuapl?context=10000

 

Q: A while back I read you were considering changing the focus character of Stormlight 3. Any updates on this?

A: No update. I have to write the various backstories, and decide which one best matches this book thematically.

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/crhud6l?context=10000

 

Q: Hey Brandon! If you're still answering these...what would happen if a Surgebinder absorbed Voidlight? (Or whatever's powering the Everstorm)

A: RAFO. (Sorry.)

[Kobold King]

I've had this headcanon that Lutha was a lover, or at least some kind of love interest, of Rashek. Doesn't fit as well with Brandon's silence on the topic, but it's the first thing I thought of when I first read the confirmation that Luthadel was named after a person.

 

I ship it like the Wandersail, baby.

[Argent]

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/cri94tp?context=10000

 

Q: Is Voidlight a good name for it? We've been playing with the words "void" and "odium", stitching them together into Voidlight, Voids (as opposed to Surges), Voidspren, Odiumspren, etc. Are any of those accurate?

A: It may not be accurate, but it is a valid conjecture. Afraid I won't say more right now.

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/cri965n?context=10000

 

Q: Let's try something less heavy on the hidden workings of the Cosmere. When you were coming up with names for the Orders of the Knights Radiants, did you have any names that you liked but couldn't include?

A: That's one I've never been asked before.

Most of the names I liked but discard were tossed because they sound too much like other compound words I've used, or other terminology in the cosmere. Shardbearer is already troublesome enough; I want to avoid others like this. The toughest one to name was Renarin's order, because most of the ideas I came up with over the years ended up being repeats. Others, like Stoneward and Windrunner, were powerful enough in my mind that when I wrote later cosmere books, I intentionally stayed away from terms that would sound too similar.

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/cri999c?context=10000

 

Q: Silly shardblade question: Dick Cheney's artificial heart was a continuous flow model, which meant he had no pulse. If you gave him a shardblade, how would summoning it work?

A: You know, I've actually had to think about this. (Not because of Cheney, but because of cosmere applications.) Just as blind people dream differently from people without visuals, I feel a shardbearer without a pulse would end up having another method of representing the way their soul reaches toward a dead shardblade and summons it. But it would vary based on the individual.

 

 

http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/cri99l6?context=10000

 

Q: I was wondering, if one were to take an honorblade to Nalthis (I think that's the Warbreaker planet?), would it function like a minor version of Nighblood?

And could one fuel one of these shards with other forms of investiture, not gas based like breath and stormlight, e.g. Burning metals?

A: Shardblades will not lose or change functionality when taken off of Roshar.

 

[Moogle]

Interesting on the Honorblade one - it implies Surgebinding can be used off-world, which is counter to some ideas.

[Kipper]

Did he actually answer the question? He referded to Shardblades, not Honorblades specifically...

[Kurkistan]

So I guess we're getting a bit more specifics on how "transcendenty" Investiture is:

 

Old WoB:

QUESTION

What is the Realmatic composition of Investiture?

 

BRANDON SANDERSON

Investure is intended to be the building blocks of the cosmere so I would say for the most part it transcends the different realms. Probably more of the Spiritual if anything but more accurately it transcends them.

 

New WoB:

focoma:

Is there a quantum of Investiture? Just as how the photon (the quantum of light) is the force carrier particle of electromagnetism, is there a force carrier particle for Investiture, and do you have a name for it? (My follow up question would involve string theory, but I'll leave that one for later.)

 

Brandon:

 

Yes, there is a quantum of Investiture, though it acts very oddly in the cosmere.

 

True Investiture is a purely Spiritual Realm thing. In the cosmere, there are two alternate planes of existence, with their own specific laws. Some of them, as you've undoubtedly notice, behave similar to ideas in String Theory.

 

So this "True Investiture" is purely spiritual, but I suppose it can be fairly easily mixed up in the other realms?

Edited May 25, 2015 by Kurkistan

[Moogle]

Hey, look, more answers. Specifically to the Allomancy question of mine! I think it deserves a new thread at some point... but there's a lot to chew on first. Here's the whole thing:

QUESTION
My question is, what 'causes' an effect in the end for Allomancy? You've got Investiture being filtered through a metal, but does putting it through the metal turn the Investiture cause a Steelpush, or is it putting the Investiture through your soul that causes it? At what point do you turn Preservation's Investiture into a Steelpush, or is there no one 'point' where it happens?
 
BRANDON SANDERSON
Okay, imagine you've got one of those play-dough machines you can stuff with dough, then press a handle on the top to make a little snake-like tube of play-dough squirt out.
Those have appendages you can affix to the front to change the shape of the tube that comes out. The metals are the appendage that determines the shape of the power released, but only certain souls can unlock those metals and use them.
(source)

QUESTION
If metals shape the Investiture in Allomancy, causing a Steelpush or whatever, how is it that the mists can be used to perform the same feat? What is 'shaping' the inhaled mists into a Steelpush, if there's no metal "nozzle" to do so?
 
BRANDON SANDERSON
Consistently through the cosmere, once you have the power in hand and it has permeated you, will becomes your nozzle. This can be seen in Warbreaker, where the power has been distributed and inhabits the people. The nozzle idea is important for Magics that are drawing power externally, as it keeps the power from overwhelming and destroying you. (Which, basically, happened to Vin at the end of the Trilogy--she got consumed by the magic. She became something new, now, so it didn't KILL her. It destroyed what she was, transformed her into something else.)
So you see magics like on Sel and Scadrial where a specific nozzle is needed--as the power source is external, at least with Allomancy. Will and intent take a backseat, though still pop up on occasion. On Nalthis (and in a lesser way, Roshar) will and intent are more important, and what you are trying to do shapes the magic more directly.
A little direct manifestation in this is found in the subtle differences between Allomancy and Feruchemy. In Allomancy, when you enhance the senses, you just get a blast of power--and all senses are enhanced, whether you want them all or not. In Feruchemy, you can be more precise, and pick a specific sense to store. The power is internal here, and therefore more limited in how much you can draw--but you can also be more precise with its manipulation.
Note that Roshar Surgebinding is a special case, as the magical symbiosis there is stronger than it is on other worlds, as much of the magic involves bits of power who have become sapient.
(source)

 
So, when we look at the Mist-Metal Conundrum, we find the answer: there is indeed a "backup" system in the Spiritweb, and the purpose of there being duplicates is to avoid an overload of power. I suspect this is why the metals themselves are destroyed - they are sacrificed so you yourself aren't. (This is strangely 'engineered', for a natural phenomenon, and leads to further questions.)

Edited May 25, 2015 by Moogle

[skaa]

So I guess we're getting a bit more specifics on how "transcendenty" Investiture is:

Old WoB:

New WoB:

So this "True Investiture" is purely spiritual, but I suppose it can be fairly easily mixed up in the other realms?

Holy smokes he actually answered my question!!! And in the affirmative!!!

I'm almost late for work, but this calls for a celebration. *gives away upvotes*

[yurisses]

So, when we look at the Mist-Metal Conundrum, we find the answer: there is indeed a "backup" system in the Spiritweb, and the purpose of there being duplicates is to avoid an overload of power. I suspect this is why the metals themselves are destroyed - they are sacrificed so you yourself aren't. (This is strangely 'engineered', for a natural phenomenon, and leads to further questions.)

 

My theory is that the metals act as a limiter/a key. This is why they need to be destroyed but not with the internal magic Feruchemy. Drawing on Investiture can damage your soul, as it did to Spook who became a savant and Vin a sliver shard holder (inhaling the mists). It's just less likely to happen with the metals placing a limit on how much you can draw by being destroyed in the process of drawing power.

Edited May 25, 2015 by yurisses

[the winter system]

You mean like becoming a savant is beating down the natural protections over times?

[yurisses]

My guess is that becoming a savant is making holes in your spirit/soul that Investiture can fill. (Snapping is similar, see quotes). Using Allomancy makes holes in your spirit--or rather, maybe uses existing ones (from Snapping) and ever so slowly widens them up. Only burning large amounts of metal can draw on enough Allomantic power (Investiture) to widen the spiritual holes significantly. Once the hole is larger, you can naturally be filled with more power. Ascension is akin to becoming a lerasium savant, apparently... Here are a few related WoB.

 

 

Nicrosil

Can you Compound to the point where you become a Savant?

Brandon Sanderson

No, being a Savant is when you burn so much it alters your spirit, Compounding is similar but different.

 

http://www.theoryland.com/intvmain.php?i=1046

 

IronCaf

In what ways is the process of becoming an allomantic savant like body building or other exercise?

Brandon Sanderson

[Paraphrasing] That is not an inapt metaphor for it. It's like a wedge gets in the soul and cracks it, and investiture can fill it up.

IronCaf

And using allomancy breaks it further?

Brandon Sanderson

Yes.

 

http://www.theoryland.com/intvmain.php?i=1048

 Douglas

What about a Lerasium savant? Or would that require so much Lerasium that the person attempting it would ascend to become a new Shardholder?

Brandon Sanderson

Basically, this is what ascension is.

 

http://www.theoryland.com/intvmain.php?i=977

 

Kchan

How does Snapping work after Sazed changed it? If you don't want to reveal it all right now, are there any hints you can give us?

Brandon Sanderson

He couldn't get rid of this entirely. I don't want to spoil things, but Snapping was built into Allomancy primarily because of larger-scale magical issues. This is getting deep into the issue, but it has to do with a person's spiritual makeup and a 'wounded' spirit being easier to fill with something else, kind of like a cut would let something into the bloodstream. Sazed made this threshold on Scadrial much easier to obtain.

 

http://www.theoryland.com/intvmain.php?i=977

 

Edited May 25, 2015 by yurisses