2016-09-06 Dark Talent Release Party - Salt Lake City

[Ianricks58 Darkeyes]

Next month (Sept. 6) Brandon is also signing his 5th Alcatraz book in a bookstore in Salt Lake City.  It might be a bit crowded since there is another author releasing a book at the store on the same day.

[Sunbird Lerasium Mistborn]

FYI Brandon's Upcoming Events page has the wrong address and phone # for the King's English Bookstore. The correct address is 511 South 1500 East in Salt Lake and the correct phone # is 801-484-9100.

[Ianricks58 Darkeyes]

You are right with the phone number being different, but both the Brandon Sanderson's website (http://brandonsanderson.com/upcoming-events/#10166) and the bookstore's website (http://www.kingsenglish.com/event) says that the address is 1511 South 1500 East in Salt Lake City.  When I look the published address up on google maps, it looks like it's correct.  I have never been there myself to say for sure though.

[Sunbird Lerasium Mistborn]

@Ianricks58 Ok yeah, looks like you're right about the address. I was looking at the entry in my phone's contacts, and I guess I typed in the building number wrong. And I have been there before so I can confirm that Google Maps has it in the right place by the surroundings.

[Sunbird Lerasium Mistborn]

Pro tip for anyone who's planning to go to the release party at the King's English tomorrow: get there early. The bookshop used to be a house, so there aren't really any rooms inside large enough to accommodate the kind of crowds that Brandon's signings usually attract. I expect space will be a problem.

[Blightsong Highprince]

So how was it?

[Sunbird Lerasium Mistborn]

Space was actually not as much of an issue as I expected. Brandon talked about how Alcatraz came to be: the character started out as what Brandon calls his "inner heckler" that mocks him and his writing, and Brandon put that voice to creative use by writing Alcatraz.

Brandon also did readings of two different drafts of the opening to an unpublished project called Dark One--one sorta like Alcatraz in its snarky tone and real world setting, and the other a bit more in the style of traditional high fantasy.

I saw two different fans dressed as Bastille.

I asked Brandon if it was any coincidence that Sadeas's name sounds suspiciously similar to the word sadist, and in essence his answer was no, it's not a coincidence, but he didn't consciously choose the name for that specific reason. More like his brain decided it sounded good for that character because his subconscious heard the similarity.

I got copy #7 of The Dark Talent. Lowest numbered copy I've ever had!

Haley Lazo and Isaac were both there signing their respective artwork as well.

[WeiryWriter Prime]

Just split this off from the old thread so we can keep things to one event per thread.

[Djarskublar Envisager]

Yeah it was really small. There were maybe 50-75 people there. It is telling that I was towards the end of the line for the signing, and I got #37 for DT.

I got the feeling from what he was saying about his Dark One drafts that he has tried to write it around 5-10 times.

More on his inner Heckler. He was saying that he has this inner voice telling him that he just lucked into his success so far, and that he isn't really all that good. It also makes fun of some of the things he happens to do in his writing. He talked about how he named that voice Alcatraz, and that he likes the name because he like how Z sounds in words. He then talked about how eventually Alcatraz ended up as the main character of a book. Now that I have read DT, I can say (without spoilers) that this is definitely going on. He makes fun of himself through the whole thing.

[Blightsong Highprince]

Any interesting WoB?

[Yata Mistborn]

14 minutes ago, Blightsong said:

Any interesting WoB?

The only I know is the name of Dalinar's wife. You may find it in Stormlight Section :

Also if weirywriter asked him/her to add it here too

EDIT: I am an Idiot, there is this thread but I didn't see it

 

Edited September 7, 2016 by Yata

[Windrunner Savant Ardent]

Alright so I will attempt to be as accurate as possible in my report of what I asked and how I responded.

Potential Shadows of Self spoiler:

Spoiler

Me: (I mentioned I had a question about Paalm) So in Shadows of Self, when TenSoon and Was are fighting the spiked creature things, TenSoon mention that he was Harmony's "Preservation."

(Brandon seemed a bit apprehensive about that statement.)

Me: And he said that Wax was Harmony's "Ruin."

Brandon: (Still aprehensive) Yes...

Me: Well since Harmony has been around for about 300 years someone else would have had to fill that role, right?

Brandon: Probably...

Me: And could that person possibly have been Paalm?

Brandon: Maybe...

(I'll take that as a confirmation of my theory!  Bleeder's Role)

Next I asked about the importance of a lot of the religion from the "Final Empire Era" Scadrial. I pointed out that there were a lot of little nods and references to other shardworlds. And he assured me that there was something there, perhaps not anything as big as I was hoping for, but definitely more than just "Easter eggs!"

Very little Stormlight spoilers if anything:

Spoiler

I asked whether spren, particularly those bonded to a Knights Radiant, fould worldhop, and he said that it would be very difficult for them to.

Next I asked if he would ever consider using a more "traditional" spellcasting- type magic. And he said he would only do it if he felt like he had something new to contribute to it.

Potential White Sand spoilers: (I don't know if I am allowed to discuss this question/answer because it has to do somewhat with the Prose version. I'm sorry if I am breaking the rules!!)

Spoiler

I asked about the cultural importance of Ais' gender-swap and he talked about how part of the reason for the change, was he felt that he had already covered the strong patriarchal society and the oppression of women some of his other works, such as Elantris and Stormlight.

Lastly, I asked for a random fact about Hoid. He was hesitant at first, and after a bit, and me begging for even something inconsequential, he responded: "In the next book people will think he is helping them, but he is really helping himself." And when I pushed by what he meant by "next book" he refused to answer.

Additionally, I asked a question for him to answer as the personalisation of my copy of Bands of Mourning, and the Q&A were:

Spoiler

Can you give me any information about Trell? 

It read: "Trell has been many things over the eons..."

 

[anarchitect Noble-Blooded]

Next book is prob SA3. THX A LOT for your posts!

[Pagerunner Prime]

Oh, man, that Trell quote is tantalizingly vague. Does he mean that Trell as a name has been used in many different places over the eons (Trellism, Trelagism, etc), or is he saying that whatever is using Trell's name now to fight Harmony has gone by many names before?

[ROSHtaFARian2.0 Gyorn]

(Well my pet theory is Trell is a Shard named something like Revolution, ie the Intent of Change, that Shard which governs the aspect of creation that introduces dramatic shake-ups to the current status quo, so as to prevent stagnation. It would fit with his agents' actions on Scadrial, and such a Shard would especially be interested in a world half created by Preservation who was succeeded by Harmony. Plus, such a Shard would fit with the hints that Odium has worked with other Shards before, and to my mind makes more sense than Autonomy to for instance, help shatter Devotion and Dominion and radically shift the course of events on Sel).

[Djarskublar Envisager]

Alright I will repost my WoB here for ease of access.

Djarskublar: So I could be wrong, but a Hemalurgic spike, when you use it and become a savant it does damage to your Spiritweb, right?

Brandon: Yes Hemalurgy always hurts you. (I think he was saying that the Hemalurgy itself hurts you more than being a savant, but I'm not sure how to interpret this)

Djarskublar: So say you go to Roshar and you give somebody a Hemalurgic spike for some Allomantic power, don't care what, and you use it to become a savant. Does that qualify them as 'broken' enough to become a Radiant? As long as they are also following the Ideals to attract a spren.

Brandon: So becoming a Radiant is a spectrum of terminologies. It... probably, but you would have to find a Radiant who would, or a spren who would be willing to touch that, okay? It's going to drive them back.

Djarskublar: So would it also affect your probability of becoming an Elantrian?

Brandon: Yeah it would affect your ability to become anything else, yes.

Djarskublar: Okay, so would it be a positive effect, negative effect...? Because I was like, it gives you cracks in your Spiritweb.

Brandon: It does give you cracks in your Spiritweb.

Djarskublar: So it's easier for Investiture to get in. Does it make it easier for other Investitures to get in?

Brandon: It would make it... yes. It's going to drive spren away. So what it's really going to make easier for, there, is spren and Investiture that doesn't care.

Djarskublar: Okay, so Investiture doesn't care but spren do.

Brandon: Investiture might care depending on if it's part of a Shard-- if it has intent and things like this.

Djarskublar: So it might let Stormlight in easier than a Breath, type thing.

Brandon: I'm saying it might let Odium in easier than Syl. Because Syl would care, and Odium would not care.

Djarskublar: Okay cool.

Brandon: Alright, so it could be a really bad thing, is what I'm trying to say to you.

Djarskublar: Yeah that's cool. I just want to know more about gold too. Gold Allomancy too. Because Miles was doing some funky stuff.

Brandon: Miles was doing some funky stuff.

 

Have at it. He also mentioned that Pattern actually was originally from one of his Dark One drafts. Interesting stuff.

[Windrunner Savant Ardent]

I know right! The mystery that is Trell continues!! Also the words about Hoid have been bouncing around in my mind. I would assume he was referring to SA3, but the way he was so evasive about defining what he meant by "next book," has me questioning that assumption! Also I have begun to question Hoid's intentions since Secret History, and this statement left me even more suspicious!

[Ianricks58 Darkeyes]

21 hours ago, anarchitect said:

Next book is prob SA3. THX A LOT for your posts!

I wonder if Hoid will be in "Edgedancer" 

[Djarskublar Envisager]

One other thing. The man next to me in line apparently asked about Kel. I heard none of it, but I haven't seen him post it, so second hand is better than nothing.

He asked if Kel had been born on Roshar, and something similar happened to him, would he be able to communicate with the living via Death Rattle. My understanding (of what I remember of what he paraphrased... Not a solid source) is that Brandon said it would be similar to a Rattle, but not the same.

[PallonianFire Ghostblood]

11 hours ago, Ianricks58 said:

I wonder if Hoid will be in "Edgedancer" 

I'd imagine not, since he hasn't been in any of the other "side" novellas. (Not counting Secret History here, since that's dealing with a main character and behind-the-scenes of main events.) But it would certainly be cool to see what he thinks of Lift. I bet he'd be floored by her metabolic ability.

[Ianricks58 Darkeyes]

20 hours ago, Djarskublar said:

One other thing. The man next to me in line apparently asked about Kel. I heard none of it, but I haven't seen him post it, so second hand is better than nothing.

He asked if Kel had been born on Roshar, and something similar happened to him, would he be able to communicate with the living via Death Rattle. My understanding (of what I remember of what he paraphrased... Not a solid source) is that Brandon said it would be similar to a Rattle, but not the same.

That was me, I asked him if Kelsier had died on Roshar would he be able to communicate with people using death rattles.  I don't remember exactly what he said, but he said it would be difficult to do, but that the source of the death rattles were something different.  I am sorry, I should have recorded it, but someone in line had told me that the rattles were coming from the unmade and what Brandon had said seemed to confirm it somewhat.

[Djarskublar Envisager]

2 hours ago, Ianricks58 said:

That was me, I asked him if Kelsier had died on Roshar would he be able to communicate with people using death rattles.  I don't remember exactly what he said, but he said it would be difficult to do, but that the source of the death rattles were something different.  I am sorry, I should have recorded it, but someone in line had told me that the rattles were coming from the unmade and what Brandon had said seemed to confirm it somewhat.

Yeah it was an interesting question because they come from the Unmade. Did he say it would be possible at all? Even if by a different mechanic? If so, it makes me wonder if ol' Gavilar is hanging around the CR trying to figure out how.

[Ari Stormwarden]

On 10/09/2016 at 3:52 AM, PallonianFire said:

I'd imagine not, since he hasn't been in any of the other "side" novellas. (Not counting Secret History here, since that's dealing with a main character and behind-the-scenes of main events.) But it would certainly be cool to see what he thinks of Lift. I bet he'd be floored by her metabolic ability.

Well, he did make it into The Emperor's Soul, so it's possible he could make it into Edgedancer, it just depends if his business takes him to the right part of Roshar. I certainly wouldn't bet on it, though. It's probably a better way of looking at it to assume Hoid may have bigger fish to fry than to show up in every novella, but it's not outside of the realm of possibility that he might make it into any given novella if he's not busy elsewhere at the time.

[PallonianFire Ghostblood]

He didn't make it into TES, though. Brandon removed him for the final draft. I don't count the oblique mention. *shrug*