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On that topic, the way he answered is interesting. Does "Not yet" imply that there are more alloys to be explored than the 16 (seems unlikely), that the magic can be changed (meaning by people, since it's not the sort of change I'd expect Harmony to find necessary to institute), or just that nobody had discovered this particular use?

Good clarification.I think the question is why the will takes precedence over the contract in determining ownership of the soul. The OP was asking why, if the contract is signed first, transferring soul ownership to the librarians, he was subsequently able to write a will bequeathing his soul to Alcatraz, since it was no longer his to give away. I'm no law expert, but it seems like if I sign a contract exchanging my car for season theater tickets, I could no longer leave my car to my daughter in my will, since I don't own it any more. But wills are tricky, and we don't know the actual text of the contract. I'm not too worried about it.

Probably? Together with his contemporaries Asimov and Heinlein, he made the foundation for much of what science fiction has become. Some of his books are definitely classics.That being said, sometimes the classics disappoint if you are familiar with what has happened since then. One of my sisters-in-law only read Tolkien after she had read a ton of other fantasy books. By the time she got to LotR, it felt derivative and boring to her--so many works were influenced by it, and new developments in the genre had led to faster pacing and different voice conventions. It has been a long time since I read Clarke, so I don't remember it well enough to confidently recommend his writing in comparison to what else you may have read in SF.I remember enjoying it at the time, though.

I can't advise on publishing routes, but judging only from your posts here, I'd say you have the ability to write very well in English if that's the direction you want to go. For Spanish language publishing, do you know of any current Venezuelan authors (in particular fiction, though not necessarily fantasy)? I would imagine that some of them at least would publish through through a company in another Spanish speaking country. That's just a guess, though--I have no experience with that.

If you are interested in looking at ways that other authors have handled the color language idea, Arthur C. Clark included a race that communicated that way in his Rendezvous with Rama series. IIRC they show up in the second book and play a prominent role in the third. My recollection is that the translation was fairly straightforward, after recognizing that our vision doesn't directly overlap with the spectrum they see. There was, I think, little if any exploration of the quirks of the language, except that the individual who interacted with the humans most had a "speech impediment" such that all of his words bleed over into blue. (When the humans found out, they felt bad about calling him "Dr. Blue" all along.)

More Answers! http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ctfytaf?context=3 (Previous response included for context) http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ctfyugs?context=3 http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ctfyuyk?context=3 http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ctfywa9?context=3 http://www.reddit.com/r/brandonsanderson/comments/3ec4r0/brandon_sandersons_antisuperhero_books_could_be_a/ctfyy6o?context=3 (Not from the AMA, a question about quality of the in-development Steelheart movie.) http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ctfz2a2?context=3 http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ctfz3bz?context=3 http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ctfz3ms?context=3 http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ctfz482?context=3 http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ctfz4e9?context=3 (This question a response to the RAFO about if Vasher had seen a shardblade before) http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ctfz5db?context=3 http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ctg46nb?context=3 http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ctg6gn0?context=3

Did I miss the announcement? I can't seem to find one.

In context, he says that gibberish is taking words apart and putting the pieces back together in a different shape that has no meaning. He muses that the same thing could be done with a person, but in that case the pieces would be giblets (chunks of meat), so the result would be "gibletish." There have been discussions here speculating about potential deeper meanings (especially that putting pieces back together sounds like a possible goal regarding shattered powers), but on the surface it is simply a pun.

Welcome! We're glad to have you. This is a friendly community that talks a lot about Brandon's books, and quite a bit about other stuff too. If you want to discuss an aspect of the books you've read, look for a thread (or start your own!) in the appropriate sub-forum. Other areas of the site include role-play threads, discussions of other books, tv shows, movies, etc, writing advice and critiques, and a lot of miscellany. I'll also point out the links at the top to the wiki about Brandon's collected works, and to the Gallery of fan art. How did you find us? What Sanderson books have you read? Which are your favorites? What else you want to know?

I expected a "no" since if Wit wasn't referring to the Five, it wouldn't be RAFO-worthy; a yes may or may not have been significant enough to RAFO. In fact, if we hadn't had the simultaneous questions about the scholars consciously imitating shardblades, I think he would have been willing to give out this piece of info as a definite yes or no. That's why, to me, this RAFO seems like a probable yes. Obviously just my own speculation, though. And more answers!: http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/cta8e9x?context=3 As Weiry says, it is nice to finally have confirmation of what was meant. http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/cta8gk5?context=3 http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/cta8ik6?context=3 http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/cta8zyq?context=3 Previous answer included for context http://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ctak4c2?context=3 Note: Honestly, that last part surprised me a little bit. Kelsier is capable and clever, of course, but still. Maybe I'm just overawed by the mystery factor, but Mraize and Iyatil don't strike me as pushovers, and I'm guessing whoever is actually in charge is likewise capable. Also, what we've seen of the Ghostbloods so far doesn't really strike me as operating well within Kelsier's culture of trust. We know very little, though, so I'm curious to learn more.

For the most part I agree with VindicationKnight on this. My first thought is to make the protagonist a potion user, and in the final sequence they OD in order to win, resulting in a transition to the shape shifting magic for the sequel. (Bonus points if it's an animal that doesn't seem useful most of the time.) A question: can shape shifters use potions still? Or does the process of ODing make them intolerant? Also, what does blood from a shapeshifter do? If people hunt them down, if be surprised if nobody in this blood thirsty culture has tried it. I'll just note that the coolest part of a book that totally failed to live up to its potential (Rhapsody) was when a main character had their incredible abilities replaced by something entirely different at the midpoint of the story. I kept wishing that the author would deal with that meaningfully, but they didn't.

Alternatively, we know of at least one religious group that has been hoarding Honorblades for a long time, and are reputedly good at retrieving them. My current belief is that the Stone Shamans are responsible for the swap. Since an arriving Herald is the sort of anathema information that they made Szeth Truthless over, they would want to confirm it for themselves. If it's just a normal dead-spren blade, you can ignore the crackpot imposter. If it's a genuine Honorblade but not Taln's, you wanted it back anyway because Moogle was right (as was Mr. T) that someone stole it from you. (Unless it belongs to the herald that went back for his, which would be awkward if he still wants it--presumably that Herald could resummon the blade if he hasn't given it up again. But if not I guess the Shamans would be able to complete their set of 9.) If it's the real deal I'm not sure what they do, but probably something drastic. Or maybe their denial runs really deep and they decide to ignore real-Taln too. Spelling things out this way makes me think that "Taln" definitely is not who he claims. First, Taln could presumably resummon his own blade if it were taken from him. (I recognize that this is an assumption not everyone shares, but I think it is a reasonable one. Until we see evidence that Honorblades don't work that way, I will consider them to be similar to dead-spren blades in terms of bonding and summoning.) Anyway, if we assume that the Stone Shamans are the blade swappers, then they would know for sure whether "Taln" is who he claims to be. I'll need to think through the scenarios a bit more to look for textual evidence either way, but from a narrative standpoint, I think it is far more likely that Szeth's confrontation with his people will be more like "We know you are still lying because the last Herald hasn't returned, and we can prove it" than like "Oh, sorry, you were right after all. Our bad."

Specifically, Dalinar bashed Elhokar in the chest until he shattered the breastplate. It left an impression.

I'll get on this. I presume that, since the Elsecallers are a pragmatic order and since I'm only a squire, "remedial" measures are approved? That is, the conversion to fire doesn't have to be accomplished strictly through soulcasting, right? I'm a deft hand with matches. Or, if surgebinding is the point, then I'm thinking that I could maybe elsecall it into the middle of a furnace. I'll practice both these methods so that I'll be ready when I meet the stick in question.

Ah, my mistake. This small screen on my phone led me astray.

If you don't mind being a sadistic mercenary (or just want to carry around taxidermied pets), Tonk Fah is another large-ish character. According to the wiki, he is described as "large of girth." I think that could be a fun costume to do. Taking this another direction, koloss are definitely large. Proportions aren't described, but I imagine them coming in a wide variety of shapes and body types. So if you want to go for the blue skin and giant sword look, that's a more exotic option.

What do you mean by sort of? To me the Willshaper blade (that's the second from the left, correct?) looks quite thin, and a great match for the long spike description. Obviously the image is stylized, but this looks like a big point in your favor here. I agree with Lirins Hand that ornate/ornamented is not necessarily implied in the description of Honorblades as "masterly works of art."

I think hoser hit all of the points I was going to bring up. This is a very good, well written summary--I hope you incorporate it into the Coppermind articles once you are happy with it. (Or give permission for someone else to do it.)

By "my version" I mean how it works in my head--I'm guessing the text is identical. If that is what the quote is then i think this is probably a continuity error, but Alcatraz is unreliable enough that it could be poor reporting on his part.

Welcome to the forums! No spoilers for the Alcatraz books needed here in the Alcatraz sub-forum, but some people try to be cautious and extra spoilers don't hurt. It's been a while so I don't remember the exact wording. My interpretation is that his dad did not know the trick until after he signed the contract. In my version, the trick is actually to not own your soul when the contract comes due, rather than when you sign the contract. Whether you want to chalk that up to a continuity error or to a misunderstanding by Alcatraz is up to you. Other interpretations are possible.

Great to have you! I've definitely seen Talanic about, and I am glad you decided to join him here. Happy foruming!

Mailliw, That sounds interesting but difficult to pull off. There are a lot of stories that have successfully done something similar with two timelines, especially historical mysteries, but three is tough. I think you will run into two foreseeable problems that will need to be planned for. First, there needs to be at least one (preferably more) really good reveal for each of the past timelines. A betrayal, an injury, an unexpected success, but importantly one that cannot be surmised from what has been revealed from the other timelines already. If the reader knows what to expect already, it is much harder to make them interested in the flashbacks/flashforwards. (Still doable, but takes serious skill.) Second, in the story you've outlined the present timeline is the one with the least action. That runs the risk of the readers becoming bored with the present day character and events. Brandon has said of Elantris that most readers like two of the plotlines and not the third, because it gets in the way of finding out what happens in the ones the do like. The opinions seem pretty evenly split between Sarene, Raoden, and Hrathen, so it's more a function of the format than the story itself. I've seen this happen with other multi-POV books, most recently The Broken Eye by Brent Weeks. Fans disagree about which plot line was boring and in the way, but many think that one of them was. The added danger for you is that the present day story is the one that should have the biggest emotional payoff and reader investment, since that is where the character actually ends up, but it is also the most internal. Obviously this can be done well, such as in the frame story for Rothfuas' Kingkiller books, but the depressed has-been is harder to make exciting than their earlier action-oriented versions. Good luck!

More answers! There are a few writing advice questions, but I'll just include everything this time for completeness. In the future, what is the hope for people reporting on this thread? Should we focus on book and magic-system questions, or include everything? I know that it is partly for discussion and partly to help those who will later enter things into theoryland. Also, I have been removing all the attributions for the question askers, and letting 17S members claim their questions in this thread if they want to. Should I be including info about who asked the questions? How much do we care about credit here? https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ct2nb42?context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ct2nbw4?context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ct2nf87?context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ct2nhfw?context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ct2nhv4?context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ct2nmms?context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ct2nocd?context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ct2nq1e?context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ct2nqf4?context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ct2nqqo?context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ct2nrnh?context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ct2ns4z?context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ct2odey?context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/2ytg2h/im_novelist_brandon_sanderson_ama/ct2ofj7?context=3 Not from the AMA: https://www.reddit.com/r/writing/comments/3d7eny/should_you_save_your_favourite_ideas_for_when/ct2q0fw?context=3

We have an incomplete one on the wiki. We know that for the same size, 1 emerald = 2 sapphire = 5 ruby = 10 garnet = 50 diamond. The remaining 4 or 5 currency gems (see above discussion on Shallan's "9 colors" quote) fit into those established value levels, so some gems are equivalent in value. We also know that 1 broam = 4 marks = 20 chips. There is a WoB that talks about that, but I don't remember it being discussed in the book. As far as I know the causation works the other way: they use diamonds for light because they are cheapest. If you can find the quote about value following use I would like to see it. (source)

This Wikipedia article suggests that a variant of the sad one above, For Sale: Baby Shoes, Never Worn is the "original" Six Word Story, dating from around 1910. My introduction to these came a few weeks ago, when xkcd based a comic on that one. See spoiler below for the lighter/more humorous versions from that comic. My own attempt at a lighter one: Hawaii Coastguard Rescues Confused "Couch Surfers"