Theoryland of the Wheel of Time

Brandon who is your favorite character from WoT? Or do you have one?

Probably Perrin, most days. It's hard to say. It's the one I'm writing at the moment, usually.

favorites

You've met Mr. Jordan right?

Saw him once at a convention. Was too chicken to go meet him. Still feel stupid.

EAST COAST GIRL

To be honest I was a little mad that Robert Jordan wasn't gonna finish WOT (actually make that a LOT mad) but I've kinda mellowed a bit :)

BRANDON SANDERSON

I'm there with you all the way. Perhaps I shouldn't admit this, but a good friend and I used to have a thing where we would shake our fists at the sky whenever Mr. Jordan's name was mentioned. (This was before he died.)

EAST COAST GIRL

Mr. Sanderson honestly you wouldn't believe the fits I went through right after he died, but purely for selfish reasons: I wanted to know who killed Asmodean NAO!! :P

BRANDON SANDERSON

If you haven't heard, I DO know, and it WILL be in the books. Somewhere. I can't say if it will be in Towers of Midnight or not.

brandon on life

How much flack have you gotten for the deadline changes for WOT?

Oh, a medium amount. Most were mad at the start, but my post about why we split calmed many. Reading The Gathering Storm calmed many more.

Milk Man

Glad to hear they understood!

BRANDON SANDERSON

I think, reading The Gathering Storm, people could see just how much still has to be done in these books. So they understood I couldn't fit it all in one volume.

brandon on writing wot

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how many more books?

So we know in The Eye of the World, there was somebody who talked in capital letters like how the Dark One did. Obviously you can't tell us who it was, but will we know by the end of A Memory of Light?

I know what that was about. Will it be in the next book? Er...RAFO. Sorry.

STEFAN

Will we know by the end of the series though?

BRANDON SANDERSON

I really can't say yes or no. This is one of the things Harriet has asked me to be very quiet about.

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harriet

When did you get the idea to connect many of your different novels into one cosmere?

Long before Elantris was published. In '99, I'd say. Maybe '98.

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elantris

Were you on set today? Where are we going to see the trailer for Towers of Midnight?

I couldn't make it out. Too much work to do. But I did get some exclusive pictures sent to me from Jason. ;) I'd say the trailer will be soon. After Tor and Harriet approve it. Maybe for DragonCon?

MILK MAN

will it only be seen at DragonCon?

BRANDON SANDERSON

It will NOT be seen only at DragonCon. It should be posted all over the place.

fandom

Do we see Rand much in the new book? Or will he be like Perrin, Mat or Elayne in The Gathering Storm?

Will we see Rand in the next book? YES. The book will not be a 100% flash-back like Book 10. There will be a little bit of catch-up for Perrin, but Egwene and Rand both have large parts too.

BECKSTER45

Is Mat in Towers of Midnight?

BRANDON SANDERSON

Yes. Lots of Mat. Promise.

RLRHORROCKS

What happened to Elayne? It seemed she fell off the earth in the last book.

BRANDON SANDERSON

It was tough to decide that Elayne would not appear in The Gathering Storm. I knew we didn't have room for everyone. Thing is, Elayne was way ahead of everyone else in her plotline. (Meaning what she needed to get done.) And so, with great regret, I moved her to Towers of Midnight. She will appear, as will her wonderful Warder.

BECKSTER45

Will we see Galad in Towers of Midnight?

BRANDON SANDERSON

so far, I'm on record as saying this: Almost everyone who did not appear in The Gathering Storm appears in Towers of Midnight. No promises on anyone other than Main Characters, like Mat/Elayne. But expect to see a lot of people return who didn't appear in The Gathering Storm. Also, Galad happens to be one of my personal favorite characters.

FRANKLINE

Do we get anything about Shocklances?

MYX

I'm pretty late to this party, so if I don't get an answer to my question..no worries...But any chance of Egwene ever putting Cadsuane in her place?

BRANDON SANDERSON

Re: Shocklances (sp? I should really know that one) and Egwene/Cadsuane. Double RAFO. Pow!

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Will we see the prologue of Towers of Midnight soon or is that still up to the publisher?

You are right, that's up to the publisher. I'd guess you will see it around September, maybe a little later than last year. But you will probably see it early.

What has been the most difficult part of finishing the WOT?

I'd say it's split between a couple of things. First: Keeping track of all of the characters. (Like remembering which Aes Sedai are with which main character, and which members of the Black Tower are which rank.) Got one of those wrong in the book, by the way. Second: Making sure everyone's voice (the characters) is correct. That's the most important thing, and I spent a lot of time on it.

MAGICKALMAN

Brandon, is the hardest part of writing the WoT keeping up with the 12,000 and some odd major and minor characters?

BRANDON SANDERSON

You got it exactly. That is TOUGH. Obviously, I can keep track of the mains. But those minor characters...It takes a LOT of work to make sure I'm getting them all.

MAGICKALMAN

It shows, I guess the best compliment I can give is that half way through The Gathering Storm I forgot that Jordan hadn't written it.

BRANDON SANDERSON

I take it as a great compliment when people say that, while reading The Gathering Storm, they forgot Mr. Jordan hadn't written it.

EAST COAST GIRL

I find it EXTREMELY humorous that there are at LEAST two separate charaters (maybe three I think) that have my given name or a variant thereof. :P

BRANDON SANDERSON

What is it?

brandon on writing wot

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errors

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characterization

Sup Brandon.

Hey, Erik. How's California?

ERIK HOLMES

It's not too bad, just been going to the beach (a LOT—my wifes a surfergirl) and trying to get my flippin book done. Brandon/Howard, do you guys try to get all of the local authors on Writing Excuses? The published ones that is.

HOWARD TAYLER

Local authors are like Pokemon. We have to catch them all.

BRANDON SANDERSON

Honestly, we don't have much trouble. Authors like to talk. (See: This conversation.) Give them a platform, and most will talk. Particularly on a podcast with a lot of listeners.

ERIK HOLMES

My buddy lives in Linden and just signed a big deal with S&S for a YA speculative fiction book. But the guy's a hermit and doesn't know any of the local people.

HOWARD TAYLER

Get him out to LTUE. We don't bite very hard.

ERIK HOLMES

Yeah I've been telling him that he should go. His series is supposed to fill the slot left by the Spiderwick Chronicles.

BRANDON SANDERSON

We'd love to have him on.

writing excuses

How dare you kill me off! And with balefire no less! Explain yourself!

I'm sorry. I did what I did because I love you. ;)

SEMIRHAGE666

Will you do another signing tour thing this fall/winter?

BRANDON SANDERSON

I WILL be doing a signing for Towers of Midnight in November. Right now, it's looking like New York, Texas, Charleston, Salt Lake, and maybe one or two other dates. And maybe Paris. (A con over there has invited me.)

HAMM

Semirhage asked the same thing I was hoping to ask, though I'll be more specific. Brandon, I'm not sure how much control you have over all the locations you do signings, but I'm interested to know if you'll be stopping off at Vroman's in Pasadena again this year for Towers of Midnight.

BRANDON SANDERSON

I probably will. But I love Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego so much that if I only have one day for touring in SoCal, I usually end up there. If I have a second day, it will be Vroman's. Maybe next year. Probably not for Towers of Midnight. (Sorry!)

HAMM

Oh lord. I'm going to have to drive from CA all the way to Salt Lake City huh?

BRANDON SANDERSON

Well, if you want numbered copies...yes. But I WILL be in San Diego and San Francisco for the tour in September.

fandom

Hey Brandon, any chance you'll be having pre-approved "Storm Leader" type things for the Way of Kings tour?

I'm thinking we'll try something else that tour. The Storm Leaders were awesome, but we had Jason to set that all up. I may return to doing something like that on another tour, but this one will involve something else. I'll explain eventually.

ERIK HOLMES

Brandon, when does your tour for The Way of Kings start? I saw that you would be out this way later on in the month

BRANDON SANDERSON

The Way of Kings tour starts August 31st. Lasts about 3 weeks, with Dragoncon in the middle.

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stormlight archive

What will happen to the fifth Alcatraz novel if Scholastic doesn't pick it up?

Well, I do want to write it, and Tor would publish it in a second—but I can't take time away from WoT right now. So MAYBE Tor will publish it. A lot depends on the film, which is being developed by Dreamworks Animation. The Dreamworks option runs out in December.

alcatraz

I will have to go before too long. So get your questions in soon. I will post a "All questions after this will have to wait until next time" in a few moments.

Okay, I will answer all questions before this post. When I reach this post, I'll have to leave. (Very sorry.)

Brandon's answers in between this entry and the last were continuations of previous questions and threaded as such.

What is the sister ship of the Pacific Jewel cruise ship? What was the first DVD by the Christian metalcore band Underoath? When did the Center for Survey Research at Ohio State University close? (Hope these questions are random enough.)

Remind [me] to make you pay next time we go out to eat.

ERICJAMESSTONE

You got it. 99-cent menu at Wendy's, here we come!

Mr. Sanderson do you work with any of the major WOT fan sites like the Encyclopaedia or Dragonmount?

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Encycolpaeda WoT, Tar Valon's Wiki, and the 13th Depository. (Wow, probably didn't spell that one right.) I really like Dragonmount, but I end up working with Jason more than hanging out there.

fandom

Has Mat's answer from the 'Finns about living and dying already happened?

In the books, Mat says that he's "Pretty Sure" that he'd already died. So use that as a guide.

FOOTNOTE

A better guide might be the two Balticon reports, both of which claim RJ said the Caemlyn death fulfilled the prophecy. RJ also confirmed that Mat was only 'almost' dead in Rhuidean to Tim Kington in 2003, and in 1999 in Sydney he noted that Mat hopes the prophecy was fulfilled in Rhuidean (because he doesn't remember dying in Caemlyn).

SEMIRHAGE666

Wasn't that fulfilled when he was hung from Avendesora?

STEFAN

That's what I'm wondering, whether that was it or not.

EAST COAST GIRL

But I thought Mat DIDN'T die when he got hung, just came really close ...

MAGICKAL MAN

Mat died and then Rand used balefire and turned back time.

STEFAN

Right *facepalm* I don't know how I forgot that.

RLRHORROCKS

If he had actually died when he was hung, Rand wouldn't have been able to bring him back. (i.e.: crazy puppet girl in the Stone)

BRANDON SANDERSON

Re: Another Mat being hung confirmation. Like I said, Mat's pretty sure that counted for him dying. He really doesn't want to try anything like that again...

Brandon has consistently presented a "confused" front on this issue; he was still doing it in 2011. Most likely he is trying to be clever about it, maybe playing on RJ's 2009 interview, but all it does is stir up the fans who happen to know what RJ said about it (which is a good number of them; it's common knowledge).

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I don't have a specific question for you Brandon, just wanted to say I love your work.

Re: Loving my work. Thank you so much, all of you.

Do you have any idea when the "encyclopedia" thing Harriet's working on will be out?

She says that it will come out one year after A Memory of Light. She wants it to be complete, and include all of the information through the last book. She and Maria are working hard on it.

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maria

Brandon, Have you ever been to New Zealand?

Re: New Zealand. (Sp?) Sorry about my spelling, by the way. I'm bad enough when going slowly. Anyway, I've never been to Australia or New Zealand. I'd love to visit both. And not just because it's Middle Earth. New Zealand is Middle Earth, that is. Not sure what Australia is....

brandon on life

I was interested in knowing what it is that you research for your books and how you go about doing it. Thanks.

I do a lot of broad-based reading in historical works. Things like the History of Warfare and the like. From there, I decide what I need to know for a specific book. For Mistborn, I read a lot on Canal Culture, Alchemy, Eunics, and early 1800's London. Mostly survey works.

GOLFFUUL

I was interested in your insights as to what kind of subject matter you research for your books?

BRANDON SANDERSON

I kind of answered this above, but I will say that MOST of it is along the lines of "How did this piece of technology work" or "how did this battle play out." Historical things.

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brandon on writing

What will Moiraine's first words be when she gets back to the real world?

Oh, you totally knew I was going to RAFO that. ... RAFO. (Also, that's not a promise she will be back. RAFO that too.) :)

moiraine

Is Maria your fountain of knowledge?

Yes, yes, yes. Her and Alan are VERY useful. Encyclopaedia WOT is my starting point, and they are my deep-researchers.

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alan

Brandon.....just how much sleep per night ARE you getting?

I do usually get 8 hours. My day goes like this: Get up, take my sons and play with them for an hour so Pemberly can nap. Work until 6 or 7. Eat dinner, hang with wife and kids. Back to work at 8 or 9, work until four. Sleep until noon.

brandon on life

Does Gawyn have any fans???

STEFAN

No.

SEMIRHAGE666

Nope.

STEFAN

He's a whiner; even his girlfriend think he's a loser.

RWORD

I like Gawyn. Very honorable!

MILK MAN

I agree with Rword. He has the same shortcomings as others; he's a little thickheaded, but he'll hopefully get over it.

DYLAN

I mean, he stops the rescue of Siuan...

RWORD

He has the honor of his brother without being a big snot.

I don't think even Gawyn has been a fan of Gawyn lately. But he's been through a lot, and has more to him than people are giving him credit for having. He still has a part to play.

gawyn

Was Elayne's 'relief' Rand felt in The Gathering Storm the relief of gaining the throne, or is that tying to more recent events? Like, is Rand up to date with Elayne yet?

To be honest, Luckers, I'd have to go look at my timeline. I'm pretty sure Rand was at June (our world months) at the end of The Gathering Storm. Perrin ended at beginning of April. Elayne...grrr Can't remember. But Rand/Egwene are in sync with one another as of the end of that book. I think Elayne is just a tad behind.

chronology

I like how your book covers mysteriously lead us into wrong conclusions about who characters are. Who comes up with that? You mostly, or does publisher have input??

Mostly, those are the publisher's deal. I generally have some input, but only a small input. The longer I go, the more I have to say. Often, I will suggest scenes, but it's up to the publisher/artist to decide. For example, the cover of Mistborn 3 was originally a concept cover for the cover of Mistborn One. Everyone liked it so much, they decided to tweak the sketch and do a full painting for Mistborn 3.

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Will Rand ever voice his known connection to his half brother?

RAFO. ;)

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How is Min NOT preggo?

Uh... You'll have to ask her about that. I don't pry. (Actually, I think they talk about it in the books.)

(heartleaf tea)

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Are there any male characters who don't know they can channel, but will learn?

Wonderfully specific question that is EXACTLY the type of thing RJ would RAFO. I will say this. We are not going to be introducing new plot lines in the upcoming books. Robert Jordan was specific. These books are culminations, not thread-starters. So basically, they will be focused on plots you already know about. Mostly. (Not much help there, am I? Sorry.)

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Will there be time for a Q&A at the Eagle Mountain signing on the 31st of July?

Yes. Hopefully, a lot of it. The Eagle Mountain Signing will have some Writing Excuses episodes recorded, so we 'll almost certainly do Q&A.

writing excuses

What original magic system are you the most proud of?

Oh, boy. That's like asking someone's favorite child. I really like what I've got in The Way of Kings, but Mistborn's trio of magic systems have a tightness to them that is hard to match.

brandon on writing

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brandon on magic

While I'm sure you have greatly enjoyed finishing the WoT series, do you look forward to being finished with writing them and being able to return to a more normal writing schedule?

Yes and no. It is a LOT of work. These books are the hardest I've ever written. So I will feel good to have them done, and to have the closure out there. But at the same time...the WoT Has been part of my life in one way or another since I was 14. It will be very sad to see it end.

brandon on writing wot

Which of your books was your favorite to write thus far, and why?

Each is different. The WoT books are the most challenging, the Alcatraz books the most fun. I think The Way of Kings was the most enthralling. Each have their high points.

favorites

Will Hoid be making an appearance in any of the remaining WoT books?

No, he will not. I feel that putting a character from one of my own books into the WoT world would be an act of arrogance. The WoT world is not mine, and I don't want to imply that my characters have any connection to it, or that it's part of 'my' cosmology. (Sorry.) There are other Easter eggs, though. The type Mr. Jordan liked to put in.

brandon on writing wot

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hoid

Did you get that email I sent? Maria said it was alright, but I wasn't sure it went through?

Yes, Luckers, I got your email. I totally forgot to reply, though.

All right, all. Thank you for listening. I'm going to read through the rest of the chat, so I'll see what you said. But I don't have time for more questions. (Hang around. I might post another thought or two.) But for now, we'll call this a wrap. I'll do it again in the future, I promise. I assume Dragonmount or someone will throw up an archive of this. They always do. If you do, please all pretend that my spelling was wonderful and I inserted a few extra chamingly witty comments. ;) Also, lets hope that I didn't say anything that will have Maria on the phone to me Monday groaning about something wrong I said. As always, thank you very much for reading. One of the best things about being involved in these books has been the fan base. You lot are a pretty great group.

GRRM is getting old. If he dies Brandon will have to finish his series too.

Lol. I think I'd be the WRONG choice for those books, and would tell them that if they asked me. WoT was one of the few I'd have said yes to, seeing as to how Robert Jordan taught me to write. (Pretty much.)

brandon on writing

Brandon when do you find time to teach? I've read a couple of your posts where you are grading papers.

I actually never graded finals for my last class. (Whoops.) I will be doing it during tour this year, probably. I teach for fun, so I do it as a hobby. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to do it. (I only teach one class a year.)

brandon on life

When's the last time you signed books in the SLC airport? If I'm there at the end of July, will there be any there for me? :)

I signed some books in the Salt Lake airport just a few weeks ago, and will do so again when I fly out to Comicon. So there's a good chance! If you call the bookstore and have them order you in a The Gathering Storm, I could sign that. Last time I was there, they were out.

DANA

We <3 you, Brandon Sanderson! Now hurry and publish more books, lol!

HAMM

Send him a pack of magic cards. That seems to be inspirational!

MAGICKALMAN

I'll send him my Black Lotus if it'll help!

HAMM

My lotuses (or is lotus singular and plural?) got stolen when I was in high school. I brought decks with me to Vroman's last fall for the Gathering Storm signing, but there wasn't exactly an opportunity to play.

BRANDON SANDERSON

Lol. Dana, I'm REALLY trying to publish as many as possible. Magic cards do help, though... In a more serious tone, I do offer to let people read my older books. So if you're starved for something, you can shoot and email through the website and ask for White Sand or Aether of Night. They're not up to my current standards, but they're okay. And if you're really interested in the larger story happening behind the scenes in my books, those two novels are important. Watch for the Wells of Power in Aether of Night, for example. There will be an Elantris sequel some day. Hopefully. Wait, someone if offering a BLACK LOTUS. Drool. (But I probably wouldn't take it, in all honesty. That's a little TOO much.) The Amazon wish list alone makes me feel uncomfortable. Really, reading my books is enough.

MAGICKALMAN

I hope we can get some game on at DragonCon, I'll bring some cards and see.

BRANDON SANDERSON

I WILL play Magic at DragonCon. Planning to have plenty of time. I wish I could figure out a way to do a draft with fans while out for Comicon. That would be great. Remind me, Magical Man, about this chat when you see me. You too, Hamm.

magic: the gathering

Brandon, are you giving any talks at ComicCon?

I'm doing a panel on fantasy with Tad Williams and Christopher Paolini and also the awesome Pat Rothfuss. Also, a signing with Pat and Brent Weeks.

After the WoT I made a decision to never read a series that is in progress. That's why I never read GRRM. Will I have that problem with the Stormlight Archive or will each book have very satisfying conclusions?

I try VERY hard to do that in all of my books. So hopefully, yes it will.

stormlight archive

My internet is going crazy. So I think I should just go ahead and say good night for real this time. In answer to those who want to contact me via email, try the web form on my site. Sorry if I missed anyone's questions. I will do this again. If I missed yours, email me. I'll try to get to it. Good night.