Dec. 2010 / Q & A with Brandon Sanderson - Way of Kings

[Amanda]

Thank you very much indeed! You have given us much to think about and anticipate. I hope you have a wonderful time writing all of your books and a happy year.

[Brandon]

Jay wrote: "Do Szeth and Kaladin both belong to the same order of knights radiant?"

Szeth isn't actually in an order of Knights Radiant. Something different is happening with Szeth that people have already begun to guess. And Kaladin isn't yet a Knight Radiant, but the powers he uses are those of the Windrunners, one of the orders of the Knights Radiant. Szeth is using the same power set. So your phrasing is accurate to that extent.

[Brandon]

Jet wrote: "The Stormlight archive is a very big book. Do you have plans of including a glossary that's more expansive than the ars arcanum?"

If I do make a glossary, it will probably be on my website. Perhaps I'll be able to slip in a longer glossary into future books. The problem is that the first book is already so long, as you said. I just don't have the pages for it now. As the series expands, maybe.

The thing is, I've always partially liked a glossary and partially not liked them, because as series get longer and longer, you have to make decisions about what to include and what not to include. Using the glossary in the backs of the Wheel of Time books is somewhat bittersweet because it only covers around one percent of the things you'd want to be in there. So in some ways it's become irrelevant, because most of the things you'll want to look up are not going to be there. It seems like it served its purpose best in the early to middle books, but now if you really want to know you've got to go to Encyclopaedia WoT or a similar site. So maybe we'll just do an online glossary or send people to one of the fan-created wikis.

[Brandon]

Mike wrote: "Has Kaladin's windspren Syl reached the epitome of her consciousness or will we see a smarter spren in future books?"

Syl has recovered everything of her personality. There are things she doesn't remember, and things she can still learn to do, but she has recovered her personality in full.

[Brandon]

Sandi wrote: "I keep hearing about the great art in the book, but I listened to the audio version. Is the art available to view online?"

It's not currently online. I need to bug my assistant to put the art on my website.

[Brandon]

Vladimir wrote: "I really want to know,Brandon how do you get these ideas about so diverser and innovative magic systems?"

It just happens. I don't know. It's a blend of who I am--my science background, what I like in fiction, mixed with the way my mind works, what stories I seek to tell. I can't say specifically where I get the ideas, because they're all different. It's just part of my makeup.

And that's everything in this thread. Thank you for your patience in waiting for my responses, and thank you for reading my books!

[Dawn]

Brandon wrote: "...thank you for reading my books!"

Thank you for writing them! :)

[Jeanne]

This closes The Way of Kings Q&A. Thanks Brandon!