Brandon Sanderson interview - finishing the Wheel of Time
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2024
- In this interview, author Brandon Sanderson talks about the daunting task of writing the three final books of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. He discusses working with Jordan's widow and assistants, as well as Jordan's 3,000,000 words of notes about the series. Mr. Sanderson also talks about his writing process, and about his own fantasy series, the Stormlight Archive, focusing on the first volume, The Way of Kings.
This interview was recorded on June 26, 2010, and was originally shown as part of episode #238 of Fast Forward: Contemporary Science Fiction.
I can see Sanderson time traveled to 1978 for this interview.
This comment is goated
Wow
Seriously, it seems so old
OMG I was thinking EXACTLY THE SAME THING 😂😂😂
LoL. Even the video quality looks old school
Funny story when I read the author info on the back of mistborn I thought when he said he finished wheel of time I thought he meant he read the books lol
Lol
Anyone who reads all of those deserves kudos.
Skipping Pages that made me laugh so hard, thanks 😂😂
Weird flex but okay.
The only book I had a real hard time with is book 10. There were times I had my doubts but it worked out to when I finished it and 11 then Gathering Storm came out like a month after
What a professional interviewer. This guy did his research, asked great questions, and let Brandon talk. A treat to watch.
Also, I love how reserved Brandon was when asked about the Cosmere. It’s crazy to think just how far we’ve come in this universe.
Brandon Sanderson is our greatest hope of carrying the fantasy genre forward in an honest and genuine way that will not just be epic dragon slaying, but rather characters we remember and cheer for and cry for.
Stay true Mr. Sanderson.
We still have the rest of A Song of Ice and Fire to wait for.
Been comparing him and Rothfuss, and he comes up front easily.
Rothfuss in is an highly unlikeable character, while Sanderson is humble and really nice.
@@ChristmasLore Can't wait for Rhythm of War but in the mean time I've been reading American Wasteland by Nick Cole. It's very interesting and poses a lot of existential questions. Highly recommend.
@@ChristmasLore rothfuss is a good writer when he write but kvothe is truly just an extension of rothfuss's own personality. An arrogant man with dangerous hubris and thinks he is the smartest person in the room. I am not saying its a bad thing but it is just an observation of mine
In regards to Stormlight: "I plan to do one per year."
Whoops.
Oh, hey. What a small little world--love your content (conversations).
@@tejpatel5320 Heh. I was researching when I was planning to do a transition episode from RJ to Sando but I just ran out of time.
Heyyy it’s Mike! To be fair Mike his one per year is more accurate than anything Martin has said about a schedule.
@@aaronmasterson2860 Oh, I'm perfectly fine with Sando's pace. Just having fun.
Mike's Book Reviews I’m having fun too! You’re one of my favorite book tubers! Congrats with business school too btw!
It's so sad to see that such a brilliant author was rejected time and time again, but at the same time, it's inspiring to see that Brandon Sanderson, with all his talent, spent years and years working and being rejected, and yet he didn't quit. This man wrote 13 books before being published, and he never gave up hope because it was his dream. His passion made him keep going, and now here he is, finishing one of the most acclaimed series of all time, and releasing amazing books every year.
It makes me wonder how many amazing young authors had the skill of people like Sanderson but not the perseverance/determination. We'll never get to read their stories
@@justinj_00 not the case anymore. They can just self publish.
@@mohmmadwaspedorapist5985 Self publishing has its pitfalls. One thing is that the market is over-saturated so it's hard to sort the garbage from the good pieces of work. Another is marketing. Even if you create a masterpiece, the upside of being published by a publishing house is that they cover advertising; Self-published books tend to fail because the author doesn't have the funds to cover promotion.
Ah the 1980s when Brandon Sanderson published the Way of Kings 😌
Was this filmed in 1982?
Lol dude I was thinking the same thing and read your comment and I'm dying laughing
I'm crying of laughter man. I thought exactly the same thing!
I thought it was the 90's, tbh.. Man that was funny!
I thought it was just the host, but it's the lighting, quality, background, everything.
This is what a VHS recorded video looks like. They simply did not record this with digital media.
Kudos to the interviewer for doing his research! Great interview; Brandon is the most diligent author I've read.
DUDEMIKE8 RJ appeared on this program at least twice - the vids are on YT - so he was already familiar.
+amaxamon I was mostly referring to the Cosmere reference, but I'll be sure to check out those RJ interviews too!
DUDEMIKE8 What's weird is the interviewer is dressed the same and its the same purple curtain behind them!
I'm glad they picked Brandon Sanderson. He's done a peerless job finishing the much beloved Wheel of Time series, as well as his own fabulous books. The Way of Kings is my absolute favorite fantasy novel of all time. I live the Wheel of Time series and The Storm light Archives.
I'm waiting on the library to send me Way of Kings audio, so I can hear it, after having read it twice :D.
He’s an amazing author. I love both series’ as well and mistborn. 🤘🏻
I started to read The Way of Kings just now and maybe completed 20% of it. But I am still not getting the feels. Maybe it is because of how the story goes slow early on and the world building. But I really want to finish this book. What can I do that would help me finish it?
PS - I absolutely loved his take on the final 3 books of TWOT.
@@PrashantSingh-nd8vu First book is slow for first halt. Words of Radiance is my favourite.
@@shashemption hey! I finished Oathbringer as well. It is a masterpiece. Definitely one of the best of all time. The way of Kings was a slow burner but it paid off at the end.
Haha I love that he accepted the task because he was afraid others might screw it up!! says a lot about his confidence. And It takes a WHOLE lot of dedication to manage to finish 13 books after you got rejected for 12 of them... what a beast! Thank you Brandon for filling my head with amazing memories and giving us exciting prospects! I hope you won't need anyone to finish The Way of Kings for you.
One day we will be watching an interview with someone on how they completed a Dream of Spring
Nope, Martin's will says to destroy all of his unfinished writing when he dies
@@justinj_00 are u serious?
@@justinj_00 Robert also said he would order all his notes and harddrives destroyed when he died. But approaching his death he realized that he wanted the series completed and changed his mind.
@@justinj_00 what a jerk
@@RexusprimeIX And I'm so grateful that he decided to do that. I'm thankful he let us have an ending, even if he couldn't be the one to deliver it to us. The Wheel of Time is wonderful and it would have been sad to have it left unfinished forever.
Brandon Sanderson's work ethic is jaw dropping.
A fantastic mind!
Can't believe some students had the privilege of having him as their professor. Lucky bucks.
Yeah, he is quite a talented writer - there aren't many people who can do what he does and do it so well.
I can't believe he wrote twelve books before publishing his first.
You can see his videos.
Have the privilege! He still teaches at my University!
Well, he posts his lectures online for free. You don't have to be in BYU to be his student.
I really like this interviewer! He's such a good listener and seems genuinely interested in Sanderson's work. And like Brandon said, he came prepared and did his research beforehand on the Cosmere. As someone who loves all of Sanderson's books, it was wonderful to hear this interview with such a professional interviewer. No idea who he is, but he's awesome.
Just imagine this undertaking. Every single word and sentence you write, you're wondering if you're doing this correctly and second guessing yourself. The pressure must be absolutely insane.
Brandon Sanderson did an excellent job carrying Jordans legacy. And I am *GLAD* he accepted this. Thank you Brandon. We're all thankful for you.
I can't believe the interview is recent, it's seems really old. I thought it it was in the 90s. But great one indeed.
Naser Aldousari This interview was recorded on June 26, 2010 , not Dec 21, 2014. , 5 years old
+Naser Aldousari Camera is from the 90s
this is awesome, its like a deliberate throwback
Brandon did an amazing job finishing the Wheel of Time. I really felt like he breathed sorely-needed new life into the series.
I like that his reason for taking the job is basically the same reason why Perrin accepts being the Lord of the Two Rivers xD
("What if the person that takes over ruins everything?")
I can't imagine that kind of pressure. I have anxiety just thinking about it.
It really is palpable
Yep
His rationale was right though. What if he turned it down and someone else took it over and ruined it? He would regret it forever.
Sanderson in 2010: I plan to do one a year.
Sanderson in 2019: Book four should come out in 2020
Honestly thats not too bad considering some of the other major fantasy writers that are publishing right now (figure of speech they havent published in forever)
@@kylekimminau9476 I have a feeling you are thinking of certain someone
Patrick Rothfuss: Hold my lute
GRR Martin : Let me hold that for you..
GRRM fans are like “You guys got books?”
7:28 "It's like someone took this beautiful vase, smashed it all up, shook it up in a bag and said okay, we really need you to put this back together...um and there are pieces missing and you're going to have to make those pieces look like they should have originally "
The way of kings is Brandon Sanderson‘s masterpiece in my opinion. The man is a plot and character genius.
The Way of Kings is still my favorite of his books! Amazing that he followed his heart and now has reached one of the smallest % of fantasy/sci fi reading groups with it: young women! I love Robert Jordan, but I firmly believe Sanderson will go far beyond that notability. He has followed in Jordan’s footsteps to open the genre to new readers.
Man I wish this interview was longer.
I don't know how many readers Brandon got from his work on the Wheel of Time but I can tell you he got me had never heard of him before it and probably would never have picked up his stories. But after reading the last 3 books of the Wheel of Time, I decided to see what else he had done, and its excellent. Speaking of which...We need the next book in "The Stormlight Archive". Pretty please?
I only read up to book 5 in high school but still consider it my favorite series. I just recently started reading again and am almost done book 2 already. The thought that this series may never have been finished frightens me and I am thankful Brandon accepted the offer to finish it.
This interviewer is absolutely amazing, he touched on so many interesting topics in such a little amount of time
why does this look INCREDIBLY OLD????
yeah it looks like the eighties
The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again
Best possible reply hahha
stardappledgreen 🤣🤣🤣👌🏻👌🏻
Dat BO
I appreciate how real Sanderson is about his apprehension to take over the series. I would have felt the same way and I definitely like his touch to the pacing of the story telling in the end.
Robert Jordan had an editor? Mind blown!!!
Aw man, I think the same thing all the time. I just started book 12, but their were SO many times where I just put a (3-11) Jordan book down and thought, "Jesus, did ANYONE tell him maybe he should cut it back a bit". There's a part in, I want to say book 10 where Elayne has a bath (sort of) with Aviendha, and it lasts ~four pages. Four pages of describing every step and detail of a bath. My god I didn't pick the book up for days after. Who thought this was good writing? I love the story and it really is worth sticking with, but man he indulges and packs a lot of words without substance. Sorry for the rant.
That’s why i’m struggling with lord of the rings; he goes on so many tangents and i’m thinking “where’s the damn story?”
@@dannylee6068 at least it isnt 14 books long i suppose haha
@@dannylee6068 I had similar trouble all those years ago.
@@quagmillious9627 lmao..yup. Book 10 was the hardest. Picks up again afterwards luckily....couldn't agree with you more...hence I'm now doin the audio books whilst I chill or throw darts. So much easier.
I gotta give it to Sanderson I haven't read any of his books yet but he has written two successful series himself and also stepped in and finished the wheel of time that's impressive
That's got to be the greatest honor: being told that you've been chosen to finish one of the greatest fantasy series ever before your own career has barely even gotten off the ground.
Brandom Sanderson made an incredible work finishing WOT and now he is doing the same with stormlight archive. Keep with the good work man!
I am so glad he said yes to Harriet I loved the way he completed Robert Jordan’s WOT series . I would have been so disappointed if a hack had ended up with the job . Looking forward to reading more in the storm light series . The 1st 3 books have been an excellent read .
Wot was the greatest story ever
It’s between books 6-9 you will struggle the story really slows but the ending makes pushing through more than worth it.
Dude butchered Mat and wrote the ending like a bad anime.
John Smith I disagree I preferred his writing I was getting sick of Jordan’s repetitive manner of characterisation like explaining why Nynaeve was tugging on her braid I mean come on I get it, it’s book 11 I understand she tugs her braid when she is annoyed. And nothing or no one could ever ruin Matt he is was and always will be the greatest WoT character
@@abigailslade3824 Even Sanderson admitted he messed up on Mat.... Also I LIKED that Jordan was consistent. Sanderson can't keep the same style for two chapters running. Drives me insane.
Brandon is so absolutely amazing, it is really hard to put this into words. I truly love and admire this man with all my heart.
How do I watch every interview that this man has ever conducted? Researched. Professional. And (it's weird that I have to say this) a good listener.
Sanderson : *starts explaining an easter egg pertaining to the different magic systems and the links these worlds share*
Mr Interview Guy: well thats all the time we have for today so im gonna stop you there
FML
yeah really lame...wtf is there a time limit for. it makes no sense
@@PeterDmitriyev TV shows. They are 30 minutes sharp minus breaks.
@@abj136 this was 17 minutes
@@PeterDmitriyev Minus breaks. The video starts with "we're back" so you can deduct that there was a break before this
Brandon Sanderson is the ABSOLUTE shit! Seriously love your work man, and thank you SO much for not fucking up the Wheel of Time.
I remember reading Way of Kings and literally standing up and jumping up and down with excitement at the end.
Sanderson is just plain outright fucking epic. Easily the best writer of fantasy fiction currently and definitely in the top 5 of recent years.
Easily? Maybe for you and many others but not for me and some other people. I'm not saying this to come off as rude (though I can see if it does, I hope it doesn't as I don't mean it too) but the 'best' is really a useless term don't you think? Given that each person will have a different opinion?
For me personally Terry Brooks is the best Fantasy writer writing today, not Brandon. Now I know that many find the Shannara series too Tolkiensque or not to their taste in some other way and I respect that, but for me its the greatest Fantasy series ever written and as much as I respect Brandon and his work, he can't compare to Terry in my opinion.
And I'm sure other people feel the same way about other authors. The 'best' is a very subjective term and really has no meaning beyond personal taste I think.
Brandon is very humble. I loved the Wheel of Time. But to me it seemed like it was stagnating. It felt like Robert was trying to continue the story and it just wasn't really working. To me it seemed that Brandon breathed new life into the series. I think Brandon is a brilliant writer. I always wondered how much of the ending was Brandon's and how much was Jordan's - I think Brandon's just answered that. I think Brandon did a brilliant job
3:23
"Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong."
I found Brandon Sanderson books Mistborn 1-3, Elantris, Warbreaker, and Stormlight Archive 1-3 over at Graphic Audio. They made a super audio version with music and sound effects and a full cast of actors. Well worth it to hear it in such a dramatic way. It's a movie in my mind.
Can't wait to read The "Starlight" Archive. It's gonna be dope.
I LOVE YOUR BOOKS SANDERSON!!! I have not finished the wheel of time series (I'm on book five). I'm reading the stormlight archive series, and is the single best series I have ever read. I am a young teen and trying to write a novel.
“Do, or do not; there is no try.”
Watch his masterclasses on creative writing, they're available for free on his TH-cam channel!
Good luck with your writing!🎋
3 million words? Holy shit, that is a lot. The Wheel of Time in total is 4.4 million words, there were also that much notes?
I doubt it. Just because there were that many words of the novels, that does not mean there were that many notes. Most books by King have many words but, I assume, not many notes. Even Jo's Wizarding World did not have as many note pages as novel pages, and I can only assume the same is true for Middle-Earth.
Remember, 3 million words is a lot of notes, I suggest an absurd number, in fact. It is, say, 10,000 pages.
(Note that I hope one does not need 10,000 pages to a high fantasy world, for I, therefore, will need that amount, as well, since I am creating a huge high fantasy world.)
P.S: my rough notion thus far would be that you should need maybe 2,000 pages of notes/worldbuilding, not 10,000. But we [I] will see, I suppose.
I mean, Brandon clearly said "3 million words of notes". You're not really basing your speculation on anything other than the fact that gee, it sounds like a lot. (Jordan having that many notes does not at all mean that you or any other author would need that many. You are different people with different processes.)
As an editor I can tell you it's not uncommon for authors to have notes that far exceed their wordcounts, especially for a series.
@@EmmeChatterton this is correct. i have manuscripts with hundreds of pages of notes/outlines for a single 90 page script(s) etc
@@jedidiahmartin1472 it would totally fit Jordan's writing style. He is very detail oriented and there were many plot strings and developtments that had to be finished in the last book, that eventually became 3 books. I can see him having that many notes. He did them for the scenario of his death. He probably wanted the book to be planned out 100% plot-wise in the exact way he wouldve written it.
Brandon Sanderson 7 years, 58 books later.
My man was on his death bed and still creating the beautiful world of The Wheel of Time! Amazing
Had the wheel of time series not been picked up by someone who wanted to do it the right way we wouldn’t have seen this gem
So lucky he took up the offer. He did an amazing job.
Two brilliant writers Jordan and Sanderson. Fantastic series
Is the big decision he changed Kaladin rejecting the shard blade and becoming a slave instead of taking it and becoming a light eyed noble.
I was trying to work that out, I think you nailed it. I hated it at first, that he didn’t take it; but what follows was a whole wealth of story and lore we would not have gotten if had taken it.
@@dannylee6068 We all hated cause Brandon let us feel how kaladin feels the slavery time. Damn bro this guy is an AWESOME writer hands down.
Yes. That is confirmed at this point FYI
I'm a HUGE fan of the series and of RJ generally. That said, the last few books he wrote in the WOT series seemed to drag on a little too long with not nearly enough payoff. Sanderson's conclusion books to the series were much more in line with the first few books as far as stuff happening and story payoffs. I think he did a fantastic job and I'm glad he was able to do the writing. Now I'm pumped to see how they do with the TV show on Amazon Prime!
I think Sanderson did a great job. My interest was definitely waning by the time I reached book 10. I read book 10 and 11 in 1 and a half years. I read the last 3 in 4 months. TGS is my 2nd favourite book in the series and it really revitalised the series for me personally.
15:00 I think it is Kaladin who choses to become Shardbrarer
thank you. i paused it as soon as he mentioned this and i was frantically trying to think about *which* possible decision he could be talking about
Agree this is what I thought too, I guess in the original outline he takes the plate and then heads to the Shattered Plains to join Dalinar? Imagine no bridge crews :(
I will forever be grateful to Brando for finishing the WoT, and I' forever grateful to Harriet for introducing me to Brando
I almost cried.
This was awesome. Thank you youtube Algorithim, thank you Tom.. Thank you Brandon.
Mr. Sanderson, I think you did a really great job in finishing these books...you managed to maintain the integrity of the narrative as Mr. Jordan wrote it...thanks for a job well done..
I hope he's gonna finish A Song of Ice and Fire
The author of that series is George R R Martin and he is still alive
@@weirdo1060 yeah and will never finish it 😅
@@mayareads708 like hell you're right lmao
If he could finish Kvothe story also, would be so grateful.
Pretty sure present day Rothfuss will screw it up, badly.
@@ChristmasLore haha I mean Patrick Rothfuss is like 45-50 so he has time. Im so happy I have not started this series xD imma read it in 5-10 years when book 3 exist.
I would love to one day see some of these notes. I just finished the series. I loved every word.
He is one of the best author
Mr. Sanderson - job well done.
Love Wheel of Time, but this interview was shot in 2010??? Why did you film it with a toaster?
I don't see the problem, it isn't that bad and its an interview, not a movie
@@hobnobhead4043 Movies from 1990 look clear so the comparison isn't making sense.
He’s such a good guy. I love Brandon.
Stormlight Achives; So soooo good.
This is Gonna blowup with The Wheel Of Time show.
Brandon, it was an Honor to meet you and have you sign my Wheel of Time book. To Ogre, peace favor your sword. Not knowing I am an expert with several type's of Swords! Including the Katana and wakizashi. Amazing foresight! Peace to you and your family my fellow Utahan. Ogre
+Mark Birchette YOU MET HIM!?! Oh my GOSH that must have been cool! I really hope I get to meet this awesome man myself one day!
17:10 *STARLIGHT* ARCHIVES
Lol I caught that too, pretty sure Brandon did as well.
And thanks to this, the next series (after I finish the Wheel of Time) is gonna be the Stormlight Archives
Great choice! Hope it’s going well.
Interviewer was so good, you just don't get them like this anymore.
Amazing interview
This is some glitch in the Matrix. The way of kings was published in 2010 but this video is clearly from the 80´s.
Did Sanderson first write The way of kings in the 80´s and write a remake 2010 of his own book ?
Why is it that this is so authentic in looking like it was form the 80s?
Was this filmed in the 1800’s?
Holy crap him, me and Tim Minchin all the same age. A good year!
Great interview
The way of kings is a solid work of fantasy fiction. I've enjoyed reading the series so far.
Sanderson’s The Way Of Kings is the fantasy novel equivalent of the band Rush’s 2112 album. Straight from the heart, completely disregarding if it sells or not and the “rules” of how their perspective art should be structured.
1 book per year he said.
I'm here a decade later and the stormlight archive is 1/3 done
about the decision.. spoilers ahead..
"I've spoken before of the big changes that happened when I wrote The Way of Kings 2.0. One of them was bringing in the Shattered Plains. The problem was that there was a big hole in Kaladin's storyline, because in the original manuscript of The Way of Kings (major spoiler), he accepted the Shardblade. That was the prologue of the book; Kaladin-then known as Merin-saved Elhokar's life. They tried to take the Shardblade away from him, and Dalinar insisted that he be given it. So Merin was made a Shardbearer in the very first scenes of the book. And from that point, his character never worked. So in doing the second version of the book, I decided that no, we've got to build more into this, we've got to dig deeper, and he has to make the opposite decision, which is where the entire framework of him turning down the Shardblade and then being betrayed all came from. The problem was then what was he going to do? I knew I wanted him to have therefore ended up sold into slavery and have terrible things happen to him, but I couldn't figure out what Kaladin was going to do and was unable to write the book until I mashed in the Shattered Plains and said, "Ah, that was what he needed to be doing all along."
Magick - the art and Science of causing change to occur in accordance with will.
Love this guys writing. Besides WoT I read the Mistborn series too. Good stuff.
5:45 - Did Brandon just say Robert Jordan left 3 million words of notes on the last book of the Wheel of Time!? 3 million!? That's 3/4 of the length of entire series!
He said it so casually that I doubt it was hyperbole as well... its goddamn insane!!!
You did a great job Brandon. RJ would be proud.
Harriot straight said “the wheel weaves as the wheel wills” and left brandon to it 😂
One of the only times thats ever worked out but damn did it
brandon mentions that the connection between series/worlds is an "easter egg"
is it the same easter egg used to film this, i wonder?
While this is the most 90s edited, and conducted interview I’ve seen in a long time (no offense sir), the content was excellent. A little “freshening up” of the set, intro/outro music, cameras (wide angle, etc...), and sound could really make this a compelling episode/show.
Thank you for sharing these excellent questions and this interview with us!
I kind of like the oldie vibe it gives off. Feels nostalgic for sure
I would be willing to do some awful things to get my hands on those 3 million words
awhhhh lil baby brandon
I want to read those 3 million words of note! Take my money!
How much I would give to see those notes...
One thing I like AND hate, is the cliffhanger with Mat and Tuon.
There is no way this was recorded in 2010. Why does it have such an old feeling to it
Interesting that Harriet also edited Ender's Game - one of my other favorites. Interesting interview. Too bad Jordan want able to complete his series. RIP.
It was sad, but remember that Robert Jordan specifically made plans for another author to finish since he was ailing
I can say this because its been so long. A god damn book a year. You lied to us!
He does a book roughly in a year, just not in the same series
when he was talking about a character making a choice that reconstructed the entire book for him, i would reckon it was the decision for kaladin to either take the shardblade or abandon it
I haven't really looked up the answer to that question in depth but this is my first guess
I was thinking like I wonder if the host is still alive then I saw that this was from 2010
WOW what an Undertaking!!!