New Brandon Sanderson WoT interview

[Migey]

Thanks for positng Brandon :)

I must say, while i did like the books, the one thing that i thought didn't feel right was Mat... Almost every other chasracter you got bang on, but with Mat... he feels different.

Nontheless, great job with TGS :) I can fully sympathize with all your conflicting emotions about writing the end of the series (what with once being part of the fanbase and everything) and i feel you have done a great job despite all of that. I have also long been a fan of your other works, (I enjoyed Warbreaker alot, and it's just BEGGING for a sequel... hint hint..) and i hope that your upcoming aWoK project is a sucess.

And im sure ToM will be great :)

[alguien]

Wow, great to get the actual author responding on the board!!! :thumbsup:

I think that was a great interview, Pat and Brandon. The tone seemed very candid and forthright.

With regards to Mat's characterization, I can't agree more with Brandon's comment here:

And perhaps if I had to do it again, I wouldn't lead with the monologue from Mat that I used,

I think his opening threw me a little more than anything else. Most of the rest of the time, I thought Mat was fine, but sometimes first impressions (which this kind of was) can have more impact than you expect.

For me it was a minor nitpick, though. Overall, I thought it was a great read.

Oh, I don't know who wrote what or how much was detailed beforehand, but the dream conversation between Ishamael and Rand/Lews?

Epic chills down the spine. Well done, sir. :bowdown:

[Isabel]

but let this console you: at least they didn’t get Goodkind to write the books. ;)

Goodkind wouldn't have been alive anymore, if that was announced :devil:

Hehe, in fairness Goodkind styled his own writing on RJ's so much so that he probably could've done a job of it. :P Would love to have heard what his reaction would be, if someone suggested it to him.

Wasn't Mystar hinting about something like that? I vaguely rememember reading that, and i was completely horrified by the thought of it :P

[Liadin]

I think Larry has it right in his post above. It's something curious that, I think, and author needs to be aware of. There's a certain...momentum to internet fandom. People make certain their voices are heard, and certain issues take on a life of their own. Asmodean is a great example of this. I was part of a great community of fans of the books growing up, and not a single one of us ever raised this question. But when I started hanging out on the internet, I suddenly found it to be the be-all and end-all of WoT questions. By the time I’d hung out for a little while on boards and the like, I found myself thinking about the question just like everyone else. It still surprises me that I did, because I originally didn’t think it was a big deal at all.

I hadn't thought about this, but it's an excellent point. I don't think I even remembered that Asmodean had been mysteriously murdered until I saw it all over the Internet FAQs. The question this raises in my mind is whether the Internet echo chamber is good or bad.... do we see things we hadn't seen before, or do ideas/opinions that aren't better or even especially common among general readers unfairly dominate? Some of both probably....

[Old Nan]

I totally agree that the Internet Echo Chamber creates a venue for narrow obsessions. Right on, Dylanfanatic and koolkat.

[Humble Asskicker]

I always look forward to the Sanderson interviews and blog posting, and really any new update from him, because it's not a lot of hot air, as one tends to expect, but incredibly frank and substantial. For any author this would be fascinating, but for one whose works I enjoy tremendously (not just WoT), it's fantastic.

I had to use third person there because use of second person would have sounded like sucking up too much.

But thanks for posting, Brandon Sanderson. And I think it's the right attitude to take the predominant criticism being Mat as encouragement that you are getting the rest right. You hit Rand and Egwene and most of the other characters dead on, which definitely drew more attention to Mat. As you described, I can imagine how frustrating it is to emulate another person's sense of humor. Funny is not something that is easily produced, and a specific kind of funny all the more difficult (re: I thought TGS Mat did provide humor, but it was a different humor, as you noted).

But again, Mat aside, the overwhelming majority does praise TGS, which is an accomplishment to be proud of. And one I'm relieved and grateful you've managed (TGS would've have made or broken the series for me, so it was tense for a while, but now I can rest easy that the series is in good hands).

See what I mean about using second person coming off as too much of a suck-up? *sigh*

[Lasty]

Whilst I did feel that Mat was a little different, the only real problem I had with his chapters was his use of the phrase "Do the math." It just seemed too modern (and as an Englishman that phrase is like nails on a chalkboard to me anyhow). Still, the fact that we've only got small nitpicks like this idicates, to me at least, that Brandon did a fantastic job.

[Poobah]

Whilst I did feel that Mat was a little different, the only real problem I had with his chapters was his use of the phrase "Do the math." It just seemed too modern (and as an Englishman that phrase is like nails on a chalkboard to me anyhow). Still, the fact that we've only got small nitpicks like this idicates, to me at least, that Brandon did a fantastic job.

Yeah "do the math" is a horrible Americanism.

[Migey]

Indeed.

Maths forever!

[Foreverlad]

Yeah "do the math" is a horrible Americanism.

Enlighten yourself algebraically, bitches. :dunce:

[Rhaegon Targaryen]

Very generous of brandon to respond and enlighten us there. I'll add my voice to the chorus by saying how much i enjoyed the book. I'll also agree with the tone of the comment on Mat. Something didn't ring true, in particular his language, especially in the zombie town chapter. Overall again though loved the book, massive relief.

[Gigei]

Matt was my always my least favorite of the male trio (Rand, Matt and Perrin) anyway so I never noticed if he was different or not.

I never emailed Sanderson but if I did it would be "oh thank goodness someone is finishing the stupid thing and btw are you/Harriet/the editorial going to publish RJ's notes? I would like that."

[pat5150]

As was the case with Dune, we'll never, ever see the notes. . . :thumbsdown:

Patrick

[Werthead]

As was the case with Dune, we'll never, ever see the notes. . . :thumbsdown:

Patrick

That's because with Dune no such notes actually existed in the first place, beyond a single sheet of A4 pondering if bringing back Paul and a few other characters as gholas on the no-ship was a good idea or not ;)

With WoT the existence of insanely extensive notes is much more certain. I do wonder if, no matter what is being said now, ten or twenty years from now a History of Middle-earth-style release of the notes in a scholarly-type format will be possible.

[pat5150]

Adam,

There were a bunch of Dune notes. I know, for my agent was representing KJA at the time. Can't say more because everything was said off the record, but there was more than a single sheet.

As much as I'd love to see the WoT notes get published at some point, I doubt he will...

Patrick

[Gigei]

It would be really nice if they would publish the notes.

I wonder if RJ actually took the time, when he was already gravely ill, to spend time detailing the lavish embroidery on the cuffs of the characters. Or pillow friends, spankings and such. :smileysex:

I would have just put in "insert embroidery, lace and silk description here" but that's just me.

[Whiskeyjak]

I think Sanderson is doing a bit better, keeping the story tighter, than RJ had.

This.

And, Nynaeve doesn't drive me completely crazy like she used to.

Oh- and I still don't know how all the names are pronounced <_<

[Original Ned's Bones]

I'd have to say that it not only felt "right," but it added to my perspective of the previous novels.

Agree. Rand came so close to just ending it all. This was the first time I felt like the DO actually did have a plan and it was very close to working. Ishamael was handled well too. I always questioned in previous books why the "dark side" was so innept and why they didn't just try to kill Rand, etc., but it makes more sense now.

I'm guessing Brandon is finished reading this thread, but in the event that he is still reading, add me to the list of those who loved this novel. This book had the most emotional impact since Shadow Rising. I felt like that was missing in the last several novels. The narrative was tight, without much filler. No disrespect to Mr. Jordan intended, but I like Brandon's prose better. I put TGS up with my other favorites, The Great Hunt, and The Shadow Rising.

[Gigei]

Huh? But I thought RJ wrote a significant amount of the last 3 volumes. Not like he just wrote

- Bela killed Asmodeus

- Foursome with Rand and the harem

- Spank Elaida

- Flying saucers

..or something on post its.

[Grogsmash]

I just don't see how releasing the notes would help anyone enjoy the series more. However, it would certainly open Sanderson up to abunch of attacks. I am sure that he is not following the notes 100%. Heck, if RJ had managed to finish the series he wouldn't have followed the notes 100%. Yet if he released the notes every single deviation from them would be discussed and debated. Without the notes, we are left to decide on our own whether his work is "true" to the rest of the series. I think this is in many ways better than the alternative.

Though I admit, it would make for some good threads in this forum!