Today, as part of the tour for Towers of Midnight, Twitter played host to a tweet-up between Wheel of Time fans and current series writer Brandon Sanderson. For those who missed it, were stuck in the office, or busy with other Important Works, we’ve assembled an edited down transcript of the questions and answers below the cut. (If you got private messaged an answer, feel free to add it in the comments.) Enjoy!
Brandon Sanderson: I will be tweeting a lot in the next hour, but will try to do a lot of @ replies to keep it off your feeds. Search for #portalstone to watch
@jgolenbo Brandon’s here! And so is Maria Simons, Brown Ajah head extraordinaire. Direct ?s to @BrandonSandrson & @MariaLSimons
@dragonmount You guys got lucky, I only had to work a half day today & I don’t feel like starting homework yet. JL
@Theoryland Hey Theorylanders, follow #portalstone on Twitter for an hour of all things #WoT, #TofM, #WoK, #aMoL – 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM (EST).
@tritlo How many rounds are there in the Age of legends game Sha’rah? And will you ever come to Iceland?
Brandon Sanderson: @tritlo MAFO on the first, and I hope to on the second. :)
Maria L. Simons: And I can’t answer that Mafo off the top of my head.
Brandon Sanderson: Also, let’s try to keep no spoilers at first, and then we’ll do spoiler questions at 2:15.
@eagleeyebooks Already sold one of your super nice, leatherbound #WoT Towers of Midnight today! :)
@dcarrithers so about how many signed #ToM copies have you signed in the last couple of weeks?
Brandon Sanderson: Oh, I’d guess around 3,000 books signed.
@raandalthor is there any remaining methods to get a signed book? I could make it to any signings this year.
Brandon Sanderson: I do sign books people send to me, along with return postage. Inquire via email on my website for details. However, if you want one from a store, I should be doing another signing with Sam Weller’s in December.
@JeffEdde Prediction: Channeling won’t be possible after the L. Battle. This will a symptom of the pattern being healed
Brandon Sanderson: Your theory has been noted. :)
ch. 48-49. was that all in jordan’s notes? so so sad and dark!
Brandon Sanderson: I’m avoiding answering questions about what was specifically in the notes and what wasn’t, for now. I don’t want people to focus on what was me and what was RJ. Maybe after the books are out, I’ll be more specific.
@elektrotal ok, well, can you comment on your own feelings of those chapters, as a fan?
Brandon Sanderson: Awesome but very disturbing. As a fan, they’re discomforting.
@bdendinger what was your favorite chapter/story line to write so far?
Brandon Sanderson: It’s hard to say. I don’t pick favorites, usually. Egwene in TGS was very satisfying to do, as was Mat in TofM.
@freeammo Any chance of persuading Orbit to add a UK date to an upcoming tour?
Brandon Sanderson: Yes, it’s likely. I should be in Europe again next summer, and want to do a UK stop.
@paige_madison What was your first reaction after you find out how the story ended?
Brandon Sanderson: Satisfaction. It ends well. It didn’t knock me off my seat, like some things in outline, but it was wonderful.
@AzWingsFan Ever think youll come out to Phx for a signing??
Brandon Sanderson: I was there last year, I believe, so there’s a good chance I’ll come again.
@sg_luke No questions, just want to thank you for making these books so fantastic.
Brandon Sanderson: Thank you for reading!
@JeffEdde lol yes! I want to sit in on some of your byu lectures. Are you teaching anytime soon?
Brandon Sanderson: Starting January, ending April.
@thedustywheel Is Logain working for Demandred?
Brandon Sanderson: Oh, you KNEW I was going to RAFO that one. :)
@alec2dabreen I didn’t see my name in the book, but you tweeted that it would be. Alec Breen.
Brandon Sanderson: Look in Chapter One again.
@Didn’t have time to photoshop this into a pic from one of the signings :) http://twitpic.com/3544nq
Brandon Sanderson: Lol. That’s awesome!
@spencerpanger Why is Hoid trying to restore the pattern?
Brandon Sanderson: Lol. Hoid has no involvement in anything WoT. :)
@BRCayen You’ve said in the past that Aviendha’s voice was one the hardest for you to write….is this still the case?
Brandon Sanderson: It still takes the longest to prepare for, but it is no longer as difficult as it was.
@dcarrithers why did you have to make Bela a Darkfriend? J/k. My break is over. Thanks again for signing my copy!
Brandon Sanderson: No problem! (And Harriet says Bela’s the Dark One.)
@kozza is there specific reason for the WoT teams (& ur) seeming reluctance to possibly pursuing outrigger novels?
Brandon Sanderson: Because we don’t want to exploit Robert Jordan’s name. Doing books he told us to do is one thing. Doing more is troubling. There’s nothing wrong with Outriggers; I’m not worried about them. I’m worried that it will be harder to stop after doing them, and i feel it WOULD be wrong not to stop then.
@stanism I find myself repeatedly picking up Way of Kings only to put it back down again cause it looks so intimidating
Brandon Sanderson: Lol. It is that, but I promise, it’s a very, very quick read. The first few chapters are the most daunting, however.
@Blindillusion13 Is there going to be any chance of fans getting their names in AMoL? Thanks for these books
Brandon Sanderson: Yes, there will be. Next spring, hopefully, another charity gig.
@pmisir Any plans for a booksigning tour in Canada? We’re huge fans up here too!
Brandon Sanderson: Hoping to do one next summer.
@still_thedragon When was the earliest in the series that one should have been able to theorize the wolf dream was T’A’R
Brandon Sanderson: Oh, boy. That’s one I can’t answer without going to the books. There’s no time for that now, I’m afraid.
@Theoryland @still_thedragon – Very early. In the Dragon Reborn, one should have known.
@ShouldBWriting which character kept you up at night worrying the most?
Brandon Sanderson: Rand. In both books
@HearttLight Who’s decision was it to not do any revisions on the random timeline split? Took all the fun out of ToM. I mean the fact that the chronology in ToM was completely random, will some small revisions could have fixed it. :(
Brandon Sanderson: Didn’t feel random to me. We did have to catch Perrin up; there was no getting around it.
@gardenrosephoto RJ crammed in detail that was repeated over and over again. I am grateful that you keep some detail but don’t ramble.
Brandon Sanderson: We all have our strengths and weaknesses as writers. Many people liked RJ’s description better than mine. Some will prefer my slightly more minimalist approach. I do think RJ was better at it than me in the long run.
@thedustywheel @MariaLSimons – Did Verin know the weave to hide her channeling ability from being detected by another female channeler?
@MariaLSimons Sneaky sneaky Verin knew a lot. And that’s all I have to say at the moment
@JeffEdde The names for kids in Aviendha’s vision: Were they from the notes for Outtrigger books? Or written up by you?
Brandon Sanderson: I’ll answer that specifically after the books are all out.
@still_thedragon Who was bringing the Trollocs through the portal stone to attack Perrin and the Whitecloaks?
Brandon Sanderson: RAFO. :)
@xarra You said at a book tour that we’d seen Demandred lots already – is this true? Has he been ’on screen’ in ToM?
Brandon Sanderson: I was being jokey on that one, meaning the times he’s appeared as himself or been referenced as himself. I have not answered if we’ve seen him ’In disguise’ yet. Or I didn’t intend to. Might have sounded that way.
@darciedeann Thanks for tying up the Morgase/Maighdin deception so neatly. Well done!
Brandon Sanderson: My pleasure!
@Graendal Is there anything you can tell us about the Mistborn story you’re currently working on?
Brandon Sanderson: Think hybrid Western/Sherlock Holmes/Fantasy in one. (Much as Mistborn was Regency/Ocean’s Eleven/Fantasy in one.)
@linksan Are Avi’s children conceived naturally or are they a consequence of sth power-related RandAvi do together?
Brandon Sanderson: RAFO. :)
@sleepinghour Who is the best swordsman in #WoT right now? Lan, Galad, or Gawyn?
Brandon Sanderson: Lan. Then Galad. Then Gawyn. Gawyn is luckier than he thinks he is.
@xarra Does the Song feature heavily in aMoL?
Brandon Sanderson: RAFO.
@alSeen14 Anyone tell you they named their kid after a wot char? I named my daughter Avienda &wonder if there are others
Brandon Sanderson: I have met Aviendhas (one on this tour) Perrins (two on this tour) and Rands. I think Aviendha is a beautiful name.
@WinesprngBrothr will save a lot of theorising if RAFO’ed :D (not that I mind theorising, of course!) Is Taim a darkfriend?
Brandon Sanderson: Wow. I could really blow things up with that one, eh? I’ll be safe and RAFO.
@MyHousePlans Thx 4 being so awesome! I’d never read any of the WoT series, but I’m loving them now – all cuz of Mistborn.
Brandon Sanderson: I try to be awesome at all times, when possible. :)
Brandon Sanderson: Okay, I have to call an end here for my involvement in the tweetup. I will answer the questions sent before this point.
@Apy12 Going back to blademasters where would Rand come on the list with Lan Galad Gawyn (before he lost his hand)
Brandon Sanderson: I’m going to have to look back at the notes, but I *Think* he was right around Gawyn level.
@Theoryland – Was Asmodean killed with balefire? And when will additional details regarding his death be released?
Brandon Sanderson: I will see if I can give additional details. I’ll ask Maria and Harriet for their read.
@BRCayen I can’t figure it out….what was the “little thing” that was missed at the start of the series?
Brandon Sanderson: End of chapter 55.
@zemaille @BRCayen Mat’s ashandarei was a way out of the Tower of Ghenjei. @theoryland was impressed. So was I.
@thedustywheel – How often does Demandred contemplate killing Moridin?
Brandon Sanderson: Less than the other Chosen. He is focused on Rand. He contemplates Moridin, but mostly he wants Rand.
@finberg42 @PeterAhlstrom when can we expect to see NYT bestseller info for #ToM
Brandon Sanderson: Wednesday. Grisham is going to give us a run for our money.
@tritlo Also, who is your favorite character, and why?
Brandon Sanderson: Perrin, because I feel most like him most of the time.
@alSeen14 Are the prophecies competing ala Belgariad, or are the complementary?
Brandon Sanderson: Not competing like Belgariad, and certainly not intelligent like in Belgariad. Some may be interpreted wrong, others may be recorded wrong, but there is not a this/that nature to them.
@tritlo Another question from Iceland here. Will we see more from Shara or the Land of the Madmen?
Brandon Sanderson: RJ said there would be no major action in Shara. He was uncertain on Madmen.
@pmisir Awesome! :) Re: AMoL, I hope there’ll be tons more Tuon/Seanchan?
Brandon Sanderson: There will be more than there was in TofM.
@gardenrosephoto One thing our family is looking forward to is the compendium when the story ends. Will you be helping?
Brandon Sanderson: It is mostly Harriet/Maria. But I have some requests I plan to put in. :)
@stanism Any advice for writers trying to create their own fantasy epic series?
Brandon Sanderson: Yes. Start by making the first book stand on its own, and keep the viewpoints down for the first one.
@alSeen14 I’m assuming we can do spoilers now. What did we miss that would have told us who killed Asmo?
Brandon Sanderson: I don’t think people missed it. RJ said it was obvious, and many guessed it correctly. So I’d say they got it. If you ask on a fan site, they can get you the ’Sherlock Holmes’ style investigation of the subject. It is right.
@Gigalew Where those fellas in red veils human or shadowspawn?
Brandon Sanderson: RAFO. :)
@elektrotal do you think you’ll actually be able to wrap up the story in aMoL? seems like a lot of endgame threads still
Brandon Sanderson: I have no plans to split the book again. I am 2/3 through the outline. Anything can happen, but it looks like one.
@Blindillusion13 Will AMoL be centered on Mat? Rand had tGS and Perrin had ToM. sigh
Brandon Sanderson: It will be pretty equal.
Brandon Sanderson: That was fun, all! I’m off to get ready for my NYC signing tonight. Thank you for the fun time with #portalstone.
@torbooks Thank you for chatting with us today and to all our special guests from the #WoT community!
This was a lot of fun. I’m glad it was available since there are many of us that are no where close to a book signing location.
@alSeen14 is me.
Thanks Brandon for putting the “Who’s the best swordsman” debate to rest! Although I must say that Gawyn’s performance in Egwene’s bedchamber (err. um, the sword performance!) had me wondering if he might be the best.
forkroot@2: Well it does set a high bar, but Lan survived fighting six men at once in New Spring so I’m not surprised to see him at the start of the list. Roughly what I expected though it’s interesting to see Gawyn mentioned as “luckier than he thinks”.
Bah, #3 beat me to Lan beating six men at once in New Spring when there were still people he acknowledged as better than him 1v1 (at the end).
Hurrah! I didn’t join in(still lack a twitter account), so good to see it all compiled here. Definitely glad to see the “best swordsman” debate definitely answered. Most satisfactory too. Lan first(as it should be!) followed by Galad(also as it should be).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25346867@N03/5159514530/
Hey Guys, A quick shot from a few minute sago. Brandon in Tor Central, laying down some RAFO at the pre-NY signing party.
I enjoyed that forum. And Team Jordan/Tordot are awesome for putting it together.
It was also pretty cool having two questions answered, to include the last one. =)
I don’t know anymore, Galad lost some of my respect in his battle against the trollocs. Then again, it was his first time fighting them, hopefully he’ll be significantly better next time around (or Berelain will have to find someone else to fawn over.)
No, Galad’s prowess is not in question:
The Fires of Heaven, Chapter 48, Leavetakings
@8. evinfuilt
Well, Galad has always lost consistently in his ballets against the trollops … :) should it be any wonder he can’t quite manage it in a battle against the trollocs?
Correct me if I am wrong, but Galad was very wounded during the Trolloc battle. Not only did he have his leg wound from his fight with Valda, he had also been beaten within an inch of his life recently by the Questioners. He only had a field medic available for treatment of these wounds He also fought on horseback, and his skill had been shown as fighting on foot. All of these combine to hamper his skill.
Freelancer@9
Nice quotation from TFoH – hate to admit it but it actually raises my regard for Valda’s fighting prowess (certainly not my regard for his overall character – the scumbag). If Galad was that good and he barely defeated Valda ….
“Gawyn is luckier than he thinks he is.”
Gawyn is ta’veren!
When will the ebook version be available?
@Hirgon if gawyn was ta’veren i’m sure siuan sanche would have mentioned it at some point, since she can see ta’veren. :-D I don’t know that i agree that Rand would be only as good as Gawyn if he had both hands. Obviously not as good as Lan, but I’d put him on a Galad level. Especially with his Lews Therin swordsman memories helping out.
RE: “little thing” at the end of Chapter 55 – This refers to Chapter 55 in Towers of Midnight
For some reason @brcayen’s follow up tweet wasn’t on this list.
For those of you without the book in front of you: the “little thing” involves Mat’s Ashandarei.
(edited after hearing from @brcayen)
You are all lying to me! I will not believe you! Do not poison my mind with these ideas! Gawyn FTW!
Seriously, I think this is messed up. My rating, based on careful examination was
1. Gawyn
2. Lan
3. Galad
.
.
.
11 or so: Rand
I hope Brandon’s answer isn’t from the notes. If so, I see a large frowny face in my future.