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mewse
May 2, 2006

NikkolasKing posted:

So like a couple weeks ago I looked up a random list of the richest authors in the world. Naturally folks like Rowling nd King were at or near the top but Sanderson is quite successful himself, right?

Just thinking he has a all these plans and ideas, I hope he is making enough money and none of his ideas will ever be declined or not given a go ahead.

He has his own company (dragonsteel?) and he's doing quite well which is another one of the reasons his writing output is so impressive

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External Organs
Mar 3, 2006

One time i prank called a bear buildin workshop and said I wanted my mamaws ashes put in a teddy from where she loved them things so well... The woman on the phone did not skip a beat. She just said, "Brang her on down here. We've did it before."
It's very cute how much our clearly anime-loving magic-systwm-designing turbo nerd loves to write.

I wonder if he has an account. I wouldn't be surprised.

Tunicate
May 15, 2012

mewse posted:

He has his own company (dragonsteel?) and he's doing quite well which is another one of the reasons his writing output is so impressive

Also he can afford to have 10x the number of beta and gamma readers that a normal fantasy author has, which apparently speeds up the publication process considerably.

Sab669
Sep 24, 2009

I'm curious how much he makes off just his YouTube channel :v:

eke out
Feb 24, 2013



Tunicate posted:

Also he can afford to have 10x the number of beta and gamma readers that a normal fantasy author has, which apparently speeds up the publication process considerably.

wait are some of those people actually getting paid? or do you just mean he has the luxury to spend the time and administrative resources to go through several rounds of beta/gamma to improve the books

Tunicate
May 15, 2012

eke out posted:

wait are some of those people actually getting paid? or do you just mean he has the luxury to spend the time and administrative resources to go through several rounds of beta/gamma to improve the books

He seems to have a bigger team than a lot of other authors do, and having full-time assistants seems pretty necessary for wrangling several dozen beta readers or gamma readers (or for doing things like getting a paraplegic reader to go over the Rysn segments).

scary ghost dog
Aug 5, 2007

eke out posted:

wait are some of those people actually getting paid? or do you just mean he has the luxury to spend the time and administrative resources to go through several rounds of beta/gamma to improve the books

they are definitely getting paid

eke out
Feb 24, 2013



Tunicate posted:

He seems to have a bigger team than a lot of other authors do, and having full-time assistants seems pretty necessary for wrangling several dozen beta readers or gamma readers (or for doing things like getting a paraplegic reader to go over the Rysn segments).

yeah definitely, I think the results really have paid off, especially as he's increasingly been pushed towards more progressive politics and points of view farther away from his own background

scary ghost dog posted:

they are definitely getting paid

that's cool, imho

Leng
May 13, 2006

One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind


No other road
No other way
No day but today

scary ghost dog posted:

they are definitely getting paid

Employees of Dragonsteel Entertainment (Sanderson's company) are paid staff.

Beta and gamma readers are not paid, unless they are specifically requested to do an expert's review. For example, 2 of the beta readers for Dawnshard were paid, because they were specifically chosen to make sure that Rysn's POVs and storyline was treated sensitively and accurately portrayed (and you can see this reflected in their feedback in the Kickstarter Dawnshard extras that were released). I imagine that the RoW beta readers with DID were also paid in relation for their feedback on Shallan's arc. Shad of Shadiversity YouTube fame was also paid to consult on accuracy of weapons for Adolin's storyline, etc. I imagine that the surgeons who were beta readers for Kaladin's parts in WoK would also have been paid, and similarly, the fighter pilots for the Skyward books too.

NikkolasKing
Apr 3, 2010



Do you think we will learn more about the Oathpact next book?

Reading ROW has made me reread the whole series. And it's hard to view Honor as a good guy if he knew all along his chosen heroes would be mercilessly tortured, that the continued salvation of the world rested upon this. Just not a good look when you need people tortured.

But if this was some later fact that they did not know of at the time of the Oathpact's creation, that is more understandable.

Cicero
Dec 17, 2003

Jumpjet, melta, jumpjet. Repeat for ten minutes or until victory is assured.
To be fair, being tortured to protect others from harm is a very honorable thing to do.

egg tats
Apr 3, 2010

NikkolasKing posted:

Do you think we will learn more about the Oathpact next book?

Reading ROW has made me reread the whole series. And it's hard to view Honor as a good guy if he knew all along his chosen heroes would be mercilessly tortured, that the continued salvation of the world rested upon this. Just not a good look when you need people tortured.

But if this was some later fact that they did not know of at the time of the Oathpact's creation, that is more understandable.

of course he's not a good guy, people have done terrible poo poo to themselves and others for centuries in the name of honour.

that said, if you were to choose between making 7 people suffer forever, in order to prevent the end of all life, I imagine you'd make the same call

Democratic Pirate
Feb 17, 2010

I’m curious if it was all torture all the time, or if there was some downtime. Torturing the same people for that long has to get boring at times; maybe they spent some time having philosophical debate torture in between the physical stuff.

M_Gargantua
Oct 16, 2006

STOMP'N ON INTO THE POWERLINES

Exciting Lemon
I mean its pretty vague but I interpreted it as like 'Pitting your [The Heralds] will against the fused, and by doing so you can lock all the souls on braize until you blink' and while not torture, over the course of millennia of it you go mad at it becomes a nauseatingly painful task.

Imagine if your entire job was to hold down the space bar, all day, every day, forever. And sometimes the coworkers downstairs send you nasty emails asking you to stop pressing it. Its never really torture, but a Sisyphean nightmare.

rafikki
Mar 8, 2008

I see what you did there. (It's pretty easy, since ducks have a field of vision spanning 340 degrees.)

~SMcD


M_Gargantua posted:

I mean its pretty vague but I interpreted it as like 'Pitting your [The Heralds] will against the fused, and by doing so you can lock all the souls on braize until you blink' and while not torture, over the course of millennia of it you go mad at it becomes a nauseatingly painful task.

Imagine if your entire job was to hold down the space bar, all day, every day, forever. And sometimes the coworkers downstairs send you nasty emails asking you to stop pressing it. Its never really torture, but a Sisyphean nightmare.

I thought I remembered it being pretty explicitly torture.

eke out
Feb 24, 2013



For some reason in my mind it was something like "heralds appear on Braize and their job is to hide and survive as long as they can but they're inevitably caught and tortured sooner or later"

maybe i'm just imagining that first part though. it's definitely explicitly torture at some point but i thought there was likely a lengthy pre-getting-caught period (though this may've changed over time as they went crazier and everything became more futile and inevitable)

eke out fucked around with this message at 15:48 on Apr 3, 2021

NikkolasKing
Apr 3, 2010



egg tats posted:

of course he's not a good guy, people have done terrible poo poo to themselves and others for centuries in the name of honour.

that said, if you were to choose between making 7 people suffer forever, in order to prevent the end of all life, I imagine you'd make the same call

I don't know if I would but I don't think Sanderson would, either.

I know some people have tried to insist to me that the Radiants are all equal but the Windrunners are very blatantly the best and rightest order to which we should take our moral cues from, not the Skybreakers or whatever Jasnah is. Kaladin is the best and most morally upstanding main character in the series and I don't think this kind of consequentialism is possible for him. ROW:
And I think ROW established he and his entire order are closer to Honor than any others.

eke out
Feb 24, 2013



NikkolasKing posted:

I don't know if I would but I don't think Sanderson would, either.

I know some people have tried to insist to me that the Radiants are all equal but the Windrunners are very blatantly the best and rightest order to which we should take our moral cues from, not the Skybreakers or whatever Jasnah is. Kaladin is the best and most morally upstanding main character in the series and I don't think this kind of consequentialism is possible for him. ROW:
And I think ROW established he and his entire order are closer to Honor than any others.

tbf I don't think "consign others to torture" is a choice he could make but proactively choosing to be tortured to protect others is a choice he'd probably make in a heartbeat, just like Taln did

also morality and the orders seems pretty tricky, as we still know very little about Radiant culture back when it actually existed as a living thing, and instead have people thousands of years later trying to re-learn institutional traditions. this has worked pretty well for people like Kaladin and Dalinar that can just literally talk to the fragments of Honor, but others only have the imperfect and self-interested guidance of spren (dustbringers) and insane heralds (skybreakers) that seems to be actively at odds with what the orders once were

(you're probably right that Sanderson's morality is obviously a lot closer to Kaladin's than Jasnah's ends-justify-the-means "maybe I should just hire an assassin to deal with this problem" take, but it's unclear to me that that's fundamentally What An Elsecaller Would Do as opposed to just what Jasnah, with her own history and trauma, would do)

eke out fucked around with this message at 16:21 on Apr 3, 2021

Yngwie Mangosteen
Aug 23, 2007

Cicero posted:

To be fair, being tortured to protect others from harm is a very honorable thing to do.

it's literally jesus.

TheMadMilkman
Dec 10, 2007

eke out posted:

For some reason in my mind it was something like "heralds appear on Braize and their job is to hide and survive as long as they can but they're inevitably caught and tortured sooner or later"

maybe i'm just imagining that first part though. it's definitely explicitly torture at some point but i thought there was likely a lengthy pre-getting-caught period (though this may've changed over time as they went crazier and everything became more futile and inevitable)

No, I remember this as well. The Heralds would hide as long as they could, but would inevitably be found and tortured.

Martin
Jan 17, 2004

All I know in life is how to pour whiskey and run my mouth off
Dinosaur Gum
The torture was definitely real, I’m rereading WoK now and there’s stuff in there about fire and burning and bones and whatnot.
From the prelude:
”Those fires, those hooks, digging into his flesh anew each day. Searing the skin off his arm, then burning the fat, then driving to the bone. He could smell it. Almighty, he could smell it!”

EDIT: Although I guess you could argue that they are unreliable narrators due to insanity

Martin fucked around with this message at 23:45 on Apr 5, 2021

Leng
May 13, 2006

One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind


No other road
No other way
No day but today
Skyward 3 is done! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzf2DVrddoY

And he has officially started on The Lost Metal - yay!

JOSEPH SAMOAN
Jun 13, 2010

funkymonks posted:

This is spoiler free. I don’t like Mistborn series 1 all that much. I really don’t like the middle book. But the ending is good and satisfying. And sets up Mistborn Series 2 which I do really like.

I finished it a few days ago and I’m still sort of ruminating about how I feel about the third book. It’s absolutely 100% undeniably better than the second, and some of the best parts of all three are in the later half of the story. If I had any issue I think my biggest one is that the third book has a lot of apologia for the Lord Ruler. Dude literally violently culled an entire race of people and did a whole laundry list of horrible things for a thousand years and for the whole book people kept going “he wasn’t so bad when you think about it” way too much, even if they backloaded explanation about Ruin loving with him. I’m also not entirely sure how I feel about religion ultimately being the thing that saves the day at the conclusion, but I admit I am not a religious person and I am aware BS is so I can hardly look at that second one as very much of a fault

Ultimately those are a lot smaller than the issues I had with the second book though. I left feeling pretty satisfied and don’t at all regret my time spent on it.

Audible happened to have Elantris on a buy one get one sale this month so I grabbed it and I’m going to give it a listen next. I’ve heard mixed things, but still looking forward to it.

Tunicate
May 15, 2012

If what i hope happens in future books and sazed does indeed become the villain, that lord ruler stuff he says would be excellent foreshadowing.

Pyre of Word Salsa
Apr 25, 2017

I pray for a color palette that will not come.

DarkHorse posted:

In a world where regular mages can blow you up with a thought, Alex can... see a few seconds to minutes into the future. You wouldn't think that's much of an advantage, but he's learned to squire that little bit for everything it's worth

It's a pretty powerful ability when you can foretell/see exactly what you need to do in order to survive and outwit the enemy. It's been, like, two years since I've read the series, but I think the only time where Alex really tripped up was when his power got disabled from the monkey's paw.

Leng posted:

Employees of Dragonsteel Entertainment (Sanderson's company) are paid staff.

Beta and gamma readers are not paid, unless they are specifically requested to do an expert's review. For example, 2 of the beta readers for Dawnshard were paid, because they were specifically chosen to make sure that Rysn's POVs and storyline was treated sensitively and accurately portrayed (and you can see this reflected in their feedback in the Kickstarter Dawnshard extras that were released). I imagine that the RoW beta readers with DID were also paid in relation for their feedback on Shallan's arc. Shad of Shadiversity YouTube fame was also paid to consult on accuracy of weapons for Adolin's storyline, etc. I imagine that the surgeons who were beta readers for Kaladin's parts in WoK would also have been paid, and similarly, the fighter pilots for the Skyward books too.

Huh, didn't know that. That's cool. I want to hazard a guess and say that the rest of his staff deals with merchandising (supply chains?), with the man himself running the website, but I also don't know enough about this to assert anything.

Leng
May 13, 2006

One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind


No other road
No other way
No day but today

Pyre of Word Salsa posted:

Huh, didn't know that. That's cool. I want to hazard a guess and say that the rest of his staff deals with merchandising (supply chains?), with the man himself running the website, but I also don't know enough about this to assert anything.

His YouTube channel has got you covered! They did this one as part of the recent Kickstarter RoW release (hence "Team Silverlight") but based on the video intros, they're all regular staff who probably do the same duties for when there's no Kickstarter on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBTfWrCvim0

Leng fucked around with this message at 03:55 on Apr 15, 2021

DarkHorse
Dec 13, 2006

Vroom Vroom, BEEP BEEP!
Nap Ghost

Pyre of Word Salsa posted:

It's a pretty powerful ability when you can foretell/see exactly what you need to do in order to survive and outwit the enemy. It's been, like, two years since I've read the series, but I think the only time where Alex really tripped up was when his power got disabled from the monkey's paw.

Oh it absolutely, absolutely is. Just at first glance though would most people prefer the ability to fly, teleport, shield yourself, and blow up entire buildings? Or to see what's going to happen in a minute or two? :geno:

Verus constantly getting underestimated is a big component of his success at survival.

Dream Weaver
Jan 23, 2007
Sweat Baby, sweat baby
Ah! I finally Well of Ascension the audiobook from my library. Hecking yes.

Thyrork
Apr 21, 2010

"COME PLAY MECHS M'LANCER."

Or at least use Retrograde Mini's to make cool mechs and fantasy stuff.

:awesomelon:
Slippery Tilde
Finally got back on the stormlight train, read edgedancer and rhythm of war, Good stuff. Kinda had the pileup at the end but eh. Now the wait resumes. :ohdear:

The following shitpost is inspired by the upcoming nier replicant release and is heckin' spoilers;

I'm serious, stop reading this if you've not read to the end of war/book 4 yet.

"Wit, you dumbass! Start making sense, you rotten old coot, or you're gonna be sorry! Maybe I'll rip your Breath's out, one-by-one! Or maybe I'll put you in the goddamn furnace! How can someone with such a big, smart brain get blindsided like a little bitch, huh?! "Oh, Odium! I owned you, Odium! Come over here and give Wit a big sloppy kiss, Odium!" Now pull your head out of your goddamn rear end and start loving helping us!"

But seriously that.... I did not see that coming.

eke out
Feb 24, 2013



Thyrork posted:

The following shitpost is inspired by the upcoming nier replicant release and is heckin' spoilers;


lmao im not sure which character laura bailey is voicing but i can hear this in my head

Thyrork
Apr 21, 2010

"COME PLAY MECHS M'LANCER."

Or at least use Retrograde Mini's to make cool mechs and fantasy stuff.

:awesomelon:
Slippery Tilde
I could see her doing Jasnah.

Leng
May 13, 2006

One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind


No other road
No other way
No day but today
Weekly update: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8ZFTNPvo9k

In this one, he goes into a little bit of detail about what he did during the outlining process of The Lost Metal. It's nothing new if you've watched his plot lectures before but interesting if you don't know what he does during his prewriting process.

Writing has begun on The Lost Metal (last Wax & Wayne/Mistborn Era 2 book). Woo!

Pennsylvanian
May 23, 2010

Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky Independent Presidential Regiment
Western Liberal Democracy or Death!

Thyrork posted:

I could see her doing Jasnah.

Dream casting would have Claudia Black as Navani.

Potato Salad
Oct 23, 2014

nobody cares


Thyrork posted:

Finally got back on the stormlight train, read edgedancer and rhythm of war, Good stuff. Kinda had the pileup at the end but eh. Now the wait resumes. :ohdear:

The following shitpost is inspired by the upcoming nier replicant release and is heckin' spoilers;

I'm serious, stop reading this if you've not read to the end of war/book 4 yet.

"Wit, you dumbass! Start making sense, you rotten old coot, or you're gonna be sorry! Maybe I'll rip your Breath's out, one-by-one! Or maybe I'll put you in the goddamn furnace! How can someone with such a big, smart brain get blindsided like a little bitch, huh?! "Oh, Odium! I owned you, Odium! Come over here and give Wit a big sloppy kiss, Odium!" Now pull your head out of your goddamn rear end and start loving helping us!"

But seriously that.... I did not see that coming.

Wit's pocket coin thing is such a staple of rogue powergaming against mind-affecting abilities that there's no way Wit is clueless about what just happened.

Taffer
Oct 15, 2010


Pennsylvanian posted:

Dream casting would have Claudia Black as Navani.

What the gently caress this post is violence

eke out
Feb 24, 2013



shohreh aghdashloo will probably be too old for navani if it ever gets filmed, but it's absolutely shohreh aghdashloo

Torrannor
Apr 27, 2013

---FAGNER---
TEAM-MATE

eke out posted:

shohreh aghdashloo will probably be too old for navani if it ever gets filmed, but it's absolutely shohreh aghdashloo

She'd have the Alethi elegance and class down to a T.

ConfusedUs
Feb 24, 2004

Bees?
You want fucking bees?
Here you go!
ROLL INITIATIVE!!





eke out posted:

shohreh aghdashloo will probably be too old for navani if it ever gets filmed, but it's absolutely shohreh aghdashloo

Only if they let her curse like a sailor.

eke out
Feb 24, 2013



ConfusedUs posted:

Only if they let her curse like a sailor.

the main challenge for her would be acting not-confident

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Evil Fluffy
Jul 13, 2009

Scholars are some of the most pompous and pedantic people I've ever had the joy of meeting.

Potato Salad posted:

Wit's pocket coin thing is such a staple of rogue powergaming against mind-affecting abilities that there's no way Wit is clueless about what just happened.

(RoW ending) Wit fully went in expecting Odium to do something but unless that coin is a coppermind and it recorded everything, he won't remember the most important thing from that meeting with Odium. I know Wit is perceptive but I'm calling bullshit if he predicted Odium's change, let alone how/who, unless he's been heavily gaming the system via Renarin (which would also be pushing things).

eke out posted:

shohreh aghdashloo will probably be too old for navani if it ever gets filmed, but it's absolutely shohreh aghdashloo

The immortal Angel Basset is right there and she'd kill as Navani.

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