Firefight, from the Reckoners series, was selected to be featured in Audible’s Much Loved Listens 2-for-1 sale, which began this Sunday and runs until Monday, August 22nd. You can check the entire selection of titles available for Audible members to get 2 books for only 1 credit here.

In this week’s new Writing Excuses episode, Crossover Fiction, with Victoria Schwab (who also writes as V.E. Schwab), she joined us in Phoenix to talk about books that target a given demographic but which have a much broader appeal, or books which straddle the line between age demographics. We discuss some good crossover examples, and how some of the boundaries work, and then we cover some of the techniques we use when writing crossover works.

With the completion of the Words of Radiance reread, Tor Books is offering readers and Brandon Sanderson fans a free download of The Stormlight Archive Pocket Companion through the Tor/Forge Blog.

My assistant Adam has updated the Twitter post archive for August.

If you were unable to get your hands on a signed and numbered copy of The Bands of Mourning, now is your chance! Weller Book Works has announced that they have some available to purchase, and they ship worldwide. Click here to see more details and order your copy. They also have a few copies of The Stormlight Archive Pocket Companion available for free—all you have to pay for is shipping. For more information on the pocket companion, email books@wellerbookworks.com.

Also, Audible just released their “Best of the Year (so far!)” list, and The Bands of Mourning is included in the Sci-Fi & Fantasy category. Check out The Bands of Mourning and all the other customer favorites and editor picks.

In this week’s new Writing Excuses episode, Stakes!, we talk a lot about “raising the stakes” in our writing. When we say “stakes,” we’re referring to the things that keep our characters involved in the conflict, rather than just walking away and doing something else. We dig into what this really means, and how everyone in the story must be driven by things that they have at stake.

Last week, in Tor.com’s continuing reread posts for Words of Radiance, Shallan located a gate, Adolin made good use of a slain rock, and Kaladin struggled to stand between Elhokar and Moash. This week, in Chapter 84, Shallan begins to figure out the gate, Adolin proves his dueling prowess, and Kaladin stands.

My assistant Adam has updated the Twitter post archive for June.

I’m going to be heading to Phoenix at the beginning of June with the Writing Excuses crew for Phoenix Comicon. Our schedule is still being finalized, but as soon as that’s done the details of my part of the schedule will be posted on the upcoming events page on my website. Also, my assistant Kara is running my booth at PHXCC, and she’s looking for local volunteers to help out. She has put a sign-up sheet here.

The ebook for Perfect State is still on sale at 99¢ worldwide (with some minor local variation). Mitosis is also on sale at 99¢ (at least in the US) for the rest of May. And starting today through the end of this weekend, for Audible members who have an available credit in their account, Steelheart is available in an Audible 2-for-1 sale. (That link only works if you have at least one credit. I don’t know whether this is US-only or what.)

In this week’s new Writing Excuses episode, Fashion for Writers, Rebecca McKinney sits down with us on how we should go about describing the clothing our characters are wearing. How do we use that to add depth to our story? What are the common mistakes that writers make when they start dressing their characters?

Last week, in Tor.com’s continuing reread posts for Words of Radiance, Dalinar received a surprise or two that he badly needed. This week, in Chapter 79, he has his first actual conversation with a Listener since his brother was killed, and learns more surprising new notions.

My assistant Adam has updated the Twitter post archive for April and May.

Most of my novels are available as unabridged audiobooks, and some are also available from Graphic Audio as dramatized editions. So far they’ve put out Elantris, Warbreaker, and the Mistborn trilogy, with The Alloy of Law coming in May. Well, this week also marks the release of their production of the first part of The Way of Kings, and they will follow that up with the rest of the book and Words of Radiance. Graphic Audio’s slogan is “A Movie in Your Mind,” and it’s a very different listening experience from traditional unabridged audiobooks. If you have never experienced a dramatized novel, check out the link or scroll to the bottom of this post to listen a sample.

There are two conventions in April that I will be attending:
April 8–10: Odyssey Con in Madison, WI.
April 22–24: JordanCon in Atlanta, GA.

Preregistration is closed for Odyssey Con, but you can register at the door. There’s less than a week remaining to preregister for JordanCon; the last day is March 27th. (You can register at the door, but it’s a bit more expensive.) See my full list of events here.

For those who didn’t know I was out of the country, I just got back from an incredible trip to the UAE. I met some wonderful people and made extraordinary memories. I may do a more thorough post on this later, but for now here’s a photo from my trip. For those who have always wondered what I would look like holding a falcon, here you go!

In this week’s new Writing Excuses episode, Idea as Subgenre, With Nancy Fulda, Nancy Fulda joins us again for a second episode on the Idea elemental genre. We cover some tools for exploring an idea, and then drill down a bit on how to use that exploration, or even multiple explorations as “seasoning” elements for a larger work.

Last week, in Tor.com’s continuing reread posts for Words of Radiance, we sat out a highstorm while Shallan and Kaladin exchanged backstories. This week, in Chapter 75, they finally return with a vital contribution to the upcoming expedition.

My assistant Adam has updated the Twitter post archive for March.

Assistant Isaac here with a cornucopia of cosmopoietic cartographies. (Yes, I searched the dictionary for that second word. I’m pretty sure it has something to do with worldbuilding.)

When I started working directly for Brandon, I pretty much finished up all my freelance projects and suddenly had my evenings free again. I had to learn to relax and watch TV shows. I learned my kids’ names and actually started doing things with them (see the Lego section later in this post). But the occasional freelance project does tend to sneak through. In fact, January and February of this year have a few non-Brandon books with my maps in them. Here they are! Cartography for the main course and Legos for desert!

Woven Map Reveal

A few years ago I received an email from David Powers King and Michael Jensen about the possibility of doing a map for their young adult fantasy. I was trying to clear off my freelance plate and was a little skeptical of being able to fit another map into the schedule, but I agreed to meet them at a local convention and hear about their book.

Over lunch they described what they were looking for and told me about their novel. The magic system intrigued me, and the authors’ vision of a map woven from threads to form a tapestry further hooked me. Before I was done eating, I was already thinking of ideas and making notes. So I agreed to make the map. I had a great time working with David and Michael, and I’m quite pleased with the result.

And now for the reveal! Here’s the color version of the map that appears in their book Woven, which was just released today by Scholastic.

As an aside, I’m happy to recommend the book, especially to young adults. The writing is tight, the dialogue crisp, the magic intriguing, and the characters fun. If you’re going to read the book, don’t bother reading its description. Wait for the twist round about the end of chapter 3. That’s what grabbed me. And you don’t have to worry about content on this one. It’s squeaky clean.

Brian McClellan’s The Crimson Campaign

I’ve known Brian McClellan almost as long as I’ve known Brandon. In fact, I think we might’ve been in Brandon’s class together, but I didn’t get to know him all that well till Worldcon of that same year. I’d graduated college but still spent evenings on campus doing a little writing of my own. I don’t remember how, but Brian and I started hanging out a few times a week in an alcove of the English building. We’d just sit there and write. Sometimes we read each other’s stuff, and man, Brian was good.

Fast-forward a few years. Brian and I kept in touch, and he called to tell me he had a book deal and he wanted me to do the maps and symbols. I was thrilled at the news, and doubly thrilled that he’d ask me to do the maps. That first book was Promise of Blood, a flintlock fantasy that I highly recommend.

Well, we added a new map and updated the previous ones for the sequel, The Crimson Campaign, and let me tell you, Brian just keeps getting better. Yes, I know I’m biased, but we hired Adam as Brandon’s new assistant a few months ago, and Adam and I were talking books, and he asked me, “Have you heard of Brian McClellan? I love his books.” Adam kind of drew out the word “love” in the way that’s usually reserved for saying you love sleek convertible roadsters. So I asked Adam to gush about The Crimson Campaign.

Adam here, ready and willing to gush about The Crimson Campaign. I was fortunate enough, in my former employ, to have a job that required a good deal of driving about. I was always looking for a good book to occupy my time, as driving can be tedious, when a friend suggested that I read Brian McClellan’s Powder Mage books. So I went to Audible and downloaded Promise of Blood and The Crimson Campaign. I was hooked. Very few books drag me in so quickly or so completely as did this series. I found myself taking longer routes in order to hear just a bit more. Or, after arriving at my destination, finding myself just sitting in my car to hear what happened next. Let me tell you, it was terrible for my productivity at work and it was worth every second.

Very few authors have given me that awful emptiness when finishing a book when suddenly you are ripped out of this amazing world. A world filled with; an awesome magic system, complex social constructs and cliffhangers so intense you feel your arms hurting. Only to be brought back to boring old reality. You all know what I mean and that’s why we love reading. I give this book series six out of five stars, a rating I have previously reserved for Patrick Rothfuss and our own Brandon Sanderson.

Not to rub it in or anything, but we got our hands on an early copy of the third book in the trilogy, The Autumn Republic, which will be released on February 10th. Watch for our thoughts on that one on release day.

You might be wondering about content on this one. Imagine Brandon’s books with about 15% more grittiness.

Brian Staveley’s The Providence of Fire

Earlier this month Tor released the second book in Brian Staveley’s Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, The Providence of Fire, which I have to say is just a very cool title. Tor reached out to me to do the map in the first one, which was carried over into the second one. Here’s a post I wrote for Tor.com about the process behind the map.

Brian Staveley is top notch. His writing flows. I really care about his characters, and when I’m reading his novels, I feel like I’m in the hands of a master craftsman. I look forward to seeing where the series goes. It went over my language and brutality threshold a few times, so I’m going to put a strong content warning on this one.

No Starch LEGO Space and The Art of LEGO Design

One of the awesome parts of my job is getting to see the art-related things that come into our office. Months ago the good people at No Starch Press sent us a few of their Lego-themed books. I’m a sucker for Legos. Have been since this Lego set when I was just a wee lad. Everyone at work knows I love them too. In fact, when Brandon saw The Lego Movie, his review included the words, “and the part where the Dad shows up reminded me of Isaac.” I have since repented of my ways. Ask my kids. Now they spend hours in the Lego room playing and building, and they don’t have to worry about the Kragle anymore. So, everything is pretty dang cool.

I admit I didn’t read all the text in LEGO Space: Building the Future. That’s because I was trying to read it out loud to a five-year-old. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s not a bedtime story. The real genius of this book is that it’s an alternate history of space exploration. It starts with real events, portrayed in Lego, like Sputnik and the moon landing, and then basically asks the question, “What if the future of yesteryear’s space program looked a lot like the progression of the Lego Space line?” So the early years look like they could fit into Lego’s Classic space lineup (only coolor). If you’ve followed the evolution of Lego Space sets over the years, you’ll recognize the branding from some of the other eras too, like Blacktron and those white and blue sets that I’m not sure have a specific name.

Peter Reid and Tim Goddard are master builders. If you’re a fan of Lego Space, especially the Classic sets, do yourself a favor and lose yourself in this one for awhile. (As a side note, the Exo Suit portrayed in LEGO Space: Building the Future was adapted into a real set through Lego Ideas. I built it over Christmas break and had a blast of nostalgia hit me square in the face.

The Art of LEGO Design is a really great overview of building techniques. It doesn’t go into a lot of depth, but instead favors a broad approach that covers a lot of material, devoting a few pages to each style, technique, or what have you. The cool thing about this book is the photos taken from the author Jordan Schwartz’s collection and from other master builders’ original creations. Who knew that that piece could be used in that way? Who knew that there’s a whole subset of Lego builders who use the pieces to create mosaics? The level of creativity is astounding! Since I’m likely never to dive into Lego building as deeply as these masters, this is the sort of book where I can just sit back and enjoy the spectacle.

At the end of the day, I still have to try my hand at a few less time-consuming Lego projects, if only to stave off the building bug long enough so I can make some more maps. Behold my latest creation!

Rejoice! My Reckoners short novelette Mitosis was finally released today by Gollancz in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland (and other Commonwealth countries, plus everywhere outside the US/Canada). Check the store links in the various tabs to the right.

Mitosis takes place between Steelheart and Firefight, which will be released on January 6 in the US and January 8 in the UK. It’s a little something to tide you over until then.

In addition to the ebook and audiobook that the US and Canada received, Gollancz has also released a spiffy little hardcover. Here’s a photo (alongside the Steelheart editions that the UK got).

If you live in the US or Canada and are jealous of a print version of Mitosis, you might consider importing it via The Book Depository, which has free worldwide shipping.

New Brandon Sanderson Store items are below, but first some updates!

Words of Radiance is in the final round of voting for the Goodreads Choice Awards in the category Best Fantasy of 2014. It’s up against nine other books, so if you’ve read many of them, consider voting for the one you liked best.

Legion: Skin Deep starts shipping out from Subterranean Press next week. You can preorder the signed, leatherbound limited edition hardcover plus ebook combo here. And now, you can also preorder the Audible audiobook edition here—for free. For the first month, Legion: Skin Deep will be free on Audible, so you don’t have to use a credit. After the first month is over, the price goes up. (But if you get it while it’s free, it stays free for you.)

Just a note: There’s a new Kindle store in the Netherlands, which I believe also works in Flanders. We’ll be adding links to all of the buy widgets on my site, but until then, you can find my books here. Most of my books there are in English, but the first two Mistborn books are available in Dutch.

At Westercon/FantasyCon, Charlie Harmon joined the Writing Excuses crew to talk about Disability in Narrative. We also sat down with bookseller Sara Glassman at the Out of Excuses Workshop and Retreat to talk about her perspective on the book industry. Give them a listen.

The Brandon Sanderson Store has a bunch of new items up for the holidays. Also, The Emperor’s Soul hardcovers are back in stock, along with more posters of the Table of Allomantic Metals.

Here are the new products:

Table of Feruchemical Metals poster

This is something that doesn’t apply to many of you, but if you’re a voting member of The Recording Academy, and you’re a Mistborn fan, you may want to take a look at your ballot.

57th GRAMMY AWARDS
For Your Consideration:
MISTBORN – THE FINAL EMPIRE
by Brandon Sanderson
in 5.1 Surround Sound DTS

The Graphic Audio editions of the Mistborn books (and Elantris and Warbreaker) aren’t your average audiobooks—they’re full-cast recordings with some sound effects, though they’re still nearly unabridged; only a few things such as dialogue tags (“she said”) get trimmed out, since by the voice actor you can know who’s talking.

If you’ve never experienced one, check it out below. And if you’re an Academy voter, I hope you’ll give it a listen as you consider the applicable category. Best of luck to everyone on the ballot in every category!

I’m happy to announce that Mitosis (the novelette that takes place between Steelheart and Firefight) has been released as an audiobook. What’s more, Audible is putting it up for free for a limited time.

The talented Macleod Andrews returns as the audiobook’s narrator—and he will return for the Firefight audiobook as well, which comes out in January and which you can preorder here.

Here’s an audio preview for Mitosis. Since the novelette takes place after Steelheart, the preview below contains major spoilers for that book, so be warned! If you haven’t read Steelheart yet, there’s an audio preview for it at the bottom of the post.

Voting for the David Gemmell Legend Award ends on Saturday, and anyone can vote for free. If you’ve read the nominated works, I encourage you to vote. The nominees are:

• The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch
• Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
• The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett
• War Master’s Gate by Adrian Tchaikovsky
• A Memory of Light by Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan

The Gemmells also host the Morningstar Award for best fantasy debut novel and Ravenheart Award for best fantasy book cover artist, and voting for those awards also ends on Saturday.

Four Writing Excuses episodes have aired that I haven’t yet mentioned on the blog. These are: Showing Emotion, Creator vs. Creation, Sanderson’s 3rd Law, and a microcasting episode that touches on these topics:

• Should you include your prologue as one of the three chapters you send in a submission packet?
• How do you get out of the spot where your protagonist has no motivation?
• What’s the best way to prove to a spouse that your writing is more than a hobby?
• How do you get back into a project after taking a break from it?
• Where do you start research for historical fiction?
• Let’s say you sold your first book. How do you tackle book 2 in a series?
• How do you go about writing an overarching setting, like Brandon’s “Cosmere?”
• What part about being a writer do you most enjoy, besides the actual writing?

Shawn Speakman has put a short interview with me up at Suvudu, mostly about Firefight.

Today’s free episode of StarShipSofa includes a complete audiobook of my novelette “Defending Elysium,” narrated by Nick Camm. You can also read the text version here.

An interpretation of Shallan’s lullaby from Words of Radiance has been recorded by Vi Hart. Give it a listen!