Tag Archives: Brandon Sanderson

Non-Stop (Sanderson: The Musical)

A reddit user commented on my Encanto Brandon Sanderson parody, suggesting that the REAL mash-up we needed was Non-Stop from Hamilton, but about Brandon’s insane writing discipline.

Which was like, “Yeah. Obviously.”

So that happened.

If you’re in the overlap on the Venn diagram of Sanderfans and Hamilfans or whatever the groups are called, this is for you.

Please note: References to G. R. R. Martin and R. Jordan are meant with only the deepest love and respect for their legendary impacts on the genre. When I thought about the characters and what they were saying in the original song, it seemed most fitting for Martin to fill the role of Burr and Jordan that of Washington. I think Angelica and Eliza are simply fantasy readers / fans.

 (Here’s a poor GarageBand version of non-stop sanderson.)

Non-Stop

After my stories got published in stores
A-After my stories got published by Tor
I planned other series and pitched some more
I published mine and won awards

Even though I started long before his time
Brandon Sanderson began to climb
How to account for his rise to the top?
Man, the man writes non-stop

Fanbase of the Mistborn series, bear with me
Are you aware that there’s a shared hist’ry?
This is the first novel series I’ll write about this planet
With two or three to follow, I’ve planned it (non-stop)
I intend to move beyond this planet further out
Into a system of novels

Just novels, Sanderson, sit down.
Your varied series are all standalone.
Let’s just publish this.
That’s all you need to write

Oh right, One more thing—

Why do you assume all your books should tie into
All the other books you’ve written? This is new.
Why do you assume that your fans will follow through?
Soon that complex plan may be your doom

Why do you write like there’s no such thing as time?
Write day and night like there’s no such thing as time?
Every day you write, like you’ve sundered space and time
Keep on writing in between time — (non stop!)

World-building’s such an old thought that we can think
About in fantasy, and nowhere is it stronger than in magic themes
Its cost and its economy increasingly showing and
Honestly that’s more important than all the power schemes I’ve seen (non-stop!)
I drafted a law, I’ve practically perfected it
I’ve seen some weakness in the genre, I’ve corrected it
Hard magic systems need more clarity
If not, then the weak plot will leave readers feeling lost in mediocrity

Sanderson, teaching BYU creative writing
I’ll be posting all my classroom lectures on writing
Teaches the craft from drafting to selling it
Now what I’m going to teach should be worth telling it
Goes and proposes his own laws of magic use (What?)
His own laws for well thought-out magic use (What?)
Talks for twelve hours, and it’s all on a playlist
Bright young man, yo, writers should watch this!

Why do you always write with such belief?
Why do you always write with such belief?
Every story moral uplifting,
Free inspiration for your devotees

Why do you write, always so reliable? (hey!)
Why do you write, always so methodical? (hey!)
Every day you write, always reaching the next goal
Do what you do

(knock knock knock)
Hello Brandon?
Mr. Martin
Well, it’s the middle of the day
Can I come in, then?
Is this an author matter?
Yes, and it’s important to me
What do you need?

George, you’re a finer writer than me
Okay
I know they say I’m plain, my words restricted,
You’re incredible in prose
You’re verbose, descriptive,
Our fans need our very best,
You’re the solution
What’s on your chest?
A Song of Ice and Fire’s conclusion
No
Hear me out
No way!
A couple more novels, properly revised and published
Presenting the end for the public
No one will read it
I disagree
The show’s end failed!
George, that’s why we need it
The whole conclusion’s a mess
So there’ve been some tough lessons
Subverted expectations
So go back and address them
You have to start somewhere
No, no way
You’re making a mistake
Good night

Hey
What are you waiting for?
What do you stall for? (What?)
You wrote much more
What was it all for?
Do you support a strong conclusion?
Well yes
Then finish it
But what if all the readers have left?

Sir, you plotted and outlined and revised
For the rough draft of the novel you started to write
For fans who will buy all your books with pride
I don’t understand how you’re taking all this time

I’ll keep my next draft close to my chest (wait for it, wait for it, wait)
I’ll wait for the muse to show me where to go
I’m taking my time, watching the aftermath of the ending of my HBO show

I am turning to the Cosmere
I have been reading work by someone who always writes
I have found a wealth of novels that will
Keep me still reading for all my nights
He may write in layman’s prose, but heaven knows
Published on time beats “someday might”
My Brandon Sanderson
Collection’s grown in size

Look at where you are
Look at where you started
The fact that you still write is a miracle
Stormlight Archive – that would be enough
And if Reddit could steal a fraction of your time
If you can share what’s on your mind
That would be enough

Sanderson joins forces with a team of friends and family
To write a series of series, standing on their own but interconnected,
Entitled the Cosmere
The plan was to write a number of fantasy novels;
Each book would be complete on its own.
Thus far, the Cosmere spans 22 novels published over 17 years.
With pandemic weighing on his mind
And with several projects still on time
Sanderson wrote another secret four!

How do you write like you live outside of time?
How do you write like you live outside of time?
Every day you write like Investiture supplies
All the strength you need to find
All the words that you provide

How do you write like there’s never any block?
How do you write like you’re always on the clock?
How do you write like you’re never gonna stop?
Like you’re never gonna stop
Like you’re never gonna stop

They deserve the Wheel of Time
To be finished and complete
To have the ending that it needs
I’m asking you to finish it for me (one volume or three?)
I know it’s a lot to ask (one volume or three?)
To leave behind the worlds you wrote…

Sir, do you want me to write one final book or three volumes?
Three
Let’s go

Brandon Sanderson
They want to read
Brandon Sanderson
Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be a reader now
Published

They are wanting more to read
Look around, isn’t this enough?
Fans will never be satisfied (what would be enough?)
We will never be satisfied (So we theorize)
Theorize, fantasize

Fantasy has its eyes on you (Look around)
Why do you assume all your books should tie into
All the other worlds that your writing introduced (non-stop)

Why do you assume all your books should tie into (non-stop)
All the other worlds that your writing introduced (Fantasy has its eyes)
Why do you write like you live outside of time (non-stop)
Why do you write like
Fantasy has its eyes on you!

I am not givin’ away my plot! (Just RAFO)
I am not givin’ away my plot! (Just RAFO)
I am Brandon Sanderson
Sanderson, Just RAFO
And I am not givin’ away my plot!

We Don’t Talk About Brando (Encanto Rewrite)

Brandon Sanderson recently surprised his fans with an announcement about what he’s been doing during the pandemic, along with a Kickstarter for a worthy cause…

…which quickly broke all the records and became the most funded Kickstarter of all time.

I watched his “flabbergasted” response to the news, followed by some videos discussing what this may mean for traditional publishing (as well as salty comments from writers and fans of SF/F about the situation).

And then, for some reason, YouTube recommended “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” as the next video to watch… which was exactly the spark of inspiration I needed.

So, for those few fans of both Brandon Sanderson AND Encanto who might be following my blog or who might happen upon this, here’s “We Don’t Talk About Brando”

 

We don’t talk about Brando Sando, no…
We don’t talk about Brando…. BUT!

It was the other day (just like any other day)
They were gonna livestream and there wasn’t a doubt in my mind
(No doubts, no, everything’s fine)

Brando walks in with a mischievous grin   (Update!!)
You watching this? Yeah, so am I   (I’m sorry what’s going on?)

Brandon says, “I must come clean”   (What will he tell us?)
“You all should know where I’ve been”  (I started getting nervous)
Drops four brand new books on screen
What a joyous day, take my mon-ay!

We don’t talk about Brando Sando, no…
We don’t talk about Brando….

hey! How does he complete every book idea that hits him?
Other fantasy authors love to hate or diss him
But their fans are waiting for sequels in their hand—tick tock tick
Four secret books, it’s a gift, mind-blowing,
Gotta take a look at the deals he’s showing,
Gonna kickstart, wanna see the swag he’s planned
You can understand

Seven books a year,
Projects in the stack
When he takes a “little break”
Four novels join the pack
Yeah, his output is a dream
and makes other writers scream (hey!)

We don’t talk about Brando Sando, no…
We don’t talk about Brando…

He told me Cytonic’s done, and now — proofread!
The draft of The Lost Metal – finished like he said!
He said that Evershore and Skyward Four have been put to bed…
I need Stormlight Archives Book Five playing in my head!!!

He told me that the answers I need
Would be coming, just Read And Find Out
He told me that the Cosmere would grow,
There are Shards yet to know, have no doubt
He told me that my fan the-o-ry would be mostly revealed
But mixed with another
I’ll go kickstart him now – Hey fans, we want no spoilers out of you
I’ll go kickstart him now!

Um… Brando…
Yeah, about that Brando…
I really need to kickstart Brando…
Gimme the swag boxes and books, Brando…
Everybody, go kickstart here!

We don’t talk about Brando Sando, no…
We don’t talk about Brando…

 

If you only recently got that song out of your head, I’m sorry for putting it back.

The original announcement is worth a watch, if for no other reason than to admire Brandon’s insane writing discipline.

Considering Why

A blog I follow on writing posted this lovely YouTube video of my favorite author, Brandon Sanderson:

His personal story is compelling to me on several levels.

I’ve said elsewhere on this site that it feels like I do a number of things at the “karaoke” level — well enough that people are impressed, but only when it’s free. Writing is one such endeavor.

Songwriting for Christian worship services is another. I have over a hundred songs inspired by sermons and Scripture over the last seventeen years. Some have been used in church services for a season, many have been files taking up space on a hard drive. Similarly, I’ve written hundreds of thousands of words, including two complete novel manuscripts and several short stories. But most of those are (for now) using up cloud storage space and nothing more.

Positive feedback from alpha readers is helpful. But let’s be honest; these are my friends and acquaintances over the years. They’re willing to pick up and read a novel because we already have a connection. I won’t be so lucky with your average reader browsing through a pile of self-published e-books on Amazon.

A friend of mine sent me this picture, which I took as much needed encouragement:  

So… why write? Am I willing to put forth the effort to craft the seven or eight novels bouncing in my head at present, knowing they may do nothing more than collect dust and entertain my kids? Am I willing to pen songs for personal worship knowing they might never be played in a public setting? Am I willing to throw a handful of words onto this webpage and click “Publish” knowing I might never have a bunch of Likes or hits?

Yes. I hope you are too.

More Words of Awesome

I reached the end of Part Three (out of five parts) of Words of Radiance today.

Let’s see… no spoilers, so… all I can say is,

FASFASFASFSFAFAWDAFSSADASFASDASFASFASFA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, the climactic scene thus far built up and then that chapter appeared to end with a hook before a new chapter about some other character doing some other scene and I very nearly skipped ahead to find out what happened next until I remembered “oh wait, the character in this chapter is in the same place, so this continues the action GAAAAH why am I thinking about this, READ MORE.”

I probably don’t read enough, so perhaps I am too easily satisfied / tricked into turning the page. But I have been thoroughly pleased with plot twists and surprises along the way.

Stupid work, and my own writing, and you know, spending time with the kids, and eating, and stuff like that getting in the way.

Words of Awesome

I meant to be kidding about the recent post saying I’d forget about blogging for awhile in order to read Words of Radiance, Brandon Sanderson’s latest epic fantasy offering.

But it is captivating my thoughts, my attention, and my free time.

What I love about Sanderson’s work in Way of Kings and this book is how he includes some nuggets of truth and morality without getting preachy. He also does this from different character’s perspectives, so sometimes a reasonable case might be made for each of a pair of conflicting values.

Although I wonder if he might have watched a little too much Game of Thrones with the surprising out-of-nowhere death of what I thought was a major character early on in the book. That’s spoiler-ish without being a spoiler, so I don’t feel guilty.

The book is interspersed with gorgeous artwork, just like the first. I’m finding it well worth my time.

Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination.

Reading before blogging.