What Writers Can Learn From Reading Brandon Sanderson
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- Опубліковано 29 чер 2024
- The first 500 people to use my link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare" skl.sh/capturedinwords05241
Brandon Sanderson, is an icon in modern fantasy literature. This video explores key lessons that aspiring writers can learn from Sanderson's approach to world-building, character development, and plotting. Whether you're tackling your first novel or looking to refine your writing skills, discover how Sanderson's methods can inspire and enhance your own creative projects.
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0:00 - INTRO
3:33 - Sanderson's Immersive Worldbuilding
4:11 - Sanderson's Three Rules of Magic
9:17 - Structured Plotting
10:02 - Chekov's Gun
10:56 - Three P's Plotting Method
14:14 - Simple Pros is ok, write Impactfully
16:35 - Balancing Multiple POV's
19:32 - Complex characters that evolve
21:16 - Three Scales of Character
24:07 - Character Analysis
29:00 - Philosophically Balanced
29:58 - Fantasy Doesn't NEED to be Explicit
31:27 - Disciplined Productivity
Thank you to Joshua Keali'i for helping me with the video!
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The first 500 people to use my link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare! skl.sh/capturedinwords05241
I hope this video was helpful for your writing journey! Let me know what author you'd like to see me cover next in a similar video!
Imagine having Brando Sando as your uni professor. I would have actually been excited to show up for class!
A "What writers can learn from Robin Hobb" would be great
Great idea! Definitely plan on making this eventually
I second this ❤
I was literally going to comment the same thing.
I was literally going to comment the same thing.
Also what writers can learn from Guy Gavriel Kay or Tad Williams.
It's not just writers... i think everyone can learn about time management and discipline from Brandon...the man is 1 of the best selling authors of today, has a loving family, his fans love him, has a podcast and he is in tune with all of the general pop culture stuff.
I just learned who Brandon Sanderson's college roommate was. It's amazing when talented people hang out together - like all of us Captured in Words subscribers.
Oh wow I didn't know he was roommates with Ken Jennings until looking it up just now 😂 Very cool!
I’ve gained so much respect for him after Rothfuss basically ghosted his fans and treated them horribly
Sanderson is so likeable ! It definitely make me want to support him and his books:
The way that Sanderson interacts with his community and seems to genuinely care about his fans and keeping them updated is something I really appreciate about him as well, and something I sadly can't say the same about Rothfuss 😅
I think I’d enjoy seeing “what we can learn” videos for UK leGuin, and Susanna Clarke.
Gonna read the way of kings soon! very excited
Awesome!! Enjoy!😁
I envy you. I’ve read the Stormlight books 3 times now, and I want to read them again before the new one is published. But although I really enjoy the re-reads, I would give a great deal to be able to read them again for the first time.
This deserves hundreds of thousands of views
Brandons face on the avalanche. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Good video btw
Hahaha 😂 thanks!
I love this new series! I watched all the BYU lectures, too, and I can honestly say that scheduling time to write has been the biggest game changer for me.
I just want to say that I’m excited for when your book comes out and good luck on your writing process!
Thank you so much!!
I am literally reading the first Mistborn era right now to answer this exact question.
Would love a Scott Lynch version.
I want one on Ken Liu. The Dandelion Dynasty has to be the best thing I've ever read.
Robin Hobb and Joe Abercrombie too...
Will definitely make one on Hobb and Abercrombie at some point! I really need to get to Ken Liu, 've heard so many good things about Dandelion Dynasty
I love you dude, thanks for making this kind of content for us writers!
I hope you'll make videos about Joe Abercrombie, J. K. Rowling, and R. F. Kuang.
Been so excited for this one!!
Hope you enjoy! 😁 and thanks for watching
Amazing editing work. Visuals make this video pop and the themes stick. Always been a Stephen King fan. Would love to see a video like this on the horror god.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed! I've actually recently started King for the first time and am finishing up a read through of The Stand right now before reading Either Salem's Lot or It. Will definitely make a similar video for Stephen King once I get more versed in his work!
@@CapturedInWordsI'm sure you know this already, but you must read the dark tower series.
I loved this video. I have no plans to write a novel myself. I have absolutely no creative talent whatsoever. But I do enjoy learning about the writing process, and the different methods that different authors use to craft a story.
I would love a "What writers can learn from Patrick Rothfuss"
Don't leave a book series unfinished
What a great concept. I'm sure it's a ton of work but i would 100% support and follow any other author videos you create!
I love❤, love love your content and its exceptional quality!!! I cannot imagine how much work it takes!!! 🎉
16:09 I'm on the cusp of finishing WoR for the first time so that sentence both scares and excites me at the exact same time😂
Great & informative video, man! 😄💙📚 And I *WAS* indeed glued to the screen, as I mentioned in a previous comment 😂 I especially take with me the tactics to dedicate specific hours to writing & to think about writing when doing a chore or taking a walk. 😊
Not Sanderson related, but I've just recently started Name of the Wind! 😃 Of the authors I've read so far, he's the one that's kept me reading the longest. I really like Rothfuss' mystery, prose and darker tone.
And you're one of the reasons I decided to try Rothfuss as well, since he's one of your favorite authors! 😋 Maybe do a *"What writers can learn from Rothfuss"* next? 😃
Have a good one! 😄💙📚
I finally finished watching the video, there lot of thing I can learn from him, and thanks for the video
I see the Inheritance Cycle and Murtagh behind you so… how about a video on Christopher Paolini? I don’t hear him get talked about enough but he’s one of my favorites.
You're one of the few booktubers I see who often references BRENT WEEKS. The Lightbringer Series is one of my absolute favorite fantasy series, and I hardly hear it referenced, so I'd love you to do a What Writers Can Learn From Reading Brent Weeks!
Thank you sir!
Super well thought out summarization of Sando’s lectures. Kind of a one stop shop for us looking to identify some key take aways. You think you’re going to pitch to agents?? Or take the indie route? Feels like with your following you can totally go indie which would be exciting for epic fantasy (assuming that’s what you’re working on). Would love to hear more about your ideas and if you need critique partners. I’d love to share my work (I’m in a dec 1st deadline before submitting to editors, currently pitching agents)
Nice video Man!
Thanks!!
"shout out to the one scene in words of radiance"
do you have the slightest idea of how little that narrows it down
Do you ever heard a story called omniscient reader view point by Sing n Song? The story is masterpice, its like never ending story and also breaking the 5 wall
Very cool :-)
Thanks for watching! 😀
Fonda Lee never disappoints!
I like to think of magic as no different than a sword or gun, or saw: it has specific functions and uses.
A similar video about Tad Williams would be nice 😊
Sometimes I wonder why isn't talk much more about the Shadowmarch and Otherland series beside Memory, Sorrow and Thorn...
Best greetings from Germany! :)
I like these rules of magic syste 😁
I know you have read the Redwall books by Brian Jaques, so maybe you should go into how he can teach authors about setting descriptions and so forth...
Patrick Rothfuss. You know you want to...
Abercrombie's style and King's "vibe" should really be studied
You should make one on Pierce Brown
Go out irl and videotape holding a sign called "Convince me to read your favorite book," and make a video reviewing each of those books that were recommended to you.
The irony about Sanderson's simple prose making for books with less word count is that he spends MORE words WITH simple prose.
There are countless scenes he could have delivered more powerfully with a little more technical or poetic words, but instead he opts for simpler prose, and then proceeds to use hundreds - and even thousands - of those simpler words to convey a certain theme.
Each of the Stormlight Archive could easily have been 60% or even half their word count without losing the essence of the stories.
Not saying simple prose is bad. Just saying his simple prose IS responsible for his bloated word count, in my opinion. His world is neither the most vast nor most intricate, and his plot is far from complex, so that's hardly an excuse for his simple prose.
Long live Brandon.
Patrick rothfuss maybe so someone can finally finish his work
Nora K. Jemisin
What modern writers are comprable to him, please tell me all of them because I love his style of writing
I mean, what do you like about him?
Bro everyone is tired, Brando sando and is cosmere is taking a toll. Make a review of belgariad
30:00 didn't you get the memo? Grimdark is the ONLY genre for adults now: G.R.R. Martin and From Software have Decreed it 🙄
I like this concept. I do wish that...and maybe in the future, you could incorporate this, but learning not just from what writers do well, but also their mistakes. Their weaknesses.
Unfortunately, it appears to me that you don't view anything that Sanderson does as mistakes or weaknesses. However, I do not share this opinion, hahaha.
I think...generally his inclusion of random view points does more to hurt the things you praise than it does to help.
I think Sanderson often breaks rules because he's aware and works very hard with his beta readers to understand how to get free with the least amount of contention from his own audience.
However, lesser writers (namely almost everyone watching these videos) cannot do that.
I'm not saying that this should turn into a gatekeeping video telling people what is good and isn't. However, admittedly, I don't feel that this video did much more than praise Sanderson in every foreseeable way. Which is not helpful either.
Writers can learn from Brandon Sanderson that they could always write faster. 😂
"i dont understand how he writes so much with such consistent quality" - well, because he doesnt. Storm Light Archives #3 and #4 cant hold a candle compared to the first two books. He's also reusing his formula a lot. After having read a bunch of his books, his work becomes predictable and you see how shallow his writing mostly is because he absolutely does rush his books.
Yea those second two books are quite bad. Why does anyone have hope for the 5th book..
I quit the 4th one after 2 chapters
As someone who read the Final Empire and Stormlight Archive books... I have no idea what WoR scene you're referring to.
His stories are so forgettable. X.x
I was referring to the "Honor is dead but I'll see what I can do" scene which is a favorite for a lot of people. Sorry you find his books forgettable!
I personally somewhat disagree with both of your points at the beginning - I don't think Brandon's quality is consistent at all, but I actually do think that he's one of the most "quality writers" in the fantasy genre - Stormlight is my favorite thing I've ever read, and I also think its probably the best written. I also love many of his other works, but his quality isn't consistent at all except that I'd say it's consistent within every series except for between era 1 and 2 of mistborn. Although he hasn't written anything actively bad (that I've read), his quality varies from "meh" to "best thing I've ever read."
I think the main argument in favor of Brandon's prose is that it helps with the fast pace - I would use Rothfuss in for example Slow Regard as an example of somebody who can write extremely readable fast-paced prose that is also beautiful. I don't dislike Sanderson's prose, I just think it could be better.
Overall this was a great video and I enjoyed (and mostly agreed with) your thoughts. This seems like an interesting series of videos.
I don't think consistent quality means you have to like everything he's written. That's just your taste and preference, which vary from person to person. What you think is meh, others might find it to be their absolute favorite, and vice versa.
I think what people mean when they say quality is in the technical aspects of it. Usually, when an author writes a lot of books very quickly, some might feel rushed and not as carefully crafted. But every single one of Sanderson's works is carefully crafted and revised until it reaches its best quality. He also said in an interview once that he only stops revising his work when any further revisions won't make it better, just different.
His earlier works do have some flaws, but in general, his quality is indeed very consistent compared to other very prolific authors out there.
I was wondering if this would just be a Sanderson fellatio session, and sure enough, right out the gate, "Sanderson's greatest strength is his EXCEPTIONAL ability to create an intricate and immersive fictional world." You really went all in on that gawk gawk 3000, huh.. 😭
I've said it before. I'll say it again. Sanderson isn't nearly as clever or immersive as you Sanderstans believe he is. He's a competent storyteller with below average prose and okay-ish world-building. He's capable of weaving a compelling tale, and he knows how to crescendo a third act. I will give him credit where credit is due. Many authors today can't even achieve those basic things, so kudos for doing the bare minimum I guess.
HOWEVER, when your favorite authors are giants like Tolkien and Martin, ain't no way Sanderson can be described as having exceptional world-building. Sanderson writes the high fantasy equivalent of beach reads. His prose are simple, his plotting is concise, his characters are quite one-note but not unbearable, and his pacing doesn't drag. It's literally epic fantasy lite. His books aren't meant to be as immersive as LotR or ASoIaF. You know what you're going to get when you pick up a Sanderson novel: a straightforward read that you don't have to pay super close attention to in order to grasp what's happening on the page. Great. Fantasy for ppl with ADHD.
The two main nitpicks I have with Sanderson are that I always want more from his world-building, because let's be frank, ain't no way Sanderson would spend the time creating his own languages or thousands of years worth of lore that actually has weight and doesn't read like a history book excerpt, and my second gripe is that I wish he'd at least try with his prose, because he really doesn't put forth any effort on that front. I don't require Tolkien-esque word-smithing, but come on, at least give me a reach-around. Purple prose aside, his don't even have rhythm. He didn't spend decades fine-tuning shit. His prose are lazy, plain and simple. See what I did there? But y'all actually like that shit and praise him for the bare minimum? Smh..
Now, does Sanderson's advice actually help you be a better writer? No, not really. All his rules and laws, throw that crap out the window. What's most interesting about magic is what it can't do?? That's so stupid and pretentious. If the most interesting thing about your magic system is what it can't do, your magic system is not interesting to begin with. I said it. Sanderson's advice really is bottom of the barrel basic. Don't write like Sanderson. Write better than him. Please, I'm begging. We gotta stop putting this dude on a pedestal as if he's some golden benchmark of what modern fantasy authors should strive for. Absolutely fuckin not.
So happy to read a sane person
Agree with much of what is said. I think Sanderson has taken (unintentionally of course) advantage of the hate to the best writer alive imo, Martin, and one of the best in Rothfuss because of how long they're taking with their books, while Sanderson just keeps spitting books every month almost.
But yeah, I feel like Sanderson is like the MCU of fantasy, super espectacular but not that much beneath the surface. The Kaladin saying ideals moments, or the end of Mistborn are just super MCU-ish. And for the record, I liked Stormlight a lot, but I see it for what it is, and would never compare it to LotR or aSoIaF.
idk rythem of war was not that good imo
Bro there is no sound
Yes, there is
I have tried three times to read Mistborn and I find his writing style excruciatingly boring. I don't get all the hype.
100% agreed. Pretty overrated author who got a massive lucky break early in his career (that no other author will likely ever see) and he pretty much rode that hype into career fame. I don't see what anyone could learn from him lol.
@@ReeceG231you just made some claims that you aren’t qualified to make. And you stated things as truth, when they aren’t. They are… opinion? (I don’t even know if you can call them that. Honestly)
You should write things akin to “in my opinion”. Because the the things that you are saying are not fact. And you don’t want to ruin your credibility.
I wasn't a big fan of Mistborn either. After I loved Tress though, I tried the Wax and Wayne series which I thought was sooo much better. Then I tried Warbreaker, and am now hooked!
I thought the first Mistborn was just meh, but was absolutely obsessed with the 2nd and 3rd. Currently reading Words or Radiance and loving it!
Look, I'm not at all a Sanderson fan. I think his work is almost MCU-ish, a super-hyped thing that isn't that great beneath surface level. Mistborn, I liked the 1st and 2nd, and hated the 3rd.
However, you should try Stormlight. The 1st and 2nd books are very good (still a bit MCU-ish).
I think Sanderson is incredibly interesting and I’ve watched hours of his videos about writing. His books, though… the writing *is* simple, basically YA level. And his Chekhov’s Guns are always so obvious that it becomes a slog waiting for the other shoe to drop. Oh, she’s started teaching society ladies how to fence? I’m sure that won’t come in handy 600 pages from now.
Different strokes for different folks and all that. If someone finds his writing interesting, that’s great. I personally just find it tedious and overlong. He’s really in love with his own voice, resulting in bloated books. Ursula K. LeGuin accomplishes just as much in 1/6th the number of pages.
Maybe I need to work on my English. Why do people refer to something as 'Sanderlanche' and describe it as infamous? I often see this term, infamous, used even when it's meant to be positive, not just here.
Just fans trying to make him look special when it's just a simple "climax"
@@bexencr oh okay I get it now 🤣
@@GeraltOfArabia During the climax of a lot of his books Sanderson will pay off a bunch of plotlines/plotpoints in quick succession, hence "Sanderlanche".
I know I’m being pedantic but it’s not “point of views” it’s “points of view”
Yeah I noticed that I said it wrong while editing the video 😅 my bad!
Hmm I feel Sanderson is more quanity vs quality
Like, he just outlines really well then writes words down. It's easy, i can freestlye and have it read just like his books:
The air was crisp and balmy. Zormier pocketed his crystal shard before the Tetrans approached him. His last encounter with the Tetrans left him broken and torn, but on this windswept day, the ruddy bandit was going to be prepared. A lot more prepared. The Tetrans were a race of people whose magic eyes blah blah blah
Why are you so obsessed about something you don't like?
@@Lezzyboy87 Criticizing literature is a thing.
I think he's good, not great. There are easily other writers who write much more layered prose and more complex stories such as Steven Erikson, R. Scott Bakker, Gene Wolfe, Martin and much more.
I think the internet has simply latched onto his "MCU" like Cosmere which I think inflates his popularity a bit much for the quality the books actually are.
tabata yuuki could've used these rules, his MS SUCK!
Next do JKRowling and Stephen King
Well they can learn to not start using a ghost writer four books in, or whatever happened with RoW.
I keep hearing that The Stormlight Archive is his best work but I really don't like it. It's mainly due to Kaladin, a character I can't stand. Every time I see his name I just want to stop reading and beat the shit out of him. I'm not sure I will keep reading this series just because of him. The Mistborn series is by far my favourite.
How does he write so much? Probably because he writes whatever comes out of him without thinking it twice, his books look like unedited, so much of them is repetitive and shouldn't be there. I would say the quality is consistent, but consistently bad
The only thing ive learned from Sanderson is that most writing advice is complete bullshit and to write what you love. I've seen people make huge careers telling others how to write their books with all these technical rules you follow like a bible. Then read a sanderson novel and watch as he rakes in millions while breaking every single rule and being reframed and praised for it. Telling more than showing. Laughably bad prose (often reframed as 'simple'). Relentlessly irritating dialogue tags. Flat, cliche and often two dimensionsal characters. Themes presented on the nose and preachy asf 😂. Hes definitely the example that all this writing advice is less of a necessity and more of a "those that can't do, teach". Just write wtf you want, thats what ive learned.
The fact of the matter is every writer is different. Some outline sone don't, some are into themes some aren't some get fancy with their proses Lovecraft some don't. Some of the most simple lines can be more powerful than ten thousand words. Note: For sale: baby shoes, never worn ( Hemingway) of The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed (King). It is all a matter of what works for the writer and their voice as a storyteller.
Yeah half your videos are about him 🙄
He doesn't have consistent quality. There is no quality it's just words.
Kinda like your comment then? Sanderson is great, his numbers don't lie
@@Lezzyboy87selling well doesn’t equal quality. Avatar is one highest grossing movies in the world, but does that make it one of the best movies ever made? No
How not to write.
He's a mediocre writer with middling creativity. His only talent in sheer volume of writing. Pass.
How does he do it?! 😵💫🤪 omg so prolific, 1000 pages!
@Majesticon you seem obsessed
Congratulations you've done what Sanderson has been unable to in 20 years: Get to the point. 🤣🤣🤣
what writers can learn from isaac asimov
I'm kinda sick of the Sanderson glazing. He's a good enough writer but god damn he just takes up so much of the oxygen in the fantasy sapce