Quotes from Brandon Sanderson

Clothing doesn't really change a man. But it changes how others react to him.

A book lives a new life every time it is read.

The more limitations you put on a character, often times the better a character you'll make them, the more interesting the story becomes because the character can't simply wave a hand and make something happen. They have to work within the framework.

For now, I only wish to make a simple acknowledgement of the woman who held the power just before me. Of all of us who touched it, I feel she was the most worthy.

Bitterness is repaid more often than kindness.

It's actually a rather romantic and dramatic story --- one I would eagerly tell you, except for the fact that I recently forgot it, based on it being far too long and having not enough decapitations.

You see, that is the sad, sorry, terrible thing about sarcasm. It's really funny.

When I write my books, actually I'm known for very logical rule-based magic systems. I write with one foot in fantasy and one foot in science fiction.

If you can read the book and say, 'Space Marines, YEEEAAAHHH!' That's Military Science Fiction." (Brigham Young writing lecture, March 2012)

How do you do that?" Mennis asked, frowning. "What?" "Smile so much." "Oh, I'm just a happy person.

You could be writing the book that changes your life.

Every action we take has consequences, Vin," Kelsier said. "I've found that in both Allomancy and life, the person who can best judge the consequences of their actions will be the most successful.

Sometimes it was daunting, knowing how easily I could break things. This one simple curse seemed to dominate my entire life.

You know, I was a nerdy kid going through high school, and then I got to college and that all vanished. I mean, a lot of my good friends - when we were in high school, we would never have been able to hang out together because we were in such different cliques or whatever. Now, who cares?

When I do research, I cast my net very widely and then snatch what feels right out of that. Occasionally I'll read a specific book for a specific book, but usually I'm trying to increase my general understanding.

Life before Death. Strength before Weakness. Journey before Destination.

Now, I had been frightened on several different occasions in my life. The most frightening of these involved an elevator and a mime.

Lately, I feel like my life is a book written in a language I don't know how to read.

If you're always on time, it implies that you never have anything better you should be doing. -Kelsier

Normally, I have a lot of alpha readers on my books. These are people that, once I finish a novel, I let them look at it and give me a reader response.

There are no endings, and never will be endings, to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was an ending.

Do not dash if you only have the strength to walk, and do not waste your time pushing on the walls that will not give. More importantly, don't shove where a pat would be sufficient.

My job is not to save 'The Wheel of Time', to fix 'The Wheel of Time', or anything like that. My job is not to screw it up.

Fantasy has had some problems with being too repetitive, in my opinion. I try to read what other people are doing - and say, 'How can I add to this rather than just recycle it? How can I stand on Tolkien's shoulders rather than stand tied to his kneecaps?'