Dedication to his craft, intricate world building—none of this would matter if there wasn’t a relatable, human element to Sanderson’s characters. Three-dimensional personalities permeate his novels, from Vin, a street urchin yearning for friendship yet terrified of ever needing to rely on others, to Dalinar, an aging Highprince who seeks to replace the fury of his youth with peace and scholarship.
“Brandon’s characterization has gotten stronger with each book,” Feder says. “A number of times, he’s surprised me. For such a young person, he’s shown genuine wisdom in understanding people, and I’m really impressed by that.”
Through talking with Sanderson, it’s evident that his wisdom extends from a unique interpretation of the relationship between authors, their books and readers.
“For me, the beauty of a book is that it is the entertainment medium where we don’t give you everything,” Sanderson says. “When I write a book, I give you 75% and then you take that script, you are the director in your mind and you add to what I’ve done. You change the characters, or you imagine what they look like. Your version of my books is completely different in some ways than another person’s version, and that’s what I love about fiction… I don’t believe a book lives until it’s been read.”
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