Hello Mr. Sanderson,
I’ve read a few of your books and have absolutely loved them. Please keep bringing joy to those of us that love your work. I have three questions to ask you:
Pepsi, Coke, or RC?
Have you ever snuck references or inside jokes into your books for specific people in your life to find?
What is your advice for those of us who are struggling to get through a first draft of our novels?
Thank you very much for doing this AMA. Have a wonderful rest of your day.
A nice cup of ice water. (Not much of a soda man, I’m afraid.)
Yes indeed! Mostly my editor and agent, who have little cameos here and there.
Remember that the product of your writing career is NOT the books themselves, but YOU. Your purpose in writing is to train yourself to be someone who can write incredible books, and you get there by finishing story after story. Don’t get too bogged down in the project of the moment; keep moving forward. YOU are what you are creating, not the story.
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions!
I guess now is a good time to realize that spending a few years on the same story without finishing it is not a good way to become a good writer. Thank you very much.
It can be tough. You get really invested in that first story; I know how it feels. Often, what holds you back is that you know your skill isn’t up to doing justice to the great story you’ve imagined, so you end up getting frustrated or dragging your feet.
Sometimes, the answer is to tell yourself, “I’ll do this one after I’ve practiced some more.” Give yourself permission to do something else, knowing that you’re not abandoning your story–just delaying until you can do it right.
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