Mr Sanderson, When you tell an epic story, such as The Way of Kings , do you outline the entire series prior to starting? Or do you have a general idea how the series should flow and adjust accordingly? If you do adjust, do outside influences (such as world events) factor into adjustments or do you keep everything contained within the book?
I’m very curious to how rough the story is at the beginning compared to the ending and the path it takes. Fantastic book by the way, but I’m sure you hear that quite often :)
Thank you.
I do outline quite extensively. Remember, however, that authors each tend to do things their own ways. There’s no one perfect way to do this. George R. R. Martin described some of the extremes in terms of “Gardeners” and “Architects.” Gardeners grow a story, without a firm idea of where they are going. Architects tend to build an outline as a frame and work from it.
I’m (usually) an architect. I’ve found that the best way to get the kinds of endings I like. I have to know where I’m going before I start.
That said, an outline has to be a living thing of its own. I need the flexibility to knock out entire sections of it and rebuild them; I do that frequently. I have to be able to respond to what I’m passionate about in the world, as you mention. In this book, the interludes were more reactionary, and I built them into the story to allow myself more freedom to explore the world in a “Gardener” sort of way, while the plot itself was quite well set out.
The other books in the series are not currently as fleshed out as the first was, but I have outlines for each of them.
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