Brandon Sanderson is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stormlight-Archive-Books-1-4-Oathbringer-ebook/dp/B0C5726Y6M/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Stormlight Archive</a> series and the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4N71QWS/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mistborn</a> saga; the middle-grade series <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074CCKTNR/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians</a>; and the young-adult novels <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rithmatist-Brandon-Sanderson-ebook/dp/B00AJGNICW/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Rithmatist</a>, the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09C1YZTSV/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reckoners</a> trilogy, and the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PGLGJBH/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Skyward</a> series. He has sold more than 40 million books in 35 languages, and he is a four-time nominee for the Hugo Awards, winning in 2013 for his novella <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Emperors-Soul-Elantris-Book-ebook/dp/B00A1XOPE8/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Emperor’s Soul</a>.Sponsors:<a href="https://cressetcapital.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cresset</a>&nbsp;prestigious family office for CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs:&nbsp;<a href="https://cressetcapital.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://cressetcapital.com/tim</a>&nbsp;(book a call today)<a href="https://seed.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Seed's DS-01® Daily Synbiotic broad spectrum 24-strain probiotic + prebiotic</a>:&nbsp;<a href="https://seed.com/tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://Seed.com/Tim</a>&nbsp;(Use code 25TIM for 25% off your first month's supply)<a href="https://wealthfront.com/Tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wealthfront</a>&nbsp;high-yield cash account:&nbsp;<a href="https://wealthfront.com/Tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://Wealthfront.com/Tim</a>&nbsp;(Start earning 4.00% APY on your short-term cash until you’re ready to invest. And when new clients open an account today, you can&nbsp;<a href="https://wealthfront.com/Tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">get an extra fifty-dollar bonus</a>&nbsp;with a deposit of five hundred dollars or more.)&nbsp;Terms apply. Tim Ferriss receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage, LLC for advertising and holds a non-controlling equity interest in the corporate parent of Wealthfront Brokerage. See full disclosures&nbsp;<a href="https://wealthfront.com/Tim" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.Timestamps:00:00 Meet Brandon Sanderson07:10 Soundcheck Fun and Memory Skills11:21 Brandon's Writing Journey and Creative Process25:35 Teaching Creative Writing and Publishing Insights38:08 Brandon's Early Reading Experience44:18 Discovering the Magic of Storytelling45:32 A Journey from C Student to A Student47:02 The Influence of a Great Teacher48:51 Understanding Narrative and Plot56:42 The Art of Character Development01:09:42 Balancing Writing and Personal Life01:24:04 Meeting Editors and Early Struggles01:24:30 First Book Sale and Financial Realities01:25:28 The Danger of the Second Book01:25:49 Hitting the Bestseller List01:26:34 Amazon and the Changing Market01:29:03 Entrepreneurial Shift and Direct Sales01:36:45 Building a Team and Crowdfunding01:42:50 Kickstarter Success and Lessons Learned01:52:22 COVID and Creative Freedom02:02:53 Brandon Sanderson's Colbert Report Cameo02:03:48 Kickstarter Success and Subscription Boxes02:09:01 Test Readers and Feedback Process02:14:16 Warbreaker and Creative Commons Experiment02:22:50 Navigating Publishing Deals and Platforms02:33:26 The Wheel of Time Opportunity02:42:36 The Call to Finish The Wheel of Time02:43:10 Negotiating the Deal02:43:56 The Struggles of Mistborn02:45:02 The Cosmere and Building an Audience02:48:25 The Death Spiral in Publishing02:52:29 Magic Systems and Their Importance03:00:39 Sanderson's Three Laws of Magic03:14:35 The Zero Law and Final Thoughts*For show notes and past guests on&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Tim Ferriss Show</a>, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/podcast/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=podcast-description" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tim.blog/podcast</a>.For deals from sponsors of&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Tim Ferriss Show</a>,&nbsp;please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/podcast-sponsors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tim.blog/podcast-sponsors</a>Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at&nbsp;<a href="https://go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-1/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tim.blog/friday</a>.For transcripts of episodes, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/transcripts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tim.blog/transcripts</a>.Discover Tim’s books:&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/books" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tim.blog/books</a>.Follow Tim:Twitter:&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/tferriss" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">twitter.com/tferriss</a>&nbsp;Instagram:&nbsp;<a href="https://instagram.com/timferriss/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">instagram.com/timferriss</a>YouTube:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/timferriss" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">youtube.com/timferriss</a>Facebook:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/TimFerriss/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">facebook.com/timferriss</a>&nbsp;LinkedIn:&nbsp;<a href="http://linkedin.com/in/timferriss" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">linkedin.com/in/timferriss</a>Past guests on&nbsp;<a href="http://tim.blog/podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Tim Ferriss Show</a>&nbsp;include&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/12/08/jerry-seinfeld/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jerry Seinfeld</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/06/26/hugh-jackman/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hugh Jackman</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/04/16/jane-goodall/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Jane Goodall</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2018/11/27/lebron-james-mike-mancias/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LeBron James</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/05/20/kevin-hart/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kevin Hart</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2018/09/07/doris-kearns-goodwin-leadership/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Doris Kearns Goodwin</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2015/12/06/jamie-foxx/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jamie Foxx</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/10/19/matthew-mcconaughey/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Matthew McConaughey</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2017/05/21/esther-perel/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Esther Perel</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/05/08/elizabeth-gilbert/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Elizabeth Gilbert</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2017/12/20/terry-crews-how-to-have-do-and-be-all-you-want/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Terry Crews</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/08/12/sia/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sia</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/10/27/yuval-noah-harari/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Yuval Noah Harari</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2016/06/21/malcolm-gladwell/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Malcolm Gladwell</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/05/27/secretary-madeleine-albright/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Madeleine Albright</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2017/03/30/cheryl-strayed/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cheryl Strayed</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2019/02/18/jim-collins/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jim Collins</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/11/11/mary-karr/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mary Karr,</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2014/10/21/brain-pickings/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Maria Popova</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/05/15/sam-harris-2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sam Harris</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2021/01/21/michael-phelps-grant-hackett/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Michael Phelps</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/01/16/bob-iger/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bob Iger</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2019/10/31/edward-norton-motherless-brooklyn/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Edward Norton</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2015/02/02/arnold-schwarzenegger/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Arnold Schwarzenegger</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2014/06/24/neil-strauss/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Neil Strauss</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2019/09/12/ken-burns/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ken Burns</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2017/08/26/maria-sharapova/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Maria Sharapova</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2016/05/29/marc-andreessen/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Marc Andreessen</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2019/03/28/neil-gaiman/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Neil Gaiman</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2019/10/03/neil-degrasse-tyson/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Neil de Grasse Tyson</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2016/09/21/jocko-willink-on-discipline-leadership-and-overcoming-doubt/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jocko Willink</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/12/03/daniel-ek/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Daniel Ek</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/09/08/kelly-slater/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kelly Slater</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2019/11/27/peter-attia-fasting-metformin-longevity/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Peter Attia</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2016/02/10/seth-godin/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Seth Godin</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2018/09/25/howard-marks/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Howard Marks</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/02/06/brene-brown-striving-self-acceptance-saving-marriages/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Brené Brown</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2019/04/09/eric-schmidt/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Eric Schmidt</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/05/01/michael-lewis/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Michael Lewis</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2018/03/08/joe-gebbia-co-founder-of-airbnb/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Joe Gebbia</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2018/05/06/michael-pollan-how-to-change-your-mind/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Michael Pollan</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2021/03/01/jordan-peterson/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Jordan Peterson</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2017/05/31/vince-vaughn/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Vince Vaughn</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/04/23/brian-koppelman/" rel="noopener noreferrer" 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Buterin</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2021/03/16/elizabeth-lesser/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Elizabeth Lesser</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2019/04/18/amanda-palmer-2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amanda Palmer</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2021/02/18/katie-haun/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Katie Haun</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2017/10/09/richard-branson/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sir Richard Branson</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/09/02/chuck-palahniuk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chuck Palahniuk</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2017/10/18/arianna-huffington/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Arianna Huffington</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2015/08/31/the-oracle-of-silicon-valley-reid-hoffman-plus-michael-mccullough/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reid Hoffman</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2017/09/17/bill-burr/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bill Burr</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2015/06/26/whitney-cummings/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Whitney Cummings</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2015/05/15/rick-rubin/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rick Rubin</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2020/03/26/vivek-murthy/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Vivek Murthy</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2017/09/09/darren-aronofsky/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Darren Aronofsky</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2022/02/22/margaret-atwood/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Margaret Atwood</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2022/03/24/mark-zuckerberg/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mark Zuckerberg</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2014/09/09/peter-thiel/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Peter Thiel</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2018/02/20/gabor-mate/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Gabor Maté</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2021/07/09/anne-lamott/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Anne Lamott</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2022/01/12/sarah-silverman/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sarah Silverman</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tim.blog/2021/07/06/andrew-huberman/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Andrew Huberman</a>, and many more.See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

#794: Brandon Sanderson on Building a Fiction Empire, Creating $40M+ Kickstarter Campaigns, Unbreakable Habits, The Art of World-Building, and The Science of Magic Systems

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#794: Brandon Sanderson on Building a Fiction Empire, Creating $40M+ Kickstarter Campaigns, Unbreakable Habits, The Art of World-Building, and The Science of Magic Systems

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