For real! I can't wait for the next five to ten years of new authors popping off that have learned from Brandon. It's gonna be epic

Sanderson, you da real MVP

He is the GOAT regardless. This content is just a bonus.

@@jackedwards6401 touché

I spent way too much on a Creative Writing Postgrad. It was useless. Learned so much more from Brandon's lectures and for free.

Typewriter go klackklackklack I use a mechanical typewriter, because it is a great autism toy.

Count in some extra full length novels he writes in secret

and i thought stephen king wrote a lot... and this dude's books are complex narratives and thic AF.

I’ll bet you there’s a good amount of gap years or he’s writing 2 books a year

That’s true about everything in life. My pet peeve (pertaining healthcare, but also anything else) is someone who cannot break the rules, someone who is too committed in following rules. Someone who tattles on people who don’t follow the rules without first talking to the person who broke them and ask why. Edit: the word *ask*

That means a writer needs to go to university, ¿right?

You also need to try following the rules for a while to see how they work and figure out which ones you want to break.

@@arthurlaquesis55 not necessarily. some people leave university without really understanding the rules. some people study on their own and learn them deeply. It's your own drive and ability to seek out what you need to learn that will ultimately determine success. University is just a structured place to do that that can make it easy for some people. Personally, I do my best learning on my own and classes are too slow for me.

I will definitely get behind this!!!

My writing style is to write every day 2k words, then complain because I have no free time and proceed to look at my social life and see only a barren wasteland. I'm fine.

Relatable

This is my process as well with a few changes and it actually works for me at least.

I used to be that way, and it would take so much time to catch up with what I had written, that the joy got sucked from it. I found that writing sprints help with writing every day.

My style: Write consistently almost every day for 6 months. Immediately start editing. Keeps editing for a long time (currently 1,5 years): Slow down the pace. Panic about getting done. Eventually gets there anyway. :P

That is certainly the case for visual artists and many other creative careers.

I really need to read more of his books. I've only read Elantris so far, and I thought it was (largely) trash. I hear such praise for him, though! Suggestions?

@@heal41hp check out the Skyward series.

Wait, is it that easy, I would want that anyway.

You have to bring something to the table to convince him. Watch and learn: „Hey Brandon, so you have interest to play some DnD? What you already have a party... Thanks for the Invite man. So, when is the next game?“

red

Author (n): a writer with connections in the publishing industry.

It is not too late at all. A significant number of professional writers break in at your age or older. JK Rowling was your age when she first published. Go for it! Just also have a backup plan. As I say in my lectures, it is an uncertain career in many ways.

@@BrandSanderson That means a lot Mr. Sanderson, and I think that's more motivation than anyone has ever even tried to give me. I am grateful for you taking the time to respond! My parents meant well, but they always believed in having more stable work. The thought of taking a chance like this never agreed with them. Having a back up plan is something that I've heard you say in your videos, but haven't really dwelled on enough. It's something I will have to seriously contemplate, although I think I may have a good idea of what that should be. I was actually listening to Ms. Rowling's account of starting her writing career today, so it's interesting that you mentioned it. I'm in a similar situation, so this has only reinforced the need for a backup in my mind, because there's no guarantee my own personal story will show the same results. The odds are certainly not in my favor, to say the least. Not to drag out this message, but the first time I watched one of your videos I was on book six of the Wheel of Time, and then I recognized your name. I looked at my bookshelf, and sure enough, there was your name next to Robert Jordan's on the spine of "The Gathering Storm". It was a bit surreal. The Wheel of Time is my favorite fantasy series, and they are possibly even my favorite books ever. Your videos have been an invaluable resource. Thank you sir!

@@dallan7736 how is the journey ?

I'll be 41 and finished 2 novels =that I started around age 36. My works are not published and I am working on 2 new novels, but I will persist until I can get my work out into the world. It really is never too late. If you have the ability to write and improve the craft and manage to get the stories done, edited and submitted or self-published -- Do it. Maybe I won't get published until I'm 55, but I will keep writing and working on things until I'm there. It's rare to make a real, steady living from writing, but hopefully you carve out the time to do it and get your stories written and into the world no matter what. I hope you're writing still!

keep going!

Does he even sleep now?

@@ericduey9556 yeah I believe from 4 to 12 am

No he just stored loads wakefulness in a metal mind in the years leading up to college.

@@ginge641 Well he did say he was an insomniac.

He played halo 2. On legendary. For fun.

That definitely helps, but if Isaac was garbage at drawing, Brandon probably wouldn't have hired him.

@Samara Hamilton Thanks! It's not bad advice, but I've tried this almost annually, shifting focus to the smaller endeavors on the back-burner. Problem is, this only prolonged what I yearned most to be finishing, and I had to tell myself to stop getting distracted and commit my time and focus until it's done. I think the toughest part has been reminding myself I'm not stagnating despite how it looks to friends and family who've seen me working on this story for a decade now (I don't even talk about it anymore, lest I get eyerolls and insincerity). I look back five years, or even a week ago, and I can see the progress clear as day. I *am* getting there, but it sure has been a journey.

@@f-grade I was stuck chipping away at mine for 5 years. But last year I committed to finishing the first draft even if it was the worst. I decided i wasn't allowed to go back and fix anything, and if i got stuck i'd write filler stuff like "and then they went to this place and did a thing". But I finished it. And revising a finished draft is way easier than writing the first one. So maybe that's worth trying? How ruthless can you be with it?

@@f-grade Ello there :D 7 year wip person here (and owner of 13 worlds... _new things serve as distraction for me RIP_ ). Small steps are the key. Keep going, keep believing and Reach That Goal! We can do this!

@@f-grade I’m in the same boat as you, but longer. Nothing else can hold my interest like this one story about these particular characters. I decided to try a similar approach as Neckpunch. I’m going to start a new draft and write whatever I want to happen. The story I would want to read without worrying about rules or anything, just keep writing until I finish. It will only be for me. I figure at the end there will be some cohesive story I can work with, and hopefully write a plot outline from. I keep in mind advice I read somewhere in regards to ideas, though I can’t remember the author: “make it cool, and then make it make sense.”

I've been working on the same project for almost eight years now, so you're not alone! I think some writers just tend to take more time to get their creation where it needs to be. As long as you're still in love with the story and the characters, that's what's important. For me, I wouldn't want to work on anything else, and the time it takes to brainstorm/write the story is worth it.

I wish you luck.

Good luck!

Stovepipe and Humaira, 'preciate it.

Good luck

Oh my gosh, by Anders Ericsson?!?! That's maybe my favorite book ever! Great job on your writing!

I think he means a draft

Coming in a bit late here but I believe he said you want to publish a book every 1-2 years to be a fulltime writer.

I write, do a proofing edit and add descriptions, fix character names, etc. Then it sleeps while I write the next book. Then I proof it again and send it to critique partners (other authors) then edit, beta readers then edit, proofreader then final listening edit, then publish. If I had the money for an editor and a “street team” of betas, this would be a much shorter process.

I think he means finish it completely.

Yeah, I just read it, and it was so good and mysterious!

He said he's only doing snippets this year. :(

Awesome👍👍

Hey there! I believe that he means a rough draft in one year and then trying to revise and edit, while working on a second book. At least that's what I'd try if I wanted to write one book a year. Hope that helps!

Read or I'll spoil you Said noone ever

@@milospollonia1121 I guess the people who do that are nobodies.

Well, I chose to read. Only now watching this vid.

Same pfp as christiano from Murphy Napier. Cool.

@@abdoul5176 assholes is the word you're looking for

You could get the students to write pieces for their assignments and just edit it together into an actual coherent story!

@@PokeMultiverse lol, they're 7-11 year olds. I don't think I want that. XD Other than for fun with the kids possibly. :P

It’s one of the arts. So you’re not too old until you’re on your deathbed, really.

I understand, finding time between office hours is too hard and when you are back from your work, your body does not coperate.

300 words a day, six days a week will net you a 93.6k word book in a year, which is at or a bit beyond most genre’s preferred length for a debut. More importantly, and if I may be so bold more to Sanderson’s point, having the dedication to carve out the time to produce consistently is what earmarks the writers who go on to go pro. Writing a book a year won’t get you published. Writing a book a year for a dozen years won’t get you published. But honing your craft as an author regularly for years on end will likely be needed if publication is the goal. We write now not because this book is going to be the one that makes us big, but because it is going to make us better than last year. Keep that up enough and regardless of your circumstances, you’ll have done everything you can to tip the odds in your favor.

@@onenof10 it is easier to give up than keep it going, but it is also true that only those who kept climbing are the ones who see the scenery from the top...

@@onenof10 I was probably basing that thought too much on my own writing. The way I write it looks like the book Im working on in its current draft will be in the 200,000 word range and the 500 page range (probably will change as I begin to learn formating).

This video was taken from one of his hourish long lessons that came out in 2020. You can find the link to the whole lesson in the description of this video.

It says it is from the 2021 lectures in the description

@@domhnallaonghascolthart5465 That's a typo. It is the 2020 lecture series. He doesn't have any 2021 lectures.

​@@alexanderboukal5332 It's not a typo, and this is not from the 2020 lecture series. He has said he will post snippets from his 2021 lectures, but not the full lectures. This is a snippet from *this year*, not last year.

@@ammonnakai453 That was what i thought😀

200 words a day would produce a novel length manuscript in a year

You can write it immediately very fast, to get it out of your system, work on some other projects, and then come back to it afterwards and heavily revise it to meet the higher standards you will have after finishing a second or third project

Hahaha. Fan comments for Rothfuss: "If you die, we'll kill you."

Or maybe just sample

Nah man you're the first as far as I can see :P

Writing motivation comes in waves, I think. Most of the time, I can barely write two or three sentences a day, but sometimes, I write *thousands* of words without a break.

I also experienced that a lot but after completing my first book... I seemed to have become more indesisive... I started writing and dropped three books after first few chapters because either I lacked the motivation to keep going or the idea was too weak... I really hope my spark comes back...

Just FYI, I'm not gonna be starting any writing group with randos on the internet. Nothing against you guys, just... y'know. Internet safety.

@@bookyodaianimate8982 Write some short stories so you can get the feeling of how to end a story at all, because you need to practice writing endings to get good at writing endings. Watch the guest lecture from Mary Robinette from last year on this channel for more specific instructions on how to do that