News and Reviews for the Youth Librarian is pleased to present this conversation with Brandon Sanderson about his new book, Steelheart.
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What was it like writing Steelheart, which is written almost like an action movie, and is aimed at a slightly younger audience than most of your other books?
When I was younger, I was not a book lover. It wasn't until a teacher gave me--a teenager--the right novel that I discovered reading.
Often, when I'm writing, I think about that younger version of myself. What was it that sparked in me, at long last, a love of reading? How can I do things in my books that can capture the imagination of young people like myself?
In approaching this book, I tried to pack it full of things to love--that wicked mix of action, humor, and character that make the best action movies come to life. My sincere belief is that if we can give readers, particularly young readers, something they LOVE--something that will pull them through the book start to finish--we can change their lives and imbue in them a deep love of reading.
I wrote this with one premier goal in mind, then: to make it a fun experience.
Where do you find inspiration for your characters and settings?
Everything and anyone can become a source of inspiration. David is based on a friend I had in college, who was obsessive about sports. (David, however, is obsessive about epics--the people who rule the world in the book.) The setting came from me wanting to find some interesting way to depict Chicago in a different light. I turned it to steel because of how striking that imagery was in my head.
What were some of your favorite stories as a young reader?
As I said, I discovered reading late in life. Most of my reading came in high school, when I would say my favorites were Robert Jordan, David Eddings, Anne McCaffrey, and Melanie Rawn. Jane Yolen's work also holds a special place in my heart.
What is your writing process typically like? Do you have a set system or routine that works for you?
I am an outliner. I like to have books with explosive endings, and to manage this--for me--I need to know what is going to happen in the story. I generally plot my books backward, starting my outline with the ending, then I work my way forward. When I write, I go the other direction.
What do you enjoy doing when you're not writing?
I’m allowed to do things other than write? :)
Most of my free time right now is consumed by playing with my three little boys, ages 5, 3, and seven months. They are a handful, but also a delight. When I have a spare moment, my nerd obsession is a card game called Magic: The Gathering.
Have you received any interesting feedback or questions from young readers?
It can be surprising how closely they read! I’ve had children as young as twelve come to me and ask in-depth questions about complex world-building issues. Mostly, however, they seem interested in the characters. What would happen if this character met this other one? What would this character think of this idea? I love it when they come in costume.
Do you have any advice for young writers?
Practice. Don’t worry about anything other than finding time to write--then spend that time on your stories. Publishing shouldn’t worry you; nothing should. Just practice.
Lastly, do you have a favorite "library moment" you'd like to share with our readers?
My early books all came from the school library at East High School in Lincoln, Nebraska. After discovering books, and the fantasy book genre in specific, I spent a huge amount of time walking along the shelves, trying to spot books that felt ‘fantastic’ to me. I’d browse the card catalog, reading titles, trying to figure out which ones sounded like fantasy titles.
It was a real moment of revelation to me when I walked in a bookstore, and the books were sorted by genre. It kind of blew my mind.
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