Background Image

...

It Was Strange, How Easily And Quickly Protection Could Cause Destruction. Sometimes, Vasher Wondered If The Two Weren't Really The Same Thing. Protect A Flower, Destroy Pests Who Wanted To Feed On It. Protect A Building, Destroy The Plants That Could Have Grown In The Soil. Protect A Man. Live With The Destruction He Creates.

-Brandon Sanderson

...

Please Wait....
Translating....

It Was Strange, How

Brandon Sanderson

...

It Was Strange, How Easily And Quickly Protection Could Cause Destruction. Sometimes, Vasher Wondered If The Two Weren't Really The Same Thing. Protect A Flower, Destroy Pests Who Wanted To Feed On It. Protect A Building, Destroy The Plants That Could Have Grown In The Soil. Protect A Man. Live With The Destruction He Creates.

Views: 8

Topic

More From Brandon Sanderson

A Person Knows When They’re In Darkness, Even When They Can’t See. -nightblood

I Froze, Shocked. (and Don't Try To Clam That You Did Anything Different The First Time A Government Bureaucrat Pulled A Gun On You.)

It Is You!" The Man Exclaimed. "we Thought You Weren't Coming For Another Week!" "ashe," Sarene Mumbled, "who Is This Lunatic And What Does He Want With Me?

I Need Something, Wax. A Place To Look. You Always Did The Thinking.” “yes, Having A Brain Helps With That, Surprisingly.

The Mark Of A Great Man Is One Who Knows When To Set Aside The Important Things In Order To Accomplish The Vital Ones.

Wayne's A Little Attached To That Hat," Waxillium Said. "he Thinks It's Lucky." Wayne: "it Is Lucky. I Ain't Never Died While Wearing That Hat." Marasi Frowned. "i ... I'm Not Sure I Know How To Respond." Wax: "that's A Common Reaction To Wayne.

The Finest Defense Of Character Is Correct Action. Acquaint Yourself With Virtue, And You Can Expect Proper Treatment From Those Around You.

I'm Not Really Sure Why. But... Do You Stop Loving Someone Just Because They Betray You? I Don't Think So. That's What Makes The Betrayal Hurt So Much - Pain, Frustration, Anger... And I Still Loved Her. I Still Do.

Vin Snorted, Kneeling In The Low Tent As She Pulled Her Belt Tight; Then She Crawled Over To Him. "i Don't Know How You Read While Riding," She Said. "oh, It's Quite Easy - If You Aren't Afraid Of Horses." "i'm Not Afraid Of Them," Vin Said. "they Just Don't Like Me. They Know I Can Outrun Them, And That Makes Them Surly.

They Say A Man Doesn't Know Himself Until He Faces Death For The First Time. . . I Don't Know About That. It Seems To Me That The Person You Are When You're About To Die Isn't As Important As The Person You Are During The Rest Of Your Life. Why Should A Few Moments Matter More Than An Entire Lifetime?

Rest Of Your Life

Remember That Your Job As A Practicing Writer Is To Remember It's Never Going To Be Perfect On Your First Pass.

What Did It Mean To Be Called “lord”? I’ll Assume You’ve Never Had The Honor, Since I Doubt Any Of You Happen To Be British Royalty. (and, If By Chance You Are, Then Let Me Say, “hello, Your Majesty! Welcome To My Stupid Book. Can I Borrow Some Cash?”)

At Times, It Seems To Me That To Be Human Is To Want That Which We Cannot Have. For Some, This Is Power. For Me, It Is Peace.

Fantasy Has Had Some Problems With Being Too Repetitive, In My Opinion. I Try To Read What Other People Are Doing - And Say, 'how Can I Add To This Rather Than Just Recycle It? How Can I Stand On Tolkien's Shoulders Rather Than Stand Tied To His Kneecaps?

One Can Have A Wit, But Not A Witless

So, When People Try To Give You Some Book With A Shiny Round Award On The Cover, Be Kind And Gracious, But Tell Them You Don't Read "fantasy," Because You Prefer Stories That Are Real. Then Come Back Here And Continue Your Research On The Cult Of Evil Librarians Who Secretly Rule The World.

You Could Be Writing The Book That Changes Your Life.

Changing Your Life

You See The Dilemma?” Ham Asked. “i See An Idiot,” Breeze Mumbled.

Every Action We Take Has Consequences, Vin," Kelsier Said. "i've Found That In Both Allomancy And Life, The Person Who Can Best Judge The Consequences Of Their Actions Will Be The Most Successful.

Bitterness Is Repaid More Often Than Kindness.

Personally, I Like It Much Better When Someone Else Does The Decision Making. That Way You Have Legitimate Grounds To Whine And Complain. I Tend To Find Both Whining And Complaining Quite Interesting And Amusing, Though Sometimes--unfortunately--it's Hard To Choose Which One Of The Two I Want To Do. Sigh. Life Can Be So Tough Sometimes.

Elend Started. "vin!" Then, He Smiled. "what Took You So Long?" "i Got Delayed By An Inquistor And A Dark God," She Said. "now Hustle.

My Behavior Is Nonetheless, Deplorable. Unfortunately, I'm Quite Prone To Such Bouts Of Deplorability--take For Instance, My Fondness For Reading Books At The Dinner Table.

Novels Aren’t Just Happy Escapes; They Are Slivers Of People’s Souls, Nailed To The Pages, Dripping Ink From Veins Of Wood Pulp. Reading The Right One At The Right Time Can Make All The Difference.

Joy Was More Than Just An Absence Of Discomfort.

What Is Belief - What Is Faith - If You Don't Continue It After Failure?

Galladon Paused For A Moment, Then Laughed. "does Nothing Frighten You, Sule?" "actually, Pretty Much Everything Here Does—i'm Just Good At Ignoring The Fact That I'm Terrified. If I Ever Realize How Scared I Am, You'll Probably Find Me Trying To Hide Under Those Cobblestones Over There.

That's The Point, Isn't It? We Have To Live On, No Matter How Hard It Gets. We'll Win In The End.

Being Polite To A Person Is Not A Sign Of Respect For Them. It Is Merely A Sign Of A Good Upbringing And A Balanced Nature.

Good Upbringing

It's Easy To Believe In Something When You Win All The Time...the Losses Are What Define A Man's Faith.

I Like Words. And I Always Learn A Few New Ones When Father Gets Angry. I Shouldn't Neglect My Education, Now Should I?

Imaginary Things Were Often The Only Items Of Real Substance In People's Lives.

Actually, [wax] Said, We Came Here Because We Needed Someplace Safe To Think For A Few Hours." Ranette: "your Mansion Isn't Safe?" Wax: "my Butler Failed To Poison Me, Then Tried To Shoot Me, Then Set Off An Explosive In My Study" Ranette: "huh.... You Need To Screen These People Better, Wax.

Getting Cut Off From The Knights' Magic Rock Also Required A Period Of Exile From Their Giant Glass Mushroom. (those Of You In The Hushlands, I Dare You To Work That Last Sentence Into A Conversation. "by The Way, Sally, Did You Know That Getting Cut From The Knight's Magic Rock Also Requires A Period Of Exile From Their Giant Glass Mushroom?")

What Kind Of Woman Is Still Able To Trust People After Everything She's Been Through? If She'd Been Vin, She Would Have Stabbed Him In The Back At The First Opportunity, And That Would Have Probably Been The Right Thing To Do. Yet, This Girl Just Continued To Trust. It Was Like Finding A Beautiful Plant Growing Alone In A Field Of Burnt Ash.

The Best Liars Are Those Who Tell The Truth Most Of The Time.

Telling The Truth

I Write Those Words In Steel For Anything Else Not Set In Metal Cannot Be Trusted

He Smiled Despite The Grief He Felt At The Deaths Of His Men; He Smiled Because That Was What He Did. That Was How He Proved To The Lord Ruler-and To Himself-that He Wasn't Beaten.

Ruin Still Used Reen's Voice-it Was Familiar, Something That Had Always Seemed A Part Of Her. Discovering That It Belonged To That Thing...it Was Like Finding Out That Her Reflection Really Belonged To Someone Else, And That She'd Never Actually Seen Herself.

Too Many Of Us Take Great Pains With What We Ingest Through Our Mouths, And Far Less With What We Partake Of Through Our Ears And Eyes.

There Are No Endings, And Never Will Be Endings, To The Turning Of The Wheel Of Time. But It Was An Ending.

Have You Finally Grown So Jealous Of My Impeccable Fashion Sense That You've Decided To Have Me Disposed Of?

I Am Mountains That Crush. I Am Waves That Crash. I Am Storms That Shatter. I Am The End.

You Know, I Was A Nerdy Kid Going Through High School, And Then I Got To College And That All Vanished. I Mean, A Lot Of My Good Friends - When We Were In High School, We Would Never Have Been Able To Hang Out Together Because We Were In Such Different Cliques Or Whatever. Now, Who Cares?

You Cannot Tempt The Hearts Of Men Who Are Pure.

Must Someone, Some Unseen Thing, Declare What Is Right For It To Be Right? I Believe That My Own Morality - Which Answers Only To My Heart - Is More Sure And True Than The Morality Of Those Who Do Right Only Because They Fear Retribution.

Remember, Despite The Fact That This Book Is Being Sold As A 'fantasy' Novel, You Must Take All Of The Things It Says Extremely Seriously, As They Are Quite Important, Are In No Way Silly, And Always Make Sense. Rutabaga.

It's Not Imitating Anything; It Has Become A Better Version Of Itself.

You Are Nothing If Not Exhaustive In Your Self-congratulatory Made-up Logic.

How Totally Unexpected," He Declared, Then Proceeded To Faint From Blood Loss.

Plots Behind Plots, Plans Behind Plans. There Was Always Another Secret.

What Wasdat, Sir? What Wazzat Sir? What Wassat, Sir?” “wayne, What Are You Babbling About?” Waxillium Asked. “practicing My Pretzel Guy,” Wayne Said. “he Had A Great Accent...” Waxillium Glanced At Him. "that Hat Looks Ridiculous.” “fortunately, I Can Change Hats,” Wayne Said In The Pretzel-guy Accent, “while You, Sir, Are Stuck With That Face.

Normally, I Have A Lot Of Alpha Readers On My Books. These Are People That, Once I Finish A Novel, I Let Them Look At It And Give Me A Reader Response.

Ham Shook His Head, Sitting Down, Pouring Himself Something To Drink. "i Don't Get It, El. Why'd She Attack Him?" "she's Loony," Spook Said.

Does One Deserve To Have Evil Done To Her By Consequence Of Putting Herself Where Evil Can Reach Her?

What Did You Put In The Fire?" Kaladin Said. "to Make That Special Smoke?" "nothing. It Was Just And Ordinary Fire." "but, I Saw-" "what You Saw Belongs To You. A Story Doesn't Live Until It Is Imagined In Someone's Mind." "what Does The Story Mean, Then?" "it Means What You Want It To Mean," Hoid Said. "the Purpose Of A Storyteller Is Not To Tell You How To Think , But To Give You Questions To Think Upon. Too Often, We Forget That.

A Story Doesn't Live Until It Is Imagined In Someone's Mind.

Strength Does Not Make One Capable Of Rule; It Makes One Capable Of Service.

Expectations Were Like Fine Pottery. The Harder You Held Them, The More Likely They Were To Crack.

Control Yourself. Become Someone Who Can Handle This.

In The End, I Worry That My Arrogance Shall Destroy Us All.

I Strive For Nothing If Not Consistency

If I Should Die,” Dalinar Said, “then I Would Do So Having Lived My Life Right. It Is Not The Destination That Matters, But How One Arrives There.” “the Codes?” “no. The Way Of Kings.” “that Storming Book.

Using A Fetching Face To Make Men Do As You Wish Is No Different From A Man Using Muscle To Force A Woman To His Will. Both Are Base, And Both Will Fail A Person As They Age.

‎"to Parlin's Mind, Nothing Showed Affection Like A Hunk Of Something Dead And Bleeding On The Table.

Raoden Looked Up At His Friend. "we're Not Dead, Galladon, And We're Not Damned. We're Just Unfinished.

I Am A Writer Who Works From An Outline. What I Generally Do When I Build An Outline Is I Find Focal, Important Scenes, And I Build Them In My Head And I Don't Write Them Yet, But I Build Towards Them.

...generally People Don't Recomend This Type Of Book At All. It Is Far Too Interesting. Perhaps You Have Had Other Books Recomended To You. Perhaps, Even, You Have Been Given Books By Friends, Parents, Teachers, Then Told That These Books Are The Type You Have To Read. Those Books Are Invariably Described As "important"- Which In My Experience, Pretty Much Means That They're Boring. (words Like Meaningful And Thoughtful Are Other Good Clues.)

Marsh: Our Best Efforts Were Never Even A Mild Annoyance To The Lord Ruler." Kelsier: Ah, But Being An Annoyance Is Something That I Am Very Good At. In Fact, I'm Far More Than Just A 'mild' Annoyance--people Tell Me I Can Be Downright Frustrating. Might As Well Use This Talent For The Cause Of Good, Eh?

A Man Can Only Lead When Others Accept Him As Their Leader, And He Has Only As Much Authority As His Subjects Give To Him. All Of The Brilliant Ideas In The World Cannot Save Your Kingdom If No One Will Listen To Them.

Sometimes, Son," My Father Said, Prying My Fingers Free, "you Have To Help The Heroes Along.

What Would You Think If I Told You That I Wasn’t An Allomancer?” Sazed Asked. “i’d Think That You Were Lying,” Vin Said. “have You Known Me To Lie Before?” “the Best Liars Are Those Who Tell The Truth Most Of The Time.

Women? Women Are Like...thunderstorms. They're Beautiful To Look At, And Sometimes They're Nice To Listen To-but Most Of The Time They're Just Plain Inconvenient.

Well,” Waxillium Said. “perhaps I Should Begin By Asking After Your Health.” “perhaps You Should,” Steris Replied. “er. Yes. How’s Your Health?” “suitable.” “so Is Waxillium,” Wayne Added. They All Turned To Him. “you Know,” He Said. “he’s Wearing A Suit, And All. Suitable. Ahem. Is That Mahogany?

That's Kind Of What Trust Is, Isn't It? A Willful Self-delusion.

Everyone Gets Scared, Princess. Even Brave Men Sometimes Run The First Time They See Battle. In Armies, That's Why There's So Much Training. The Ones Who Hold Aren't The Courageous Ones, They're The Well-trained Ones. We Have Instincts Like Any Other Animal.

Once One Becomes A Man, He Can And Must Make His Own Decisions. But I Do Offer Warning. Even A Good Thing Can Become Destructive If Taken To Excess.

Mocking A Woman Is Like Drinking Too Much Wine. It May Be Fun For A Short Time, But The Hangover Is Hell.

People Can Do Great Things. However, There Are Somethings They Just Can't Do. I, For Instance, Have Not Been Able To Transform Myself Into A Popsicle, Despite Years Of Effort. I Could, However, Make Myself Insane, If I Wished. (though If I Achieved The Second, I Might Be Able To Make Myself Think I'd Achieved The First....) Anyway, If There's A Lesson To Be Learned, It's This: Great Success Often Depends On Being Able To Distinguish Between The Impossible And The Improbable. Or, In Easier Terms, Distinguishing Between Popsicles And Insanity. Any Questions?

Lessons To Be Learned

I Want You To Go Back Into The Barrack And Tell The Men To Come Out After The Storm. Tell Them To Look Up At Me Tied Here. Tell Them I’ll Open My Eyes And Look Back At Them, And They’ll Know Hat I Survived.

Do Not Deride Someone's Faith Simply Because You Do Not Share It, Lord Cladent," Sazed Said Quietly.

It Is Very Important To Be Reading As Well As Writing. A Doctor Is Not Going To Ignore New Surgery Practices.

You Should Try Not To Talk So Much, Friend. You'll Sound Far Less Stupid That Way. - Breeze

[omin] ...all Things Must Progress, And Progression Is Not Always A Steady Incline. Sometimes We Must Fall, Sometimes We Will Rise - Some Must Be Hurt While Others Have Fortune, For That Is The Only Way We Can Learn To Rely On One Another. As One Is Blessed, It Is His Privilege To Help Those Whose Lives Are Not As Easy. Unity Comes From Strife, Child." Page 193

Do Not Dash If You Only Have The Strength To Walk, And Do Not Waste Your Time Pushing On The Walls That Will Not Give. More Importantly, Don't Shove Where A Pat Would Be Sufficient.

The More Limitations You Put On A Character Often Times The Better A Character You'll Make Them, The More Interesting The Story Becomes Because The Character Can't Simply Wave A Hand And Make Something Happen. They Have To Work Within The Framework.

Spook: No, I'm Not Troubled. In Fact, I Actually Think Everything Is Going To Be All Right. Finally.

Entropy Shakes Its Angry Fist At You For Being Clever Enough To Organize The World. (p 2)

I Don't Have Much Time For Stories," Vin Said. "seems That Fewer And Fewer People Do, These Days." A Canopy Kept Off The Ash, But He Seemed Unconcerned About The Mists. "it Makes Me Wonder What Is So Alluring About The Real World That Gives Them All Such A Fetish For It. It's Not A Very Nice Place These Days.

Men Had Always Told Kaladin That He Fought Like Nobody Else. He’d Felt It On The First Day He’d Picked Up A Quarterstaff, Though Tukks’s Advice Had Helped Him Refine And Channel What He Could Do. Kaladin Had Cared When He Fought. He’d Never Fought Empty Or Cold. He Fought To Keep His Men Alive

My Outlines Are Always Very Goal-based. What Do I Want To Have Happen By The Ending And How Can I Earn That.

Yelling A Battle Cry—more To Motivate Himself Than Frighten His Foes—lukel Grabbed The Table Leg And Swung It At A Soldier. The Wood Bounced Off The Man's Helmet, But The Blow Was Powerful Enough To Daze Him, So Lukel Followed It With A Solid Blow To The Face. The Soldier Dropped And Lukel Grabbed His Weapon. Now He Had A Sword. He Only Wished He Knew How To Use It.

...a Man Can Only Stumble For So Long Before He Either Falls Or Stands Up Straight.

And Vin Liked Solitude. When You're Alone, No One Can Betray You

Vin Shook Her Head. "no, Not Me. I'm Not A Good Person Or A Bad Person. I'm Just Here To Kill Things." Oreseur Watched Her For A Moment, Then Settled Back Down. "regardless," He Said, "you Are Not My Worst Master. That Is, Perhaps, A Compliment Among Our People.

However A Man Who Was Honest And Clever Was Always, Always More Difficult To Scam Than Someone Who Was Both Dishonest And Clever. Sincerity. It Was So Difficult , By Definition, To Fake.

Men Protect Things They Find Important," Galladon Said With A Shrug. "if You Object, You Shouldn't Have Made Yourself So Irreplaceable.kolo?" -brandon Sanderson (elantris)

It Is A Time Of Change,'' Sazed Said. ''perhaps It Is Also Time To Learn Of Other Truths, Other Ways.

I Bring You A Message From A Friend Of Ours," She Said Quietly. "he Wanted You To Know That He's Not Dead. He Can't Be Killed." "he Is Hope." The She Raised The Spear And Rammed It Directly Into The Lord Ruler's Heart.

It's All Right Wayne," Waxillium Said Softly. "i've Made A Promise. I Told Lord Harms I'd Return Steris To Him. And I Will. That Is That." "then I Will Remain And Help," Marasi Said. "that Is That." "and I Could Really Use Some Food," Wayne Added. "fat Is Fat.

What Was That?" Galladon Demanded. "i Think I Just Destroyed The Biology Section" Raoden Replied With Wonder.

Better To Be The Failure Who Nobly Strived Than The Success Who Never Really Had To.

It’s What Happens When You Shoot Someone,” Wayne Pointed Out. “at Least, Usually Someone Has The Good Sense To Get Dead When You Go To All The Trouble To Shoot Them.

Our Belief Is Often Strongest When It Should Be Weakest. That Is The Nature Of Hope.

Nothing Will Train You To Write Better As A Writer, Than Working On Your Next Book.

It Seems That The Rebels Found The Chaos Of Transition More Difficult To Accept Than The Tyranny They Had Known Before. They Joyfully Welcomed Back Authority-even Oppressive Authority-for It Was Less Painful For Them Than Uncertainty.

Attacking A Provincial Lord In His Manor House, Surrounded By Guards...honestly, Kell, I'd Nearly Forgotten How Foolhardy You Can Be. "foolhardy?" Kelsier Asked With A Laugh. "that Wasn't Foolhardy - That Was Just A Small Diversion. You Should See Some Of The Things I'm Planning To Do! Dockson Stood For A Moment Then He Laughed Too. "by The Lord Ruler, It's Good To Have You Back, Kell! I'm Afraid I've Grown Rather Boring During The Last Few Years" "we'll Fix That" Kelsier Promised.

Can A Woman Not Walk With Her Possessions Down The Street Of A City?

No, Not Me.i'm Not A Good Person Or A Bad Person.i'm Just Here To Kill Things.

Why Do They Call It Research If I've Only Done It This One Time?

I Believe In Rendering To Science The Things That Belong To Science. I Have No Problem With Evolution Or Discussions Of The Age Of The Earth, For I Don't Believe That We Come Anywhere Near Comprehending The Mind Of God Or The Workings Of The Universe. Science Can Explain A Lot, But It Cannot Give Us Faith, And I Think We Need Both.

I Take Two Hours Off For My Family Every Day. And Then I Write Fourteen Hours.

Can You Feel It? Something Just Changed. I Believe That’s The Sound The World Makes When It Pisses Itself.

Those Candle Flames Were Like The Lives Of Men. So Fragile. So Deadly. Left Alone, They Lit And Warmed. Let Run Rampant, They Would Destroy The Very Things They Were Meant To Illuminate. Embryonic Bonfires, Each Bearing A Seed Of Destruction So Potent It Could Tumble Cities And Dash Kings To Their Knees.

And Is An Ending Always Bad? It Asked. Must Not All Things, Even Worlds, Someday End?"there Is No Need To Hasten That End," Vin Said. "no Reason To Force It."all Things Are Subject To Their Own Nature, Vin, Ruin Said, Seeming To Flow Around Her. She Could Feel Its Touch Upon Her - Wet And Delicate, Like Mist. You Cannot Blame Me For Being What I Am. Without Me, Nothing Would End. Nothing Could End. And Therefore, Nothing Could Grow. I Am Life. Would You Fight Life Itself?

To Lack Feeling Is To Be Dead, But To Act On Every Feeling Is To Be A Child.

If You Give Up What You Want Most For What You Think You Should Want More, You'll End Up Miserable.

You're A Very Difficult Person To Manipulate, You Know." "nonsense," He Said. "you Just Have To Promise Me That I Won't Have To Do A Thing, And Then I'll Do Anything You Want." "anything?" "anything That Doesn't Require Doing Anything." "that's Nothing, Then." "is It?" "yes." "well, That's Something.

Pain Los[es] Its Power When Other Things Bec[o]me More Important.

Faith Isn't About Logic, Son," Haddek Said. "perhaps That's Your Problem. You Cannot 'disprove' The Things You Study, Any More Than We Can Prove To You That The Hero Will Save Us. We Simply Must Believe It, And Accept The Things Preservation Has Taught Us.

It's Actually A Rather Romantic And Dramatic Story --- One I Would Eagerly Tell You, Except For The Fact That I Recently Forgot It, Based On It Being Far Too Long And Having Not Enough Decapitations.

The Motivations Of Men. They Never Make Sense. And They Always Make Sense.

There Has To Be A Balance, Vin," Elend Said. "somehow, We'll Find It. The Balance Between Whom We Wish To Be And Whom We Need To Be." He Sighed. "but For Now," He Said, Nodding To The Side, "we Simply Have To Be Satisfied With Who We Are.

I Was Thinking That Work Is Like Fertilizer In That I'm Glad It Exists; I Just Don't Ever Want To Get Stuck In It.

The Number 1 Thing That I Don't Want To See In A Story Is When Characters Exist Simply To Be Proven Wrong.

Though, If You Think About It, Hostile, Dethroned Pseudodeities Probably Make Disagreeable Neighbors. You'll Have To Figure Out Something To Do With Him.

I Try To Avoid Having Thoughts. They Lead To Other Thoughts, And—if You’re Not Careful—those Lead To Actions. Actions Make You Tired. I Have This On Rather Good Authority From Someone Who Once Read It In A Book.

Oh My Lovely Princess,"raoden Whispered. "you Probably Mean Well, But Handing These People Food Is The Worst Thing You Could Do To Them." -brandon Sanderson(elantris)

The Stormlight Rising From His Exposed Skin Was Enough To Illuminate The Chasm, And It Cast Shadows On The Walls As He Ran. Those Seemed To Become Figures, Crafted By The Bones And Branches Stretching From The Heaps On The Ground. Bodies And Souls. His Movement Made The Shadows Twist, As If Turning To Regard Him.

When I Write My Books, Actually I'm Known For Very Logical Rule-based Magic Systems. I Write With One Foot In Fantasy And One Foot In Science Fiction.

Unknowing Ignorance Is Preferable To Informed Stupidity.

To Age Truly Was To Suffer The Ultimate Treason, That Of One's Body Against Oneself.

To Believe, It Seemed, One Had To Want To Believe.

Breeze Turned To Look Out The Window. "you Were Always The Best Of Us, Sazed," He Said Quietly. "because You Believed In Something.

One Cannot Seperate Truth From Actions...physically Inevitable Or Not, Truth Stands Above All Things. It Is Independant Of Who Has The Best Army, Who Can Deliver The Longest Sermons, Or Even Who Has The Most Priests. It Can Be Pushed Down, But It Will Always Surface. Truth Is The One Thing You Can Never Intimidate.

Not All Librarians Are Evil Cultists. Some Librarians Are Instead Vengeful Undead Who Want To Suck Your Soul.

Ah, The Outdoors,' Shallan Said. 'i Visited That Mythical Place Once.

I Consider Myself To Be A Man Of Principle. But, What Man Does Not? Even The Cutthroat, I Have Noticed, Considers His Actions "moral" After A Fashion. Perhaps Another Person, Reading Of My Life, Would Name Me A Religious Tyrant. He Could Call Me Arrogant. What Is To Make That Man's Opinion Any Less Valid Than My Own? I Guess It All Comes Down To One Fact: In The End, I'm The One With The Armies.

You've Managed-- In Our Short Three Years Together-- To Kill Not Only My God, But My Father, My Brother, And My Fiance. That's Kind Of Like A Homicidal Hat Trick. It's A Strange Foundation For A Relationship, Wouldn't You Say?

A Man Was Defined Not By His Flaws, But By How He Overcame Them.

Llarimar Had Told Him To Do His Best. That Sounded Like An Awful Lot Of Work. Unfortunately, Doing Nothing Was Beginning To Seem Like Even More Work.

I Am A Smedry, And We Do Ridiculous, Unexpected, Eccentric Things Like This All The Time! Ha-ha!

We Follow The Codes Not Because They Bring Gain, But Because We Loathe The People We Would Otherwise Become.

Here, In Alethkar, Men Often Spoke Of The Legends -- Of Mankind's Hard-won Victory Over The Voidbringers. But When Weapons Created To Fight Nightmares Were Turned Against Common Soldiers, The Lives Of Men Became Cheap Things Indeed.

If You Don't Believe What I'm Telling You, Then Ask Yourself This: Would Any Decent, Kind-hearted Individual Become A Writer? Of Course Not.

My Name Is Stephen Leeds, And I Am Perfectly Sane. My Hallucinations, However, Are All Quite Mad.

The Most Dangerous Kind Of Man Is Not The One Who Spent His Youth Shoving Others Around. That Kind Of Man Gets Lazy, And Is Often Too Content With His Life To Be Truly Dangerous. The Man Who Spent His Youth Being Shoved Around, However … When That Man Gets A Little Power And Authority, He Often Uses It To Become A Tyrant On Par With The Worst Warlords In History.

Those Who Take Lightly Promises They Make To Those They Love Are People Who Find Little Lasting Satisfaction In Life. This Is Not An Easy Time In Which To Live. That Does Not Mean That It Has To Be A Difficult Time To Love, But It Does Mean That You Will Find Unusual Stresses Upon Your Lives And Your Relationship.

Satisfaction In Life

Of All The Recruits In His Cohort, He Had Learned The Quickest. How To Hold The Spear, How To Stand To Spar. He’d Done It Almost Without Instruction. That Had Shocked Tukks. But Why Should It Have? You Were Not Shocked When A Child Knew How To Breathe. You Were Not Shocked When A Skyeel Took Flight For The First Time. You Should Not Be Shocked When You Hand Kaladin Stormblessed A Spear And He Knows How To Use It.

Anyone Know Where Kell Is?" "sleeping," Vin Said. "he Came In Late Last Night, And Hasn't Gotten Up Yet." Ham Grunted, Taking A Bite Of Baywrap. "dox?" "in His Room On The Third Floor," Vin Said. "he Got Up Early, Came Down To Get Something To Eat, And Went Back Upstairs." ... Ham Raised An Eyebrow. "you Always Keep Track Of Where Everyone Is Like That?" "yes.

I Had Eondel Teach Me," Raoden Said. "back When I Was Trying To Find Ways To Prove That My Father's Laws Were Foolish. Eondel Chose Fencing Becausehe Thought It Would Be Most Useful To Me, As A Politician. I Never Figured I'd End Up Using It To Keep My Wife From Slicing Me To Pieces.

And So, Does The Destination Matter? Or Is It The Path We Take? I Declare That No Accomplishment Has Substance Nearly As Great As The Road Used To Achieve It. We Are Not Creatures Of Destinations. It Is The Journey That Shapes Us. Our Callused Feet, Our Backs Strong From Carrying The Weight Of Our Travels, Our Eyes Open With The Fresh Delight Of Experiences Lived.

The Door Slammed Open. Vivenna Jumped, Putting A Hand To Her Chest. Vasher Walked In. 'start Reaching For That Sword When You're Startled,' He Said. 'there's Little Reason To Grab Your Shirt, Unless You're Planning To Rip It Off.

The Best Performances, Are Those That Can Be Performed Once.

Best Performance

I Am What The Universe Made Me To Be, My Dear.

Kelsier Smiled. 'it Means That You, Vin, Are A Very Special Person. You Have A Power That Most High Noblemen Envy. It Is A Power That, Had You Been Born An Aristocrat, Would Have Made You One Of The Most Deadly And Influential People In All Of The Final Empire.' Kelsier Leaned Forward Again. 'but, You Weren't Born An Aristocrat. You're Not Noble, Vin. You Don't Have To Play By Their Rules--and That Makes You Even More Powerful.

Oh, Wax Has Always Been Solemn, But When He's At His Best, There's A Smirk Underneath.

How Do You Do That?” Mennis Asked, Frowning. “what?” “smile So Much.” “oh, I’m Just A Happy Person.

There Are Two Kinds Of People In This World, Son. Those Who Save Lives, And Those Who Take Lives." "and What Of Those Who Protect And Defend? Those Who Save Lives By Taking Lives?" "that's Like Trying To Stop A Storm By Blowing Harder. Ridiculous. You Can't Protect By Killing.

What? Is That Boy Crazy?" "most Young Men His Age Are Somewhat Crazy, I Think," Sazed Said With A Smile. "however, This Is Hardly Unexpected. Haven't You Noticed How He Stares At You When You Enter A Room?" "i Thought He Was Just Creepy.

I Point Out Truths When I See Them, Brightlord Sadeas. Each Man Has His Place. Mine Is To Make Insults. Yours Is To Be In-sluts.

The Entire Point Of Life Is To Find Ways To Get Others To Do Your Work For You. Don’t You Know Anything About Basic Economics?

If You're Always On Time, It Implies That You Never Have Anything Better You Should Be Doing. -kelsier

You're A Sword Not A Palm Tree

God Is The Creator Of All Things, Right? He Is The Force That Dictates The Laws Of The Universe, And Is Therefore The Ultimate Source Of Ethics. He Is Absolute Morality... We Claim To Be Doing Good. But The Lord Ruler - As God - Defines What Is Good. So By Opposing Him We're Actually Evil. But Since He's Doing The Wrong Thing, Does Evil Actually Count As Good In This Case?

If Men Should Read These Words, Let Them Know That Power Is A Heavy Burden. Seek Not To Be Bound By Its Chains.

Joel, Lad, School Is About Learning To Learn. If You Don't Practice Studying Things You Don't Like, Then You'll Have A Very Hard Time In Life.

Welcome, Ruin Said, To Godhood.

To Live Is To Have Worries And Uncertainties. Keep Them Inside, And They Will Destroy You For Certain--leaving Behind A Person So Callused That Emotion Can Find No Root In His Heart.

The Sudden And Abrupt Removal Of My All-consuming Goal ... Well, It Was Like I Was A Donut, And Somebody Had Sucked All The Jelly Out Of Me. But I Could Stuff New Jelly In There. It Would Just Get My Hands A Little Sticky In The Process.

It's Like A Banana Farm For Guns!

Sing!" Grandpa Smedry Yelled, His Voice Echoing Down A Hallway To The Right."sing!" If He Breaks Into Song I Think I Might Have To Strangle Myself... I Thought, Cringing.

You Said Their Prayer - Is This The Religion You Believe In, Then?" "i Believe In Them All." Vin Frowned. "none Of Them Contradict Each Other?" Sazed Smiled. "oh, Often And Frequently They Do. But, I Respect The Truths Behind Them All.

Everything Is A Contest. All Dealings Among Men Are A Contest In Which Some Will Succeed And Others Fail. And Some Are Failing Quite Spectacularly.

There Was Rarely An Obvious Branching Point In A Person's Life. People Changed Slowly, Over Time. You Didn't Take On Step, Then Find Yourself In A Completely New Location. You First Took A Little Step Off A Path To Avoid Some Rocks. For A While, You Walked Alongside The Path, But Then You Wandered Out A Little Way To Step On Softer Soil. Then You Stopped Paying Attention As You Drifted Farther And Farther Away. Finally, You Found Yourself In The Wrong City, Wondering Why The Signs On The Roadway Hadn't Led You Better.

Elend: I Kind Of Lost Track Of Time… Breeze: For Two Hours? Elend: There Were Books Involved.

Somehow, She Had Grown Into A Woman In Between The Fall Of Kings And Collapse Of Worlds. Once She Had Been Terrified Of Change. Then She Had Been Terrified Of Losing Elend. Now Her Fears Were More Nebulous - Worries Of What Would Come After She Was Gone, Worries Of What Would Happen To The People Of The Empire If She Failed.

People With Passion Are People Who Will Destroy - For A Man's Passion Is Not True Until He Proves How Much He's Willing To Sacrifice For It.

I've Always Been Very Confident In My Immaturity.

That’s The Funny Thing About Arriving Somewhere, Vin,” He Said With A Wink. “once You’re There, The Only Thing You Can Really Do Is Leave Again.

Start Writing The Things That You Are Reading Or That You Want To Be Published Doing.

But You Can't Kill Me, Lord Tyrant. I Represent That One Thing You've Never Been Able To Kill, No Matter How Hard You Try. I Am Hope.

All Right," Spook Said. He Reached To The Ground, Scooping Up A Pile Of Ash. "let's Just Rub This Into Your Clothing And On Your Face...." Breeze Froze. "i'll Meet You Back Ath The Lair," He Finally Said.

Spook Smiled. "elend Is A Forgetful Scholar - Twice As Bad As Sazed Ever Was. He Gets Lost In His Books And Forgets About Meeting He Himself Called. He Only Dresses With Any Sense Of Fashion Because A Terriswoman Bought Him A New Wardrobe. War Has Change Him Some, But On The Inside, I Think He's Still Just A Dreamer Caught In A World With Too Much Violence.

Remember, The Past Need Not Become Our Future As Well.

Sometimes The Prize Is Not Worth The Costs. The Means By Which We Achieve Victory Are As Important As The Victory Itself.

Lately, I Feel Like My Life Is A Book Written In A Language I Don't Know How To Read.

I've Seen Steelheart Bleed

I Will Protect Those Who Cannot Protect Themselves.

Be Warned - Hammond Does Tend To Be A Bit Optimistic About These Kind Of Things. If The Army Were Made Up Of One-legged Mutes, He Would Praise Their Balance And Their Listening Skills.

If We Must Put Our Head Into The Lion’s Mouth, Let Us Make Certain That He Chokes Upon Our Flesh!

Sometimes It Was Daunting, Knowing How Easily I Could Break Things. This One Simple Curse Seemed To Dominate My Entire Life.

Act With Honor, And Honor Will Aid You

I Still Doubt It Will Work." "you'd Doubt The Sun's Rising If You Weren't Proven Wrong Each Day," Raoden Said With A Smile.

Ham Smiled. "cett's Going To Be Furious." Elend Shrugged. "he's A Paraplegic. What's He Going To Do? Bite Us?

Now, I Had Been Frightened On Several Different Occasions In My Life. The Most Frightening Of These Involved An Elevator And A Mime.

Words Are Where Most Change Begins.

This World, It Is A Tempest Sometimes. But Remember, The Sun Always Rises Again.

People See In Stories What They’re Looking For, My Young Friend.

Small Things Were Important. Secods Were Small Things, And If You Heaped Enough Of Those On Top Of One Another, They Became A Man's Life.

Trending Author

Daniel Pinkwater

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

Category