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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.

-Brandon Sanderson

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There Was Rarely An

Brandon Sanderson

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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.

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Never Throw The First Punch. If You Have To Throw The Second, Try To Make Sure They Don't Get Up For A Third.

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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.

At First Glance, The Key And The Lock It Fits May Seem Very Different," Sazed Said. "different In Shape, Different In Function, Different In Design. The Man Who Looks At Them Without Knowledge Of Their True Nature Might Think Them Opposites, For One Is Meant To Open, And The Other To Keep Closed. Yet, Upon Closer Examination He Might See That Without One, The Other Becomes Useless. The Wise Man Then Sees That Both Lock And Key Were Created For The Same Purpose.

I Never Wanted To Be Feared. If I Regret One Thing, It Is The Fear I Have Caused. Fear Is The Tool Of Tyrants. Unfortunately, When The Fate Of The World Is In Question, You Use Whatever Tools Are Available.

War Is Far Worse. At Least Where Politics Is Going On, There Are Usually Nice Hors D’oeuvres.

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.

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

You See, That Is The Sad, Sorry, Terrible Thing About Sarcasm. It's Really Funny.

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.

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've Found You Can Ignore Half Of What Dox Tells You And Not Miss Much-except For Maybe They Occasional Complaint That You're Spending Too Much.

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.

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

They Tried Boiling Books, But That Didn't Work Very Well." "i'm Surprised They Haven't Tried Boiling One Another." "oh, It's Been Tried," Galladon Said. "fortunately. Something Happens To Us During The Shaod—apparently The Flesh Of A Dead Man Doesn't Taste Too Good. Kolo? In Fact, It's So Violently Bitter That No One Can Keep It Down." "it's Nice To See That Cannibalism Has Been So Logically Ruled Out As An Option," Raoden Said Dryly

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

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.

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.

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

You'll Never Learn How To Do Your Endings Until You Finish Your Endings.

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

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.

My Dear, Did You Just Try To Prove The Existence Of God With Your Cleavage?

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

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

It's Like A Banana Farm For Guns!

It's A Mystery," Vin Said, Narrowing Her Eyes And Smiling. "we Mistborn Are Incredibly Mysterious." Elend Paused." Um...i'm Mistborn Too, Vin. That Doesn't Make Any Sense." "we Mistborn Need Not Make Sense," Vin Said." It's Beneath Us. Come On-the Sun's Already Down. We Need To Get Moving.

Authority Doesn't Come From A Rank.," Kaladin Said, Fingering The Spheres In His Pocket. "where Does It Come From?" "from The Men Who Give It To You. That's The Only Way To Get It.

Somebody Has To Start. Somebody Has To Step Forward And Do What Is Right, Because It Is Right.

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

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

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

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

I've Seen Steelheart Bleed

My Job Is Not To Save 'the Wheel Of Time', To Fix 'the Wheel Of Time', Or Anything Like That. My Job Is Not To Screw It Up.

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

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

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.

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

It Is A Writer's Greatest Pleasure To Hear That Someone Was Kept Up Until The Unholy Hours Of The Morning Reading One Of Their Books

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

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

You Are Out Of Control, Rand Al'thor,' She Declared. I Do What Must Be Done,' He Said, Speaking Now From The Shadows. He Sounded Exhausted. ... I Hate What You Just Did, Rand,' Nynaeve Snarled. 'no, "hate" Isn't Strong Enough. I Loathe What You've Done. What Has Happened To You?' Test Him!' Rand Whispered, Voice Dangerous. 'before Condemning Me, Let Us First Determine If My Sins Have Achieved Anything Beyond My Own Damnation.

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

Eternity Ended Ten Years Ago.

Raoden Turned To Regard The Large Dula. "what Does It Matter? It's Not Like We Have Anything Pressing To Do. It's Actually Quite Pleasant Up Here—you Should Just Sit Back And Enjoy It." An Ominous Crash Came From The Clouds Above Them, And Raoden Felt A Wet Drop Splat Against His Head. "fantastic," Galladon Grumbled. "i'm Enjoying Myself Already.

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)

So,” Marasi Said, “you Traded A Dead Man’s Scarf For Another Dead Man’s Gun. But…the Gun Itself Belonged To Someone Dead, So By The Same Logic—” “don’t Try,” Waxillium Said. “logic Doesn’t Work On Wayne.” “i Bought A Ward Against It Off A Traveling Fortune-teller,” Wayne Explained. “it Lets Me Add Two ’n’ Two And Get A Pickle.

How Did Men Believe In Something That Preached Love On One Hand, Yet Taught Destruction Of Unbelievers On The Other? How Did One Rationalize Belief With No Proof? How Could They Honestly Expect Him To Have Faith In Something That Taught Of Miracles And Wonders In The Far Past, But Carefully Gave Excuses For Why Such Things Didn't Occur In The Present Day?

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.

The Right Belief Is Like A Good Cloak, I Think. If It Fits You Well, It Keeps You Warm And Safe. The Wrong Fit However, Can Suffocate.

Oh, I’m Just A Happy Person.

When Men Fought, They Connected. You Became Brothers As You Traded Blows.

I'm An Amalgamation Of What I've Needed To Be. Part Scholar, Part Rebel, Part Nobleman, Part Mistborn, And Part Soldier. Sometimes I Don't Even Know Myself. I Had A Devil Of A Time Getting All Those Pieces To Work Together. And, Just When I'm Starting To Get It Figured Out, The World Up And Ends On Me.

Katar," Raoden Called. Yes, My Lord?" Do You Know What It Is? The Secret, I Mean?" Kahar Smiled. "i Havent't Been Hungry In Days, My Lord. It Is The Most Amazing Feeling In The World-i Don't Evern Notice The Pain Anymore." Raoden Nodded, And Kahar Left. The Man Had Come Looking For A Magical Solution To His Woes, But He Had Found An Answer Much More Simple. Pain Lost Its Power When Other Things Became More Importan. Kahar Didn't Need A Potion Or An Aon To Save Him-he Just Needed Something To Do.

Her Aunt Sol Had Once Told Shai To Smile At The Worst Insults And Snap At The Minor Ones. That Way, No Man Would Know Your Heart.

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.

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.

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

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.

Men Rarely See Their Own Actions As Unjustified.

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.

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

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.

Words Are Where Most Change Begins.

It Was Amazing How Many Books One Could Fit Into A Room, Assuming One Didn't Want To Move Around Very Much.

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

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?

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

Personally, I Say, "out Of The Frying Pan And Into The Deadly Pit Filled With Sharks Who Are Wielding Chainsaws With Killer Kittens Stapled To Them." However, That One's Having A Rough Time Catching On.

Control Yourself. Become Someone Who Can Handle This.

Yes, Bastille. I Keep Trying To Get Killed Because It's Inconvenient For You.

The Shaod, It Was Called. The Transformation... When It Came, The Fortuante Person's Life Ended And Began Anew; He Would Discard His Old, Mundane Existence And Move To Elantris. Elantris, Where He Could Live In Bliss, Rule In Wisdom, And Be Worshiped For Eternity. Eternity Ended Ten Years Ago.

He Found Insanity No Excuse, However, For Irrational Behavior.

That Isn’t Greatness. That’s Just Foolishness.

So, There I Was, Tied To An Altar Made From Outdated Encyclopedias, About To Get Sacrificed To The Dark Powers By A Cult Of Evil Librarians.

Definitely Not-you Optimists Just Can't Understand That A Depressed Person Doesn't Want You To Try And Cheer Them Up.it Makes Us Sick." Brandon Sanderson(elantris)

Depressed Person

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

Well Vin Says That There's Something Behind All This, Right? Some Evil Force Of Doom Or Whatever? Well, If I Were Said Force Of Doom, Then I Certainly Wouldn't Have Used My Powers To Turn The Land Black. It Just Lacks Flair. Red. Now, That Would Be An Interesting Color. Think Of The Possibilities--if The Ash Were Red, The Rivers Would Run Like Blood. Black Is So Monotonous That You Can Forget About It, But Red--you'd Always Be Thinking, 'why, Look At That. That Hill Is Red. That Evil Force Of Doom Trying To Destroy Me Certainly Has Style.

By Now, It Is Probably Very Late At Night, And You Have Stayed Up To Read This Book When You Should Have Gone To Sleep. If This Is The Case, Then I Commend You For Falling Into My Trap. It Is A Writer's Greatest Pleasure To Hear That Someone Was Kept Up Until The Unholy Hours Of The Morning Reading One Of His Books. It Goes Back To Authors Being Terrible People Who Delight In The Suffering Of Others. Plus, We Get A Kickback From The Caffeine Industry.

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

Best Performance

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

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

...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.)

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

In The End, All Men Die. How You Lived Will Be Far More Important To The Almighty Than What You Accomplished.

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.

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.

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

Impossible Things Are Really Rough To Do, You Know.

Impossible Things

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.

There's Always Another Secret.' -kelsier

So, Using His Pride Like A Shield Against Despair, Dejection, And-most Important— Self-pity, Raoden Raised His Head To Stare Damnation In The Eyes.

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

I Was Ten,” I Said. “give Me A Little Credit.” “to A Boy With Aspirations Like That, I Would Extend My Respect—but Not Credit. Or Life Insurance.” Abraham Sounded Amused. “you Are An Interesting Man, David Charleston, But You Sound Like You Were An Even More Interesting Child.

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.

You're Wonderful. So Full Of Life And Excitement. The Priests And Servants Of The Palace, They Wear Colors, But There's No Color Inside Of Them. They Just Go About Their Duties, Eyes Down, Solemn. You've Got Color On The Inside, So Much Of It That It Bursts Out And Colors Everything Around You.

The Look Of Disbelief That Ran Across The Boy's Face Was Somehow More Disturbing Than The Despair It Had Replaced. This Creature Had Given Up Hope Long Ago; He Probably Begged Out Of Habit Rather Than Expectation.

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.

Ignorance Is Hardly Unusual, Miss Davar. The Longer I Live, The More I Come To Realize That It Is The Natural State Of The Human Mind. There Are Many Who Will Strive To Defend Its Sanctity And Then Expect You To Be Impressed With Their Efforts.

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 You Are Anything Like Me --- Clever, Fond Of Goat Cheese, And Devilishly Handsome --- Then You Have Undoubtedly Read Many Books.

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

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.

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?

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.

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

I Love To Do What I Do. So, I Do Work Long Hours.

She Loved The Teachings Of The Five Visions. Humility. Sacrifice. Seeing Another's Problems Before Your Own. Yet She Was Beginning To Think That She-- Along With Others-- Had Taken This Belief Too Far, Letting Her Desire To Seem Humble Become A Form Of Pride Itself. She Now Saw That When Her Faith Had Become About Clothing Instead Of People, It Had Taken A Wrong Turn.

When I Do Research, I Cast My Net Very Widely And Then Snatch What Feels Right Out Of That. Occasionally I'll Read A Specific Book For A Specific Book, But Usually I'm Trying To Increase My General Understanding.

You're A Mean Old Man, Your Grace." "and That Is The Way It Should Be." Roial Informed. "mean Young Men Are Trivial, And Kindly Old Men Boring. Here, Let Me Get Us Something To Drink.

What Is It We Value? Innovation. Originality. Novelty. But Most Importantly...timeliness. I Fear You May Be Too Late, My Confused, Unfortunate, Friend.

Honestly, For An Evil God Of Darkness, He Certainly Can Be Dull.

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)

One Can Have A Wit, But Not A Witless

Too Many Scholars Think Of Research As Purely A Cerebral Pursuit. If We Do Nothing With The Knowledge We Gain, Then We Have Wasted Our Study. Books Can Store Information Better Than We Can--what We We Do That Books Cannot Is Interpret. So If One Is Not Going To Draw Conclusions, Then One Might As Well Just Leave The Information In The Texts.

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.

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.

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.

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

Telling The Truth

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.

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

Every Man Is A Hero Of His Own Story.

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

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

You Cannot Tempt The Hearts Of Men Who Are Pure.

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.

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.

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

At First Raoden Stayed Away From The Library, Because It Reminded Him Of Her. Then He Found Himself Drawn Back To It—because It Reminded Him Of Her.

Overcome Your Guilt. Care, But Not Too Much. Take Responsibility, But Don't Blame Yourself. Protect, Save, Help- But Know When To Give Up. They're Precarious Ledges To Walk. How Do I Do It?

All The World Does As It Is Supposed To, Except For Humans. Maybe That's Why You So Often Want To Kill Each Other.

You Are Inexperienced. So Was I, Once. So Is Every Man. The Measure Of A Person Is Not How Much They Have Lived. . . It's In How They Make Us Of What Life Has Shown Them.

Wherever It May Be, Whoever May Hold It. That's Who I Am.

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.

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

...somehow The Old Philosophers Could Make Even The Most Salacious Topics Seem Boring.

Faith Means That It Doesn't Matter What Happens. You Can Trust That Somebody Is Watching. Trust That Somebody Will Make It All Right.

Joy Was More Than Just An Absence Of Discomfort.

[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

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.

Hmmmm Light Makes Shadow. Truth Makes Lies. Hmmmm.

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.

Everyone Is Either Happy Or Dead.

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.

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.

Good Men Don't Become Legends," He Said Quietly. "good Men Don't Need To Become Legends." She Opened Her Eyes, Looking Up At Him. "they Just Do What's Right Anyway.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

The Purpose Of A Storyteller Is Not To Tell You How To Think, But To Give You Questions To Think Upon.

Belief?" "yes," Sazed Said. "tell Me, Mistress. What Is It That You Believe?" Vin Frowned. "what Kind Of Question Is That?" "the Most Important Kind, I Think.

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

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.

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.

I Killed You Once", The Lord Ruler Said, Turning Back To Kelsier. "you Tried", Kelsier Replied, His Voice Loud And Firm, Carrying Across The Square. "but You Can't Kill Me, Lord Tyrant. I Represent That Thing You've Never Been Able To Kill No Matter How Hard You Try. I Am Hope.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

That Hat Looks Ridiculous.” “fortunately, I Can Change Hats,” Wayne Said, “while You, Sir, Are Stuck With That Face.

Wayne: You Wanna Know Why I Really Came To Find You? Waxilliam: Why? Wayne: I Thought Of You Happy In A Comfy Bed, Resting And Relaxing, Spending The Rest Of Your Life Sipping Tea And Reading Papers While People Bring You Food And Maids Rub Your Toes And Stuff. Waxilliam: And? Wayne: And I Just Couldn't Leave You To A Fate Like That...i'm Too Good A Friend To Let A Mate Of Mine Die In Such A Terrible Situation. Waxilliam: Comfortable? Wayne: No. Boring.

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.

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

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.

I'm Convinced That Responsibility Is Some Kind Of Psychological Disease.

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.

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.

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

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.

How Do You 'accidentally' Kill A Noble Man In His Own Mansion?" "with A Knife In The Chest. Or, Rather, A Pair Of Knives In The Chest.

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

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.

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.

You're A Sword Not A Palm Tree

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

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.

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

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.

Vin: I Don't Know -- And It's All Your Fault, You Know. I Used To Understand Everything. Now It's All Confused. Kelsier: Yes, We've Messed You Up Right Properly.

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.

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?")

Unknowing Ignorance Is Preferable To Informed Stupidity.

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

Your Insult Has Offended Me. If We Were At The Peaks, We Would Have To Duel In Traditional Alil'tiki'i Fashion." "which Is What?" Teft Asked. "with Spears?" Rock Laughed. "no, No. We Upon The Peaks Are Not Barbarians Like You Down Here." "how Then?" Kaladin Asked, Genuinely Curious. "well," Rock Said, "is Involving Much Mudbeer And Singing." “how's That A Duel?” "he Who Can Still Sing After The Most Drinks Is Winner. Plus, Soon' Everyone Is So Drunk That They Forget What Argument Was About." Teft Laughed. "beats Knives At Dawn, I Suppose.

Boys, Welcome To The Wonderful World Of Talking To Women About Their Feelings. As A Handy Primer, Here Are A Few Things You Should Know: 1) Women Have Feelings. 2) You Will Spend The Next Seventy Years Or So Trying To Guess What They're Feeling And Why. 3) You Will Be Wrong Most Of The Time. 4) I Like French Fries.

If You Were The Wall, What Would You Rather Be? Dreary And Dull, Or Alive With Paint?" "walls Can't Think!" "that Doesn't Stop Them From Caring.

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.

This Is Going To Take A While. I'm A Fantasy Author. We Have Trouble With The Concept Of Brevity.

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