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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.

-Brandon Sanderson

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What Did You Put

Brandon Sanderson

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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.

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

You're A Sword Not A Palm Tree

There's Always Another Secret.' -kelsier

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?

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?”)

I'm Galladon, From The Sovereign Realm Of Duladel. I'm Most Recently From Elantris, Land Of Sludge, Insanity, And Eternal Perdition. Nice To Meet You.

Well, Then," He Said. "let's Do It." "what?" Vin Asked. "save The World." Elend Said. "stop The Ash.

How Do You Fight Someone Smarter Than Yourself?' Rand Whispered. 'the Answer Is Simple. You Make Her Think That You Are Sitting Down Across The Table From Her, Ready To Play Her Game. Then You Punch Her In The Face As Hard As You Can.

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.

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.

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

Are There Any Religions On Your List That Include The Slaughter Of Noblemen As A Holy Duty?

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

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.

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?

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

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

The Problem With Being Clever, Serene Thought With A Sigh, Is That Everyone Assumes You're Always Planning Something.

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

For Now, I Only Wish To Make A Simple Acknowledgement Of The Woman Who Held The Power Just Before Me. Of All Of Us Who Touched It, I Feel She Was The Most Worthy.

Acknowledgement

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

I Have No Idea What You Just Said, Child,' Breeze Said. 'so I'm Simply Going To Pretend It Was Coherent, Then Move On.

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

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

Best Performance

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.)

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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?

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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?")

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

You Could Be Writing The Book That Changes Your Life.

Changing Your Life

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.

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

A Thing Of Nature. For Every Push, There Is A Pull. A Consequence.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Nature Of Morality Must Be Considered, And Preferably Before One Is Exposed To Situations Where A Moral Decision Is Required.

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.

Words Are Where Most Change Begins.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

Regardless, I Still Do Not Believe That Your Duty Is To Do As The People Wish. Your Duty Is To Lead As Best You Can, Following The Dictates Of Your Conscience. You Must Be True. Your Majesty, To The Man You Wish To Become.

It Sounds To Me, Young One," Haddek Said, "that You Are Searching For Something That Cannot Be Found." "the Truth?" Sazed Said. "no," Haddek Replied. "a Religion That Requires No Faith Of Its Believers.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

Joy Was More Than Just An Absence Of Discomfort.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

We Were Like Deaf People Trying To Dance To A Beat We Couldn't Hear, Long After The Music Actually Stopped.

Bitterness Is Repaid More Often Than Kindness.

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

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.

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.

Act With Honor, And Honor Will Aid You

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Every Man Is A Hero Of His Own Story.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

...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.)

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.

Authors Also Create Lovable, Friendly Characters, Then Proceed To Do Terrible Things To Them, Like Throw Them In Unsightly Librarian-controlled Dungeons. This Makes Readers Feel Hurt And Worried For The Characters. The Simple Truth Is That Authors Like Making People Squirm. If This Weren't The Case, All Novels Would Be Filled Completely With Cute Bunnies Having Birthday Parties.

I'm Teoish," Sarene Said, Successfully Spearing Something That Looked Like A Marinated Piece Of Shrimp. "we're All This Tall." "father's Teoish Too, Kaise," Daorn Said. "and You Know How Tall He Is." "but Father's Fat," Kaise Pointed Out. "why Aren't You Fat Too, Sarene?

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?

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Being In Charge Isn't Always About Telling People What To Do. Sometimes, It's About Knowing When To Step Out Of The Way Of People Who Know What They're Doing. - Tam Al'thor

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

Unknowing Ignorance Is Preferable To Informed Stupidity.

Belief Isn't Simply A Thing For Fair Times And Bright Days...what Is Belief - What Is Faith - If You Don't Continue In It After Failure?...anyone Can Believe In Someone, Or Something That Always Succeeds...but Failure...ah, Now, That Is Hard To Believe In, Certainly And Truly. Difficult Enough To Have Value. Sometimes We Just Have To Wait Long Enough...then We Find Out Why Exactly It Was That We Kept Believing...there's Always Another Secret.

He Found Himself Weeping. Not For The Future Or For The Emperor. These Were The Tears Of A Man Who Saw Before Himself A Masterpiece. True Art Was More Than Beauty; It Was More Than Technique. It Was Not Just Imitation. It Was Boldness, It Was Contrast, It Was Subtlety.

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

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

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

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

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

Everyone Is Either Happy Or Dead.

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

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

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

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.

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

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?

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

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?

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

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.

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.

Why Did They Believe? Because They Saw Miracles. Things One Man Took As Chance, A Man Of Faith Took As A Sign. A Loved One Recovering From Disease, A Fortunate Business Deal, A Chance Meeting With A Long Lost Friend. It Wasn't The Grand Doctrines Or The Sweeping Ideals That Seemed To Make Believers Out Of Men. It Was The Simple Magic In The World Around Them.

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.

One Can Have A Wit, But Not A Witless

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

Eternity Ended Ten Years Ago.

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.

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.

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

I Strive For Nothing If Not Consistency

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

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

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

[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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

They Are Presented Attractively For The Same Reason That Kittens Are Cute - So That They Can Draw You In, Then Pounce On You For The Kill. Seriously. Stay Away From Kittens.

The Ways Of Wayne Are Mysterious And Incomprehensible.

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.

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.

Control Yourself. Become Someone Who Can Handle This.

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.

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

I Have A Smoke Grenade In My Room," I Said. "what?" Megan Asked. "how?" "i Grew Up Working At A Munitions Plant," I Said. "we Mostly Made Rifles And Handguns, But We Worked With Other Factories. I Got To Pick Up The Occasional Goody From The Qc Reject Pile." "a Smoke Grenade Is A Goody?" Cody Asked. I Frowned. What Did He Mean? Of Course It Was. Who Wouldn't Want A Smoke Grenade When Offered One?

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.

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

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.

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.

Oh, I’m Just A Happy Person.

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.

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.

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.

She Remembered Timidly Standing Atop The Luthadel City Wall, Afraid To Use Her Allomancy To Jump Off, Despite Kelsier's Coaxing. Now She Could Step Off A Cliff And Muse Thoughtfully To Herself On The Way Down.

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

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.

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

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