Every Christmas break for several years now, I’ve developed a ritual: getting lost in a world of Brandon Sanderson content. Without fail, each time I come away struck by how amazing a person Brandon seems to be.
Brandon is best known for his vast collection of Cosmere novels and numerous standalone titles. While fantasy isn’t my typical genre—I usually prefer sci-fi or thrillers—I discovered his writing through an indirect route. I stumbled onto the videos of his writing course at BYU when I was harboring hopes of writing fiction myself. I can’t recommend these enough. Not only do you hear Brandon deconstruct the craft of writing, his genuine passion for just story and helping people become writers shines through.
The more you read Brandon—both his books and everything around them—two things become clear.
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the man is insanely productive. He’s taken a natural gift for writing - his craft of choice - and structured his entire life around it in a manner I’m jealous of.
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there’s a genuine goodness about him. You see it in his work, in two decades of fan interactions, and in how he talks about family and faith.
In his own words: “I’m a guy who enjoys his job, loves his family, and is a little obsessive about his stories.”.
I realized that it is this generosity of spirit that pulls me back in every holiday season. I come away thinking the world would be better with more Brandon Sandersons.
P.S. If you’ve never read him, Mistborn is a great place to start.