Brandon Sanderson Quotes

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.

A story doesn't live until it is imagined in someone's mind.

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 mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital ones.

A man was defined not by his flaws, but by how he overcame them.

The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.

Words are where most change begins.

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.

Life before Death. Strength before Weakness. Journey before Destination.

This world, it is a tempest sometimes. But remember, the sun always rises again.

Better to be the failure who nobly strived than the success who never really had to.

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?

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.

Ah, the outdoors,' Shallan said. 'I visited that mythical place once.

Strength does not make one capable of rule; it makes one capable of service.

Unknowing ignorance is preferable to informed stupidity.

...A man can only stumble for so long before he either falls or stands up straight.

If you're always on time, it implies that you never have anything better you should be doing. -Kelsier

Mocking a woman is like drinking too much wine. It may be fun for a short time, but the hangover is hell.

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.

What is belief - what is faith - if you don't continue it after failure?

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.

Elend: I kind of lost track of time… Breeze: For two hours? Elend: There were books involved.

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?

This is going to take a while. I'm a fantasy author. We have trouble with the concept of brevity.