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Deep Dive with Ali AbdaalOriginality, Writing and Career Fulfilment with Brandon Sanderson
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Chapter summaries
Intro and Brandon's Unusual Daily Schedule
Ali introduces the 2020 interview with Brandon Sanderson and his career. Brandon then describes his night-owl routine of two roughly four-hour writing sessions split around family time.
- •Ali introduces Brandon's major series and his 13 unpublished books before breaking through
- •Brandon writes in two sessions because of a spin-up and spin-down period in each
- •About two hours in the middle of a four-hour session are the most efficient
- •He has always been a night owl, shaped by years on a hotel graveyard shift
Becoming a Writer Late and Writing 13 Books Before Selling
Brandon recounts discovering books at 14 and committing to writing at 22. He describes writing about two novels a year before selling his sixth-written book, Elantris, around 2003.
- •A good teacher got him into reading at 14, and fantasy and science fiction hooked him
- •He switched his major from chemistry to English at 22
- •He wrote 13 novels and sold the sixth one, Elantris, in 2003
- •It came out in 2005, right around his 30th birthday
Writing as a Hobby You Love, Not Just a Career Bet
Asked how he kept going without sales, Brandon explains he decided he had to be okay with writing never becoming a career. He compares it to amateur basketball and golf, and says the odds are better than people claim.
- •He says the odds are closer to 1 in 20 or 30 than 1 in a million
- •He decided writing was worth doing even if he never published
- •He compares it to friends who play basketball or golf with no plan to go pro
- •Writing is not the way to a stable, well-paid career
- •Writers can have a career without being astronomically successful
Finding Fulfilment Without an All-Consuming Passion
Ali asks what advice applies to people unsure of their passion. Brandon says not everyone needs an all-consuming passion and suggests identifying what kind of work he finds fulfilling, such as creating, problem-solving, or serving people.
- •A roommate told him not everyone has an all-consuming passion
- •Programming and writing feel very similar to him
- •He found serving guests on the hotel night shift very fulfilling
- •He wishes schooling offered more chances to try different things
- •He was thought a reluctant reader until he found the right books
Night Shifts, Graveyard Jobs and Chronotypes
Ali and Brandon compare working night shifts, Ali in hospitals and Brandon in a hotel, while pursuing side projects. Brandon cautions that such jobs don't suit everyone and says his own sleep schedule proved hard to change.
- •Ali used hospital night shifts to plan YouTube videos
- •Brandon deliberately sought a hotel job that left him free time to write
- •Larger hotels expect night staff to do tasks, and the schedule failed for a friend
- •He tried to adjust his hours after marriage but it was miserable
Originality, Recombination and Thinking Like a Chef
Prompted by Ali's question about Steal Like an Artist, Brandon argues writers worry too much about being derivative. He says creativity is recombination and urges students to think like chefs by breaking down what they love and rebuilding it.
- •Early books will feel derivative, which is why first books aren't published
- •Human creativity works by remixing, like putting a horn on a horse
- •A cook follows recipes; a chef understands why they work
- •Inception follows heist beats yet feels original
- •Ali compares this to learning YouTube by studying creators he likes
Bill Wurtz and How One Creator Sparks a Genre
Brandon points to Bill Wurtz's history of Japan video as an example of originality inspiring others. Many channels now owe their style to it yet feel different and original.
- •Bill Wurtz's video was innovative and wildly successful
- •He moved on to music rather than making more
- •Many channels now build on that comedic history style
- •Some creators acknowledge the influence directly
Making Yourself Do the Work: Hacking Your Motivation
Ali asks about the idea that success involves making yourself do the things you want done. Brandon explains how he moved from fear to tracking word counts, and says to find what motivates you and build days that feel satisfying through balance.
- •Even though he loves writing, he must force himself to start
- •He tracks daily word count on a spreadsheet to motivate himself
- •Rewards stopped working once he had some success
- •He aims for days that include writing, family time and some goofing off
- •Other writers work differently, such as binge writing
Artists' Work Ethic, Dysfunction and Fair Ownership at Work
Brandon says many artists lack structures for sustainable productivity, and credits his accountant mother for his work ethic. He criticizes how society treats work and argues people should share in the profits of what they help create.
- •Writers lack guidance on building work habits
- •His mother, an accountant, gave him a solid work ethic
- •He criticizes making doctors and attorneys suffer to earn later rewards
- •Ownership helps people feel invested and fulfilled
- •He cites his art director Isaac Stewart as deserving a share, not just a salary
How Brandon Shares Profits With His Team
Responding to Ali's question, Brandon explains his two baskets of bonuses: officers get a percentage of net, and store staff get a share of store revenue. He describes giving his first employee, Peter Ahlstrom, a real stake.
- •Officers receive a percentage of net on top of a market-rate salary
- •Store staff bonuses are based on store revenue
- •His first employee, Peter Ahlstrom, was offered a percentage from the start
- •The percentage can be passed on to descendants
- •He says he sees this as the moral approach for a small business
Is Hitting the New York Times Bestseller List a Reasonable Goal?
Ali asks whether aiming for the bestseller list conflicts with journey before destination. Brandon says it is a reasonable goal for him and explains how the list measures momentum, with numbers from his own early career.
- •Journey before destination doesn't mean ignoring goals
- •He advises new authors not to make the list a goal for a first book
- •Hitting the list once makes you a bestseller for life
- •The bottom of the list needed about 2,000 copies in a week when he was breaking in
- •Bestseller is a marketing term and a stamp of momentum, not quality
Writing Tools and Handling Fan Theories
Brandon describes a low-tech setup of Microsoft Word, separate outline files and a private wiki. He also explains why he doesn't change plans because of fan theories and describes his fractal approach to world building.
- •He writes in Microsoft Word with notes, outline and floating outline files
- •A private wiki tracks Cosmere continuity for his team
- •He advises against changing plans based on fan theories
- •Twists should be foreshadowed rather than coming from nowhere
- •Fractal world building serves both casual and deep-diving readers
Productivity Tips: Outlining, Thursdays and Saying No
Brandon shares productivity habits, including outlining backward, making every chapter potentially someone's favorite, and outlining revisions. He batches non-writing work into one day a week and sets rules for saying no, then closes with the advice to find ways to enjoy what you must do.
- •He outlines backward and writes forward
- •Every chapter should be capable of being someone's favorite
- •Outlining his revisions makes the least favorite phase more exciting
- •All non-writing work is limited to Thursdays
- •Rules such as one event a month make saying no easier
- •His closing advice is to find a way to enjoy the work
