Wintersteel: Week 2

10/22/2020

Technically we're into Week 3 now, but since this is going to cover my reaction to the last two weeks, I'd say the title's accurate.

I can't tell you anything about the book you don't already know: Wintersteel was a huge success, it's the fastest-selling, highest-reviewed, and most-reviewed of all my books, in addition to being the longest, and it contains the secret of why kids love the taste of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

I will therefore update you on my feelings. Here we go...

"Boy, that book launch was a lot of fun!"

This has been Feelings Update with Will Wight. Tune in next week to hear Will express hunger.

For real, though, I really enjoyed the days surrounding this book launch. The pre-launch stream was fun, if tiring--it's hard to switch hats that many times--and I've loved seeing you guys discuss and theorize and react to the book.

There was a lot more of that this time. Partially because there are more of you now than there ever have been before, and partially because there was a lot to discuss in this book.

It's still a bizarre feeling to see a bunch of fans tearing the book apart to peer into every little nook and cranny. It's one thing knowing that tens of thousands of people are going to read the story, and it's another thing to pop into Discord and see you dissecting every piece.

It's good weird! But it is...jarring. Like, I made all this stuff up.

So anyway, I had that awesome experience, and then I crashed into a quivering mess for a while as I am wont to do, and now I'm mostly reincorporated and back at the keyboard!

I really can't thank you guys enough. What a great adventure you've given me!

-Will

54 Comments

Zeshaan

10/22/2020 03:17:36 pm

Can only imagine how exhausted you must be and most likely want to focus on a different project for a while. Fighting my selfish desires to ask about when the next book is out but secretly hoping Lindon’s machine like drive is reflection of your own maniacal commitment to publishing at a ridiculous pace...

Scott

10/22/2020 04:42:25 pm

This. Hadn’t thought of that before....but Will is always working to advance as well! Love your stuff keep it coming, any of your worlds is fine with me!

Tory Bozeman

10/22/2020 03:31:21 pm

Well deserved good things! I really enjoy the series and am very excited for all of your future endeavors! What a wonderful world you have created.

Mike

10/22/2020 03:33:12 pm

Now you are making me wonder if Michael Jackson was freaked out by other people wearing high water pants and one glove.

You'll know when you irrevocably hit pop culture when Nabisco wants to give you free cookies and do some kind of tie in. In the meantime, we fanboys (is that sexist?... what's the gender inclusive term?) can revel in your success. Congratulations

Alton

10/22/2020 04:02:37 pm

I believe the gender neutral term would be "fans."

I'll see myself out.

Eithan Arelius

10/22/2020 04:15:46 pm

Go with a light heart... your work here is appreciated

The Evil One

10/23/2020 11:23:49 am

"Rabid Piranhas" maybe?

Lmaonoob

10/24/2020 02:09:40 pm

Accurate

Justin Elliott

10/22/2020 03:43:48 pm

Your work is fantastic and I hope the success of Wintersteel helps put some of those doubt inducing demons to bed, or at least helps you ignore their chatter.

With regard to you getting back to the keyboard. After Wintersteel all I wanted was the next book, but having thought about it, I want much more than that. I want all the works you are yet to create! To that end do me and all your fans a favor. Look after yourself, have a good work life balance and don't ignore your health. I will be buying all your books and promise to be patient as you work.

Jeremiah

10/22/2020 03:56:14 pm

I can't speak for everyone but I think I do when I say that we're all really glad to be on the ride with you

Max Shelton

10/22/2020 04:15:47 pm

You have an awesome story, and I have read Wintersteel over 10 times. I can't get enough. However, I do have one question. When Lindon does his Heavenly Purification Wheel, does he have to do it on one core at a time or does he do it on both at the same time? Would it take more willpower if he did? I hope you don't mind the questions. Just curious. Love the books. Please keep writing.

Bewildered

10/27/2020 05:01:06 am

Having just re-read Blackflame, it looks like HPW is one core at a time and requires intense focus. If both cores were the same madra type it might be possible to dual cycle, but it doesn't look like it's possible to wield both types of madra at the same time - Lindon has to switch between them. This may change in Wintersteel, but I've yet to read that - counting down the days. :-)

Virgil

10/22/2020 04:22:43 pm

Has anyone approached you about movie rights yet?

Ethan

10/28/2020 09:26:26 am

I hope not. I don't think this type of leveling system would translate well to a movie or even miniseries. I think letting the reader's imagination dictate how they picture the madra, the attacks, the characters etc is part of the charm.

For Will's sake, I'd say it would be amazing for him to have that opportunity, but I just don't think anything could do it justice.

Count DeMonet

10/29/2020 10:12:33 pm

If this does get picked up as a tv series, don't let them get ahead of you and write a creepy ending like happened to GOT

Mr rodgers

10/30/2020 11:32:12 am

I actually think this would make a better animation series. Movies wouldn't work they would have to cut alot and a normal TV series could but I don't think they would be able to give us everything the book does.

krmit

11/9/2020 05:16:15 pm

I agree with Mr rodgers. I think an animated adaption would probably work best with this style of fiction.

Ibrahim Simko

10/22/2020 04:23:12 pm

You deserve every piece of success and every compliment you've gotten. Wintersteel was amazing and I cant wait for Bloodline.

Travis

10/22/2020 04:38:45 pm

Is it bad of me to just want to watch Yerrin and Lindon lay utter waste to the Heaven's Glory school? Someone blinded my father, kidnapped and enslaved my mother, and left my sister destitute to survive in the wild... Yeah, that school would be ash by the time I was done if I was Lindon... I just wonder how the Akura are going to handle the Daji problem. They kinda cost the seishen overlord his first born, his second did something stupid and basically marked himself for death... Knowing the rumors, I would expect them to just kill off both the Seishen King and Daji since that is what the Akura do normally from everything we've read. "You will die here, standing on your feet, for the next hundred years if that is what is required..." Or something like that...

10/22/2020 04:44:33 pm

Although, they do still have to find some way to get to the valley before the titan flattens it seeing as how they are back in Nine Cloud

Aaron

10/23/2020 08:40:15 am

WT is about to basically murder everyone, no turning everything to ash required.

10/27/2020 05:05:46 am

I'm yet to read Wintersteel but will be doing so shortly. I for one am quite hoping to read Lindon's return to Heaven's Glory. Perhaps Sacred Valley will be down one school by the time he's finished laying waste to it. Or perhaps Will didn't write that scene or ...

As regards his father being blind, if it's possible to craft replacement arms, wings, and legs from remnant parts, shouldn't it be possible to craft eyes? Even if human vision isn't possible, any sort of vision would be better than none.

10/27/2020 04:06:10 pm

Oh yeah, that one character has both a wing and an eye replaced and it is written her using the remnant eye. I'm being bloodthirsty, I know. lol. I get excited about books that are on my "Must Read ASAP" list. Of course, author's prerogative in all things and I will sit down, shut up, and suck it up because it is ultimately their world and their book and I'm just there to harken to the tale.

I know Yerrin's last thoughts were to just ride off into the sunset with Lindon so she may have gotten over it. Lindon is kinda the epitome of respect so he may very well error on the side of decency and let it go. However, with all things in worlds where anything that isn't killing someone else for the slightest is considered weak, we shall see. And yeah, due to Lindon's father not being Jade yet, he can very easily get advanced to Jade and probably solve the eyes problem seeing as how his son can just give him a single top grade scale that is worth 5000 scales worth of normal scales of pure madra. That would probably take him to Jade pretty fast.

His mother, you never know. She was strongly embedded in the culture of the valley so she may feel obligated to service due to her son stealing from them and destroying parts of their school, along with killing a student and assisting in the deaths of however many jades and irons. Her daughter may try and rescue her and she may not agree to being rescued! lol.

Looking forward to what the final outcome will be and reading it.

10/27/2020 04:08:57 pm

That should read, "Worlds where anything short of killing someone else for the slightest misstep is considered weakness"

Even in our culturally advanced state, we still mistake kindness for weakness all the time.

Sword Immortal Darknorth

10/22/2020 04:44:56 pm

You made this all up Will? But what about this Chaosverse I found while traveling the infinite void that embraces a Dao called The Way...?

10/22/2020 05:01:07 pm

I would love to find a truly original story... Just one... But that would have to be someone that was raised in a complete void of zeitgeist and had absolutely no previous reading experience before writing a story....

BlackMage

10/22/2020 08:04:42 pm

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. Widely expected to win the Hugo this year but for some reason didn't. One of the best book and audio book I've read and heard this year.

shantanu

10/22/2020 08:57:54 pm

Gideon the Ninth which BlackMage recommended has the best audiobook/narration I’ve heard to date. I also really enjoyed Jade City / Jade War. It has some mafia story elements but is fairly unique for fantasy. I’m also really enjoying Bone Shard Daughter which is also fairly original.

10/24/2020 07:12:03 am

I looked the recommended book over and no. While it is a different blend of ideas... None of those ideas are original. When I say original, I don't mean "done up in a different way no one has done it before." Tolkien would be original if that were the case. Tolkien took everything about his novels from mythology and mysticism traditions. The all-seeing eye was masonic in origin, etc... I mean something so new that it isn't influenced by any previous concept or idea. Hence my statement of someone having to be completely removed from society for them to be able to come up with something like it.

10/24/2020 11:42:47 am

Oh, by the way, I DESPISE tragedies. I would rather drink bleach and bathe in lava than read tragedies where the lead character dies at the end.

10/24/2020 11:43:55 am

Gideon the ninth is a TRAGEDY. Read it only if you like watching the lead character die.

10/25/2020 08:53:57 am

To be honest, I've read novels by people who intentionally avoided reading anything like what they were writing to "preserve their originality". Their books invariably suck. Sharing and improving ideas is what makes them good.

THAT BEING SAID, just read the Epic of Gilgamesh. There were no books before it, so it is technically the only original story.

Lyndrek

10/22/2020 04:59:50 pm

I often Wonder how many authors check their fans items/discord sites for ideas when they get stumped.

"Man I really don't know how Lindon's and Eithan's relationship is going to change now that Winter steel has come out. Maybe I should just check the web! Oh look someone has a fan service up, dealing with their friendship..I'll just take s look.. oh, oh.. no...why?! Now I can't scrub that image out of my head. You just cant use pure madra that way!"

Kenzie

10/22/2020 05:27:05 pm

There seems to be a lot less exposition this time around which generates a lot of mystery, hence more theories. I'm a bit conflicted on this. I genuinely enjoy both mystery and exposition so I can't say if I enjoy this sort of approach more or not. I mean there are obvious benefits and downsides to both, especially in regard to pacing. I mean, I did find my self wishing it'd slow down a bit but that's probably just me wanting an even longer book (readers are so greedy haha).

So what I'm trying to say is, more Kelsa please!

BaratheonSteel

10/22/2020 05:40:10 pm

Am I the only one who would tune in to hear Will express hunger? Seriously though, as much as I love Will’s books, I love how Will engages with the community, and I look forward to these updates.

Phil Norton

10/22/2020 05:47:52 pm

No, what a great adventure you have given US.

Patrick

10/22/2020 06:24:22 pm

I think you’ve got Robert Jordan beat.

10/23/2020 07:15:49 am

Honestly, I think Robert Jordan wasn't that great an author. I used to skip to people talking to move the story along for me. I didn't feel like spending twenty minutes having a fork described to me.

Sean

10/24/2020 08:59:57 pm

Haha I did the same thing! I read the series a couple times through in the years it took to complete, but there might still be a couple of the more wordy blah-blah-blah sections that I still haven't properly read.

I enjoyed WOT, but there were many things that Jordan did that I just found frustrating and/or distasteful, and there was a progression of those things later in the books. By the time he took over, I actually enjoyed Sanderson's take more. All that to say, I get nothing but enjoyment out of Will's work. It's well written, has a pleasing progression that doesn't get lost in side-characters and secondary plots, injects some very nice humor, and shows distinct character progression. Definitely one of the best authors I've ever read, and there are a lot of them. Well done, Will!

10/23/2020 07:25:40 am

Don't get me wrong, his books were well written, but if I slowed down to spending an entire year on a 600 page book it would probably be well written. Speed writing, I can knock out a 250 page novel in under a month. I can understand spending a year on it, reworking it, refining it, etc... In the end, you will wind up with a concrete novel with concrete visuals. BUT, That only works when you have a publishing company paying you regularly and keeping you financed with up-front advances on books. And... If you have readers that are okay with waiting two-three years between books.

10/23/2020 07:30:50 am

In the end though, I've only self-published a small handful of novels, so I'm not a writing expert. This is just my opinion.

10/22/2020 06:27:36 pm

Wintersteel was second to only Ghostwater in my book. I really enjoyed it. Will, I think you mentioned you were experimenting with your writing style (avoiding cutting prose until a later stage in editing, etc...). I enjoyed the longer book but how did you find the writing process for it? Was it harder to get to the finished product than earlier books? Will you be adopting the approach you used for Wintersteel for future books or will you be reverting to the writing process for the earlier books in the series? Are you still shooting for 2 books a year with Cradle?

aaron

10/22/2020 07:12:05 pm

"Like, I made this stuff up." -Will
I imagine him pointing to a huge book full of world building written in a language we would never understand that is simply labeled "Not for mortal eyes" or "Monarch eyes only" when he said this.

Kolai

10/23/2020 12:08:12 am

How many souls and oreos do we need to sacrifice to get Travelers Blade out ?

Nerevar

10/23/2020 04:09:37 am

This whole book was a wild ride.
Ive read about 80% of the book and looked how close to end i was with sadness. Books usually wind down a bit by then.

Instead everything went INSANE, I couldnt believe my eyes so much quality content and (meaningful) action was crammed in what, 100 pages?
You made something special Will, havent had this excitement for something in a long while.

I love how fast u get the books out, but keep yourself healthy.

Cheers

Dario

10/23/2020 06:55:56 am

Will,

At some point you will have to let us know how you felt the new process went. Not from the success of the book, but rather the back-room efforts and reception that you mentioned in your previous blog post.

Congratulations on all your success.

Avinash

10/23/2020 01:29:20 pm

BEWARE

CRAZY THEORIES AHEAD.

You know I was waiting for a new post and checking daily and the day I missed to check a new one was posted

Anywho

Regarding Dread-Gods.

So I previously posed that they were god's the stage above monarch .
I still stand by that but I have new theories.

I propose that the other 4 are living techniques of subject-one

The supporting points being.

1. Foreshadowing
sub one made living techniques in this book , and it can foreshadow the other being his technique by way of which it feeds.
The sage also called it the father of Dread-Gods.

Also winter sages sword proves techniques can become permanent or independent.

The only thing against it is that the 4 Dread-Gods call sub one their brother,not father.

2. Power consumption
We know that all 4 Dread-Gods create someform of techniques that collect power and brings it to them,( the blood shadows and living lightening).
And the 4 have been collecting power and have a compulsion to return home where they were formed.

So it could be the same principle , sub one created them to collect power for it.

3. Prison of one
You don't create an uber prison of unprecedented scale and then put only 1 of the 5 prisoners in it , unless the 1 was the creator of the others and could create more.

4. Penance of one

Similarly u don't create a weapon as a penance and only set it to kill 1 out of 5

I mean ozriel probably created sub one and then created penance as a form of penance .
In case the prison failed , which he probably had a hand in also.

So to summarise

Ozriel created sub one and imprisoned it as well as made a last ditch weapon to kill it
Sub one made living techniques , 4 of which kept collecting power till they reached god level as they couldn't return home to sub one.

10/24/2020 11:49:41 am

Disagree. I see Subject One as being bred for the hunger madra thingy and they did the job a little too well. It had kids that just kept eating until they became dreadgods. Eithan probably HAS a penance, or at least knows how to make it. Remember, he went into Ozriel's vault and brought out stuff that convinced a monarch to listen to him. His plan is to kill the Dreadgods so I think he knows how to do it. Probably the reason he wanted the soulforge from the cat.

10/24/2020 09:49:53 pm

@travis
Sub one is states as the original source of hunger madra .
The origin , not something that was specifically bred since no one knows how to create hunger madra, only dread gods create Dread-beast and people adopt hunger binding from them.
If ruthna hd penance Tiberius would be alive and regian Shen dead

He brought back the bead and maybe the technique library from the tomb

Qudue

11/7/2020 04:29:16 am

Well, You are not wrong, but I think the soulforge he got from the cat is probably for Ziel's Baptism ish. He probably got it to reforge Ziel's Soul.

10/27/2020 05:51:42 am

Regarding the Dread-Gods, is it worth noting that there are 4 schools in the Sacred Valley, that the Ancestor's Tomb near Heaven's Glory had iconography that matched the door in the Purelake Temple, and this showed 4 sacred beasts, specifically: "a serpentine dragon on a cloud flashing with lightning, a crowned tiger, a stone warrior with the shell of a tortoise, and a blazing phoenix."

Now the blazing phoenix could be the Bleeding Phoenix. I don't recall the other dreadgods but a not so quick Duck eventually returned "Weeping Dragon, the Silent King (Tiger) and the Wandering Titan (Turtle).

So the dreadgods may have been born, or at least researched at the Pure Lake Temple\Soulsmith Foundry.

Is it possible that Subject One is a 'dread-human'? The 4 dreadgods are sacred beasts of enormous size, power, and appetite. There's a lot we don't know about the research program but Soulsmith notes that Gen 14 showed capacity to devour and process madra with a high degree of efficiency, then speculated a sacred artist cultivating such techniques would lead to a doubling in efficiency - whose isn't clear. This is followed by an hasty (excited\scared?) note that the failed specimens might be the key to success, that in devouring one another they grow faster than predicted, may have no limit on their growth, but that the spirit warped their flesh. While further study was needed it could lead to the primary goal - something which isn't defined. it's also unclear if additional notes were written after this.

Random possibility, could Subject One be one of the ancient Soulsmiths who applied experimental techniques to himself (or herself) and in so doing became both father and brother to the dreadgods, but that the cost of the technique was a warping of their flesh, and presumably mind, with the result that they became a danger to everyone? Perhaps this would explain why he\she is locked away. And perhaps it also explains why the Purelake Sousmith Foundry was simply abandoned.

Need to finish off my re-read of Cradle and my first read of Wintersteel. Could be other points I'm overlooking.

Anil

10/24/2020 01:38:15 pm

No, thank you for the book! Really made my month!

Penelope27

10/25/2020 05:15:18 am

You did it again. You created another “universe”, that is original and entertaining. You definitely have the gift of storytelling. Best...

Cjmd224

10/31/2020 05:04:14 pm

Amazing book! But where oh where can I find a link to Discord?

In which we ramble on.
And by we, I mean me.