brandon sanderson Hypes ‘Stormlight 5’ Draft Completion With a 200K-Word Tearjerker
- **A Massive Manuscript Milestone:** Brandon Sanderson has officially wrapped the first draft of *Wind and Truth*, the fifth *Stormlight Archive* novel. Clocking in at over 200,000 words, he warns this is the most emotionally devastating entry yet, featuring a fan-favorite character’s perspective that had him crying while writing it.
- **Secret ‘Zero Draft’ Twist:** Unlike traditional revisions, Sanderson’s "zero draft" process means this raw version will be fully rewritten. He’s already teased that major plot points—including the long-awaited backstory for Hoid—were left intentionally chaotic to preserve his "writing-while-crying" energy.
- **A Yearly Release Rival to the MCU:** With *Stormlight 5* targeting a late 2024 release, Sanderson is maintaining an insane pace, dropping four secret novels in 2023 alone. This book was famously written in his "Deadline Sandwich" sessions between other projects.
- **The ‘Sanderlanche’ Is a Bestseller Guarantee:** Early beta reader leaks suggest this draft contains a 100-page climax sequence that’s already being compared to *Oathbringer*’s epic battle scenes. Sanderson confirmed he added a scene specifically to "make fans throw the book across the room."
- **Why This Matters for Kickstarter Fans:** Sanderson announced this draft update during a live stream where he also revealed that all backers of his *Secret Project* Kickstarter will get exclusive access to *Wind and Truth*’s first limited-edition art print, tied directly to a heartbreaking moment in Chapter 17.