Brandon Sanderson’s Productivity Secrets: How He Became Fantasy’s Most Reliable Bestseller

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As the new year begins—a season typically defined by fresh starts and productivity goals—many aspiring creators look for ways to sustain their focus. To uncover the secrets behind such legendary output, we spoke with Sanderson about his methods for defeating writer’s block and maintaining the discipline required to cross the finish line.

“I didn’t become an artist so I could work.”

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Surprisingly, Sanderson’s primary strategy for high efficiency is singular focus. He prefers to immerse himself in one major manuscript until the first draft is complete or it becomes evident that the story needs to be shelved.

“It really comes down to that passive time when your subconscious is trying to solve the puzzle—the parts of the narrative that aren’t clicking,” he explains. “That time is sacred. You can’t afford to clutter it. I need my brain dedicated to a single world at a time.”

While he can handle administrative tasks or light editing on other books during this period, the heavy lifting of world-building and drafting is a monogamous pursuit. Sanderson believes that deep immersion creates a self-sustaining cycle of creativity that multi-tasking often destroys.

The real challenge, he notes, appears between the 30% and 70% marks. “That’s the danger zone,” Sanderson admits. “The brain stops getting those easy dopamine hits that come with a brand-new idea. It starts feeling like labor, and most of us didn’t pick an artistic path because we wanted a ‘job.’”

The music method: Anchoring the creative mind

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When the temptation to abandon a project for something “shinier” arises, Sanderson relies on discipline and psychological triggers. He emphasizes that the transition from hobbyist to professional happens when a writer commits to finishing the work, even after the initial “honeymoon phase” of the idea has faded.

To manage his numerous ideas without derailing his current book, Sanderson uses music as a mental cue. He assigns specific genres or playlists to his primary project. If a new, exciting idea strikes, he allows himself to brainstorm it only while listening to a completely different set of music. Switching the audio back to his main “project playlist” signals his brain to return to the task at hand. This auditory boundary helps him explore new concepts without letting them consume his primary focus.

“Becoming a novelist is as much about mastering your own process as it is about the story itself,” he says. “You have to identify your natural inclinations and learn how to steer them toward your goals.”

Conquering the 30-to-70 percent slump

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Sanderson warns that pausing a book in the middle of its development is often a death sentence for the project. Re-entering that specific creative headspace after a long break is notoriously difficult. However, he acknowledges that some projects simply aren’t meant to be. He identifies three distinct “exit points” for a story:

• The Outline Phase: If the sparks aren’t flying early on, it might just need more time to “bake.”
• The 30-70% Zone: For beginners, Sanderson advises pushing through this no matter what. For his own veteran process, he only walks away if the book isn’t challenging his skills or offering something truly novel.
• Post-Completion: On rare occasions, a finished book might be shelved if the revisions required to meet his quality standards would take more time than they’re worth.

He also encourages writers to trust their own vision over negative feedback. “Art is subjective. You might release something that is divisive or less popular, but if you’re satisfied that it represents your best effort and that you’ve learned from it, that’s what matters.”

Resurrecting the “Woodchipper” projects

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Sometimes, a failed project can be saved through sheer creative stubbornness. Sanderson recounts how he struggled with the middle of his Wax & Wayne series after a long hiatus. To fix it, he actually wrote the third book first to regain his momentum and clarify where the second book needed to go.

Other times, he literally scraps everything and starts over. Warbreaker was the result of such a teardown. It began as a novel called Mythwalker, which Sanderson abandoned because it felt redundant. Years later, he “fed the old ideas into the woodchipper” and built something entirely new from the remnants.

The power of progress over deadlines

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The “Secret Projects” of 2022 highlighted a fascinating truth about Sanderson: he writes even when he doesn’t have to. While most people find deadlines stressful, he finds total freedom more productive. Without a contract looming, he felt liberated to experiment—or to abandon the work if it didn’t meet his expectations.

“I am not motivated by deadlines; I am motivated by progress,” he concludes. “Witnessing a project take shape and knowing it’s moving in the right direction provides a stability that is vital for my mental health. That sense of accomplishment is what ultimately fuels my productivity.”

The latest edition of Sanderson’s annual “State of the Sanderson” address, offering deep dives into his current slate, is available now on his official blog.

Source: Polygon