Chapter 31
Brandon Sanderson has said that most of the time, the limitations of a magic system are far more interesting than what it can do. I wholeheartedly agree with that, particularly with the system he's created for Mistborn. I don't want to delve into spoiler territory, but Allomancy is one of the most structured and systematic bits of magic I've ever encountered. And it just gets better the further into the story I read. I don't know how much time he spend developing and refining this system, but I suspect it was a long time. And the best part about setting up specific limitations for magic, is when there is a character who is able to bend those limitations, even just a little, to get an edge. Whether it's through pure strength in the magic, or through cunning and intellect, bent (though not broken) limitation can be equally fascinating.
On to the spoilers:
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Mistborn Liveblog 31
Chapter 30
I previously discussed the ramifications of choosing character points of view. But I've realized another that I wish to bring up. Points of view show that the events happening are vital to the story. It sets up an expectation that there will be a pay off regarding what occurs during that time, whether actual events or simply the thoughts portrayed by the character. Not every setup/pay off needs to occur immediately, but I think the larger the set up or the more severe the character shift, the sooner or larger the pay off needs to be. It's like taking a loan-- the longer you hold on to the money, the more you'll have to pay back at the end; likewise, the more money you borrow, the more you pay back in interest.
So, when considering additional points of view, I think its vital to realize that it increases the expected pay off when it does come.
On to the spoilers:
I previously discussed the ramifications of choosing character points of view. But I've realized another that I wish to bring up. Points of view show that the events happening are vital to the story. It sets up an expectation that there will be a pay off regarding what occurs during that time, whether actual events or simply the thoughts portrayed by the character. Not every setup/pay off needs to occur immediately, but I think the larger the set up or the more severe the character shift, the sooner or larger the pay off needs to be. It's like taking a loan-- the longer you hold on to the money, the more you'll have to pay back at the end; likewise, the more money you borrow, the more you pay back in interest.
So, when considering additional points of view, I think its vital to realize that it increases the expected pay off when it does come.
On to the spoilers:
Friday, July 27, 2012
Mistborn Liveblog 30
Chapter 29
According to my kindle, I'm about three-fourths through the book, and I'm just finishing up my sixth week. There are 38 chapters, so I'm really coming down to the end of the story, and the end of this journaling process. I'm not sure what I'll do next, but I've got a little under two weeks to figure that out. It's Friday, so I'm going to keep this entry a bit short. Go enjoy the weekend!
Onto the spoilers:
According to my kindle, I'm about three-fourths through the book, and I'm just finishing up my sixth week. There are 38 chapters, so I'm really coming down to the end of the story, and the end of this journaling process. I'm not sure what I'll do next, but I've got a little under two weeks to figure that out. It's Friday, so I'm going to keep this entry a bit short. Go enjoy the weekend!
Onto the spoilers:
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Mistborn Liveblog 29
Chapter 28
Point of view is a vital part of any story. It fuels the emotion of the scene and can add insights to help the reader. The trouble with point of view is that it needs to be honest-- to have a character lie to the reader from their own view is tantamount to having the character lie to themselves. Now, there are times when this may be valuable-- if the character has a mental issue, for example-- but most of the time, I think the character who's holding the viewpoint needs to be honest with the reader.
When a story has only a couple of points of view (or less), this doesn't present much of an issue for keeping secrets from the reader-- you just have to make sure the few characters whose views are in play do not know it. As soon as you start expanding the list of viewpoint characters, it becomes a more difficult matter. Of course, this can also serve to dispel suspicion of a character, by showing their viewpoint the readers will stop thinking of them as hiding something with respect to the scene.
On to the spoilers:
Point of view is a vital part of any story. It fuels the emotion of the scene and can add insights to help the reader. The trouble with point of view is that it needs to be honest-- to have a character lie to the reader from their own view is tantamount to having the character lie to themselves. Now, there are times when this may be valuable-- if the character has a mental issue, for example-- but most of the time, I think the character who's holding the viewpoint needs to be honest with the reader.
When a story has only a couple of points of view (or less), this doesn't present much of an issue for keeping secrets from the reader-- you just have to make sure the few characters whose views are in play do not know it. As soon as you start expanding the list of viewpoint characters, it becomes a more difficult matter. Of course, this can also serve to dispel suspicion of a character, by showing their viewpoint the readers will stop thinking of them as hiding something with respect to the scene.
On to the spoilers:
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Mistborn Liveblog 28
Chapter 27
In the most recent Writing Excuses episode, there is mention of the scene-sequel format for maintaining tension while giving the readers a moment of respite between events. While I've referred to something similar, this format actually holds a different purpose, I believe, than the simple peaks and valleys. The scene-sequel format is more about giving the readers and the character time to reflect on the tension that just occurred and get set for the next wave. Yes, this equates to a valley, but the scene-sequel implies a greater connection between the scenes.
Of further interest from the same Writing Excuses episode, Brandon mentions that taking some of his most highly charged scenes and separating them from the build-up would make them melodramatic. This is something similar to what I've been experiencing with my restrictions on a chapter each day. Much of the emotional power is lost in the walls of time between the chapters. This is probably the thing I've repeated most through this experience, but I found it interesting to hear Brandon mention it himself.
On to the spoilers:
It's very clear that this is a bit of a scene-sequel chapter. Yeah, we get to some new and interesting stuff by the end, but it certainly opens on the characters' reflections on the killings from the previous chapter. Then Vin and Kelsier go to meet Marsh. I don't know how important that meeting was. Sure, the information about the Soothing stations was vital to their eventual progress, and it was good to be in touch with Marsh, as he tends to fall off the grid of the storyline.
What interested me most was Vin learning the use of gold in Allomancy. I'm not sure if it will come into play in any significant way, but I hope it does. I don't really know how it could, but the idea of seeing the different possible pasts is one I enjoy. I hope to see it come into play in some way, other than to just round out the Allomantic balance.
See you tomorrow. Happy reading.
Jameson
In the most recent Writing Excuses episode, there is mention of the scene-sequel format for maintaining tension while giving the readers a moment of respite between events. While I've referred to something similar, this format actually holds a different purpose, I believe, than the simple peaks and valleys. The scene-sequel format is more about giving the readers and the character time to reflect on the tension that just occurred and get set for the next wave. Yes, this equates to a valley, but the scene-sequel implies a greater connection between the scenes.
Of further interest from the same Writing Excuses episode, Brandon mentions that taking some of his most highly charged scenes and separating them from the build-up would make them melodramatic. This is something similar to what I've been experiencing with my restrictions on a chapter each day. Much of the emotional power is lost in the walls of time between the chapters. This is probably the thing I've repeated most through this experience, but I found it interesting to hear Brandon mention it himself.
On to the spoilers:
It's very clear that this is a bit of a scene-sequel chapter. Yeah, we get to some new and interesting stuff by the end, but it certainly opens on the characters' reflections on the killings from the previous chapter. Then Vin and Kelsier go to meet Marsh. I don't know how important that meeting was. Sure, the information about the Soothing stations was vital to their eventual progress, and it was good to be in touch with Marsh, as he tends to fall off the grid of the storyline.
What interested me most was Vin learning the use of gold in Allomancy. I'm not sure if it will come into play in any significant way, but I hope it does. I don't really know how it could, but the idea of seeing the different possible pasts is one I enjoy. I hope to see it come into play in some way, other than to just round out the Allomantic balance.
See you tomorrow. Happy reading.
Jameson
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Mistborn Liveblog 27
Chapter 26
There's a lot that I've read and heard about making sure to include a variety of senses in your writing. We experience life through all the senses available to us, and the more that are included in a scene, the more drawn in the reader can become. I agree with that point. But I think there's also something to be said for truly powerful visuals. When I think of some of my favorite stories, I think of the vision I had as I read it. Only rarely do I think of the sounds or scents that were portrayed in the story. Most of the time it's about the visuals. Certainly, the visual aspects of a scene should not be so encompassing as to overtake the other senses-- they should be there, too, as long as they build the scene and do not hamper its effect.
While the smell of rotting flesh or the sounds of vultures on a battlefield may be an important aspect when surveying the scene afterward, in the heat of the fighting, a brief whiff of death or the crack of a skull may actually detract from the scene. Of course, those things could also enhance the scene-- it all depends on what the purpose of the scene is. It seems having a point to each scene is pretty important to help weed out or add in other senses as needed.
On to the spoilers:
There's a lot that I've read and heard about making sure to include a variety of senses in your writing. We experience life through all the senses available to us, and the more that are included in a scene, the more drawn in the reader can become. I agree with that point. But I think there's also something to be said for truly powerful visuals. When I think of some of my favorite stories, I think of the vision I had as I read it. Only rarely do I think of the sounds or scents that were portrayed in the story. Most of the time it's about the visuals. Certainly, the visual aspects of a scene should not be so encompassing as to overtake the other senses-- they should be there, too, as long as they build the scene and do not hamper its effect.
While the smell of rotting flesh or the sounds of vultures on a battlefield may be an important aspect when surveying the scene afterward, in the heat of the fighting, a brief whiff of death or the crack of a skull may actually detract from the scene. Of course, those things could also enhance the scene-- it all depends on what the purpose of the scene is. It seems having a point to each scene is pretty important to help weed out or add in other senses as needed.
On to the spoilers:
Monday, July 23, 2012
Mistborn Liveblog 26
Chapter 25
This chapter ends the third of five parts to the story. I'm getting so deep that unless there's a clear literary or authorial point that I can find, there's not much I can discuss spoiler-free. And I'm trying to be careful about the points I draw because I don't want to even hint at things that could lead to spoilers. So, I've got to be careful.
Today, I'm going to stick to a review of my little project here. I'm now five weeks in and over halfway. I didn't realize how much effort this was going to take, but I'm glad I'm doing it. First off, I have a really hard time with consistency, but this has helped me with that. True, sometimes I write an entry a bit early, but I've made sure to have an entry every weekday, just as I planned. More than once, I've thought that it would be okay to just let a day slip, but I remind myself that I made this a goal and it's out there for anyone to find, whether I succeed or whether I fail. And that keeps me going. It's not about readership, it's about meeting my goal for myself. And so far, it's going pretty well. My next goal is to apply this kind of consistency to my current work in progress.
Onto some spoilers:
Well, at first glance it appears that my thoughts from the previous chapter are incorrect. After Kelsier and Vin run to the battle, which turned out to be a long distance away, not just at the other end of the city, they found most of the army dead-- including Yeden. They go to find any left in the caves and there Kelsier meets the same old man from the prologue, Mennis. I was really happy to find him tied back into the story. I don't really care if this is the only time we see him again, I just liked the tie-in.
This is certainly building into an actual setback for the plan, and the fact that the end of the chapter was in Kelsier's view and he didn't mention his other plan leads me to believe that it wasn't part of his plan. There's still a skeptical part of me that wants to believe that Brandon is trying to just cover it up somehow, but I can't really see how right now.
So far in the story, there have been a few setbacks to the plan-- Vin's injury is probably the most prominent so far, plus the low recruitment numbers, and now the majority of the army is wiped out. And with Yeden gone, the question arises about what will happen after Luthadel is captured (I'm still sure that they'll capture the city one way or another). The plan was for Yeden to be in charge of setting up the new government, but with him gone, the question of who will take his place becomes fairly big in my mind. I don't expect that question to be addressed very soon-- I bet their minds will be on what to do without an army-- but I hope they get to it soon.
More tomorrow. Happy reading.
Jameson
This chapter ends the third of five parts to the story. I'm getting so deep that unless there's a clear literary or authorial point that I can find, there's not much I can discuss spoiler-free. And I'm trying to be careful about the points I draw because I don't want to even hint at things that could lead to spoilers. So, I've got to be careful.
Today, I'm going to stick to a review of my little project here. I'm now five weeks in and over halfway. I didn't realize how much effort this was going to take, but I'm glad I'm doing it. First off, I have a really hard time with consistency, but this has helped me with that. True, sometimes I write an entry a bit early, but I've made sure to have an entry every weekday, just as I planned. More than once, I've thought that it would be okay to just let a day slip, but I remind myself that I made this a goal and it's out there for anyone to find, whether I succeed or whether I fail. And that keeps me going. It's not about readership, it's about meeting my goal for myself. And so far, it's going pretty well. My next goal is to apply this kind of consistency to my current work in progress.
Onto some spoilers:
Well, at first glance it appears that my thoughts from the previous chapter are incorrect. After Kelsier and Vin run to the battle, which turned out to be a long distance away, not just at the other end of the city, they found most of the army dead-- including Yeden. They go to find any left in the caves and there Kelsier meets the same old man from the prologue, Mennis. I was really happy to find him tied back into the story. I don't really care if this is the only time we see him again, I just liked the tie-in.
This is certainly building into an actual setback for the plan, and the fact that the end of the chapter was in Kelsier's view and he didn't mention his other plan leads me to believe that it wasn't part of his plan. There's still a skeptical part of me that wants to believe that Brandon is trying to just cover it up somehow, but I can't really see how right now.
So far in the story, there have been a few setbacks to the plan-- Vin's injury is probably the most prominent so far, plus the low recruitment numbers, and now the majority of the army is wiped out. And with Yeden gone, the question arises about what will happen after Luthadel is captured (I'm still sure that they'll capture the city one way or another). The plan was for Yeden to be in charge of setting up the new government, but with him gone, the question of who will take his place becomes fairly big in my mind. I don't expect that question to be addressed very soon-- I bet their minds will be on what to do without an army-- but I hope they get to it soon.
More tomorrow. Happy reading.
Jameson
Friday, July 20, 2012
Mistborn Liveblog 25
Chapter 24
Here's the trouble with overthinking a story: you could spoil all the fun. I'm not saying that I've spoiled much of Mistborn for myself-- yet. But I think I'm in the process of doing so.
I used to be a huge fan of M. Night Shyamalan. I loved Sixth Sense, and was one of the few to really enjoy Unbreakable. Signs was amazing, and I was really looking forward to The Village. I watched every trailer and spent time thinking of what the surprise ending could be. I considered dozens of possibilities, drawing from other stories I knew. In Lois Lowry's Gathering Blue, there is talk about monsters outside the town that ends up much the same as in the movie. And the big twist regarding where the Village actually resided was something I'd considered as well. And when I finally saw the movie, I was disappointed that I'd out-thought the story twists.
Sometimes it's better to just suspend your disbelief and go along for the ride. Just because you can figure something out, doesn't mean you should. I'm probably ruining my experience with the story of Mistborn with this blog, but I'm learning a ton about the craft of writing. So there's my trade off.
On to the Spoilers:
Here's the trouble with overthinking a story: you could spoil all the fun. I'm not saying that I've spoiled much of Mistborn for myself-- yet. But I think I'm in the process of doing so.
I used to be a huge fan of M. Night Shyamalan. I loved Sixth Sense, and was one of the few to really enjoy Unbreakable. Signs was amazing, and I was really looking forward to The Village. I watched every trailer and spent time thinking of what the surprise ending could be. I considered dozens of possibilities, drawing from other stories I knew. In Lois Lowry's Gathering Blue, there is talk about monsters outside the town that ends up much the same as in the movie. And the big twist regarding where the Village actually resided was something I'd considered as well. And when I finally saw the movie, I was disappointed that I'd out-thought the story twists.
Sometimes it's better to just suspend your disbelief and go along for the ride. Just because you can figure something out, doesn't mean you should. I'm probably ruining my experience with the story of Mistborn with this blog, but I'm learning a ton about the craft of writing. So there's my trade off.
On to the Spoilers:
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Mistborn Liveblog 23
Chapter 22
There's an element of storytelling that I do enjoy, but find I really enjoy when it is broken. Stories are filled with heroes who reach their goal, overcoming ever-worsening odds, but in the end they are victorious. It's a great part of stories. But it's done so often, the rare moments of utter failure or great sacrifice become that much more precious to me as a reader.
Take Harry Potter. I expected him to die at the end, sacrificing himself to defeat Voldemort. I did not like the 'not-really-dead' sequence. It felt like JK Rowling was trying for a twist ending that wasn't really one-- trying to force emotional reactions that were not really there. Had Harry actually died and stayed dead-- the emotion would have been real. Certainly, not everyone would have been happy with that ending, but I saw it as a lost attempt to show the world that less-than-ideal endings can still be great.
How does this all relate to Mistborn? Spoilers below...
There's an element of storytelling that I do enjoy, but find I really enjoy when it is broken. Stories are filled with heroes who reach their goal, overcoming ever-worsening odds, but in the end they are victorious. It's a great part of stories. But it's done so often, the rare moments of utter failure or great sacrifice become that much more precious to me as a reader.
Take Harry Potter. I expected him to die at the end, sacrificing himself to defeat Voldemort. I did not like the 'not-really-dead' sequence. It felt like JK Rowling was trying for a twist ending that wasn't really one-- trying to force emotional reactions that were not really there. Had Harry actually died and stayed dead-- the emotion would have been real. Certainly, not everyone would have been happy with that ending, but I saw it as a lost attempt to show the world that less-than-ideal endings can still be great.
How does this all relate to Mistborn? Spoilers below...
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Mistborn Liveblog 22
Chapter 21
Whenever I read a book and begin to visualize the scenes, I find that I become rather fond of those images-- in fact, the reason I dislike many movie adaptations is that they do not reflect my experience. Nor should they, but it does create a bias in my mind. Often when a story suddenly reveals something that thwarts my original image, I feel annoyed.
But not this time.
It's a small thing that was revealed, and I doubt it carries much weight with other readers, but it does for me. It's got some spoilers, so you'll have to click past to see them.
Whenever I read a book and begin to visualize the scenes, I find that I become rather fond of those images-- in fact, the reason I dislike many movie adaptations is that they do not reflect my experience. Nor should they, but it does create a bias in my mind. Often when a story suddenly reveals something that thwarts my original image, I feel annoyed.
But not this time.
It's a small thing that was revealed, and I doubt it carries much weight with other readers, but it does for me. It's got some spoilers, so you'll have to click past to see them.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Mistborn Liveblog 21
Chapter 20
Today's post is going to be short. I've been thinking about character foils recently, and I've been trying to identify them in this book. At first, I thought Dockson was Kelsier's foil, but I'm not so sure any more. I think there's a better foil in a different character. Vin's got her brother's voice as a foil, but I'm starting to wonder if there's some part of her and Kelsier that are foils of each other. I've not found it yet-- Kelsier having a far more direct and powerful foil-- but I'd really like to see it.
On to some spoilers:
Today's post is going to be short. I've been thinking about character foils recently, and I've been trying to identify them in this book. At first, I thought Dockson was Kelsier's foil, but I'm not so sure any more. I think there's a better foil in a different character. Vin's got her brother's voice as a foil, but I'm starting to wonder if there's some part of her and Kelsier that are foils of each other. I've not found it yet-- Kelsier having a far more direct and powerful foil-- but I'd really like to see it.
On to some spoilers:
Friday, July 13, 2012
Mistborn Liveblog 20
Chapter 19
While I don't know how I feel about the pacing lately, I realize it may be a product of reading the story one chapter at a time. I've discussed this earlier, but I definitely feel the effects of my stuttering pace through this book. It seems the more I stop to think about the book, the less fluid the story feels.
Normal readers don't force or limit their reading arbitrarily like I am. Normal readers continue out of interest, concern, curiosity or sheer will. Normal readers stop with they run out of time, fall asleep or hit a mini-resolution and can put a book down-- unless they stop out of boredom or disinterest. Normal readers do not limit themselves to a chapter-a-day, so they don't suffer this kind of stuttering effect.
So, I'll give Mistborn the benefit of that knowledge. Onto some spoilers:
While I don't know how I feel about the pacing lately, I realize it may be a product of reading the story one chapter at a time. I've discussed this earlier, but I definitely feel the effects of my stuttering pace through this book. It seems the more I stop to think about the book, the less fluid the story feels.
Normal readers don't force or limit their reading arbitrarily like I am. Normal readers continue out of interest, concern, curiosity or sheer will. Normal readers stop with they run out of time, fall asleep or hit a mini-resolution and can put a book down-- unless they stop out of boredom or disinterest. Normal readers do not limit themselves to a chapter-a-day, so they don't suffer this kind of stuttering effect.
So, I'll give Mistborn the benefit of that knowledge. Onto some spoilers:
Thursday, July 12, 2012
MIstborn Liveblog 19
Chapter 18
I'm having a bit of trouble picking a writing element from this chapter, but I have begun to think about something tangential. This week will end my fourth week of doing this Mistborn reading journal. There have been days I've been eager to get to it and days I felt I'd rather let it slide by. There are days I posted a bit early and days I've come close to letting the clock run out. But I'm still here.
That's more than I can say for my current work in progress. I've hit a pretty heavy wall and I'm spending more time analyzing how to scale it than actually putting my hand to the wall and lifting my body upward. There's a commitment to writing that I can't say I fully have yet. It's coming. But it's still fragile.
Like this blog, though, I just have to do it. Every day.
Mistborn spoilers below:
I'm having a bit of trouble picking a writing element from this chapter, but I have begun to think about something tangential. This week will end my fourth week of doing this Mistborn reading journal. There have been days I've been eager to get to it and days I felt I'd rather let it slide by. There are days I posted a bit early and days I've come close to letting the clock run out. But I'm still here.
That's more than I can say for my current work in progress. I've hit a pretty heavy wall and I'm spending more time analyzing how to scale it than actually putting my hand to the wall and lifting my body upward. There's a commitment to writing that I can't say I fully have yet. It's coming. But it's still fragile.
Like this blog, though, I just have to do it. Every day.
Mistborn spoilers below:
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Mistborn Liveblog 18
Chapter 17
Today's chapter has got me thinking on the idea of character growth in a story. I would venture to think that the best stories include an aspect of character growth through the challenges and conflicts of the story. After all, if a character is static and unchanging through an entire novel, the challenges and conflicts would lose some of their impact. No one goes through life completely unchanged, and traumatic or difficult events are always influencing us, so that should certainly be reflected in the characters.
I'll save the details of character growth in Mistborn for the spoiler section, but I want to look at a few well-known characters. Take Star Wars, for example. Han Solo is likely one of the more loved characters in the original series and I think it's because the extent to which we see him grow. Sure, Luke grows as well, but his growth is along a predictable path-- to learn the Force and fight the Empire. Han follows a less plot-driven path from watching out for only himself and his ship to caring for those around him. He's the hardened shell that we get to see chip away as he falls for Leia.
Compare that with the prequel movies. Sure, we already know the path that Anakin will take, much like we know Luke's, so looking at some of the side characters, instead... and we don't see the same kinds of growth. Obi Wan doesn't change much during any of the movies. His overall arc has a bit of change, but he's so fastened to his promise to train Anakin that he can't see the obvious. Where's his growth? Even Padme, who's emotionally closest to Anakin's downfall in the second and third movies, she is pretty static. Certainly those aren't the only downfalls of the prequels, but it likely helps explain why they flopped so badly compared to the original. I'm not saying anything new here, I'm sure-- it's just to illustrate the importance of character growth.
Okay, onto the Mistborn spoilers:
Today's chapter has got me thinking on the idea of character growth in a story. I would venture to think that the best stories include an aspect of character growth through the challenges and conflicts of the story. After all, if a character is static and unchanging through an entire novel, the challenges and conflicts would lose some of their impact. No one goes through life completely unchanged, and traumatic or difficult events are always influencing us, so that should certainly be reflected in the characters.
I'll save the details of character growth in Mistborn for the spoiler section, but I want to look at a few well-known characters. Take Star Wars, for example. Han Solo is likely one of the more loved characters in the original series and I think it's because the extent to which we see him grow. Sure, Luke grows as well, but his growth is along a predictable path-- to learn the Force and fight the Empire. Han follows a less plot-driven path from watching out for only himself and his ship to caring for those around him. He's the hardened shell that we get to see chip away as he falls for Leia.
Compare that with the prequel movies. Sure, we already know the path that Anakin will take, much like we know Luke's, so looking at some of the side characters, instead... and we don't see the same kinds of growth. Obi Wan doesn't change much during any of the movies. His overall arc has a bit of change, but he's so fastened to his promise to train Anakin that he can't see the obvious. Where's his growth? Even Padme, who's emotionally closest to Anakin's downfall in the second and third movies, she is pretty static. Certainly those aren't the only downfalls of the prequels, but it likely helps explain why they flopped so badly compared to the original. I'm not saying anything new here, I'm sure-- it's just to illustrate the importance of character growth.
Okay, onto the Mistborn spoilers:
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Mistborn Liveblog 17
Chapter 16
I've been thinking recently about urgency in stories. It goes along the same lines as the risk of danger, but it's the sense of a ticking clock, like at the end of '24'. It's an important element to make a story interesting-- the idea that if things take too long, all is lost anyway. Urgency creates a separate condition for the heroes of the story to lose the battle. Sure, we know they could all die or they could not perform well and their plans would fail. Those are good reasons, but the idea of urgency puts an additional pressure to make sure things get done quickly.
On to the more specifics (spoilers):
I've been thinking recently about urgency in stories. It goes along the same lines as the risk of danger, but it's the sense of a ticking clock, like at the end of '24'. It's an important element to make a story interesting-- the idea that if things take too long, all is lost anyway. Urgency creates a separate condition for the heroes of the story to lose the battle. Sure, we know they could all die or they could not perform well and their plans would fail. Those are good reasons, but the idea of urgency puts an additional pressure to make sure things get done quickly.
On to the more specifics (spoilers):
Monday, July 9, 2012
Mistborn Liveblog 16
Chapter 15
As I continue reading Mistborn, I'm led to think about the importance of the risk of peril to the story. In Mistborn, there is plenty of physical peril, which is great. But I'm starting to think about other kinds of peril. There are relationships, friendships and bonds that could be in peril of being stretched beyond the breaking point. There are internal struggles that suggest a peril of confidence in oneself. There's the peril of failure for society as a whole. And I'm sure there are others as well.
Each form of risk and danger serves a different purpose, and I'd love to see a greater balance between them. Right now, the physical and societal perils seem to be the most emphasized, but we're also being introduced to a psychological peril of a character and I'd love to see that explored more. I won't get into more details here, so let's move into some spoilers:
As I continue reading Mistborn, I'm led to think about the importance of the risk of peril to the story. In Mistborn, there is plenty of physical peril, which is great. But I'm starting to think about other kinds of peril. There are relationships, friendships and bonds that could be in peril of being stretched beyond the breaking point. There are internal struggles that suggest a peril of confidence in oneself. There's the peril of failure for society as a whole. And I'm sure there are others as well.
Each form of risk and danger serves a different purpose, and I'd love to see a greater balance between them. Right now, the physical and societal perils seem to be the most emphasized, but we're also being introduced to a psychological peril of a character and I'd love to see that explored more. I won't get into more details here, so let's move into some spoilers:
Friday, July 6, 2012
Mistborn Liveblog 15
Chapter 14
As it inevitably does and rightly should, the valley of the last chapter gave way to the crest and peak of this chapter. There is more action and intensity than any chapter to this point. In fact, this chapter was the first with any real sense of peril for me. I'm pretty glad for that, considering how much planning and such has filled the book to this point. I think it's high time for some action.
With this being the end of another week, I'm left to reflect some on my progress with this so far. It's getting easier than I thought it would, and I'm really enjoying it. Sure, there's not many readers at this point, but that's fine with me. I'm focusing on learning what I can to assist my own craft. True, it's becoming less of a liveblog and more of a readers journal, but I think that's okay with me. Having begun this, I'm not sure how feasible it would be to actually liveblog a book, but this format so far works for me.
Spoilers:
As it inevitably does and rightly should, the valley of the last chapter gave way to the crest and peak of this chapter. There is more action and intensity than any chapter to this point. In fact, this chapter was the first with any real sense of peril for me. I'm pretty glad for that, considering how much planning and such has filled the book to this point. I think it's high time for some action.
With this being the end of another week, I'm left to reflect some on my progress with this so far. It's getting easier than I thought it would, and I'm really enjoying it. Sure, there's not many readers at this point, but that's fine with me. I'm focusing on learning what I can to assist my own craft. True, it's becoming less of a liveblog and more of a readers journal, but I think that's okay with me. Having begun this, I'm not sure how feasible it would be to actually liveblog a book, but this format so far works for me.
Spoilers:
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Mistborn Liveblog 14
Chapter 13
Here we have a chapter that is easily a valley in the peaks and valleys of storytelling. Some chapters or scenes are peaks with lots of characterization or action or plot, and others are valleys that simply connect peaks together. Both are necessary for the sake of story pacing and for the reader. Here again is a time where if I were just reading the story for enjoyment, I would basically finish the chapter and move on without stopping to consider it. There just isn't much happening here.
But since I am reading at a pace that includes stopping and digesting each chapter as its read, I'm left with a sense of wondering what I should say about a chapter such as this-- other than it's an important connector piece, like a layover, and the story would not be complete without it.
One thing I did like is how Brandon mitigated the valley with some key information-- like a sudden pillar in the valley to keep readers interested. As I read and saw this happening, I realized that it was working for me, making the chapter seem more interesting than a simple connector. This is something I'm going to have to keep an eye on in further valley chapters. More in the spoilers:
Here we have a chapter that is easily a valley in the peaks and valleys of storytelling. Some chapters or scenes are peaks with lots of characterization or action or plot, and others are valleys that simply connect peaks together. Both are necessary for the sake of story pacing and for the reader. Here again is a time where if I were just reading the story for enjoyment, I would basically finish the chapter and move on without stopping to consider it. There just isn't much happening here.
But since I am reading at a pace that includes stopping and digesting each chapter as its read, I'm left with a sense of wondering what I should say about a chapter such as this-- other than it's an important connector piece, like a layover, and the story would not be complete without it.
One thing I did like is how Brandon mitigated the valley with some key information-- like a sudden pillar in the valley to keep readers interested. As I read and saw this happening, I realized that it was working for me, making the chapter seem more interesting than a simple connector. This is something I'm going to have to keep an eye on in further valley chapters. More in the spoilers:
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Mistborn Liveblog 13
Chapter 12
I'm finding Brandon's writing and I are getting along much better lately. I don't know if it's the progression of the characters or the fact that I've gotten use to his style, but I found this chapter far more easily readable than some of the previous. Couple that with the good ending from the previous chapter and I think things are on a nice roll. Here, there was more of a sense of flow. And I finally got a good balance of Vin's view coloring the world in this chapter. I think Kelsier's absence during the bulk of the chapter helped quite a bit.
It seems Brandon really lets Kelsier take control of a scene when he's there, regardless of whose view is currently in play. It may be a purposeful evolution of Vin's character to show her growth through subtleties in how much of herself is put in her view.
On to some spoilers...
I'm finding Brandon's writing and I are getting along much better lately. I don't know if it's the progression of the characters or the fact that I've gotten use to his style, but I found this chapter far more easily readable than some of the previous. Couple that with the good ending from the previous chapter and I think things are on a nice roll. Here, there was more of a sense of flow. And I finally got a good balance of Vin's view coloring the world in this chapter. I think Kelsier's absence during the bulk of the chapter helped quite a bit.
It seems Brandon really lets Kelsier take control of a scene when he's there, regardless of whose view is currently in play. It may be a purposeful evolution of Vin's character to show her growth through subtleties in how much of herself is put in her view.
On to some spoilers...
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Mistborn Liveblog 12
Chapter 11
I was really quite surprised when I turned the page and saw the end of this chapter. I don't know if it's because it was shorter than I anticipated (again) or if I was so deep into the last scene such that I didn't see the ending coming up. Either way, it left me wanting more, which is always a good sign-- particularly in the middle of the story like this. I won't go into specifics until the Spoiler break, but it's not really the events of the chapter, per se, that left me with this feeling. And it wasn't really the descriptions, nor was there much action.
I think I'm wanting more because the scene ended earlier than I thought it should. There's something I've heard from writers about joining a scene late and exiting early-- and I think that's exactly what happened at the end of this scene. A character had joined the scene and it ended just a few pages later. It really felt like a new scene started when the character joined and then it was just over.
Spoilers
I was really quite surprised when I turned the page and saw the end of this chapter. I don't know if it's because it was shorter than I anticipated (again) or if I was so deep into the last scene such that I didn't see the ending coming up. Either way, it left me wanting more, which is always a good sign-- particularly in the middle of the story like this. I won't go into specifics until the Spoiler break, but it's not really the events of the chapter, per se, that left me with this feeling. And it wasn't really the descriptions, nor was there much action.
I think I'm wanting more because the scene ended earlier than I thought it should. There's something I've heard from writers about joining a scene late and exiting early-- and I think that's exactly what happened at the end of this scene. A character had joined the scene and it ended just a few pages later. It really felt like a new scene started when the character joined and then it was just over.
Spoilers
Monday, July 2, 2012
Mistborn Liveblog 11
Chapter 10
This particular chapter felt pretty short to me. I didn't pay attention to actual page counts, but the events really focused on two events, though there were a few things to learn in the process. More on those in the spoiler section. However, I was wondering if Brandon would bring the idea of specialization where the Mistings were concerned. The idea of someone who has a singular power means that he should become quite proficient in that power-- more so than someone with several different powers. I was considering it while I read, and not more than a few pages later, Vin had similar thoughts. To me, that's a mark of a good writer, or at least a good beta-test group-- to add readers thoughts into the mix and draw them in with an echo of thought. Makes me wonder if this particular echo was Brandon's own or suggested by an early reader....
Spoilers:
This particular chapter felt pretty short to me. I didn't pay attention to actual page counts, but the events really focused on two events, though there were a few things to learn in the process. More on those in the spoiler section. However, I was wondering if Brandon would bring the idea of specialization where the Mistings were concerned. The idea of someone who has a singular power means that he should become quite proficient in that power-- more so than someone with several different powers. I was considering it while I read, and not more than a few pages later, Vin had similar thoughts. To me, that's a mark of a good writer, or at least a good beta-test group-- to add readers thoughts into the mix and draw them in with an echo of thought. Makes me wonder if this particular echo was Brandon's own or suggested by an early reader....
Spoilers:
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