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):
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
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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