I’m now onto the last part of The Eye of the World . I’ve mentioned before that I, personally, find this the roughest part of the entire series.
Worse than books between Lord of Chaos and Winter’s Heart ? Really?
Yes, honestly. I’ve mentioned before I don’t have the problem with those that others do.
Do you mean roughest as in not well written? I love that part, I find it so epic (especially when the Creator talks to him). [Note: this is Dovi Joel’s assumption.]
None of it is poorly written. In fact, some of the scenes—such as the Ways—are wonderful.
It’s just that it seems like we have a different book, with different goals, starting on us here.
The climax for The Eye of the World doesn’t completely click for me. I like the Ways, I like the Blight, but the entire package feels too sudden.
We spend the entire book with Tar Valon as our goal and Ba’alzamon as villain. Now, the Eye is the goal and two Forsaken are villains.
Personally, I think this is due to RJ planning books 1-3 as one novel, then discovering it was too much and creating a break-point.
To be fair, I feel I had some of the same problems at the end of Mistborn. Powers manifest that I could have foreshadowed better.
One of the great challenges as a writer, particularly in fantasy, is to learn that balance of foreshadowing vs. pacing.
And I would think, foreshadowing effectively vs. giving away too much.
Yes, exactly.
For those curious, I’m reasonably sure books 1-3 were one novel at first. Tom Doherty, CEO of Tor, told me in detail of RJ’s WoT pitch.
He pitched a trilogy, but the first book ended with Rand taking the sword (that wasn’t a sword) from the Stone (that wasn’t a stone.)
The sword in the stone!!! How on Earth did I miss that? :shame:
Lol. I missed it the first time too. And things like Caemlyn, Egwene, Gawyn, Galad, Merrilin. I at least got Artur Hawkwing…
Ever feel like RJ removed any possibility of borrowing from any mythology ever again? He seemingly hit ‘em all buffet-style.
Actually, I’ve felt that very thing.
I’d heard that one reason that WOT is so long is that Tor asked RJ for “more books”, and he thought they meant “more WOT”.
That’s not actually true, from what I know. Tor never pushed RJ for more books. He was allowed to what he wanted, as he wanted.
People are noting George R.R. Martin expanded A Song of Ice and Fire also. RJ and GRRM are similar types of writers: http://bit.ly/e59ox0 Search for ‘gardener.’
I’m am more of an architect than a gardener. I do more ‘gardening’ on character, but I plan world and plot very extensively.
Did RJ have a cluster of concepts, themes or concepts written down in his notes? Mindmaps? To create his story’s “garden”?
Yes, many.
What do you think of the literary method of foreshadowing by saying something is impossible to do or will not occur?
I think it can work very well. RJ certainly did it quite a bit. You need to be somewhat subtle with it, though.
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