Sanderson

Reading the 4th book in the Stormlight Archive is an exercise in dismay. It's fun to read and immerse myself in Sanderson's Cosmere, Roshar in particular. His characters are not particularly interesting (Shallan/Vail/Radiant excepted), but the depth, attention to detail, and painstaking plotting are something to be admired. 

The dismay comes in the reality that I'm writing epic fantasy concurrently to reading Rhythm of War. I have to keep telling myself that it's not a comparison game. I don't need to have airships, or Shattered Plains, or an elite magic system like Spren and Stormlight. I don't need to be a "plotter" as Sanderson clearly is. I'm writing a shitty first draft (the name of my writing group, after all). 

But Sanderson is also reminding me to not be afraid. To write what I want to write in all the depth and detail I want to write it. And if I continue to read and write my own fantasy, I'll get better at it. I'll know how deep to go and when to exercise restraint. I'll know how to balance character and plot movement with world exploration, lore, and exposition. 

But damn if Sanderson isn't really good at not giving a fuck about what other people think. He's just doing what he does. And people love it! It's often puerile and whitewashed and in many ways is a YA series with adult characters, but it's just as often interesting and captivating and transportive (a new word?). It's plainly evident he knew a lot about the big ideas and plot tendrils before starting in on the series. He must have outlined pretty thoroughly, which makes me crazy because I have such a hard time with it. 

I want to discover my world as I go. I want to be surprised by my characters and by new situations I couldn't have imagined before. Is that okay? Can I be an archaeologist of my own work? 

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