Annotation The Way of Kings Chapter 9
This chapter is probably the most depressing thing I’ve ever written.
Writing a depressed character, someone in this bad a situation, is risky. It goes against almost every writing rule out there. A character like this can’t be active, and there is basically no progress to the story. (I talked a little about this in the chapter 4 annotations for both The Way of Kings and The Hero of Ages.)
Sometimes I’ll read the writing of new authors in my class who will try to use depression as a character flaw. They’ve heard instructors—perhaps myself—talk about how internal conflicts can create a really strong character. They also know that depression is something real and difficult to deal with in life, so they figure it will make a good demon for the main character to overcome.
The trap is that if the author is truly good at writing depression, then nothing actually happens in the story. It can be wonderfully authentic and at the same time wonderfully boring to read.
This chapter is kind of the culmination of me breaking rules in the beginning of The Way of Kings. I think this chapter makes the story incredibly more powerful—but the chapter itself is like a kick to the face to read. Slow, depressing. I assume this is probably the biggest place where—if people are going to stop reading—they put down the book and never pick it back up.
As I’ve said before, The Way of Kings is the book where I decided to break many rules to create something I felt was awesome. Great risk, and hopefully great reward.
Syl Leaves
I hated sending Syl away from Kaladin here, but it had to happen—in part because of how much it hurt to send her away. She’s basically the only light left in these scenes with Kaladin in Bridge Four.
Syl wasn’t in the original draft of Kings. I developed her over the years between 2003 and 2009; there was a time when the four winds from mythology would be active and alive on Roshar, and she was one of those. Eventually, the spren developed as a concept. They grew out of the greater worldbuilding and magic system rules for the cosmere. (The connected universe of my epic books.)
At that point, she became a sentient spren—one of many that would be in the books. Still, she was very special. I do worry about the Tinkerbell vibe that she gives off to some people. I tried hard to distance her from that. No wings, the constant shape changing, that sort of thing.
Her innocence and childlike nature is an important foil and balance to the darkness in Kaladin’s life. Then she leaves, and all innocence is gone from him.
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I did never expect a living writer to amaze me so much with his concepts of woldbuilding. oh, and there is the "song of Ice and fire" nonetheless.
Oh I wish authors don't avoid writing about depression. Kaladin is one of the most vivid characters I've ever read (only rivaled by Hobb's FitzChivalry) and I thoroughly enjoyed his journey. I'm glad you took up the challenge instead of avoiding it. It was wonderfully executed.It wasn't boring, no, but I admit I had to take a break because it was painful to read, especially when Syl left.
The people who put down the book and and never pick it back up missing out big time ;)
I think your choice of putting Kaladin's low point at the beginning of what is obviously a long/dense story intrigued me as a reader. Because this low point was placed at the beginning, it created mystery NOT boredom. As the reader I thought, well where is this character going to go from here? Obviously somewhere or it wouldn't be at the beginning of the story. I agree that if this low point were more in the middle or the end, the hopelessness might've become trivial to the reader. It's interesting how placement of character arcs in the chronology of the plot have bearing on the reader's perception of mystery. What if you'd placed chapter 9 as the prologue? What would the reader think about what the story holds from them?Anyway, the risk you took was well worth it. Kaladin is a very compelling character because of his early hardships.
I think depression is important to write about, because it definitely will connect with many readers. You did a really good job with Kaladin. When he came out of deep depression, it still threatens him, and he is scared to go back to that dark place. I thought that part especially accurately represents depression. Screw writing rules!
Wick's comment about this chapter working because it was near the beginning of the book is spot on, not something that I consciously realised reading WoK.Very similar to how the chapters dealing with Locke's depression worked in Red Seas Under Red Skies.
