Upcoming Stormlight Novella

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I'm not sure if this has been announced elsewhere, but I hadn't heard until I read the Brandon Sanderson newsletter just now. If this is old news, I apologize, but if not, it's very exciting.

 

From the newsletter:

 

 

 

Right now, plans are for the novella to be about Lift—with maybe a Lopen short story as well, if I can find time for it.

 

Now, to me, that is really great news, but I Lift seems like a love-her-or-hate-her character. Those who are not jumping for joy about it will be disgruntled. Lopen, on the other hand--well, if anyone doesn't like him, they're afraid to admit it. So hopefully the Lopen short story happens, too.

[maxal]

It isn't the first time he mentions it. He talked about it last summer. I thought he had dropped the idea and had included the novella within SA3 as there was this novella into Part 2. I thought it perhaps was abut Lift as he did mentioned wanting to read a novella about her.

 

I think there may be reasons to get a Lift novella out now, but it may also mean nothing.

 

I also personally do not like Lopen. He seems more of a comical relief than a character: I dislike characters who seem to exist for the sole purpose of cracking a joke.

[Water]

I also personally do not like Lopen. He seems more of a comical relief than a character: I dislike characters who seem to exist for the sole purpose of cracking a joke.

And that's why we need a short story about our favorite Herdazian, to challenge this perception! Brandon probably doesn't view Lopen as a character who exists solely as a comic personality, which is why he has enough material to give the Man of Many Cousins a story all to himself.

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I knew that he had discussed a novella before, but this was the first I had heard that he was going to make it about Lift. It's not a 100% confirmation, but it sounds pretty likely. And, of course, this is confirmation that it will be included with the short fiction collection.

 

As for your low opinion of Lopen, well, to each their own. He is undoubtedly a comic relief character, but that is the point. No matter how bad things get for everyone, Lopen is able to smile and laugh. And he's worse off than anyone else! 

[natc]

A story about Lift driving paperwork-obsessed officials mad and taking their food sounds awesome. Pun intended.

It's what happens when you hire a thief as your Prime, guys. He brings crazy thief friends who happen to have awesome supernatural powers.

[maxal]

I knew that he had discussed a novella before, but this was the first I had heard that he was going to make it about Lift. It's not a 100% confirmation, but it sounds pretty likely. And, of course, this is confirmation that it will be included with the short fiction collection.

 

As for your low opinion of Lopen, well, to each their own. He is undoubtedly a comic relief character, but that is the point. No matter how bad things get for everyone, Lopen is able to smile and laugh. And he's worse off than anyone else! 

 

A few months ago, he said the novella would be about either Lift or Lopen. I had wondered why he wanted to write a novella about Lift as she is going to be a main character, eventually. Why did he wish to show so much more of her just now? A lot of people like her, but she gets on a lot of people nerves as well. I thought the choice was peculiar to say the least.

 

As for Lopen, as I said, I dislike characters having this function. Now if the character moves away from it and starts to actually feel like I am reading a true character, then my opinion of him may change. I simply wanted to highlight it shouldn't be taken for granted everyone loves Lopen.

 

This being said neither would have been my personal choices for a side novella.

[natc]

Perhaps timeline concerns. To show what's going on around Lift now, rather than further into the Desolation where she becomes important? Can't put her past into a novella because that sounds like flashback material.

[Lopen]

Lopen is my favorite character. Just sayin'

[maxal]

Lopen is my favorite character. Just sayin'

 

Goes without saying 

 

There is no such thing as a universally loved character.

[DSC01]

Perhaps timeline concerns. To show what's going on around Lift now, rather than further into the Desolation where she becomes important? Can't put her past into a novella because that sounds like flashback material.

 

I think that is most likely. We need more information about Lift because she will become important, but right now, she has to just be an interlude character. Anything more than that, and the main storyline suffers because what she's doing doesn't have much to do with it. A separate novella is the perfect solution, then, because it gives us the information we need without derailing the pacing of something as huge as a Stormlight book.

 

On the other hand, if this ends up being about her past--information that we would expect to wait for her flashbacks--then that will be very interesting. That would suggest that the flashbacks are going to work differently in the back 5. If so, I expect that the back 5 flashbacks are going to deal with the characters during the first 5 books, in a way that completely changes our understanding of the events.

 

I mentioned this in another thread, the one about the Oathbringer update, because Brandon said something very cryptic on Reddit that suggests that the back 5 are going to have something very unusual about them. 

[maxal]

I think that is most likely. We need more information about Lift because she will become important, but right now, she has to just be an interlude character. Anything more than that, and the main storyline suffers because what she's doing doesn't have much to do with it. A separate novella is the perfect solution, then, because it gives us the information we need without derailing the pacing of something as huge as a Stormlight book.

 

On the other hand, if this ends up being about her past--information that we would expect to wait for her flashbacks--then that will be very interesting. That would suggest that the flashbacks are going to work differently in the back 5. If so, I expect that the back 5 flashbacks are going to deal with the characters during the first 5 books, in a way that completely changes our understanding of the events.

 

I mentioned this in another thread, the one about the Oathbringer update, because Brandon said something very cryptic on Reddit that suggests that the back 5 are going to have something very unusual about them. 

 

I have a crack-pot theory as to why he may want to show us more of Lift now instead of showing us glimpses until the second half. I have no idea if it has any merit, but the thought did cross my mind.

 

He did say to expect to read the main narrative from a dead character...

 

Brandon has said a lot of contradictory things or things which appear contradictory. For instance, he has said not all books would follow the structure of book 1 and 2, but I have it on good authority it will. The main characters are the flashback characters, there is no place for anyone else being a main character than those listed as flashback characters.

 

That one re-opens a whole new can of worms. If the main characters are the flashback characters than it means all of them are going to be Radiants and it means Shalash will end up being some Radiant from an other order than Lightweaver. It means Szeth and Eshonai are confirmed as Radiants. It means a great deal of things which I am not sure I entirely like.

 

However, his words aren't contradictory if the dead character book is forced to have a different narrative due to him being... dead. I am now leaning this way and I do think it will be Renarin. 

 

It is so confusing.

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I think Szeth will represent the Skybreakers, but that doesn't mean he's going to become one of the "good guys." I think that his bond will be with Nightblood, so he's going to be very different from the other Radiants. 

 

Now, as to having characters in there besides the main flashback characters, I think it could happen pretty easily. Look at Book 2: it's Shallan's book, but Kaladin is a close runner-up for pages dedicated to him. Book 3 is Dalinar's, but it looks like we're not going to get exactly what we got in WoR. Rather, Kaladin and Shallan will probably split that secondary slot. So, a little different but still all main flashback characters taking the secondary spot.

 

I don't think that is necessarily going to continue to be the case. There are a number of characters who get occasional POVs but are never going to have their own book. They could easily be positioned in the narrative in such a way that they would fill the slot that Kaladin does in WoR. I could see Adolin there as early as book 4. Who knows?

[maxal]

I think Szeth will represent the Skybreakers, but that doesn't mean he's going to become one of the "good guys." I think that his bond will be with Nightblood, so he's going to be very different from the other Radiants. 

 

Now, as to having characters in there besides the main flashback characters, I think it could happen pretty easily. Look at Book 2: it's Shallan's book, but Kaladin is a close runner-up for pages dedicated to him. Book 3 is Dalinar's, but it looks like we're not going to get exactly what we got in WoR. Rather, Kaladin and Shallan will probably split that secondary slot. So, a little different but still all main flashback characters taking the secondary spot.

 

I don't think that is necessarily going to continue to be the case. There are a number of characters who get occasional POVs but are never going to have their own book. They could easily be positioned in the narrative in such a way that they would fill the slot that Kaladin does in WoR. I could see Adolin there as early as book 4. Who knows?

 

I agree about Szeth. He is a special case. I am starting to feel more or less OK with it. I am willing to wait and read it before I pass further judgment 

 

If you look at Brandon's diagram, he has three main characters within each book. These characters have nearly all the plots and are present in practically all the chapter. The primary main character has presence in all parts, secondary main characters may skip one part or have a lesser presence in one as we see on the graph. For instance, secondary character number 1 has only one chapter in part 2 while secondary character number 2 disappears in part 4.

 

Anyone else is labelled as tertiary characters and will have POV in only a few part, often only one or two if they are lucky.

 

The problem I have is the only characters who are allowed to reach those three first slots (primary main and secondary mains) are Kaladin, Shallan, Dalinar, Szeth and Eshonai (that's for the first half, for the second half it will be Taln, Jasnah, Lift, Renarin and Shalash). It has been my wish Adolin would fill in on of these slots despite not having his own focus book, but I have it on good authority it will never happen. Adolin is to remain a tertiary character and while his story line may accumulate to something similar to Szeth or Eshonai, in the end, he will never occupy the place of a Kaladin, not in the next book nor in any book.

 

That thought depresses me. I had thought it would go down slightly differently. It makes me believe his story arc will always feel incomplete or lesser and this saddens me.

[Ari]

I'm sorry, but not liking Lift is like hating kittens.

[maxal]

I'm sorry, but not liking Lift is like hating kittens.

 

I never said I didn't like LIft 

[The Ninja Yodeler]

I also personally do not like Lopen. He seems more of a comical relief than a character: I dislike characters who seem to exist for the sole purpose of cracking a joke.

I for one love comic relief in toons for no other reason than cracking a joke. Don't get me wrong, I completely understand why you don't like it. It's basically how I see romance in most books. It's just Lopen was one of the first characters in ANY book I've read to actually make me laugh out loud. Well, Wayne was the first, but it was only about a month after AoL when I read WoK. Bad luck of timing I suppose. Good for me either way.

But Im definitely a Lift fanboy too. She reminds me of Talmanes. Intentionally obtuse so they can internally laugh at the world.

[maxal]

I for one love comic relief in toons for no other reason than cracking a joke. Don't get me wrong, I completely understand why you don't like it. It's basically how I see romance in most books. It's just Lopen was one of the first characters in ANY book I've read to actually make me laugh out loud. Well, Wayne was the first, but it was only about a month after AoL when I read WoK. Bad luck of timing I suppose. Good for me either way.

But Im definitely a Lift fanboy too. She reminds me of Talmanes. Intentionally obtuse so they can internally laugh at the world.

 

Ah well, I call it personal preferences. I never really liked characters which I felt served as comical relief or which seemed undefined. For instance, I never really like the Fool in the Apprentice trilogy. The character gets better in the subsequent trilogies, but in the first one, I couldn't muster him/her. I dislike Hoid for similar reasons. 

 

These just aren't the kind of characters I naturally enjoy reading about mostly because there is nothing to read but jokes, wittiness as opposed to the kind of character development I enjoy reading.

 

I am generally positive for Lift, but I wish for her to age.

[DreamEternal]

Ah well, I call it personal preferences. I never really liked characters which I felt served as comical relief or which seemed undefined. For instance, I never really like the Fool in the Apprentice trilogy. The character gets better in the subsequent trilogies, but in the first one, I couldn't muster him/her. I dislike Hoid for similar reasons.

Careful, Maxal. While I agree with you about comic relief characters, directly saying you dislike Hoid in the Shard is asking to be burned at a stake for heresy by those you oncw called friends.

Plus, he at least tells stories not meant as comic reluef, so he is not as bad as Lopen, IMO.

[Meg]

Honestly, I'm not fond of Lift. For the same reasons I don't like Vin. I can't put my finger on it in a way to describe it, it's a gut feeling. 

.

I do like Lopen, though, and would like to read more about him. I didn't see him as a comic relief character. (Not that I knew that term anyways. )

(I hope I got the distinction between being fond of somebody and like somebody correctly: being fond of is the stronger term?)

.

As far as it's about Hoid, I'd say he's not comparable to any other character we have met yet. He's very unique and an individualist. I'd never put him 'in the same sentence' with Lopen (even less with Lift). 

.

Lift being in her early teens I'd say there is not much aging at least in the first five-books-arc of Stormlight Archive. I'd say she acted rather reasonable for a girl at her age. 

 

[Who Sharded?]

I enjoyed Lift's chapter, except for the use of the word "awesomeness."  I so hope she stops saying that at some point.

[The Ninja Yodeler]

I enjoyed Lift's chapter, except for the use of the word "awesomeness."  I so hope she stops saying that at some point.

Yea, I don't really enjoy her immaturity. I can stomach it. If it wasn't for her messing with Wyndle with the voidbringer talk, I would have probably just read her POV like I did Rysns, with little interest. But Rysn won me over too. She can accept when she was being stubborn or spiteful. I like that.

[DSC01]

You know, I was a bit put off by Lift at first, with the "awesomeness" and everything, but as I was reading the interlude, it hit me that there is nothing at all wrong with a character talking like that in high fantasy. Why not? It's not like any of these characters would really be speaking English, even though it's rendered that way. Her unusual means of expressing herself immediately form an impression of the character. Sure, some people find it annoying, but even if you love Lift, you have to admit that actually spending time with her would probably be very annoying. It's fitting. As for her immaturity, well, she's 12 years old and some of it (refusing to admit that she's older than 10, for example) is rooted in defense mechanisms that she's learned to help deal with her difficult circumstances.

[scifan]

I think I'd actually like to read more from Lopen's point of view... Not as sure about Lift... but I'd ultimately work with that as well... with hopefully a little less "awesomeness".

[Left]

I love lopen, I enjoyed Lift. I think that we might get some cool world building stuff for western Roshae if the novella is about Lift. So out of the two, I'd rather have Lift.

I'd really love to see the adventures of Lopen and Rlain and other bridge 4 members on a trip out west...but that probably won't happen.

[maxal]

 

Careful, Maxal. While I agree with you about comic relief characters, directly saying you dislike Hoid in the Shard is asking to be burned at a stake for heresy by those you oncw called friends.

Plus, he at least tells stories not meant as comic reluef, so he is not as bad as Lopen, IMO.

 

   

 

I'll take this warning very seriously 

 

Now I think the word dislike isn't quite the right one, more disinterested? Hoid and Lopen are all characters which share a common characteristic: we know next to nothing about them and by them I mean on a personal level. Each time they appear, it seems to either crack a joke or drop purposefully meaningful information without no further explanation.

 

I have seen those characters within the pages of the book, but I have not met them. I have yet to feel, to see the human being behind the shell, the stories or the jokes. Yes, there is one, especially in the case of Lopen, but the author has not expended enough on it for me to actually manage to develop any significant level of interest into those characters.

 

So Lopen, for me, isn't a character, not yet. Teft or Rock, despite not having more page time, feel like true characters, human beings, but Lopen? I just haven't seen it yet... which doesn't mean I won't in future books, but as it stands, I'd be more interested to read about Rushu the Ardent than him.

 

What Hoid says sure is interesting, but him, the person who's name is Hoid, I have yet to meet and until I do, I am unlikely to get warmer towards the character.

 

I need a certain connection with characters to enjoy them. 

 

 

Honestly, I'm not fond of Lift. For the same reasons I don't like Vin. I can't put my finger on it in a way to describe it, it's a gut feeling. 

 

Perhaps because they are variation of a similar trope? The orphan scruffy thieving girl who learns to become a kick-chull and likely, Edgedancer obliged, find a certain taste for fashion?

 

Both characters are very similar, on paper, so if you dislike one, it seems logical you would dislike the other. 

 

 

You know, I was a bit put off by Lift at first, with the "awesomeness" and everything, but as I was reading the interlude, it hit me that there is nothing at all wrong with a character talking like that in high fantasy. Why not? It's not like any of these characters would really be speaking English, even though it's rendered that way. Her unusual means of expressing herself immediately form an impression of the character. Sure, some people find it annoying, but even if you love Lift, you have to admit that actually spending time with her would probably be very annoying. It's fitting. As for her immaturity, well, she's 12 years old and some of it (refusing to admit that she's older than 10, for example) is rooted in defense mechanisms that she's learned to help deal with her difficult circumstances.

 

I was not bothered by the "awesomeness" within Lift's speech. She seemed as a rather plausible 13 years old girl and I found her appropriately written. While I did like the character and the interlude, I have to ask myself if I want to read a novella on her? She is interesting because she is a glimpse, a fun one, but for a full novel? I am unsure. I also need to ask myself why does Brandon want to read a side novella on Lift and why he wants it out before SA3? Is it just fluff or does he have other intentions here?