Video of Brandon pre-writing SA2/The importance of Interludes.

[LessThanGeorge]

If you follow Sanderson on FB, you may have seen him post this link today. If not, here it is:

(MINOR SPOILERS. More like a few points to speculate on, but stop reading if you want to go into Stormlight 2 fresh.)

This shows his process for outlining and pre-writing an interlude chapter: specifically, Rysn, who was also an interlude character from TWoK, chapter I-4. The vid is worth watching, as there are a few interesting tidbits revealed.

• Brandon says that (at the moment) he does not plan to use many recurring Interlude characters.
  
• He wanted to make an exception and have at least one Interlude character return as a POV in Stormlight 2
  
• Rysn encounters Axies through a chance meeting in the Reshi Isles.
  
• This means that Interlude characters WILL come back into play in the story, just not necessarily as POVs.
  
• It's interesting to note that Rysn's chapter is I-4 in TWoK, and she meets up with Axies, whose chapter in TWoK is I-5. Did Sanderson knowingly place these chapters side by side with the intent for these two characters to meet?
  
• If the above is true, then that suggests that Ishikk from I-1 could meet Nan Balat from I-2. Baxil from I-7 could meet Geranid from I-8. This is, of course, wild speculation, but it's fun to think about.
  

This got me thinking. Brandon is noted to be largely influenced by Wheel of Time, a series in which minor characters from the series' beginning (Galad, Gawyn, Lan, etc.) have their characters expanded on over the length of the story, later receiving their own prominent arcs. I always believed that Interludes were Sanderson's method of setting up arcs that will later become important to the story at large.

Which characters in Stormlight Archive (Interlude or otherwise) do you think have the potential to later become recurring characters?

[Inkthinker]

Axies the Collector, most certainly. At some point we're going to learn a lot about spren, and I reckon Axies will be the infodump resource.

I don't reckon that Ishikk is all that likely to play an important role, but I really hope we come back to the Purelake.

[LessThanGeorge]

Oh, and I just remembered that theory that one of the side characters from Baxil's chapter is possibly one of the Heralds in disguise. Forgot the name, been a while since I read that one. If anyone is familiar with this theory, can I get a little more info on it?

[Stormfather]

I think it's very possible to be setting up story arcs but I think one thing Brandon would have learned from WoT is the danger of too many characters to juggle. Jordan was great, but he lost control, I think, as the series went on and there were so many characters that all had their own arcs. If Brandon is going to use the interlude characters in the main story arc I think it will be mostly the ripple effects of their actions effecting the main characters in some way.

[LessThanGeorge]

That's very true, Stormfather. Not to say that the Interlude characters will become major POVs, but Brandon is not the kind of author who would introduce characters and then not give them some sort of role to play later in the story. Beyond ripple effects though, I think they'll make actual appearances in the main arc. That already somewhat occurred when Shallan talked to Nan Balat through spanreed once in TWoK.

Speaking of him, we're definitely going to see a lot of Nan Balat in Book 2, since that's the one with Shallan's flashbacks.

[Windrunner he/him]

Some of the characters in the interludes will probably make minor appearances again, but Brandon has said that he really intends for the interludes to mostly stand on their own. None of these characters will become full fledged viewpoint characters. We've already met nine of the ten. Kaladin, Shallan, Dalinar, Szeth, Navani, Adolin, Taravangian, Taln, Jasnah, and another unnamed Herald. So if the vandal lady really is Shalash, then maybe she'll get a viewpoint; she'll certainly be important.

The theory goes that the lady who destroys art is Shalash. It certainly makes sense, I have no doubts about its accuracy. The woman seems to predate the weird racial characteristics of Roshar, she speaks of procuring a Shardblade as an easy task. That in and of itself doesn't imply that she's Shalash. She does, however, destroy art and Shalash is the Herald tied to creativity. It's easy to see ways that could have caused her to embrace destruction. A death quote speaks of "the daughter of winds and kings gouging out her own eyes," (paraphrasing there) which makes sense, as she gouges out the eyes of a sculpture. That actually implies, to me at least, that she's the daughter of Jezrien, the Herald tied to the Windrunners, a former king. Hopefully that clears that theory up for you

EDIT:

Just noticed that Brandon has said that we have met the unnamed Herald, who he spoke of using a masculine pronoun. We just didn't know it at the time. I'd bet on Jezrien, personally.

[Lightflame he/him]

Interlude crossovers? That's one of the most glorious things I've heard in a while.

Brandon's going to blow our minds when he reveals that this is a super crossover.

Baxil and the Mistress head out to smash the stuff in the cart. They are stopped by Ishikk, who mistakes Baxil for Hoid. Then Nan Balat decides to kill some Spren, but Axies runs up from the dock and stops him. And then Geranid explains that spren shifting thing to Axies.

[happyman he/him]

I think that in one of the Writing Excuses podcasts (maybe the one focused on Way of Kings?), Brandon talks about worldbuilding and multiple characters. He explicitly references Robert Jordan's trouble with too many viewpoints, and talks about he intended to use the Interludes as a way to worldbuild without spreading himself too thin. We very well may see some, or all, of the characters later, but most will probably not have character arcs.

[FlashWrogan he/him]

I also remember him stating that he wanted the interludes to be an easy read compared to the rest of the book. You are supposed to be able to pick up any interlude without recalling any specific characters or events, and simply enjoy it and get a bigger view of Roshar. I base my expectations on this. It may be that we have a number of repeat characters, but I don't think they will ever form a cohesive, arcing plot. I'm convinced they will remain episodic in nature.

[PeterAhlstrom he/him]

About the characters in adjacent interludes meeting—originally Axies was next to the Geranid interlude in the first book, but we moved him because that was two spren researchers in a row.

[Stormfather]

Hummmm, do I think Peter is in a "I'm helpful" mood, or an "I'm going to innocently throw them off the scent"? Decisions, decisions....

[PeterAhlstrom he/him]

:D Edited January 30, 2013 by PeterAhlstrom

[Meg]

We've already met nine of the ten.

This refers to the PoV-characters, doesn't it?

Kaladin, Shallan, Dalinar, Szeth, Navani, Adolin, Taravangian, Taln, Jasnah, and another unnamed Herald.

"Another unnamed Herald?" Does this mean, that the other nine are Heralds?

Edit:

I found the exact quote that Windrunner refers to (here).

Szeth, Taravangian, and Taln. And one of the other Heralds;

My question is obsolete then; sorry for once more confusing.

Edited February 8, 2013 by Meg

[Asperity he/him]

What is the name of the program he is using to write (type) with?

[Yados]

Re: The Unnamed Herald PoV-

Technically, we've had a Gaz PoV. If you blinked, you might have missed it, but it's there and, unlike the brief Teft PoV when Kaladin survived the storm, there was no story architecture that demanded it.

Take that for what you will, but I take it as fodder for my "Gaz is Jezrien" insistence.

Edited February 4, 2013 by Yados

[Kurkistan he/him]

Actually, that's more likely fodder for the "Gaz is attracting a Spren" theory (something hiding in his blindside...).

[Meg]

Bah, I don't like Gaz. Jezrien would be a real good actor when playing the role of Gaz. And, only because I don't like Gaz, I go with Teft and his Envisagers-ancestors.

edit: after reading Ninjas posting: I didn't want to say that Teft (or whoever is this hidden herald) has to be Jezrien, sorry for not being exactly.

Edited February 4, 2013 by Meg

[Cheese Ninja he/him]

I honestly don't like any of the theories involving either Jezrien or Gaz that I've seen. Gaz doesn't seem as special as people try to make him and it seems to me like people keep trying to force Jezrien into the scene. Those are just my opinions though.

I had forgotten that Geranid was on a small island in the Reshi isles. I wonder if Axies stopped by there to talk to her.