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Apologies for not being clear: I'm only referring to WoT. Haven't read any of his other work... Shannow Send a noteboard - 30/09/2012 06:56:08 PM
If a guy can have so many obvious deficiencies in his writing - that all of us can spot so easily - and which most of us here could improve on if we had to write these scenes, then how is it that he is clearly a successful fantasy novelist with books that are selling well in the market?

I'm sure many of us dream of being authors, but probably feel that we don't have the requisite skill to make it and therefore don't bother going through all the effort of thinking up a concept, plot, characters and world, nevermind penning it down as a novel.

When I see the almost amateurish mistakes made by a novelist who IS selling his work successfully, and here I mean the poor characterisation, the inconsistent tone of dialogue, the lack of consistent POINT OF VIEW even - ranging from omniscient to first person and back in the SAME scene - then I cannot help but feel that even I could do better than this.

And my first language is not even English.

So the burning question is: What is it that makes a successful novelist then, if it is not top notch writing skill? Is it merely persistance and a blind belief in your ability?


You know how detailed of a world RJ created. Can you imagine being asked to finish the last book, based on notes and various pieces of writing? As arrogant as you sound, I'm sure you think you would be up for the task. Do you really think the writings of the great Shannow wouldn't be just as nitpicked? You would have users on this site questioning your knowledge of the books and your writing style. Maybe not in your own bloated ego, but rest assured, you would be buried in critisism.


My intention here was not to have a go at Sanderson's work in general, as I haven't read anything else by him. I can only judge him on his writing in the WoT series.

And on that I can only be honest and say it seems poorly done.

If his other work is far better, then clearly WoT is not a true reflection of his skill. In which case the WoT stuff must have been a rushed job or something, thus not living up to his normal standards.
This message last edited by Shannow on 30/09/2012 at 06:57:07 PM
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If you have to call someone "my friend" three times in a couple of minutes, he isn't. Cannoli - 28/09/2012 11:59:13 AM 5670 Views
John McCain has a similar proclivity. *NM* RandAllThor - 28/09/2012 12:26:29 PM 1109 Views
The only people I've ever heard say "my friend" are foreign street vendors Marshall - 28/09/2012 01:19:00 PM 1019 Views
Potential customer = best kind of friend *NM* Artsapat - 28/09/2012 02:20:29 PM 595 Views
I agree in this particular instance. Nate - 28/09/2012 03:38:15 PM 1328 Views
Maybe they have been Quakers all along? *NM* dadof5 - 28/09/2012 03:39:24 PM 738 Views
Sanderson's handling of character interractions is pathetic.... DomA - 28/09/2012 06:43:48 PM 1177 Views
Now see, here I don't fully agree, or at least think it's a matter of taste. Nate - 28/09/2012 07:21:09 PM 1878 Views
Sorry, that's just not true... fionwe1987 - 28/09/2012 11:33:59 PM 1059 Views
A few things. Nate - 29/09/2012 02:40:47 AM 1287 Views
Great rebuttal! Fionwe got burned! *NM* Dark Knight - 29/09/2012 04:00:41 PM 798 Views
Re: A few things. DomA - 30/09/2012 06:07:57 PM 1524 Views
I posted something very similar at DM. Reposting... fionwe1987 - 28/09/2012 11:46:07 PM 1058 Views
Re: I posted something very similar at DM. Reposting... Cannoli - 29/09/2012 01:51:20 AM 1275 Views
Yes! fionwe1987 - 29/09/2012 02:26:39 AM 1192 Views
This is one of my biggest pet peeves as well Deadsy - 29/09/2012 04:56:53 AM 1192 Views
There are people who say that? Nate - 29/09/2012 05:16:58 AM 1069 Views
I complained about this regarding the Forsaken chapter Sidious - 28/09/2012 07:34:25 PM 1306 Views
I've long since accepted that Sanderson uses inaccurate terms like "powerful" darius_sedai - 29/09/2012 05:44:11 AM 1308 Views
To be fair, the last Moghedian PoV by RJ might have changed her a bit. Cannoli - 29/09/2012 03:27:31 PM 1036 Views
Which is the question I brought up in another thread darius_sedai - 29/09/2012 05:29:01 PM 935 Views
Yes. The last time it happened to me it ended with the taxi driver fined by the NYPD. Tom - 29/09/2012 07:05:26 AM 1024 Views
The burning question to me, after reading all of the comments above, is this... Shannow - 29/09/2012 08:50:50 AM 1248 Views
Piggybacking on someone else's established characters and near-climax-point plot? Cannoli - 29/09/2012 03:04:03 PM 1285 Views
Both of you disgust me Dark Knight - 29/09/2012 04:13:16 PM 1218 Views
This is not jealousy, it's being upset Marshall - 29/09/2012 07:52:51 PM 1093 Views
They could have hired a ghost writer. They chose not to. *NM* Dark Knight - 29/09/2012 09:34:27 PM 9795 Views
Your crappy taste in books means nothing Cannoli - 30/09/2012 09:23:51 PM 1612 Views
When did I ever say Eli Manning wasn't a good QB? Dark Knight - 01/10/2012 03:40:21 PM 1001 Views
To be fair... Sidious - 29/09/2012 04:36:52 PM 1091 Views
True ... He may not be perfect, and he certainly made some strange choices darius_sedai - 29/09/2012 05:37:29 PM 892 Views
B-Sand is not a ghost writer Dark Knight - 29/09/2012 06:35:16 PM 2366 Views
Didn't say he should. darius_sedai - 29/09/2012 09:07:45 PM 1666 Views
I mostly agree with this. Nate - 29/09/2012 09:36:38 PM 1278 Views
What is it you want? Dark Knight - 29/09/2012 09:39:36 PM 1255 Views
We want to bitch about an inferior product. Duh. Cannoli - 29/09/2012 10:00:09 PM 1154 Views
Hmm that's true I guess. Sad though *NM* Dark Knight - 29/09/2012 10:07:25 PM 496 Views
It is what it is darius_sedai - 30/09/2012 12:52:20 AM 824 Views
Those are not remotely the same thing Cannoli - 30/09/2012 09:14:49 PM 1092 Views
But they are the same in this instance darius_sedai - 30/09/2012 10:01:59 PM 1002 Views
You do know this isn't his series, right? Dark Knight - 29/09/2012 04:19:00 PM 1534 Views
Do you see us going to Mistborn boards to rip his series? Part of the problem is what you say. Cannoli - 29/09/2012 09:57:54 PM 1922 Views
Apologies for not being clear: I'm only referring to WoT. Haven't read any of his other work... Shannow - 30/09/2012 06:56:08 PM 1258 Views
I'd agree that I like his original works more than his WoT books beetnemesis - 01/10/2012 06:17:33 PM 1145 Views
It's fairly simple.... DomA - 30/09/2012 09:55:52 PM 1246 Views
Thanks for that insightful response... Shannow - 30/09/2012 10:37:27 PM 975 Views
Try reading something instead of judging. I recommend the Mistborn trilogy *NM* Dark Knight - 01/10/2012 01:14:24 AM 477 Views
Forgotten Realms is big on clever spells and magic systems? Fanatic-Templar - 01/10/2012 05:27:05 AM 937 Views
It's more... DomA - 01/10/2012 01:05:18 PM 1692 Views
Did you read Way of Kings? VTHokie - 03/10/2012 09:14:43 PM 1209 Views
No, nothing but the prologue DomA - 04/10/2012 02:56:14 AM 931 Views
Re: The burning question to me, after reading all of the comments above, is this... RugbyPlayingAshaman - 11/10/2012 08:22:27 PM 843 Views
I have an acquaintance who uses "my friend" as punctuation of every sentence. Kaldric - 05/10/2012 02:47:40 PM 1555 Views
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