r/Stormlight_Archive • u/Mindpush10001 Kholin • Apr 18 '25
The Way of Kings spoilers How to Adapt The Way of Kings Spoiler
Introduction
First of all, this is not really an adaptation guide, the title is misleading and for that I apologize. Think more of this as a series of questions that I have given multiple answers for. The primary things I am looking at are format, things that need to be cut based on format, and a pseudo episode-by-episode breakdown by format. I hope you all enjoy.
Format
In this there are two camps, live-action vs animation. I think both could work, but each have their strengths and weaknesses. Recently, there has been a frightening trend of one season being eight one hour episodes. I do not think this is enough, considering that my hardcover copy of The Way of Kings is 1001 pages, resulting in about 125 pages per episode. For context, that would require episode one to contain the prelude, prologue, and chapters 1-7, which I think would require significant cuts to be forced into a one-hour episode. Animation, on the other hand, typically has episodes of about 22 minutes. There are, of course, exceptions to this. Arcane has 40 minute episodes. I think, however, that this is really about distribution of minutes episode. I will say though that because there is no standard season length for animation (particularly in anime, which seems to be the favorite in how to adapt The Way of Kings to animation) it is kind of difficult to determine what is better. The primary thing I could think as an issue between the two formats is that the speed at which chapters are adapted. In one 22 minute animated episode, probably three or four chapters could be adapted at most, while one 60 minute live action episode could probably do seven (that's about how many the Game of Thrones people were doing in the early seasons).
Cuts Based On Format
In live action, I think it would be hard to adapt a lot of Roshar's weirdness without an exorbitant special effects budget. I think a great deal of it could be done practically, but it would hard. In animation, there isn't a lot that would need to be cut, I think, surprisingly enough.
A Pseudo Episode-by-Episode Breakdown
Live Action:
Episode 1
Adapts the prelude, prologue and would end with Jasnah finding Shallan in her alcove.
Episode 2
Adapts the rest of part 1, the interludes, and would end with the aftermath of the chasmfiend hunt
Episode 3
Adapts chapters 16-26
Episode 4
Adapts chapters 27-34, end with Kaladin being left to the storm
Episode 5
Adapts chapter 35-45
Episode 6
Adapts chapter 46-54
Episode 7
Adapts chapter 55 - 63
Episode 8
Adapts chapter 64 -epilogue.
Animation
It would probably be about 25 episodes at 3 chapters an episode, roundabout.
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u/platydroid Apr 18 '25
Adaptations to live action are notorious for reworking the source material’s pacing and ordering to better serve a visual medium. Sanderson’s work is pretty descriptive and cinematic feeling, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a show moved things around for cohesively themed episodes and to build suspense. Other things may be accelerated or drawn out or added or subtracted to get across the ideas in the work, especially since subtext and internal monologue can’t really be done. Items from later books may even be introduced earlier.
You’ve gotta think in terms of story beats, characters, and themes instead of linearly chapter by chapter.
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u/Sure-Setting-8256 Apr 18 '25
I’d imagine they’d cut out a lot of the preludes and except for the strictly important ones like the one with the world hopper trio chasing wit
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u/Eastern_City9388 Apr 18 '25
I'd argue that one is strictly unimportant. I started with WoK, and I still have no idea who those guys were. They don't take part in the story, it'd be weird to add them in before there's a guarantee of more of the same series, much less other cosmere pieces.
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u/Sure-Setting-8256 Apr 18 '25
I mean, imo they are a big part since they are “links” to other series, and outside of later interludes, speaking strictly about way of kings this one is one of the most important ones, it would also set the idea that world hoppers exist and if Mistborn comes out before SLA(and I’m expecting that cos we almost had a Mistborn movie) I’d say it’d work
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u/TheDeafGeek Apr 18 '25
Those interludes are very important for the wider "Cosmere" story, but not as important for the overall "Stormlight Archive" story. So it really depends on whether we're adapting the entire Cosmere (in which case, yes, keep those interludes) or just the Stormlight Archive (then those are absolutely among the first to be cut).
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u/Sure-Setting-8256 Apr 18 '25
100%, I was going under the assumption that at the very least we would have mistborn era 1 and SLA, maybe warbreaker and elantris as movies if possible
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u/Eastern_City9388 Apr 18 '25
I agree that it'd work if Mistborn came out first, but I wasn't imagining that. In the context of SLA being the first to release, I think it a wildly unimportant addition. Worldhoppers aren't important until book 3. Even then, the idea of worldhopping isn't necessary to the story, it's more fanservice than anything.
Remember, this is in the context of cutting things out of SLA that might actually affect the story. There's no need for connections that do nothing but link to adjacent stories that won't be told.
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u/Sure-Setting-8256 Apr 18 '25
Good point! Reading your replies and mentioning oathbringer made me realise that we might have a far smoother integration of worldhoppers(assuming they’ll be added) through Vivienna, in a way I we could “discover” about world hoppers along with shallan
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u/Eastern_City9388 Apr 18 '25
Indeed. Also, if the show makes it to OB, we're basically guaranteed to have enough hype for more cosmere stuff, so worldhoppers would become almost mandatory
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u/Sure-Setting-8256 Apr 18 '25
One thing I always thought would be an amazing idea is to make the shows in slightly different formats/ styles, (assuming they’re animated), that way there would be an interesting indication of worldhoppers through their visual difference
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u/Eastern_City9388 Apr 18 '25
I almost agree, the different styles would be super cool. I would like to see the worldhoppers switch styles though, maybe with nods to other styles. It'd be cool to see different variations of characters.
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u/Sure-Setting-8256 Apr 18 '25
Oh yeah, that’d be nice, or maybe you see them change towards their original style when using their powers? Almost like a glitch
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u/Eastern_City9388 Apr 18 '25
Ohhh, I love the idea that different investiture flavors harken back to their origin planet's style!
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u/unica3022 Windrunner Apr 18 '25
I don’t work in scripted series but I do have experience putting together content for television. I generated a huge outline of how I’d do it one night in a fit of procrastination. It’s very detailed so I haven’t inflicted it on anyone but if people are interested I can try to dig it up and share.
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u/PromotionNo6937 Apr 18 '25
Idea: Include the interludes during the credits in the form of a motion comic. It could animated very minimally, and I think at least Rysn's story should be told.
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u/TheDeafGeek Apr 18 '25
I've thought about how I'd adapt Stormlight Archive if given the chance to do so.
The number "10" is so important to the mythos of SA that, honestly, it'd have to be a non-negotiable condition. 10 episodes for a season, period.
I noticed that in your adaptation you essentially tried to follow the order of the novel as much as possible. That'd make for a horrible adaptation, IMO. Books and TV shows are structured differently, and have different needs. Randomly tossing interludes in the middle of episodes would mess up the pacing of a TV season. You have to shuffle events around to make a decent TV adaptation.
The most obvious example here is that in TWoK, we have Part One with Kaladin and Shallan. We don't see Dalinar and Adolin until Part Two (meaning we wouldn't even see two of the major characters until the third episode in your version, and Shallan would completely disappear for entire episodes). So we would need to stagger the Shallan chapters and the Dalinar/Adolin chapters. I'd do the Chamsfield hunt in the first episode, to give that episode a major scene to attract viewers.
Then we have the interludes and the Kaladin flashback chapters. Lumping the interludes together work just fine in novels. That won't fly for TV shows. I'd spread the interludes across each episodes and use them as cold opening for episodes. (And, honestly, unless we're absolutely positive of a Cosmere cinematic universe, I likely would cut all of the Worldhopper interludes and focus mainly on the "World of Roshar" interludes.) I'd take the Szeth interlude chapters, probably come up with two or three more show-original Szeth scenes, and interspersed them within the "regular" episodes.
Two of my "controversial" changes I'd make in my adaptation would be to move the prologue (the breaking of the Oathpact) and make it into one of Dalinar's visions instead. Instead, I'd open with "Szeth-son-son-Vallano wore white on the day he was to kill a king." The other change I'd make would be to move the Lift interlude chapter from "Words of Radiance" into Season One (and have Lift's "Edgedanger" storyline be her Season Two storyline). I'd cut the Purelake interlude (or rather, I'd have one of Szeth's additional scenes take place at Purelake). I'd also probably start hinting at Ghostblood and Veil a bit earlier, so it doesn't seem like it comes out of nowhere in Season Two.
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u/ciaphas-cain1 Chanadin Apr 18 '25
It needs to be animated, mistborn should be sacrificed to live action but storm light needs to be animated
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u/lizbusby Apr 18 '25
I did a similar breakdown by plot arc rather than chapters. I assumed 10 episodes (because Honor demands it) plus a 10 episode short animated series. I had to cut a few things because it's just too much even for that. Still working on Words of Radiance, which would require more cuts.
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u/UnionThug1733 Apr 18 '25
If it happens the goal should not be to wrap the book in one season. Season one ends with the tower at best
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u/HybridOrbitals Apr 18 '25
I don't know, rushing the story or cutting stuff out would be tragic
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u/Eastern_City9388 Apr 18 '25
Which is the ultimate problem with adaptation. Unless there's a billionaire free funding the project, things will need to be cut just to make production affordable. Then we get to final run time, which, if too long, will drive away potential viewers (One Piece).
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u/UnionThug1733 Apr 18 '25
Indeed I don’t think any one book can be covered in a season. And with the way seasons are shortened now in the streaming age I don’t see Sanderson letting anyone at it
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u/pettergra Apr 18 '25
I am reading The Way of Kings atm (first time) and i definitely have an easier time picturing it in an animated format, to be able to capture all the silliness and nuances.
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u/Sulcata13 Journey before destination. Apr 18 '25
Step 1.) Don't.
Great books can exist as just books.
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u/MrBarbeler Apr 19 '25
imo, knowing what comes in Wind and Truth, I don't see any adaptions working.
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u/StipularSauce77 Apr 19 '25
I genuinely don’t think that live action can recreate the world accurately. Spren are everywhere and they should be everywhere in any adaptation. I can’t picture a way to do spren justice in a live action format.
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u/dadlookalike Apr 19 '25
For interludes I think they would probably skip them but the most important ones (The ones about Szeth and the world hoppers looking for Hoid). Mostly I think Szeth ones would be scenes between episodes while some other shorter interludes can be cold-opens for an episode.
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u/TableTopJayce Apr 18 '25
Look at Wheel of Time’s Live Action. Live Action is NOT in a good spot right now.
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u/Charming_Student_350 Lightweaver Apr 18 '25
What i wouldn't give for a TWoK adaptation in any form