It's a hard business, the writer's business. There's nothing better than those fun-filled days with splitting my head over the keyboard and whatnot. Not complaining, but it is as slowly coming along as it must feel like to give birth to a brick. I spent the last days trying to finish chapter 6 but I have yet to find a satisfying ending for it. I feel there is something great to be said, some sort of epiphany lurking around the corner.
Instead of pondering, I started to turn my story into a true "3D" adventure, drawing maps of the locations, furthermore outlining charts and a map of the world to give the story shape and depth, thinking about names, making up a cultural background for the places, the names and the persons. I really like the inventive aspect of it.
So, as I sat there, thinking about different ways to portray "magic", why it is there, how it came to be, the whole shebang, a thought struck me. None of the fantasy stories I know actually explain magic. I mean, really explain how it works.
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| Magic Realism: Margaret Chiaro's Dandelion |
Other than the superhero story genre, presenting a horrible genetic mutation during an experiment, thus making the Hulk green, angry and very very strong, magic in fantasy stories usually is a commonplace. Some people or creatures have it, others don't. Some are wizards, others aren't. End of story. Not literally, but as far as the fine print goes.
There are those stories that involve understated magical elements.
The magic realism doesn't require any further assertion, in fact, explaining its bits and pieces would most definitely diminish its appeal.
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| J.-W. Waterhouse: The Crystal Ball |
On the other end of the spectrum, there is good old Harry Potter. Offering some sort of genetic factor, creator in chief J.K. Rowling has been criticised for introducing a racist doctrine to her stories, affiliating magic to descent. I don't think it's that repellent, but it's not providing any background information either.
What do other stories have to offer? The-studying-long-and-hard-to-becoming-a-wizard - type doesn't explain its genesis, neither does "pacting with the devil" like in Duane's So you want to be a wizard, because it ultimately leads to further questions regarding its origin.
Basically there is a choice between those three options on the how-to front. But concerning the origins of magic, I am curious to find out if they aren't explained sufficiently because they can't be explained within the realm of reason or because the genre itself requires them not to be explained. I am pretty much at odds with myself, wondering if I should give it a try or better let the sleeping lion sleep. Would it serve my story if I did? I honestly don't know.
We all find a way, Daniela, our own personal way that works for us. Whatever keeps us going, whatever keeps the fingers pounding the keys. I can hardly wait to read it. :-)
ReplyDeleteMagic? Wow, that is a tough one...or maybe only as tough as you make it. Do you have an idea of how you want it to be portrayed? Perhaps believing without seeing might make it easier to write. I am a deist, perhaps. :-) But, on the flip side, I am incredibly analytical when it comes to work. Have been analytical all my life--always needed to stick my hand in the hole in Christ's side to believe. Thus, my beliefs are quite my own--not what has been fed to me via a holy book written by men. That having been said, I allow for the existence of what cannot be explained by science. I think it is probably bad science to conclusively deny that the possibility of gods, magic, and the unexplained might exist. Arthur C Clarke's third law can be read forward and then twisted around as well--sort of. "Any significantly advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Perhaps not only magic, but a god, and other unexplained phenomenon are merely advanced technology. And, perhaps an advanced technology is god, or magic etc...
Sorry for tossing god in there, but the example is to present a clear image of the things that defy understanding-- and to me, god and magic are woven from the same cloth :-)
I think that the beauty of magic is that it does NOT have to be explained. And I never feel as though the author copped-out by not explaining it. That is well within the fantasy genre. Science Fiction--hard science fiction...might be greatly enhanced by having your take on how the magic works laid out in the book. But then, by definition, it isn't really magic, is it? Even Rowling's stories lack an intensive and detailed description of how. They really just tell us why.
Your thoughts? :-)
Yes you're completely right and every time I think about it, sooner or later some sort of divine creator appears in my scenario as well, I can't help it. The problem I have with the magic beyond the boundaries of science - even though it is quite an elegant solution - is that it's not enough for my personal taste to have it there as a placeholder, for me, it has to rival technology in some way - of course at a cost, much like technology swallows resources, so should magic. Otherwise you'll have the problem of superpowered wizards and you need to find some sort of shaky loophole afterwards to make them vulnerable (much like Superman's Cryptonite which I think is quite cheap). But I think I will not explain how the magic itself works, because that's, how you said, the beauty of the fantasy genre. And I seriously wouldn't know how to explain it, and if I could, I'd be writing scifi stories. ;) I just need the magic to be there, quite naturally. Thanks for your input Teresa, it's always good for me to have a critical third eye and you really do understand the things you can sink your teeth into as a writer, glad I have you there :)
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