From the fly-man to the man-fly, are magic system reversible? p1

SOIL

Whilst Michael Alwill starts with the «seed to the story» in A guide to writing magic systems, you already know me. I’ll toil it all by inspecting soil. After all, seeds can die in bad soil, unclean flowerpots or miss water. Thus.Anyways, we have already discussed them, It is just in case you want to skip the previous entry.

FLOWERPOT, SEEDS AND PERSONALITY

Since last entry we know we need a flowerpot (limitation frame around the magic to be used), soil (abundance or lack thereof) and working bees (the beings working out the magic system or against it). Once we have these three elements we have enough to discuss— monologue style since I’m the only one ranting for I barely get any comments— story seed.

MAGIC BEAN

Have you ever murdered a bean sprout? I do so every now and then. Love excess or love deprival (water mainly), you surely are aware that that is not the only thing making it hard to grow something. Plants have personality. Some die to the first sheep bite whilst some others thrive and survive even the worst gardener. That’s how stories are too.

But Merriam, now ain’t the time to suffer a chlorophylliac¹ attack. Just spit where to buy story seeds in assorted colours… What Michael Alwill calls as the story seed (I’d call it magic bean) is to answer the following questions:

• Where?
• When?
• What’s society like?
• Main character?

As you can see, these elements are nothing from the other Friday. It is still the same questions we have to answer to any story about to be cooked. Or grown.

So, we need to answer the usual questions in order to sow our magic bean.  Let’s answer the first today and review the rest later.

WHERE?

Is the world a disc going around the universe on a tortoise’s back? Does it have underground tunnels humans have no idea about? Is everybody locked because of pandemics? Is there an anthropomorphic Dead? Is it all in Vigata, an invented town that is not invented?

Makoto Shinkai commented once, for him the most important thing is to decide where is the story to take place.

I said in the old entry that I prefer to choose the plant first. You might wish for lupines and come to realize you simply don’t have the space or the ability. Which doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer. It only means you might be too good at growing forget me nots  like Corin Tellado. Perhaps you can cultivate orchids like Agatha Christie. Not everyone can name roses like Humberto Eco. I write passifloras (yeah, alien stuff).

Nonetheless, we need to choose a place for our story to make sense.

               TO BE CONTINUED

1. Anyone out the who knows enough greek to tell me how to say «plant lover»? ↩︎