Tag Archives: tropes

Many authors will begin writing novels on November 1st. Some will be genre fiction such as fantasy, romance, or sci-fi, etc. I read sci-fi and seek out fantasy, but I’m also a born skeptic.

Logic is an area many first-time authors ignore because some magic or theoretical science they believe is original has captured their imagination. Taken individually, these ideas may be good, but if the author doesn’t thoroughly think it through, the reader won’t be able to suspend their disbelief.

Science and magic are two sides of the personal-power coin. Therefore, the tropes of science, the paranormal, and magic must be written in such a way that we can easily and wholeheartedly suspend our disbelief.

Open your storyboard if you have one and create a new page or open a new document. Title the document “Rules for the Paranormal” and save it in your story file. (Or Rules for Science, or Magic, etc.).

You are going to develop a system that describes the limits of your chosen trope. By creating unbreakable boundaries, you create opportunities for conflict.

Hint: make a “glossary,” a list of the proper spellings for all words that relate to or are unique to the kind of skill your characters have access to. Trust me, this will save your sanity later on.

In designing a story where superpowers, super weapons, or magic are crucial elements, we have to keep an important idea in mind:

• Science is not magic.

The writer of true science fiction must know the difference, especially when creating possible weapons. Superweapons and superpowers are science-based. Think Stan Lee’s Spider-Man. The theory behind superweapons and /or superpowers might be improbable. But it’s logical and rooted in the realm of theoretical physics.

Authors of sci-fi must research their ideas and understand the scientific method. This way of testing and evaluation objectively explains nature and the world around us in a reproducible way. Sci-fi authors must look things up, read scientific papers, and ask questions.

An important thing for authors to understand is who their intended readers are. Those who read and write hard science fiction are often employed in various fields of science, technology, or education in some capacity. They know the difference between physics and fantasy.

The paranormal is not science or magic. It is something else entirely and works best when the opening pages establish that the supernatural exists as a part of that world but has limitations. The paranormal should follow a logic of some sort. Start with a premise: Ghosts, vampires, shapeshifters, werewolves, or any kind of supernatural entity exist in that world.

Ask yourself, what are the conditions under which they cannot exist?

• If ghosts, can they interact with the physical world? Why or why not?
• What powers do the paranormal characters have?
• Under what conditions do their powers not work?
• What harms them? (Sunlight? A silver bullet? Something must be their kryptonite, or there is no story.)

Magic is not science, but it should be.

Magic works best when the local population in that world accepts that it exists and has limitations. When you think about it, magic should only be possible if certain conditions have been met. It should follow a set of rules.

For me, magic as an element of a fantasy novel only works under the following conditions:

• the number of people who can use it is limited.
• the ways in which it can be used are limited.
• the majority of mages are limited to one or two kinds of magic and only certain mages can use every type of magic.
• there are strict, inviolable rules regarding what each brand of magic can do and the conditions under which it will work.
• there are some conditions under which the magic will not work.
• the damage it can do as a weapon or the healing it can perform is limited.
• the mage or healer pays a physical/emotional price for the use of magic.
• the mage or healer pays a hefty price for abusing their gifts.
• the learning curve is steep and sometimes lethal.
• Is your magic spell-based rather than biological/empathic?
• If magic is spell-based, can any reasonably intelligent person learn it if they find a teacher or are accepted into a school?

Fulfilling these conditions sets the stage for you to create the science of magic. This is an underlying, invisible layer of the world. By creating and following the arbitrary rules of this “science,” your story won’t contradict itself.

What challenges do your characters have to overcome when learning to wield their magic/superpower or super weapon?

• Is the character born with the ability to use the superpower or magic? Or was it learned or conferred?
• Are they unable to fully use their abilities?
• If not, why not?
• How does their inability affect their companions?
• How is their self-confidence affected by this inability?
• Do the companions also face learning curves?
• What has to happen before your hero can fully realize their abilities?

Personal power and the desire for dominance are where the concepts of science, magic, and the paranormal converge.

In all my favorite science fiction and fantasy novels, the enemy has access to equal or better science/magic/superpower. How the protagonists overcome their limitations is the story.

Conflict forces the characters out of their comfortable environment. The roadblocks you put up force the protagonist to be creative. Through that creativity, your characters become stronger than they believe they are.

You must also clearly state the limits of science for the antagonist. Take the time to write it out and be sure the logic has no hidden flaws. If the protagonist and their enemy are not from the same school of magic or science, you should take the time to write out what makes them different and why they don’t converge.

That document is just for your reference. When you create a science, technology, or magic system, you build a hidden framework that will support and advance your plot.

Within those systems, there can be an occasional exception to a rule. However, a good reason for that exception must exist, and it must be clear to the reader why that exception is acceptable.

An important thing to consider when using magic or technology is this: the only time the reader needs to be informed that these systems exist is when the characters need new information, and only if that knowledge affects their actions. Otherwise, write the chosen trope as if it is a natural part of the environment rather than wasting words on a needless info dump.

Everything will be in place for a free-wheeling dive into the consequences of your protagonist’s struggle.

The fundamental tropes of science, magic, or superpowers offer your characters opportunities for success. But to be believable, those opportunities must not be free and unlimited.

Magic, science, and superpowers share common ground in one area—they offer characters an edge in whatever struggle they face.

However, neither science nor magic can support a poorly conceived novel. Science, the supernatural, and magic are just tropes, tools we use to help tell the story. Strong, charismatic characters, mighty struggles, and severe consequences for failure make a brilliant novel.

Do a little planning now so that when you begin writing your novel, you will see your characters clearly. You will know what they are capable of and what they can’t do. Those limitations will offer you many opportunities to take the story in an original direction.