Hey everyone! You know the Tumblr posts about modern magic? Magic normalized in a world like ours. Magic lattes and stuff from fairy-run Starbucks. Earrings enchanted to translate any language into your native one so you can understand. Urban wizards. Magical universities. Magical beings as a part of your everyday walking-to-work crowd. I love these kind of things, and want to write a novel based in a world like this, but I can't think of any plots? Wanna help me brainstorm? Please and thank you!
Okay this might be counterproductive to your idea but what if you a create a society where magic users walk among us and use their abilities in their everyday lives for little things but only in secret because there's a huge cultural stigma against it. Just because many people have magic doesn't mean that the rest of society is okay with it, just look at, well, normal human racism, just because people are different doesn't mean they are liked. especially if they have unexplainable powers, because historically people fear and hate what they can't explain. (and yeah I know that's basically the plot of the Xmen but hey you can copyright concepts) Anyway what if your story revolves around a disaster such as a massive power outage and suddenly the nation needs these magic users in order to survive,to use their powers to fuel generators and potions to heal the sick when the hospitals are flooded. Now the magic users have amongst themselves an ethical conflict, some want to help, after all they have non magic friends, but others see this as payback time and aren't going to help the people that have always hated them. This could be not only an overarching conflict but a battle of ideologies between your major characters. further still you could add humans who refuse to take help from these 'freaks of nature' and magic users realize they are only trying to save a society that once it's healed will likely just hate them again. and then the rest is up to you. Hope that helps
Actually that's a fantastic idea! I think it could blend really well into the urban fantasy stuff. Like, there's fairy run Starbucks, but the anti-magic people (racists? I'd have to come up with a new term) choose not to go to fairy-run Starbucks. So even though it's normalized, it's still not perfect and you still have people being racist. Thank you so much @Azuresbend!
Also to anyone else who sees the post, please continue adding your thoughts!
@kat_i_am Sure thing Jelly bean I think think you'll write a great story
but the anti-magic people (racists? I'd have to come up with a new term)
Depending on how one gains magic in this world, you could go with a few options. If only other species (fairies, etc.) have magic, you could call them ‘speciesist‘ since they’re discriminating on the basis of species. If humans have magic though, you could call them magophobic or magikophobic (from the Greek), indicating that they have a fear of magic and/or magic users.
but the anti-magic people (racists? I'd have to come up with a new term)
Depending on how one gains magic in this world, you could go with a few options. If only other species (fairies, etc.) have magic, you could call them ‘speciesist‘ since they’re discriminating on the basis of species. If humans have magic though, you could call them magophobic or magikophobic (from the Greek), indicating that they have a fear of magic and/or magic users.
THANK YOU that was v helpful.
Honestly you've just come to so many posts today and been so helpful, shout out to you Riorlyne.
THANK YOU that was v helpful.
Honestly you've just come to so many posts today and been so helpful, shout out to you Riorlyne.
You’re welcome! :) I just joined yesterday, so all the discussions are brand new to me.
I understand that I'm super late to this conversation, but I have an idea for a sort-of conflict:
Some form of summoning goes awry, and there's greater demons walking around destroying things and killing people, and so the magicians band together to fight the threat. That could connect to the power being knocked out and hospitals overflowing, but then after the conflict is over a certain argument is heard over and over again.
"We saved your lives!"
"We wouldn't have to be saved if you guys didn't start the crisis!"
This would provide an interesting ethical conflict after the dust has settled.
