Accepting Magic

[Amanita]

This is a question concerning my story but I think it applies to many others as well. So I'm not going into specific details but ask generally.

In short: Character gets magic he/she isn't supposed to have for some reason and the people around him or her aren't exactly happy. The character has been brought up believing that someone of his social/racial... group isn't supposed to have magic and/or that no one is supposed to have that specific kind of magic at all. Therefore the consequence will be that the character doesn't really belong to the group he used to belong with anymore or at least many people feel that way about it.
The magic itself can be dangerous or helpful depending on its user.
What would be a realistic reaction? Would the character be more likely to be glad about having special abilities and curious about their use. Would he believe that he can use it for good and not understand that the others react to it so negatively?
Or would he be upset about being different in a way the others disapprove of. Would it take him long to accept it, if he managed to do so at all?

In my story it used to be very much the latter, but at the moment, it's tending towards the first option.
In other stories I can think of the Black Magician-trilogy, the Abhorsen trilogy and the Studies-trilogy that all have something along those lines and I have to admit, I liked the reaction of Lirael in Abhorsen best. She is very curious about her abilities and pursues them whenever she can even though she's upset about not being like the others well. The "bullying option” on the other hand has been getting on my nerves lately. I'm also not really happy with the "innocent and good person is bullied because the others don't understand”- option which is a kind of cliché in itself.
And I'm rather tired of all those "woe is me, I don't want any of this”-characters.

Of course, the answer to these questions depends on every specific character. I'd like to know what you like to see in such situations in general though. And I'd also like to know if you think that it's completely unrealistic if a character reacts not only with shock but also with curiosity when discovering that she can use magic that isn't approved of. And would such disregard for tradition make her unlikeable and clichéd once again?

 

[JCFarnham]

To be honest, it would all depend on persponality and situation. How would they react in other situations? like ... being told some one had died and they're going to have to go some where for a bit, okay I don't know, but the point is that people don't seem to react that differently to the unexpected as they do the expected but painful. Probably not making sense.

To put it simply, since apparently my mind isn't really working this morning haha, I would definitely see it as a realistic reaction for the character to be intrigued by their new powers despite the stigma attatched to them. I personally would want to see what the full extent of these abilities were, even if telling any one would likely mean a whipping, or how ever people tend to react to difference in your setting.

The above of course all depends on the character having a glass half full personality, making the best out of awkward situations and that. If they were more defeatist say, I would have to say the character is more likely to hide their abilities even from themselves if they can. This would be the "bullied, why is this happening to me?" cliche.

So, to answer your question, shock and curiousity do work together. In fact all sorts of seemingly contradictory "emotions/reactions" work together. Like ... Artist and horrible vile serial killer. Or someone who hates it when people do that one annoying thing but is more than comfortable with doing it themselves. You see what I mean? Humans are contradictory and complex by nature if you think about it, so it would make A LOT of sense if we put some of this into our characters once in a while. As long as it makes a little bit of sense

I don't think you can get away from the "breaking tradition and becoming unlikeable" aspect of this plot ... however, you can always have an unexpected reaction from your character, like whereas most would go for the obvious cliched woe reaction maybe its in character for her to stand up for herself. I'm sure many people in that situation would be like "I'm still the person you knew this morning/yesterday/last week. What difference does a bit of magic make?" In fact I always love to read a protagonist who sticks up for herself whether she is in the wrong or not, regardless of the situation. Feels more dynamic in a way.

Alas that is probably a tangent. But yeah, what you're thinking of doing isn't unrealistic for me.

 

[sashamerideth]

I think this is up to you as the author. You control the thoughts, actions and reactions of your characters. The way they would react to having magic that they shouldn't is a defining character trait, and not one for a group of Internet slackers to decide.

Personally, I would keep it hidden and try to make sure no one found out, probably failing and getting into trouble.

 

[At Dusk I Reign]

What would be a realistic reaction? Would the character be more likely to be glad about having special abilities and curious about their use. Would he believe that he can use it for good and not understand that the others react to it so negatively?

Humans are naturally curious. It's what's driven us to the top of the food chain, for good or ill. Realistically, I think any character would want to explore their abilities even if they chose to do so away from prying eyes. As for believing he can use his power for good – a lot of evil is perpetrated in the world by those who believe their intentions are pure. I think it's perfectly reasonable for a character to think he can control his power and deride any warnings he's been given.

would he be upset about being different in a way the others disapprove of?

That all depends on how you write the character. There are people in the world who spend their whole time worrying about what their peers think of them. There are others who couldn't care less. Age is probably a factor. And education. And general life experience.

And I’d also like to know if you think that it’s completely unrealistic if a character reacts not only with shock but also with curiosity when discovering that she can use magic that isn’t approved of. And would such disregard for tradition make her unlikeable and clichéd once again?

Reacting with curiosity would be totally realistic, as JC has already said, and disregarding tradition is a good thing. Whether a character who strays from social norms can be considered unlikeable is a moot point depending on how conformist the reader is. Rebels are generally easier to sympathise with if only because most people feel hemmed in by societal pressures at some point in their lives.

 

[Janga]

I would think that at first the character would despise having the magic and then slowly learn that it is not bad at all, and eventually come to find the use in it. Maybe the character could befriend someone of the race that has the magic who teaches him more about it?

 

[Neunzehn]

I don't see why the character wouldn't feel all of those at once, though not in the same degree. First they would probably be upset, which may lead them resent their abilities, only later having to use their powers a few times they become curious. Or maybe they will get over the initial shock well enough become curious rather sooner. Or, if they were ornery and rebellious to begin with, then you could probably just skip to curious.

As "glad" goes, maybe this will depend on how "hiveminded" their culture is? I mean does he/she share their views close enough to actually resent what they've received.

The personality of the character will dictate a lot of this, it's the joker card, so to speak.

 

[Amanita]

Oh, thank you for giving me so much interesting input.
I know that it all depends on the character’s personality and everything and I won’t let you decide anyway but I’m interested in a few thoughts by other people.

Maybe a few notes on the character’s situation. She’s part of a group of people who’ve already started questioning other traditions that have been extremely important to their nation in the past such as the idea that people born to the lowest class (whose ancestors once supported an “evil conqueror”) are inferior and it’s their duty to accept that. Or the belief that women’s duty is solely to please and obey their husbands. The whole country is in a state of change where many people question parts of this while others stay extremely traditionalist.
Their open-mindedness doesn’t extent to the forbidden kind of magic, however.
Her prior mentor actually blames herself because she’s taught her to stand up for herself and question things instead of blindly following authority.
I think it might be quite plausible that my main character also starts wondering if this isn’t as futile as they think some of the other traditions are.
Her country is the only one where such magic is completely forbidden and they live in a time where there is contact with people from other lands who feel differently about it.

I will probably go for a sort of mix of both, but I definitely want to avoid this situation where the character does nothing but be upset about their situation. I had this in my first draft and it was very annoying while rereading. And probably not really in-character either because she is the kind of person who’d stand up for herself.

I think it's perfectly reasonable for a character to think he can control his power and deride any warnings he's been given.

Yes, and especially given the fact that the people who give her the warnings about it don’t really know anything about it.

I would think that at first the character would despise having the magic and then slowly learn that it is not bad at all, and eventually come to find the use in it. Maybe the character could befriend someone of the race that has the magic who teaches him more about it?

That’s basically how the story is supposed to go.

 

[Neunzehn]

Well, are the non-traditionalists very passionate?. That is, do they belong to a movement where there is friction/division with the traditionalists? It's easy to insult someone with high expectations from people like them. When those people turn on him/her it'll hurt bad. Maybe, and this is just a different way of looking at it XD, she would become bitter? Angry maybe? This could lead to more than just curiosity to a full blown obsession. And, um, don't think I'm telling you what to do, it's just a idea .

 

[Amanita]

Well, are the non-traditionalists very passionate?

Yes, very much so.

It's easy to insult someone with high expectations from people like them.

I'm sorry but I don't really understand what you mean by that.

Maybe, and this is just a different way of looking at it XD, she would become bitter? Angry maybe? This could lead to more than just curiosity to a full blown obsession.

This is the danger she's facing. (Well, one of them.) And it's a road I don't really want her to go down even though I could see plenty of plausible explanations for that. She's not supposed to become that kind of character though. (That's actually the bad guys' situation, at least of the male leader.)

 

[Neunzehn]

"It's easy to insult someone with high expectations from people like them."

I mean that the more trust and confidence someone puts into someone else, the more disappointing it is when they break that trust. That is, if she expects to be encouraged and accepted by her friends and family, but most of them reject her for being different, that might be hard to forgive. It's similar to when some people choose not to get close to anyone for fear of being hurt again. Or for example, why divorce courts are so nasty.

As to being curious and shocked in general. EG: A rich person who used to be a beggar, or a thief will likely have kinder opinion of poor people and people who steel for living, likely out of necessity. So simply by being a person with these powers, a typical character is likely to grow sympathetic, which easily leads to curiosity. That's what I suspect would generally occur.

Hope this is helpful XD.

 

[journeyman]

Personally, I'm one of the people that would try to master the magic if for no other reason than to prove to myself whether it can be a good thing or not. Also, I'm as yet not a writer in any capacity. I'm just a voracious reader with a penchant for fantasy and sci-fi. So, there's my bias. As for your character, I think there are two things that really need to be addressed.

The first is the importance of her relationships with her peers and their deeper motivations for not accepting the magic (and her) themselves. Unthinking bias must be anchored by something else and if these are her friends, she should be able to understand some of it. One former friend might feel that magic is "unfair" (either from jealousy or idealism) , another close companion from childhood might feel betrayed by this sudden difference between them, and yet another former friend may consider the harmony of the group of utmost importance and thus exclude your heroine purely as an expression of the will of the majority, despite having no personal bias against it. The possibilities are numerous beyond the unconvincing "the elders say it is wrong" reasoning that they have already been resisting. Anything life changing generally causes people to try a variety of responses until something "clicks" and your bit characters can serve as a reflection of many of these possible responses. This way your reader can almost certainly agree with someone in the story and feel that the setting recognizes their viewpoint as valid, even if it isn't that of the protagonist.

As for your hero... Assuming that the magic is at this point functionally a part of her (rather than just some esoteric knowledge) it is at once a deeply personal thing and yet has strong social constraints associated with it. Not to go for shock value, but it's much like sex in that regard. It holds a great deal of promise for pleasure and possibly even lifelong fulfillment when practiced appropriately, but carries tremendous stigma when practiced in a manner seen as irresponsible or harmful to others. Once the first time has happened outside of the social conventions (marriage in the case of sex, belonging to a different cultural group for your magic), the predominant responses are to either deny or justify. Will she hold out and pretend not have the magic? Hide it from others, explain away events with lies or blatant denials, and generally pretend nothing has changed in the hopes of keeping her friendships as they were? Or will she attempt to justify her possession of the magic and the uses to which she eventually applies it? "It's not my fault/Maybe it's meant to be this way/I'm only using it for good/ect." I find that an audience is often willing to give the hero the benefit of even a flimsy freudian excuse. For dramatic tension, some stories will start with denial and attempt justification only after discovery occurs (or at least becomes inevitable), but that tends to cheapen the justification itself into an obvious excuse rather than a rational basis for the character's actions. Also, justification allows her to explore the concept and preconceptions regarding the magic from a number of angles with different former friends (using arguments suited to their presumed motivations for rejecting it and her). This lets you slip in details of the setting and your central conflict without distracting from the very personal nature of the issue. I suggest getting through the initial shock and denial quickly and then focusing on her attempts to make sense of it and find a way to regain acceptance from her peers (by getting them to accept the magic).

Just my 2 cents. I hope it helps.

 

[Chase Simba]

Here would be my reaction to having magic when I shouldn't/illegal magic.
I am curious at my new powers, but oh so afraid. This should not have happened. Something is wrong with the world/with me. I must keep it hidden and learn to control or remove my powers.
Note: Remove/control option per power
Necromancy-Remove
Elemental-Control
(elemental=fire/water/earth/air/light/darkness/nature/basically everything barring technology, necromancy, and pure arcane energy)
Technological magic-Control
Arcane-Depends on how strong it is.

 

[Amanita]

Thank you @journeyman for giving me your first post here.
My characters peers do have understandable reasons to dislike the magic including some of those you've mentioned but also some rooted in past experiences. To put it shortly: There is the traditional belief that it's evil, the people's grandparents/greatgrandarents have experienced that it is/can be evil and the people themselves have at least suffered something they connect with it.
I'm not shocked when you compare magic to sexuality and I can see what you're getting at with it. Thank you for your ideas.

Chase Simba, I'm sorry, but I don't really get what you're trying to tell me with the second half of your post. Is it possible that you're referring to someone else's magical system?

 

[Starrynight]

This story opener you created is good I'd like to read more of it. It makes me want to read more about how they learn and use thier powers. Sometimes with magic it can be a learning experence to with some comic elements to it. Go with the ideas I'd like to read more.

Starrynight

 

[James Chandler]

The answer to your question lies in another question, which reaction moves the story in the direction you want? Don't decide how the character will react in order to find your story.

 

[Chase Simba]

Sorry if I was a bit confusing. I just don't exactly know what kind of magic the character in question has, or even what system or magic you have, so I gave a general answer. I must have been confusing, because looking back on it now, I can't really say why I wrote it in that particular way.
But I find that it varies on what the magic is, and why it's forbidden. If the magic is forbidden because it's rare, and few people know what it actually does, then I would try to control the magic and just hide it from my normal life. But if it's forbidden because what it does is abhorrent to the society (eg. summoning the dead, killing things and controlling others), then it would feel immoral to keep it.
Sorry about the confusion!
-Chase

 

[Chase Simba]

Also, James Chandler makes a very good point, in that your story should decide what your character does with the magic. I'm sure that certain circumstances would change my opinion of what I would do with magic.

 

[BeigePalladin]

it depends on the characters link to the magic (or a simmilar kind)

the most basic human reaction would be to experiment with the powers, even if in secret, though depending on what the new mage konws about these powers, and their lifestyle, would change this need*. E.G:

*this is a generalised assesment, and is not saying x person would do y, but what they'd do if they where the absolute archetype of the description

Highly diciplined lifestyle - this is the case where they probably wouldn't use the powers except in a controled enviromnet, probably with a colleague/supperior in close proximity. they'd likely only use the powers when it was entierly nececary, thought they'd likely use them when ordered to. unless they the kind of 'diciplined' character that isn't actually diciplined and lives in hollwoodland.

show off/casual character/someone who dosen;t exaclty consider the concequences - This is the character who'd most likely test their powers openly and imediatly, and in front of anyone - if they practice at all, which they might not. It'd likely be the first port of call for a lot of things, just because it's unique to them, and cool

Scholarly - they'd probably go through the same testing process as mr dicipline, though a lot more stingent, and into more than just application. This character would probably spend a lot of time experimenting, and would be the most conciencous about using it before the research was done.

previous posative link to the magic - this is assuming the magic isn't a complete mystery. Perhaps it's something a close freind/relative of theirs sought out all their life, or wanted to revive - or it was something that'd helped a hero of the past, they'd proabaly be very proud of tis, and joyful, and want to at least use it.

previous negative link to the magic - the same scenario as above, but reversed. maybe the friend thing happened, but it killed them, or this magic has soured a close relationship. Maybe the magic has only been seen once before, in the hands of an evil... in this case the magic would be a hidden shame, and something they'd only use as the very last resort/ anger.

awe/resentment - what is the character (not their races) reaction to magic. will they hate themselves for having it, or love the fact they managed to overcome their race's boundry.

add in the social respone to this, and you should be able to come up with something realistic