help getting this to fall together?

satyesu · Jul 29, 2009

My novel's story has good characters and drama therebetween (I hope), and the crux of the 'main plot' is the philosopher's stone. Hence alchemy, one would think, would be a large part of the setting. The best way I can think of it to work is to take matter, break it down and separate the essences via burning, dissolution, etc and then by will change its Sulfur (more or less the atomic number - that which determines its unique characteristics) and its Mercury (the 'blueprint' of the end product). But the uses of being able to transmute a substance seems limited to my narrow mind, let alone such power in a world with primitive (compared to ours) chemistry.

So I tried adding 'magic' as a different force, in the form of using one's own power or bartering it for a desired effect with what are sort of 'planetary spirits' whose powers are impressive but who have a strong desire for the life energy of truly living beings.

My problem now is how to make alchemy an important force in this society. Is turning lead to gold (which will mess heavily with the economy) and a panacea (of which, to fit well with the plot, the stone would likely be a key ingredient and not a source) be enough to make alchemy comparable in usefulness to magic? If not, how can I balance the two?

P.S. (*spoilers*) One thing I had planned for the later chapters was to have the villain cause a wmd-force explosion by converting matter to energy a la E=mc^2. Is this too predictable?

AceTachyon · Jul 29, 2009

Won't your characters "decide" how it will all fall together? After all, they're going to be the focus of the story, right? One or more of them have a stake of some sort in whatever conflict stems from the "crux" of the plot, yes?

Maybe a battle between magic-users and alchemists for control of the world or society or something? And within that, a further battle between factions within each camp? And the characters are swept up in it or are directly affected by it?

Ruv Draba · Jul 29, 2009

satyesu said:
My novel's story has good characters and drama therebetween (I hope), and the crux of the 'main plot' is the philosopher's stone.

Here I wanted to ask 'so what'? Yes, there's a substance with extraordinary power -- but how does it impact the main characters and why is that impact worse than anything else? And why is the impact to those characters worse than the impact to any other characters?

For comparison:

Frodo inherits a magic ring from his uncle

So what?

Well, it's the One Ring -- the most powerful ring in the world, and the nastiest, most evil being in the world wants it

So what?

So Frodo's in enormous danger until the ring can either be handed to someone else or destroyed

So what?

So he can't just hand it to anyone else -- it seduces whoever holds it. Frodo, by reason of his ethnicity, is strangely resistant to its lure.

So what?

So he has to destroy it, or the Big Bad will get it and destroy the world.

So what?

So the destruction will require him to bring the ring to an Especially Nasty Spot under the Big Bad's very nose!

So what?

So Frodo's a guy who's never left home. He knows nothing about the world, he likes his comforts and his idea of a bad day is if the milkman forgets to deliver. He's curious about his uncle's adventures but utterly naïve about how much danger and bother they are.

Ah.

My problem now is how to make alchemy an important force in this society.

Actually, I don't think that's your problem. Alchemy merely needs to be credible in your setting. But what will matter is the 'so what' about its role in your plot.

Is turning lead to gold (which will mess heavily with the economy) and a panacea (of which, to fit well with the plot, the stone would likely be a key ingredient and not a source) be enough to make alchemy comparable in usefulness to magic? If not, how can I balance the two?

Who cares? As long as alchemy is credible in society then it's credible in your setting. What will make alchemy the right choice for your plot though is the 'so what'.

One thing I had planned for the later chapters was to have the villain cause a wmd-force explosion by converting matter to energy a la E=mc^2. Is this too predictable?

Again, so what? Why is this the worst thing to happen to your major characters, and why are they the worst characters for it to happen to?

Here's a made-up tale idea for illustration:

Boffo the Prentice Alchemist hates his job. Alchemy as an Art has fallen into disrepute as being slow, messy, unreliable, and largely impotent. All the good mystics now prefer sorcery or religion.

So why doesn't he get another job?

Boffo is the youngest of six and and was conceived late in life. The other kids all got apprenticed to better trades, but apprenticeships are expensive, guilds are picky and jealous, and Boffo's family are poor.

Okay, so what?

So Boffo thinks he's doomed to being poor, mocked and working for idealistic fools for the rest of his life. But then he comes across an ancient recipe for the Philosopher's Stone.

Okay, so what?

So at first he thinks nothing of that -- there must be thousands of dud Philosopher's Stone recipes. But a man was murdered over this recipe, and Boffo's afraid.

So why not hand the recipe in to the authorities?

There was a sorcery on the recipe to prevent the secret from getting out. The writing faded as he read it. All he has now is blank parchment. He can't write it out either, because all he can remember now is the first step.

So why didn't the last guy read the recipe?

To prevent the secret from falling into the wrong hands, the recipe was written in an old Alchemist's Code. Boffo spent some time cracking the code. When he succeeded, the writing faded. Now he's stuck, and the Baddies are starting to suspect that someone among the few remaining alchemists in town has the recipe.

So what?

So he can't give the recipe back, and the Baddies are starting to abduct alchemists and torture them for information. He can't go to the authorities about the Stone recipe -- nobody thinks alchemy is worth killing over, and they wouldn't believe him. Even his Master doesn't believe him. The only hope he has is to try and make up the Stone himself -- give it to the baddies and make them go away.

So what?

So at the moment he only remembers the first step but that's okay because the later steps will come to him as he completes each one. But the first step is insanely dangerous, and Boffo is not only a mere Prentice but the biggest klutz in town.

Ah.

Hope that helps.

Ruv Draba · Jul 29, 2009

Here's how you can validate your 'So what' design, by the way...

Why these events are the very worst thing that could happen to Boffo...

Because far worse than being a klutz in an irrelevant trade is to be a klutz in a trade that's Critical and of National Importance. Worse still is to be the only klutz who can look after the National Interests, and an apprentice at that.

Why Boffo is the very worst character to suffer these events...

Because he's a klutz with low expectation of himself, and very little skill. Because his family, his master, and society at large think he's worthless, and he himself doesn't believe in his own profession.

Why Boffo is the very best character to suffer these events...

Because if he can overcome his lack of self-faith he can overcome his clumsiness and other peoples' dismissal of him. Because what better way to restore a discarded profession than with a dismissable character? Because what reader hasn't felt overlooked sometimes, and trapped in useless work, and wishing they could just once do something Useful and Important? And what reader hasn't been hampered by their own lack of faith in themselves?

Why alchemy is the very best speculative premise to support this story:

It's messy, dangerous, unpredictable and hard to believe in -- much like Boffo. But it's also about the transmutation of worthless to valuable. That's the meaning of Boffo's journey too.

Smashfiction · Jul 29, 2009

Ruv Draba said:
Here I wanted to ask 'so what'? Yes, there's a substance with extraordinary power -- but how does it impact the main characters and why is that impact worse than anything else? And why is the impact to those characters worse than the impact to any other characters?

For comparison:
Frodo inherits a magic ring from his uncle
So what?
Well, it's the One Ring -- the most powerful ring in the world, and the nastiest, most evil being in the world wants it
So what?
So Frodo's in enormous danger until the ring can either be handed to someone else or destroyed
So what?
So he can't just hand it to anyone else -- it seduces whoever holds it. Frodo, by reason of his ethnicity, is strangely resistant to its lure.
So what?
So he has to destroy it, or the Big Bad will get it and destroy the world.
So what?
So the destruction will require him to bring the ring to an Especially Nasty Spot under the Big Bad's very nose!
So what?
So Frodo's a guy who's never left home. He knows nothing about the world, he likes his comforts and his idea of a bad day is if the milkman forgets to deliver. He's curious about his uncle's adventures but utterly naïve about how much danger and bother they are.
Ah.
Actually, I don't think that's your problem. Alchemy merely needs to be credible in your setting. But what will matter is the 'so what' about its role in your plot.

Who cares? As long as alchemy is credible in society then it's credible in your setting. What will make alchemy the right choice for your plot though is the 'so what'.

Again, so what? Why is this the worst thing to happen to your major characters, and why are they the worst characters for it to happen to?

Here's a made-up tale idea for illustration:
Boffo the Prentice Alchemist hates his job. Alchemy as an Art has fallen into disrepute as being slow, messy, unreliable, and largely impotent. All the good mystics now prefer sorcery or religion.
So why doesn't he get another job?
Boffo is the youngest of six and and was conceived late in life. The other kids all got apprenticed to better trades, but apprenticeships are expensive, guilds are picky and jealous, and Boffo's family are poor.
Okay, so what?
So Boffo thinks he's doomed to being poor, mocked and working for idealistic fools for the rest of his life. But then he comes across an ancient recipe for the Philosopher's Stone.
Okay, so what?
So at first he thinks nothing of that -- there must be thousands of dud Philosopher's Stone recipes. But a man was murdered over this recipe, and Boffo's afraid.
So why not hand the recipe in to the authorities?
There was a sorcery on the recipe to prevent the secret from getting out. The writing faded as he read it. All he has now is blank parchment. He can't write it out either, because all he can remember now is the first step.
So why didn't the last guy read the recipe?
To prevent the secret from falling into the wrong hands, the recipe was written in an old Alchemist's Code. Boffo spent some time cracking the code. When he succeeded, the writing faded. Now he's stuck, and the Baddies are starting to suspect that someone among the few remaining alchemists in town has the recipe.
So what?
So he can't give the recipe back, and the Baddies are starting to abduct alchemists and torture them for information. He can't go to the authorities about the Stone recipe -- nobody thinks alchemy is worth killing over, and they wouldn't believe him. Even his Master doesn't believe him. The only hope he has is to try and make up the Stone himself -- give it to the baddies and make them go away.
So what?
So at the moment he only remembers the first step but that's okay because the later steps will come to him as he completes each one. But the first step is insanely dangerous, and Boffo is not only a mere Prentice but the biggest klutz in town.
Ah.
Hope that helps.

this sounds like the begginings of some brilliant Terry Pratchett number. gotta love that guy.

on topic, i totally agree with this whole 'so what' theory, its very well-put. run your story through like an olde vest through a wrangler.

help getting this to fall together?

satyesu

AceTachyon

Odd person

Ruv Draba

Ruv Draba

Smashfiction

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