Problem with an Urban Fantasy sideplot set in 'the normal world'

LLRye · Aug 7, 2017

Hi awesome guys and girls. I've been going over some issues in my WIP, and I could really use some input on this one, if you have any.

I'm working on an Urban Fantasy story where the MC is a normal girl who gets thrown into a supernatural conflict. Her most basic motivation is to just get out of this whole mess alive, and get back to a life of relative safety and familiarity. By the end of the book, she realizes that she will never be able to go back to normal life, whether she wants to or not.

In order for this to really work, I wanted to draw a contrast with her normal existence. The story happens over a few weeks, and if her entire motivation is to get back to her non-supernatural life, she wouldn't completely bail on school and such. She'd try to keep things as normal as possible, even as it crumbles around her. I have a gut feeling that this contrast could be an interesting aspect of the book.

Problem is, I don't feel like I can spend too much time on her regular life if nothing is really happening there.

My first instinct was to introduce a side plot that reinforces the themes of the main story. In my first draft, my MC had to decide whether or not to step in to help a bullying victim. But I'm afraid that the contrast might be a double-edged sword; if the 'normal world' side plot is decidedly non-supernatural, I feel like it won't fit in. Readers would likely wonder what that side plot is even doing there, if it's too unconnected to the main story.

My second instinct was to simply let the MC's normal life suffer from the fallout of the main story. No specific side plot, just the typical Spider-Man routine - the MC is falling asleep in class, gets into stress-fueled fights with classmates, and/or has to leave out of nowhere. It could work, maybe. It just feels trite.

I honestly don't know what to do. If any of you guys have any ideas or suggestions, either on how to connect a (relatively) unrelated side plot to the main plot, putting a spin on the more played-out Spider-Man routine, or anything else, I could really use the help.

Myrealana · Aug 7, 2017

Life is what happens while you're making other plans.

Personally, I would like to see that life outside of vampires, ghosts, dragons or whatever still goes on, even if it leaves the MC behind. One of the things that makes Buffy the Vampire Slayer so enduring is that while she's battling real demons, she's also battling the demons we all fight, like tests, bad teachers, boyfriend troubles, etc. Buffy studying for the SAT didn't have to connect to the monster of the week for it to make sense that she felt pressure for both. Conflicting priorities are real, and they can make a high-pressure situation even more tense. Use those conflicts from the mundane world to ramp up the stakes. (She can't go to prom because the world is about to end! Bummer!)

You don't have to spend too much time on her real life to make it clear that things are happening. If the bully plot works, then use it. If you connect it through her thoughts and actions, it won't seem like it's tacked on.

DanaeMcB · Aug 10, 2017

I agree with Myrealana, and the Buffy example was very good. With urban fantasy, I think you have more leeway to show "normal world" stuff than in a high fantasy, for example, because your reader is expecting to see a "normal world" backdrop already. I would generally be more in favor of a subplot line at school rather than just random stresses--in fact, do both. The bully is threatening a kid in the hall, and she's already so tired because she was mediating between vampires until 5 am, and she just can't deal, so she throws her water bottle into the bully's face, and suddenly SHE's seen as the troublemaker. For an example.

Tazlima · Aug 10, 2017

LLRye said:
Problem is, I don't feel like I can spend too much time on her regular life if nothing is really happening there.

So, to start off, +1 to everything said above.

Adding my two cents, I think your problem is the quoted line. Why isn't anything happening in her regular life? People write entire books about real life. Even if she's in a perfect sitcom family and has no major drama in her life, kids stress about grades and studying and planning for the future. Plus, life happens. Literally every child in my city had their life turned upside-down when Hurricane Katrina hit. Moving away, splitting up of families as one parent stayed with them and the other came back to rebuild, starting at new schools, college freshmen suddenly finding themselves needing to apply elsewhere, and those were the ones who DIDN'T lose friends or relatives in the flooding.

If nothing is happening in HER life, odds are something is happening in a friend's life. My good friend's father died suddenly and unexpectedly when we were in High School, and it was awful. I felt so bad for her and her mother, and so powerless and frustrated because there was nothing I or anyone else could do to make it better. I remember stopping by one day, and she was watching an old western film on VHS. I was surprised, because I knew she hated westerns, and asked why she was watching it. "It was my Dad's" she said, "He loved them, so I'm gonna watch them all and learn to love them too."

And if nothing of note is happening to her OR her immediate friends, what about current events? I haven't spoken to my nieces or nephew lately, but I'd imagine they're plenty concerned about the current mess with North Korea.

Ridel · Aug 10, 2017

I might be a bit late to the party!

It depends on what kind of supernatural world you're building. Are the monsters in disguise and she can see them? Or is it like Harry Potter with a separate world?

With the first, maybe she begins to notice that even her normal life has supernatural elements. Maybe a close friend is secretly a supernatural creature and she has to hide that she knows. Or a teacher. This could add a bit of sadness to her struggle because they may have to acknowledge even their familiar life isn't normal.

If it's the second, maybe she fights the bully because of stress and gets detention at a crucial moment. This could add some suspense as she either has to escape the school or deal with the supernatural there.

Just a few ideas.

SheridanEF · Aug 11, 2017

I think it sounds like you have really good potential! To build on your subplot idea, you could also consider using a foil character. If your MC is in school, then chances are she has a best friend or two - perhaps it's even them that is getting bullied. So if you spin it so this best friend doesn't know about the supernatural world, then their focus could be more on the mundane, every day stresses. It could be an interesting way of balancing both sides, but you know your work best!! Good luck

s_nov · Aug 11, 2017

I totally agree with everything above (especially the Buffy example)! It could also be something as simple as a test coming up in a class that she can't study for because she has supernatural things going on. Or maybe the MC has a dream of being the first in her family to go to college, and the supernatural elements severely complicate that dream. It also depends on what sort of urban fantasy you're going for. As an example, in City of Bones, Clary's mortal life became dragged into her supernatural life because of Simon. Forcing those worlds to clash by bringing the normal and supernatural characters together are a good way to create that tension.

Problem with an Urban Fantasy sideplot set in 'the normal world'

LLRye

Myrealana

I aim to misbehave

DanaeMcB

Curious turtle

Tazlima

Ridel

SheridanEF

s_nov