Re: Effects of Magic

On Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:47:32 +0100, Jonathan L Cunningham
<spam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
<news:1in3qno.n32pc26y564wN%spam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> in
rec.arts.sf.composition:

Brian M. Scott <b.scott@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:21:26 +0100, Jonathan L Cunningham
<spam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
<news:1in2tx3.10si8a2kumlq8N%spam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> in
rec.arts.sf.composition:

Helen Hall <usenet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

[...]

It's not believable to me either, I'm afraid. If being a
fire mage is a big deal, Ellen shouldn't be telling
people she's only just met, people she has no idea
whether she can trust. It makes the scene inwardly
inconsistent. You say it's terribly important that it's
kept secret, then she blabs to the first person she has
a proper conversation with.

It's believable to me for three reasons:

(a) Some people *are* good judges of character. I don't
tell secrets to people who aren't trustworthy. But I
might to someone who is trustworthy. And, yes, I can
tell.

On essentially no acquaintance? Whether you can or not, I
won't believe it in a story unless that ability is part of
the background and has been established. That's not the
case for Ellen.

Or I believe I can, which is what matters here.

In real life, perhaps, but not if you're Ellen in the story.

Which of three things are you trying to convince me of?

(a) You can't believe it
(b) No one can believe it
(c) I can't believe (and therefore must be lying).

None of the above. I meant exactly what I said: in real
life 'what matters here' may indeed be that you believe that
you can do it, but in the story Ellen's belief that she can
do it is insufficient. I went on to explain that her
character will appear inconsistent unless the reader is
shown that she believes that she has the ability *and* has
good reason for that belief.

[...]

I'm a little surprised at your reaction though: in a story
I'm *more* willing to accept the unlikely. What I can't
accept is the impossible. I don't think Ellen's trust is
impossible.

Of course it's not *impossible*; it is, however, apparently
foolish and therefore out of character. She has been given
no reason to trust Mari with an important secret. Give them
a few days together, and you could make it plausible, but
not when they've just met. And not when the reader has just
been given a glimpse of Mari's mind that makes her look more
than a bit manipulative.

[...]

Clearly some people are naturally more suspicious and
distrusting than I am, although I have not yet bought the
Eiffel Tower from any strangers offering to sell it to
me.

All I can say is that in everyday life I seem to be rather
more trusting than most of the people around me.

Brian
.

Loading