mysterious curses

[marycatelli]

It's one thing to figure out what the curse is, and how it got a loophole.

It's another to figure who laid it, and why.

It is yet a third to figure out how the main character will learn all about this.

Especially if she's not even the butt of the curse, and has no notion why it was laid in the first place.  And is kinda of busy trying to figure out a completely different problem.

That's the fun of trying to have revelations in the tale.  And magic is particularly hard to reveal, since it revolves about action at a distance.  sigh

Comments

[whitefangedwolf.livejournal.com]

Just a few thoughts:

Does it matter if the nature of the curse is not fully revealed?

Can the curse be made a problem for the main character, either directly or indirectly?

Can the information be provided in pieces so that the reader can put the pieces together if they want to?

[marycatelli]

I put the gun on the mantlepiece -- I have to fire it off.

But once the curse explains the heroine's anomalous position, the problem instantly arises, whether it will be a problem for her, too. So leaving it dangling would raise the question of whether she's still in danger -- and whether others are, too.

[whitefangedwolf.livejournal.com]

It sounds like the challenge is giving the heroine enough clues for her to realize that she may be in danger from the curse.

I guess another option is to make someone else realize that it's a possible danger to them but the heroine is the only one who can resolve the issue for them.

[marycatelli]

Someone with magical sources of knowledge will deny that she exists, citing the curse, because she only exists through a none-too-obvious loophole.

Given that she's his heir, the possibility that it may be a problem will occur to her as soon as she has a moment to think.

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

I am intrigued by this story.

[marycatelli]

Well, it's getting what is effectively its first revision pass at the moment -- I had to revise it once before for some structure issues so that produced more like a first draft result.

Which is how I am noticing holes like -- I really didn't fire that gun.

Hope to get it complete.