Who cares about the real world?

[Maldeus]

So, I've run into something of a snag in the book I'm writing. I think the book qualifies as urban fantasy, and certainly this sub-forum's dealing with trappings of both modern and fantastic elements at the same time makes you most qualified to help.

I've got one of those things where there's two worlds, the real world and the magical one, and the main characters bounce back and forth between them during the plot. To clarify: It's not one of those things where they go into the magical world at the beginning and don't come out until the end. Every mirror is a portal to this world, and they go in and out of them about once every 5,000 words. The problem I'm having right now is, the entire plot takes place in Otherworld. The main characters technically have good and obvious reasons to want to continue having a life in a world that doesn't regularly try to murder them, but the story doesn't.

Now, the difference between the magical Otherworld and the regular mortal world is kind of key to the feel of the book. It offers a constant contrast of stable mundanity and chaotic, lethal fantasticism. So the solution can't just be "find some way to keep them in Otherworld the entire time, like possibly making the real world not even a thing." I've toyed with the idea of cutting out the real world altogether and decided against it for a number of reasons, and I can rant about those reasons if you want but the main thing for this thread is I'm pretty committed to having a mundane world.

So, how do I make that mundane world worth spending even a small percentage (I'd say about ~15%) of my word count on? This seems like it should be easy, but I'm drawing a blank as to what normal things could seem important when every two or three days you're risking your life. You don't worry about paying the electrical bill when your house is on fire, right?

[rwm4768]

Use the real world time for character development. When they're in the Otherworld, it sounds like they're too busy doing plot stuff. Slow down and let us get to know the characters a bit more. Show us what's important to them when they're not on adventures.

[caliph]

Why not make something happen in the real world, even if it's a mundane problem? Maybe a twist with some sort of family crisis that makes the characters prefer the Otherworld.

[AnnieColleen]

Are the main characters the only ones who can use the mirror-portals? If one of the antagonists knows how to cross, or to influence the real world from the other side - or can scam them into thinking that's what's going on - then ordinary things are suddenly very important, because the first appearance of something not-ordinary means things are about to get worse, and the safe haven/the ordinary mundane life they value is threatened. (I wouldn't take that angle right at first, but it could be something you build up to as the story goes on.)

Or - are they the only ones from the mundane world who can cross over; do they know they are/aren't; do they trust the source of that knowledge? Do they know who each other are? They could start to suspect anyone who's out of touch for any length of time, and even the most ordinary people will start to look a little odd with so much back-and-forth.

That's probably actually your best angle...their own perspective changes, so that it starts to feel a bit surreal to be in these perfectly harmless surroundings, and they start to see the ordinary world in a different way...which would then naturally cause some friction as other people won't get why they're suddenly different. Or why they keep disappearing (unless the mirror-portal affects the flow of time so the absences aren't noticed).


Short version...what happens in the real world needs to tie into the main conflict/character arc somehow. If it's just an interlude, it's boring, no matter what's happening in those intervals. If it ties into the building tension and what your characters do/feel, something like this can make the story a lot deeper and more impactful.

[bettielee]

You could also have some sort of "price" paid for spending too long in the Otherworld. Like if you're not born there, but in the real world, it's difficult to go back and forth, or harder to get back if you spend too long there.

[Yāoguài]

Could real world actions have consequences in the fantastical world?

Your heroes approach the cave wherein the treasure is found, and the guardian cave monster says, "You will not pass." Then he sniffs, and says, "Are you guys from earth? Hell, I'd kill for some brandy from earth."

If you can tie real-world objectives into your storyline in a compelling way, you're gold. Just make sure those real-world objectives create some interesting subplots. Not just "go to the store and buy some brandy."

[Maldeus]

So I can't really think of anything to say except thanks for responding, a lot of these were very helpful.

[RevanWright]

Like rwm, I would say use the real world time for character development, but why stop there? Go for broke. Pull the real world into the drama of the magical world. Give your characters a reason to care about their homes. Raise the stakes and merge the mundane with the chaos at the end, and give them a home they've saved to return to.

I'll stop there, because I'm getting into stride and beginning to sound like Donald Maass...

[wannabe writing]

I like the idea of having a limit to how long you can stay before bad things occur. Especially if it's a choice between finishing something important or some terrifying penalty.

[Tolstoyce]

A limit could be a good idea--I just finished reading Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials series. If you leave your own world and don't return, your life shortens. You're only able to live in a different world for about ten straight years before dying. Pullman also gives a reason as to why the paths between the worlds must be closed. Would something like that work for your novel?

[Dylan Hayes]

I agree about having the real world for character development.

Can the characters travel between worlds any time any place? Or does it have to happen under any circumstances? If it's the latter, then maybe that's why they travel back and forth so often: they don't know when they'll get their next chance.

[xC0000005]

I drive the story forward regardless of where my characters are. They have work that takes them to all sorts of places. Inferno (hell). New Jersey (hell). The Department of Motor Vehicles (hell). At no point do I stop the plot or character development. So my readers follow even when I'm not in fairy tale land (not the actual name, thank goodness), because funny, crazy, or dangerous things are just as likely to happen in "the real world."*



* The Department of Motor Vehicles is only remotely considered real world.

[Laer Carroll]

OK, Maldeus. Your specific question has had some good answers. So why don't we expand the question into one which more of us might have?

An orc, an elf, and a dwarf walk into a bar...

For me the real world refers to settings, characters, and problems we in the mundane world encounter often. Even in fairy land there might be bars, and if so there will be one or more bartenders (cue or avoid bartender clichés). There will be restrooms, which might not smell all that great - especially after an orc or troll has used the toilet!

Or if it's an upscale bar there might be a nifty in the restroom to offer a towel or a magical cologne.

The real world (here or in fairy land) offers us realistic details which make the eerie more convincing because it's surrounded by the ordinary - and at the same time stranger by its contrast with the ordinary, as a bright blood red against a muted background is more eye shocking.

[ironmikezero]

If your portals work both ways, the potential jeopardy your characters must overcome doubles. Ascertain the worst that can happen, and run with it - in both worlds.

[Athanate]

Mirror...reflection. Every time one of your characters uses a mirror to visit the other reality, something from that reality *could* get 'mirrored' the other way. And then your characters have to go back and check if that happened and if something needs fixing. Could play that as comedy or horror or both alternately.

[Myrealana]

Originally Posted by caliph

Why not make something happen in the real world, even if it's a mundane problem? Maybe a twist with some sort of family crisis that makes the characters prefer the Otherworld.

I like this suggestion.

Kind of like Peter Parker needing to pay the rent and make it to class AND fight Doc Oc.

Life is what happens when you're making other plans, you know.

[Wilde_at_heart]

Originally Posted by Maldeus

It offers a constant contrast of stable mundanity and chaotic, lethal fantasticism.

I understand why you want to keep the ordinary world then and as others have said, use it for character development.

However I would add: how reliable is this 'constant'? Is there the possibility that the 'magic world' could disturb the stability of the mundane world and threaten its status in the story as a sanctuary for the main characters? Is their accessing this world something they need to keep secret from others?

Also, since it isn't just one main-character going back and forth, is there some tension between them where one would prefer to stay in one of the worlds while the other wants to be in both, or in the other one, and some other force (like love) compels them to want to be together as well?