Magic doesn’t work for me.  I am working on an urban fantasy, but I can’t explain things away by having my characters wield magic.  I need a scientific explanation that sounds plausible.  I guess this is why writing science fiction romance works better for me.  So does creating adventures on other planets.  I can’t get into vampires, werewolves, demons, or ghouls in contemporary settings that are so popular today.  And yet I enjoyed the Harry Potter series and all the creatures therein.  A character wants to transport himself somewhere else?  He apparates.  No explanation necessary.  

In creating my own work of fiction, I need a more solid back story.  So I use technobabble, otherwise known as pseudo-scientific jargon, that appears to be a reasonable explanation for the process at work. I have to figure everything out.  How do the heroes defend themselves against the bad guys?  If they can shoot lightning bolts from their hands, how come?  If the evil trolls can cast a spell on people, how does it work?  So in chapter two when a battle erupts, I have to pause to figure out exactly how my hero remains unaffected by the evil being’s touch, the means through which they confound their victims.  Is he wearing body armor?  Does he coat his skin with a protective chemical substance?  If he closes his pores, how does he sweat in the heat?  So this chemical would have to be permeable.  And so on. You see, a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, I am not.  Give me Star Trek any day.  Now bring it to Earth with a bit of humor, like Star Trek IV; mix in some evil guys bent on conquering the world; combine sexy futuristic warriors with a sassy American female; add a weird theme park setting, and there we are.  You’re in my universe.

Believe it or not, lots of 'magick' is based on sciences of varying sorts.

Take lightning from hands for example. Say the person, since the body is already full of electrical energies focuses it through one method or the other, mental, meditation, what have you. Could gathers the charge from the atmosphere and channels it, all sorts of methods. Quartz crystals often work, being chock full of the stuff, just look at the 'lightning' charge released when pressure is placed upon them during earth shifts.

Yes, I know, no real details even in that, yet for a start off the cuff from someone whom has not slept in almost two days... ;)

By the way, I do write this stuff sometimes. Helps owning an occult book and gift shop. Chuckles.

Ever want to connect up, just let me know.

Cheers and keep the virtual pen flowing,
Melissa

Those are great ideas, Melissa. You know, in the sci fi shows I watch, they explain magic as actually being advanced technology that we don't yet understand. Consider cell phones. Someone from ancient times would believe it to be magic to hear us talking to someone invisible. I don't know that I believe in the power of crystals myself, but then again, they use them to power the ships on Stargate. And in fiction, anything is possible.

Don't forget Liquid Crystal Monitors are often handy ;)(Hard to believe all this computer tech came about through liquid crystals in carrots. See good old Wiki-p for that.) Still, that is what I meant by crystals, the actual, documented physical properties.

Cheers!
Melissa

Yeah, I forgot about liquid crystals. Hmm, will have to look that one up.