Teen witch character help

[Matrix Refugee (formerly Morraeon)]

I'm working on another urban fantasy story, and I'm creating a mildly magically gifted teen witch character who's of the "fluffy-bunny" Wiccan variety, ie. the sort who's read Silver Ravenwolf a few times too many, and now thinks they're the Goddess's gift of sweetness and light to the universe. The plot requires her to have a kind of evaluation by a veteran magical practitioner who's a bit of a polite religious skeptic. I'm trying to figure out a way for the polite skeptic to bring our girl back down to earth, in such a way that it doesn't look like I'm bashing Wicca, or that the skeptic isn't a mean guy, he's just trying to give her a more realistic view of magic (ie. that it can't fix everything, and it shouldn't be used when practical common garden things can be used with greater and more lasting effect), and that our girl really is a good kid who means well, but who still has a *lot* to learn. Any and all suggestions will be greatly and gratefully appreciated!

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

I'm working on another urban fantasy story, and I'm creating a mildly magically gifted teen witch character who's of the "fluffy-bunny" Wiccan variety, ie. the sort who's read Silver Ravenwolf a few times too many, and now thinks they're the Goddess's gift of sweetness and light to the universe. The plot requires her to have a kind of evaluation by a veteran magical practitioner who's a bit of a polite religious skeptic. I'm trying to figure out a way for the polite skeptic to bring our girl back down to earth, in such a way that it doesn't look like I'm bashing Wicca, or that the skeptic isn't a mean guy, he's just trying to give her a more realistic view of magic (ie. that it can't fix everything, and it shouldn't be used when practical common garden things can be used with greater and more lasting effect), and that our girl really is a good kid who means well, but who still has a *lot* to learn. Any and all suggestions will be greatly and gratefully appreciated!

Having that sort of conversation seems likely to be a difficult line for the mentor to walk, between not actually getting through her convictions in re how the universe works on one hand, and not being mean or reading to her as mean on the other.  Were I that mentor, I would try to arrange relatively small demonstrations of the principle - preferably in ways that don't cost anyone too much - and wait for the student to start querying them herself before starting the conversation; though I can see Plot Happening in such a way as to force that before they were ready, and a demonstration on that scale going wrong because she tries to intervene, from the wrong direction, and makes it much worse, is what my hindbrain then immediately thinks.

What POV are you writing this from ?  I can see it being immense fun to do first-person girl, because of the challenge of getting the sceptic's views and reactions clearly across to the reader without the girl actually reading them correctly, but that may also just be me.

[Matrix Refugee (formerly Morraeon)]

What POV are you writing this from ?  I can see it being immense fun to do first-person girl, because of the challenge of getting the sceptic's views and reactions clearly across to the reader without the girl actually reading them correctly, but that may also just be me.

I'm thinking of running it from the skeptic's viewpoint, mostly because it's easier to write, since, while I the writer deeply respect Wicca and what it means, I tend to be a bit guarded around the "fluffy-bunny" types. But it might be more fun to write it from the girl's POV, since it would be fun to have her go through the usual teenaged "U MEENIE! HOW DAR U DIZAGRE WIT MEEEeeee!!!!!!!1111" kind of thinking, and then have her thinking mature a little by the end of the story.

[DragonFire]

I'm thinking of running it from the skeptic's viewpoint, mostly because it's easier to write, since, while I the writer deeply respect Wicca and what it means, I tend to be a bit guarded around the "fluffy-bunny" types. But it might be more fun to write it from the girl's POV, since it would be fun to have her go through the usual teenaged "U MEENIE! HOW DAR U DIZAGRE WIT MEEEeeee!!!!!!!1111" kind of thinking, and then have her thinking mature a little by the end of the story.

Do a Molly.

Have her screw up in such a way that the mentor HAS to bail her out.
Then....have the screw up be because of her worldview, or rather, her inability to process anything OUTSIDE of her worldview.

Then have the mentor tell her some home truths, possibly over a cup of tea....

My suggestion is to avoid having her come out with the mentor's exact opinion though, otherwise it looks like brainwashing.

[Matrix Refugee (formerly Morraeon)]

Do a Molly.

Have her screw up in such a way that the mentor HAS to bail her out.
Then....have the screw up be because of her worldview, or rather, her inability to process anything OUTSIDE of her worldview.

Then have the mentor tell her some home truths, possibly over a cup of tea....

My suggestion is to avoid having her come out with the mentor's exact opinion though, otherwise it looks like brainwashing.

Heh... I'm actually thinking of having a love potion involved somehow. I've flipped through Silver RavenWolf's "Teen Witch" (eurgh... I want that ten minutes of my life back. While she does a good job describing things in terms teens can understand, every level-headed Wiccan friend of mine has called it "how *NOT* to teach Wicca to young people") and while the love spells aren't right on page one, she certainly doesn't keep them on the lowdown, either. I'm seeing the girl -- let's call her Sarah SilverRaven for obvious reasons -- consider the skeptic who confronts her, to be a jerk all along, even at the end when she starts to grasp what he's trying to tell her, but that she finally does start to realize grudgingly that he's got a point.

[DragonFire]

Heh... I'm actually thinking of having a love potion involved somehow. I've flipped through Silver RavenWolf's "Teen Witch" (eurgh... I want that ten minutes of my life back. While she does a good job describing things in terms teens can understand, every level-headed Wiccan friend of mine has called it "how *NOT* to teach Wicca to young people") and while the love spells aren't right on page one, she certainly doesn't keep them on the lowdown, either. I'm seeing the girl -- let's call her Sarah SilverRaven for obvious reasons -- consider the skeptic who confronts her, to be a jerk all along, even at the end when she starts to grasp what he's trying to tell her, but that she finally does start to realize grudgingly that he's got a point.

The best love potion backfire is in 'The Craft', where the guy not only loves her, he becomes OBSESSED with her, to the point I think he tries to assult her.

I suppose the other point is how you have your mentor and character interact...you don't want them to come off 2-D.

[Matrix Refugee (formerly Morraeon)]

I suppose the other point is how you have your mentor and character interact...you don't want them to come off 2-D.

Mm, especially since I'm trying to keep this story from turning into a novel. :: Laughs, gently::

[ballplayer72]

Do a Molly.

Have her screw up in such a way that the mentor HAS to bail her out.
Then....have the screw up be because of her worldview, or rather, her inability to process anything OUTSIDE of her worldview.

Then have the mentor tell her some home truths, possibly over a cup of tea....

My suggestion is to avoid having her come out with the mentor's exact opinion though, otherwise it looks like brainwashing.

I agree with Sabre, she has to royally screw up with magic for the best possible reason. Maybe point out that she doesn't know anything much.

[DragonFire]

I agree with Sabre, she has to royally screw up with magic for the best possible reason. Maybe point out that she doesn't know anything much.

There was a Merceded Lackey story, and it had a minor character who was a very powerful pyschic. She also believed that everything just needed a big hug to be ok....ie evil creatures weren't really evil, just misunderstood.
The character talking to her was reflecting it was only this woman's very large amount of power that had prevented her from a rude awakening.

I believe the character is later eaten by an evil spiritual entity.

My point is, her worldview sounds very similar to the one you want your teen witch to have, so maybe you could do something like that?
Have her summon something she can't control...and have it nearly eat her...all because she THOUGHT it wasn't really 'bad', just 'mizunderstoods'.

[Matrix Refugee (formerly Morraeon)]

There was a Merceded Lackey story, and it had a minor character who was a very powerful pyschic. She also believed that everything just needed a big hug to be ok....ie evil creatures weren't really evil, just misunderstood.
The character talking to her was reflecting it was only this woman's very large amount of power that had prevented her from a rude awakening.

I believe the character is later eaten by an evil spiritual entity.

My point is, her worldview sounds very similar to the one you want your teen witch to have, so maybe you could do something like that?
Have her summon something she can't control...and have it nearly eat her...all because she THOUGHT it wasn't really 'bad', just 'mizunderstoods'.

:: Snerks:: Bolding mind, and that's pretty much the worldview of the fluffy-bunnies. I've actually got another story on the back-burner with a similar plot line, but I might use this. Wonder if there's some way that she summons some kind of love god/dess or something like it and the critter gets out of hand, as I'm still working from the love spell-gone-awry angle.

[DragonFire]

:: Snerks:: Bolding mind, and that's pretty much the worldview of the fluffy-bunnies. I've actually got another story on the back-burner with a similar plot line, but I might use this. Wonder if there's some way that she summons some kind of love god/dess or something like it and the critter gets out of hand, as I'm still working from the love spell-gone-awry angle.

Well, depending on how 'fluffy' you want it, why not a love elemental??

[Matrix Refugee (formerly Morraeon)]

Well, depending on how 'fluffy' you want it, why not a love elemental??

HAH! Perfect. I think I have everything now but the "I warned you about this sort of thing..."/"But itz just mizunderstood!!1111" conversation between our girl and her mentor, but that's something I'll have to work on.

[DragonFire]

HAH! Perfect. I think I have everything now but the "I warned you about this sort of thing..."/"But itz just mizunderstood!!1111" conversation between our girl and her mentor, but that's something I'll have to work on.

Glad I could help....good luck!!

[The Corvidian]

HAH! Perfect. I think I have everything now but the "I warned you about this sort of thing..."/"But itz just mizunderstood!!1111" conversation between our girl and her mentor, but that's something I'll have to work on.

But it turns into a Lust elemental.

[Matrix Refugee (formerly Morraeon)]

But it turns into a Lust elemental.

You read my mind :: Eeeeevil smirk::