Smart Witches with Science Degrees
Earlier this week my sister told me about the book and TV series A Discovery of Witches (DoW), vaguely mentioning a biochemist and a heroine who is discovering her magical powers.
In proper leap-without-thinking response, I immediately went into panic mode before I processed the information.
““Why panic?” you ask.”
I’m normally thrilled to learn of new titles in the fantasy, sci-fi and romance genres. But this revelation sucked the air out of my universe since I am writing a book about a biochemist discovering her magic.
I know in my heart that these stories are going to be completely different. But damn, biochemists? Witches? Coming into heroine’s powers? That means that by the time my book comes out, mine is basically going to look like a knockoff. These were my initial thoughts.
So I took the week to do a little reconnaissance (aka, read the book). Allow me to share my journey.
Sun 9/19. I discovered the book DoW, about a biochemist coming into her magical powers. My sister never actually said “a biochemist coming into her powers”. I just heard the keywords and my brain put together it’s own narrative.
It turns out that Discovery of Witches has been on my reading list for ages, so my initial panic was a wee bit ridiculous. Why have I not read this work of witchy fiction? A mystery.
Mon 9/20 I started listening to DoW. It’s 22-hours long.
Initial observations. MC is a science historian, which is pretty cool. The vampire boyfriend is the biochemist. I like vampires, but none appear in my book. In my work in progress (WIP), my MC is the biochemist. DoW takes place in foggy Oxford; mine takes place in sunny central Texas. Already, my book is not a copy of DoW. So far so good.
This book is very detailed. I don’t know that it needs to be 594 pages long.
Tues 9/21 Harkness’ witches have power that don’t require props like spells, wands or arcane circles. Which is fine, although it’s a little outside the lore. It’s why I chose to write about mages, which are different if you are faithful to witch mythology (the magical kind, not the Wicca kind).
I want to go on record as saying that I am a huge fan of deviating from existing lore. I especially love when the author does so thoughtfully and creatively. Check out Mythcreants for a discussion (among many) on witchy stuff.
If my supernaturals are similar to anyone’s it is the mages from Ilona Andrew’s Hidden Legacy universe, which are also set in Texas. The Hidden Legacy series, however, is more urban fantasy.
I’m feeling better, while enjoying a new to me title.
Wed 9/22 Ancient magical texts feature prominently in my book and DoW. So that’s something for me to keep an eye on. In my book, a set of grimoires are a central plot element. That actually does make me nervous. In both stories, the magical volumes are at the center of a mystery.
On the other hand, my story doesn’t have demons. Also mage folk are out in my world. People seek out magical midwives to assist with problematic pregnancies the way people might have sought out an apothecary in the 1600s. The differences keep mounting.
I’m hoping that the books’ histories make the stories sufficiently different. After all, grimoires and magical texts are a staple of witchy stories.
Thurs 9/23 I managed to talk myself off the ceiling. My story and voice are different enough to allow my book to stand on its own within the genre. The real question is whether it will be good enough to sell. That’s where craft and perseverance will step in to make my characters, their universe, and their stories appealing to readers.
Conclusion. While checking all the boxes for fantasy and supernatural romance, the comparison between the two books highlights the way individual creativity and talent produce variety.
Fantasy is a genre where magical and supernatural elements exist in a fictional world. The possibilities are endless. The same is true for book smart witches that kick ass.
There are so many worlds and characters in the fantasy, romance, and all the subgenres that my initial worry seems silly now. I continue to plug away.