Revisiting Imbuers Local #451

Feeling I need to write much more good now that I’ve read that Scene and Structure book bogs me down to the point of not writing at all. O, irony.

One of the themes I float around here is the idea of a company of mages.  Group, guild, gang, board, company, something organized.  Something nearly corporate and business-like.  The solitary magician (plus mentor) thing is an old pair of jeans: comfortable but so worn out that I’d rather not wear them in public.  I’m not talking Harry Potter either.  That was a bunch of solitary magician’s in the same place.  I’m talking like a team of software developers or a gaggle of engineers or even a house framing crew.  The caliber of organization that built the pyramids or Empire State Building.  Magician’s working in concert to create a single substantial product.

I want to write the union of folks who make the magic swords and rings and boots and cloaks and carpets.  I’d like to semi-institutionalize the whole thing.

  • Riffing from my newly uncovered tool of thwarting the main character’s self-concept I’m going to define some thoughts on the self-concept of such a group first them I’ll dig out an individual or two.
  • A profit over product mindset
  • Promoting a status quo internal process while trying to grow revenue
  • Protecting a quality public image
  • Appeasing or impressing investors|benefactors
  • Dealing with contracts, customers, regulatory agencies, and competition
  • Keeping up with grueling release and innovation cycles
  • Sales people

That first round came out a little more negative than I’d have hoped.  All those things have places, but I’d rather our hero organization not be too monolithic or too tainted.

More stuff in my head than ways to write it out with words.  Think I’ll take this to the whiteboard.

Day 406