Hi there! First of all I just wanted to say that I'm amazed at how professional you all are, and thank you for all the advice I've got just by looking round the forum. I'm currently writing a YA fantasy novel and I'm really stuck. One of the characters has an item with magical properties which has been passed down to him by his father. His uncle, his father's brother wants this device desperately but as far as he's concerned it is still with his brother (who is safely out the way) . I basically need an event by which the uncle discovers that his nephew has the device as it spurs the plot forward. Obviously him overhearing a conversation is unbelievably boring! I was just wondering whether anyone had some general ideas? I know this seems like cheating, usually when I get stuck like this I go and do something else and it comes to me eventually but it's been a while now and I'm still staring at a brick wall! Any help would be so appreciated! X
Perhaps he sees evidence the device has been recently used/handled, so he knows it is no longer held by the absent brother.
I have to agree with Cogito. The best way is to have the Uncle be witness or see evidence of the Device.
Are the uncle and nephew on good terms? They could go out somewhere to have a drink or some such, get cornered by thugs, and the kid needs to use the device to escape. If they aren't, i would go with cogito.
I'm with Cogito and Unit7. I think him seeing some evidence that it's been used or is no longer in his brother's possession would be the best way to go.
You could also toy with the idea of the uncle happening upon the boy with the device in his possession, perhaps in a secluded area. I don't know if they have met at this point in the story, but it's a possibility. It could lead to some interesting dialog.
Basically the same as Cog: Perhaps evidence the device is being used by someone who couldn't be his bro. Reports of inexplicable flashes of light in a shady district of town, hundreds of miles away from where he knows his brother is, maybe. i think starting this uncle on the road to revelation might be more compelling than suddenly discovering his nephew has it. maybe a combo of both
Maybe the incle has a device or artifact that is somehow connected the the device in question, so that when it is used or even handled, the uncle is aware of it on some level. Every time your character handles or uses the device, the uncle gets closer to tracking it, and your main character, down.
Just and idea, because this may change your whole story...but... what if the uncle had the second of the set of magical items and the two together have immense powers. but the boy has to keep it away from his uncle because he will misuse it. then you can go on about how the uncle tries to get it back and in the end the boy ends up with both of them and destroys them or something... just wanted to open my mind to this idea, i hoped i helped if not no harm done.
Thank you so much guys! And Cogito and lightcrawler I think you hit the nail on the head. The uncle actually does have another device which he needs his brother's device to activate so that makes perfect sense that they'd react to each other. I also like the idea of making the revelation more gradual . . . *runs off to make plan* Thanks again!
Looks like you got it, but you could also have the father somehow warn the son that using the item could be disastrous and then press the MC into a situation where he simply MUST use it, therefore alerting his uncle. You could even make it so the son doesn't know it's his uncle who poses the threat.
