Unintended Side Effects

 

So you've figured out how your character's powers/magic/anatomy/etc. work. You probably think you're all set to write a bunch of scenes highlighting this and how cool it is. 

But the real question is: are you ready to write them living with it?

The thing is, there are probably unintended side effects that you haven't thought about, or, if you have, you may have brushed them aside, asking yourself why anyone would even care about it anyway. 

This is when you need to sit down and think about it. Readers will notice inconsistencies and unrealistic portrayals. (Though we might as well face the fact that fiction is not reality head-on...) The point is, those details can make or break how good a book is. It could be "good" or it could be "good." 

A great example of unintended side effects is inpenetrable skin. Yeah, it's cool, even handy if you're a character in a superhero world or fighting people with a tendency to use blades, but it can be impractical in certain situations.

Take medical care for example. Inpentrable skin means that unless it is somehow cancelled out, the skin is completely inpenetrable. That means procedures like getting stitches, being vaccinated, having blood drawn, or undergoing surgery are impossible. A blow from a sword will not pierce the skin, but it will cause bruising, possibly internal bleeding, and/or injuries.

So realistically, a character with inpenetrable skin could have a lot of complications with medical care if something goes wrong internally.

There are factors that have to be evaluated when you're writing, and unintended side effects are a big one. And while they may seem like a cumbersome stumbling block, they're also ample oppurtunities for subplots and cool details pertaining to the setting.