Thanks for this thoughtful post! Wonder and awe are main concerns of mine in my own writing. I wonder (hah hah) if looking deeper into what wonder is (the awe kind, but the questioning kind) might help you with how to overcome the block that familiarity brings to creating that hoped for Sense of Wonder. For example, I see the sky every day, but am regularly struck with wonder by the things it does. Familiarity just makes it even more awesome to me! The book Awe by Dacher Keltner has been very helpful to me on this subject, with an underlying thesis that awe (wonder) is anything that creates a connection between the individual and something greater (community, nature, god). So I think maybe the trick of making magic feel wonder-ful is by really understanding where it comes from in your world, and what it means to be able to use it. I hope this makes sense - I’ve only had half a cup of tea yet this morning 🤣
The sky can be a source of wonder in fiction but that requires even more rhetorical chops. Because the most perfect idea needs excellent expression to convey that.
Definitely reminds me of the problem of "power creep" where, in trying to make new things seem more powerful, there must be continual power creep that makes long stories containing power creep difficult.
One of my favourite sci fi stories is "Mother of Learning" which, on reflection, did pretty well with this by having the primordials and angels half in half out of the story, and the old gods completely out of the story. The protagonist becomes a mage of legendary skill by the end of the story, but the world still feels much bigger than them. It's nice.
I also wonder how this relates to wonder in our real world. I've studied electronics and feel electronic schematics are basically systems of magic sigils that allow us to conjure amazing magical artifacts, like computers. It kinda ruffles my feathers how tacitly people accept all the magical things knowledge of electricity and semiconductors has allowed for, but that's human nature. When I was growing up it was just part of the world. It wasn't until I tried to learn how it was made that I felt a sense of wonder.
Do you think you can be surprised when re-examining things you thought were familiar? I think the best wonder is like that. While I took a real analysis class and learned how much work has gone into the real number line and how strange it is made me feel like there had been a space alien in my living room for my whole life and I'd never really payed much attention to it until it was pointed out to me. I suppose that example probably isn't very relatable to most people.
I guess the surprise is the detail you didn't notice you didn't notice.
Noticing something new is the most likely. Other ways include being distracted or forgetful. Avoiding something for a time may surprise you when you return.
One problem is that thinking and feeling are separate faculties, and when one claims your attention, the other can not claim as much.
>thinking and feeling are separate faculties, and when one claims your attention, the other can not claim as much
I don't think I experience thinking and feeling as competing... rather, they seem to thrive off of one another. Being in focused thought, or letting my mind wander often evoke for me quite pleasant feelings.
Thanks for this thoughtful post! Wonder and awe are main concerns of mine in my own writing. I wonder (hah hah) if looking deeper into what wonder is (the awe kind, but the questioning kind) might help you with how to overcome the block that familiarity brings to creating that hoped for Sense of Wonder. For example, I see the sky every day, but am regularly struck with wonder by the things it does. Familiarity just makes it even more awesome to me! The book Awe by Dacher Keltner has been very helpful to me on this subject, with an underlying thesis that awe (wonder) is anything that creates a connection between the individual and something greater (community, nature, god). So I think maybe the trick of making magic feel wonder-ful is by really understanding where it comes from in your world, and what it means to be able to use it. I hope this makes sense - I’ve only had half a cup of tea yet this morning 🤣
The sky can be a source of wonder in fiction but that requires even more rhetorical chops. Because the most perfect idea needs excellent expression to convey that.
I really like this post. Thanks : )
Definitely reminds me of the problem of "power creep" where, in trying to make new things seem more powerful, there must be continual power creep that makes long stories containing power creep difficult.
One of my favourite sci fi stories is "Mother of Learning" which, on reflection, did pretty well with this by having the primordials and angels half in half out of the story, and the old gods completely out of the story. The protagonist becomes a mage of legendary skill by the end of the story, but the world still feels much bigger than them. It's nice.
I also wonder how this relates to wonder in our real world. I've studied electronics and feel electronic schematics are basically systems of magic sigils that allow us to conjure amazing magical artifacts, like computers. It kinda ruffles my feathers how tacitly people accept all the magical things knowledge of electricity and semiconductors has allowed for, but that's human nature. When I was growing up it was just part of the world. It wasn't until I tried to learn how it was made that I felt a sense of wonder.
I'm reminded of EY's "Joy in the Merely Real"
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/x4dG4GhpZH2hgz59x/joy-in-the-merely-real
I wonder how many other things are out there that I just accept that should actually fill me with wonder.
It is so very difficult to feel wonder in something that is not a surprise.
Do you think you can be surprised when re-examining things you thought were familiar? I think the best wonder is like that. While I took a real analysis class and learned how much work has gone into the real number line and how strange it is made me feel like there had been a space alien in my living room for my whole life and I'd never really payed much attention to it until it was pointed out to me. I suppose that example probably isn't very relatable to most people.
I guess the surprise is the detail you didn't notice you didn't notice.
Noticing something new is the most likely. Other ways include being distracted or forgetful. Avoiding something for a time may surprise you when you return.
One problem is that thinking and feeling are separate faculties, and when one claims your attention, the other can not claim as much.
>thinking and feeling are separate faculties, and when one claims your attention, the other can not claim as much
I don't think I experience thinking and feeling as competing... rather, they seem to thrive off of one another. Being in focused thought, or letting my mind wander often evoke for me quite pleasant feelings.