So you've been itching to write a marriage law fanfiction, but don't know where to begin the writing process? Look no further.
Writing this type of fic is like making potato salad: everyone's tried their hand at it, but there are only a few recipes you want to see brought to the cookout. But don't worry, with the proper amount of hand-holding and useful tips, we're certain this guide will be the only thing you need to earn your Golden Pass into the world of backyard cookouts…err, well-loved fanfiction.
An inexperienced writer may see the start of this grandiose project as a great time to begin the process of worldbuilding. They might receive all sorts of ludicrous ideas during their drafting and research process. For instance, why would an otherwise democratic 'magical' United Kingdom allow for the major amendment to occur in a matter of days that overhauls its citizens' rights to freedom of choice in terms of marriage partners? What sort of forces the Ministry of Magic would need to send out to force compliance? Why are magical citizens so eager and quick to accept this law despite usually valuing their freedom of choice?
After all, outside obstacles that affect inner values create a compelling conflict for the base of your story. It allows for a multi-layered narrative that is both interesting to read and makes readers question their surroundings.
Well, let's not follow their example.
Such background information will bore your readers who are reading your fanfiction with one goal in mind: to see their favourite characters have sex fall in love.
What you REALLY should do before beginning your fic is choose your OTP (One True Pairing) that will find love in the direst of moments.
In this guide, divided into subsections for your convenience, you will learn the integral structure of this beloved trope, some pitfalls to avoid, and some clever bits to add. The guide uses imaginary examples to protect the innocent.
Part 1 : the announcement
Imagine this…
Your character is about to experience a life-changing event. They're a month away from writing their O.W.L. exams and graduating from Hogwarts. They're about to be promoted to a respectable position in the Magical Ministry that they have slaved day and night to achieve. Their partner of four years has booked a reservation at the most expensive restaurant in Diagon Alley and your character is sure they're about to pop that all-important question on bended knee, diamond ring in hand.
Then it happens. The marriage law. How utterly inconvenient, not to mention that it overhauls your character's goals and dreams entirely, placing their singularity focus on their future partner.
A great way to introduce the announcement is to make use of the infamous owl mail system. Convenient and infinitely magical. Nothing says quick propaganda than a pamphlet dropped by a bird from the sky.
If one of your characters is a teenager\student, the use of a Professor or Headmaster to be the messenger of bad news can be effective. The more ominous, unsympathetic and out-of-character the adult the better. Bonus points if it is Umbridge or Dumbledore.
What is key here is to not dwell to deep on your characters' personal feelings about the validity of the marriage law. They neither need to question the choices of their political leaders nor protest the law by writing to their candidates or debating the process. Such thought process' will only make your readers question the believability of your story.
Like adding a bandage on top of a fully formed pimple on your forehead, drawing any attention to plot inconsistencies and lack of research is bound to unhinge the foundation of your otherwise fantastic smut romance.
"
Hermione, Harry and Ron are washing down chicken drumsticks with Butterbeer in the Great Hall when a flock of mail owls drops burning red letters into their laps. Upon scanning the text, Harry shrieks. "A MARRIAGE LAW? Do wizards have those?"
"They do now," says the sensible Hermione, pushing aside the Astronomy Tower-high pile of textbooks and parchments aside. "It says that we'll be required to pair up and will be receiving word on our partners by the end of the week."
The boys' eyes hold every question in the world, but Hermione is unmovable. Quicker than she can say Wingardium Leviosa, she instantly puts all faith in the wizarding government and does not question its choices, conveniently forgetting the hundreds of times she's questioned and argued with every imaginable rule in Hogwarts.
"I hope I get paired up with Lavander Brown or Padma Patil," Ron says wistfully. He knows there's a gain to be had here.
And I- with Ginny, Harry thinks to himself, glancing bashfully at Ron.
Across the room, Severus Snape, the bat-like tyrant of the dungeons scans his own letter, instantly crumpling it up and sending it into flames in his palm.
"It appears there is a lack of Wiccan offspring and the government yet again pries into our personal lives to extract them," he mumbles. He hates children, so obviously this law is an arse to him.
"
If you truly must give a reason for enacting the marriage law, the reason must be vague or too complicated to explain in the allocated word count and, given with very limited details and instantly accepted by all the law-abiding characters of the Harry Potter universe. In a pinch, you can choose from the following options:
- Replenishing the wizarding population after the Battle of Hogwarts
- Punishment is given by the largely masculine population of the Wizengameot to keep witches out of the workforce
- The need to uphold the image of a family-oriented society by a tyrannical ruler (aka Voldemort)
- A sex magic curse that inconveniently forces your OTP to want to fuck each other's brains out, out of which arises the need to marry them to…keep up appearances
- Protection of the students by marrying them off to professors (aka Protecting a member of the Golden Trio from the inevitable influence of Voldemort)
- The "Marry a Death Eater" auction has come to town
At the end of the day, remember even if your readers will find inconsistencies in your worldbuilding, they will be too enthralled with the romance to even comment on it.
Ignorance is strength - George Orwell.
