Give a Man a Hammer (or Other Cool Ability): Fifty-Seven Ways it Can Be Used

I wrote Tuesday about how to make magic, the supernatural, or paranormal abilities believable in your story. Well, I skipped one—because it doesn’t have to do with the magic system, per se, but with how your characters will respond to a world where magic—or their cool technology,  works.

You know that old saying, to a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail? I’d argue that the same holds true for your characters. If they have a magical or paranormal ability, chances are that they will turn to it to solve a variety of nonmagical problems.

Take the following list of actions and ask yourself: how can my character accomplish these using his or her unique abilities?

1. Play
2. Show off
3. Cheat
4. Win
5. Excel
6. Screw up
7. Hurt someone accidentally
8. Hurt some intentionally
9. Embarrass themselves
10. Hide
11. Run
12. Solve a puzzle
13. Create a puzzle
14. Dominate
15. Intimidate
16. Trap someone
17. Spy
18. Eavesdrop
19. Work
20. Earn money
21. Break into somewhere
22. Break out of somewhere
23. Mislead someone
24. Catch someone
25. Be overconfident
26. Make a mistake
27. Lose a contest
28. Fight
29. Control a situation
30. Waste time
31. Goof off
32. Impress a girl/guy
33. Protect something
34. Keep a secret
35. Travel
36. Overcome a character flaw
37. Heal someone
38. Befriend an animal
39. Accomplish basic household tasks
40. Run for office
41. Win popularity
42. Fool someone
43. Boast
44. Cheer someone up
45. Irritate someone
46. Repair something broken
47. Break something
48. Sabotage something
49. Indulge
50. Entertain
51. Fool someone
52. Compensate for a handicap
53. Find something
54. Neglect to learn some basic skill
55. Notice things that others do not
56. Know things that others do not
57. Survive

A caveat: no single story should include all of the above—the list is supposed to serve as a brainstorming aid. Really, what it does it help you to think of ways to make your story both unique and more true to itself.

Do you think your character’s unique skill or ability (magical or otherwise) changes some way in which he or she interacts with the world? How?