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This's a urban fantasy setting set in recent day New York, with supernaturals such as faerie and mages.
There're three main characters, a social worker suddenly can see the supernaturals, a college student with faerie heritage and a mage who's also a hacker. Right now it has two main plotlines: different vampires who compete with each other to be the prince of New York, and two factions of mages are in a magical equivalent of nuclear race. However, I can't find a way to connect them. I think of eliminating the vampire plot, but I really like the idea of vampires as a common enemy to bind my main characters together. It also allows me to have a vampire as an unreliable ally who sometimes gets my characters into trouble for his purpose, so I'd prefer to make the vampire plot a bit larger. So help?
There're three main characters, a social worker suddenly can see the supernaturals, a college student with faerie heritage and a mage who's also a hacker. Right now it has two main plotlines: different vampires who compete with each other to be the prince of New York, and two factions of mages are in a magical equivalent of nuclear race. However, I can't find a way to connect them. I think of eliminating the vampire plot, but I really like the idea of vampires as a common enemy to bind my main characters together. It also allows me to have a vampire as an unreliable ally who sometimes gets my characters into trouble for his purpose, so I'd prefer to make the vampire plot a bit larger. So help?
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That's the best I've got right off of the top of my head… Could you tell us any more about the vampires, the mages, and particularly your hacker mage?
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The mages in my story can manipulate the reality to produce magical result. They're roughly divided into two sides. One side thinks that humanity only need small and steady changes in a controlled manner, and the others thinks that changes can be good. Currently the first group has the upper hand.
The magical nuclear race starts when the mage of both sides discover a faerie realm that you can harness the power to perform powerful magic without backslash in our world. They both send their agents to explore the realm, not knowing that they actually create a passage that the more nightmarish denizens can go into our world. The power can only be used for magic.
My hacker mage belongs to the side that thinks changes are good and his magic is to hack into the reality and rewire the universe. Currently he's working on a reality 2.0 program/magic that can help more people to be awakened to join the rank of mages. He 's a friend with other hacker mages like him.
I have it in mind that the supernaturals in my story are only vaguely aware of each other's existence because they work well to hide their existence. However, the vampire in case is getting more knowledge as he keeps track of my main characters.
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Why is the vampire tracking them in the first place? If he's tracking them and becoming aware of the fact that other supernaturals exist, as you say, why wouldn't he try to use that knowledge to further his own goals?
What about what you've just said keeps these plots from connecting the way you want them to? (It does sound like the vampire plot could stand to play a larger role, though. You could easily do that by turning the vampire into a fourth main character, but that's not necessarily the best solution.)
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You're saying he poses as a vigilante, so I'm going to assume that also involves him actively saving people. He could (and probably would) use that to his advantage? Actions speak louder than words and all that. If he can't make them believe he's on their side because he's saying it, he could try and orchestrate for them to see his claims getting backed up. (Or, y'know, it could be random luck, but that kind of thing.)
Would that help any? (Sorry. I'm a bit pressed for time, so please do let me know if I'm not entirely clear. in what I'm asking and I'll try and explain better. ^-^)
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I think my characters can be very useful as pawns or a threat. They are among the few supernatural to know the others' existence. My fae child's useful to the mages to help them in their nuclear race because they can use her to navigate faerie realm to get power. My social worker can sense supernaturals and resist mind control magic or power. But my vampire is smart enough that he won't directly harm my fae child (or leave any evidence) because my main charactrs combined can be a real threat to vampires. I guess I need a way to link them stronger.
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My vampire can fight for political power and territory with the mages faction in upper hand. This may give him an incentive to find out what the mages are up to. I just need to think more about how they can use my characters as pawns.
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Front companies. Bundlers -- people who solicit donations and then compile them for a political candidate. Anyone who fits a demographic different from the candidate's own -- so a male candidate might want a woman to hustle the League of Women Voters, etc.
Don't overlook good old gerrymandering and other political shenanigans. The mages will have the advantage in traditional techniques such as lobbying in government offices, which run primarily during daytime hours. Vampires will have the advantage in nightlife and other under-the-table scenes that run after hours; they may also have more money. And if vampires do have more money, they're likely backing the "money is free speech" movement while the mages are fighting to tear it down and put more control with individual voters again.
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