# What are the rules for wishing?



## Gargh (Apr 6, 2015)

As daft as it may be, I think we all have a set of internalised rules, gleaned from our favourite stories, about what we could or couldn't wish for if we ever came into possession of a magical artefact.

e.g.
You can't wish for love.
Get the wording just right!

What are yours?


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## J.J. Maxx (Apr 6, 2015)

Well, I've seen and read numerous 'wishing' stories and the vast majority of them contain some kind of prohibition on wishing for more wishes, making people fall in love and raising people back from the dead. I've also seen stories where the wish cannot injure, maim or kill anyone. I believe these are simply plot devices, as every great story needs a conflict, so it's difficult to create conflict when your hero can simply get whatever they want.

In the end you usually have to put some of these in your story, especially the 'more wishes' rule. However. that isn't ironclad because you could always put in some kind of negative effect to wishing. (Every wish you make removes ten years from your life.)

Cheers.

~ J. J.


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## escorial (Apr 6, 2015)

Firmin the story of a metropolitan low life covered the wish angle very well...  written by Sam Savage


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## Gargh (Apr 6, 2015)

Haven't read that one; it looks interesting!

I've got some characters in a poem I'm working on that are discussing this very thing and, for narrative purposes, they don't need to go into very much depth. However, having sat and thought about it because of that I guess I'm just interested to know what stuck with people from their childhood as an almost fictional truth... wondering whether other people think about these things !


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## ShadowEyes (Apr 6, 2015)

"The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs.

The variations on the "three wishes" scheme is endless. The only thing to take into consideration is how the characters react logically to the consequences.


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## am_hammy (Apr 8, 2015)

If we are talking about if this actually happened in real life I would say that the rules would be up to the person. As far as killing, raising from the dead, and making someone fall in love with you, well all of that is subjective and based upon the person's ethics and personality. Wishes are tricky thing. I think it's best we don't have magical devices that allow for such things. The world would be in utter chaos.

However if I were to wish for something, had I the opportunity to, I would wish that everything I chose to do worked out like I wanted it to. No problems, no bumps in the road, just flawless. I suppose I'd be asking for perfection then, and perfection is boring.

As far as stories or poems go, what J.J. said makes sense. Plot structure is key and using the method of wishing to develop a plot is a great way to create a solid story and an element for the characters to work with. I think it's cool to let the characters decide what they want to do with the wishing though. The possibilities are endless.

If I were to take out logic of all of this, (seeing as we are talking about wishes here) when I think of wishing, especially as a child, I don't think there should be rules. If you think of wishing in terms of a child, then they are innocent in nature (hopefully) and they are at their purest forms because they come directly from the heart. I would want to be right at that point where the rest of the world hasn't tainted my brain yet, that's when I would want to wish for something.


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## Gargh (Apr 8, 2015)

Hmm... if only the pure of heart were ever allowed to wish that wouldn't make for much of a story!  

Logic plays a large part in what we accept as plausible in any story, and I guess it's equally true of wishing. One of the stories that sticks in my head most from childhood is _The Ludicrous/Ridiculous Wishes_; probably because the image of a woman with a string of sausages stuck to the end of her nose is such a good one! I see your point about ethical/moral judgement though; every wish they made in that was accepted without judgement, and mischievously so. And I really remember _The Tinderbox _too and that soldier was fairly amoral -- the djinns had more about them -- and his wishes were quite feckless and abusive of his power.

I guess I'm just fascinated by how the well-known stories, past and present, create a logical set of rules that evolve within the genre. And how if you create a new one, it has to have some feasible relationship to a previous one for people to readily accept it.


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## am_hammy (Apr 8, 2015)

I guess it's just hard to define the rules. Like the example you gave before of not wishing for love. I think you could wish for love, but not for someone to fall in love with you. But to wish to have love in your life? That might be a little different. There's so many little nuggets to consider. 

Okay. Now I'm really thinking. Base rules in hypothetical story:

Can't wish to go back in time
Can't wish to have someone specific fall in love with you
Can't wish to go into the future


I'd probably limit the wishing as far as physical abilities go. You could only wish for tangible things that could help you, but no powers of any sort. I would say no to wishing for knowledge as well. Experiences still need to be had to gain knowledge and to understand it properly, but situations for said knowledge could be wished for, and then wishing for tools to use to get through the experience.

Again, it would all depend on the story. That particular set of rules I could see being used if someone stumbled upon an ancient quest to find a treasure, or set something into motion, or to finish something. I wouldn't make the wishing the main focus of the person getting through the journey, but rather the intellect that someone uses while wishing. Playing it smart.

That's just one scenario though. There's just so many ways you can go about it. =)


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## Crowley K. Jarvis (Apr 8, 2015)

Interesting topic... the way I've always seen it:

As it was said, you can't wish for more wishes.

Free will too. You can't force other humans to do anything. Don't kill anyone either.

And obviously don't alter physics or other universal laws. Bad idea.

And the effects are permanent. You can't use another wish to remove the effects of another wish. Doesn't work that way.


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## Gargh (Apr 8, 2015)

am_hammy said:


> But to wish to have love in your life? That might be a little different.



I can see that one working, because love can come in many forms and wouldn't necessarily act against anyone's free will. And I never thought about the convergence of wishing and time travel! 



> Experiences still need to be had to gain knowledge and to understand it properly,



When young, I thought I would wish for the ability to communicate proficiently in all languages, including cross-species. I know what you mean about knowledge, but there are different types. Like mathematical knowledge, or chemical equations, for instance, I think they would be okay?



Crowley K. Jarvis said:


> And the effects are permanent. You can't use another wish to remove the effects of another wish. Doesn't work that way.



I like that: All wishes are final! :shock:.


What seems to be coming across from all of you is that wishing rules resemble very closely different ideas about social contract. Curious eh?


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## am_hammy (Apr 8, 2015)

Gargh said:


> And I never thought about the convergence of wishing and time travel!



It certainly would throw the plot for a loop. If they were able to wish to go back in time, how would they get out? Since technically going back in time the person would not yet exist in the future, it could change everything. That can bring in a whole new set of obstacles. So unless you want to dabble in that world, it's better to simplify it and nix it haha 





> When young, I thought I would wish for the ability to communicate proficiently in all languages, including cross-species. I know what you mean about knowledge, but there are different types. Like mathematical knowledge, or chemical equations, for instance, I think they would be okay?



Yes, I think that would be good. I didn't think about that kind of knowledge. My mind goes more towards emotional and experiential knowledge. If they needed a mathematical equation to solve something they came across, that's perfect. So maybe, not wishing for knowledge can be tweaked to not wishing for wisdom. 



> I like that: All wishes are final! :shock:.



So then, if all wishes are final, would you be able to wish another wish to negate that previous wish? That could just be considered not having the wishes to be permanent. A loop hole perhaps?




> What seems to be coming across from all of you is that wishing rules resemble very closely different ideas about social contract. Curious eh?



Well really, you're creating your own destiny in a way, so I'd say that's accurate.


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## Bloggsworth (Apr 8, 2015)

I just rub the bloody lamp as hard as I can...


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## Gargh (Apr 8, 2015)

That's not wishing, that's polishing!


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