Quote from The Gestalt Prince on November 22, 2023, 6:16 pm

In the time that I've read or written fanfiction, I've come to organize different aspects of works in my head based on the subject matter; this is mainly based on Snape-centric works due to my unsurprising enjoyment of the character and his story. For this post, I want to put my thoughts somewhere to help develop these thoughts, more specifically when it comes to scaling.

My definition of scaling, for the sake of this post, is when a writer defines the boundaries of the work that they're writing based on the importance of the different elements and goals the characters have. If mapped out, it would be depicted as a circle with the elements and stakes getting progressively higher the farther away from the center they are. I can see three different degrees of scale that a story can have.

For this, I'm only focusing on Snape, and any element listed below is listed independently of each other, as some concepts are composed of more than one element.

Small Scale refers to a collection of elements where there are mostly low stakes, usually with a plot that is less serious or consequential to the world as a whole. For Snape, it could be the following:

• Quidditch Fic. Sports such as Quidditch would have low stakes compared to other plot points.
• 1970s Triwizard Tournament AU. Same vein as Quidditch fics, but stakes could be raised depending on circumstances.
• Holiday Fic. Snape going on holiday would be pretty low stakes on its own.

Medium Scale refers to a collection of elements where the stakes are consequential to the characters involved, but perhaps not to the world as a whole. For Snape, it could be the following:

• Werewolf Prank AU. The werewolf prank was a major event in Snape's life that could have resulted in death.
• Alternate House AU. Being sorted into a different House would have impacted Snape's lifepath considerably.
• Triwizard Champion Snape AU. Being selected as Hogwarts's champion would place Snape into a deadly competition.
• Alternate School AU. Attending a different school would have impacted Snape's lifepath considerably.
• Snape trying to reconcile with Lily after SWM. His friendship with Lily was one of the best things to have happened to him.
• Snape trying to save Lily from dying. Lily's death deeply impacted Snape as a person.

Large Scale refers to a collection of elements where the stakes are at their highest and have the most impact on the world. For Snape, it could be the following:

• Direct conflict with Voldemort
• Time Travel Fix-It Fics (motivation doesn't matter, time travel is a cosmic change to the world)

The above points can be mixed and matched however the writer sees fit, but it's important to take into account whether or not certain elements add or take away from the primary plot. Examples:

• If you have a work where the main plot is about Snape's relationship with a character (let's use Lily as an example), and you include Voldemort in the background as an ever-present threat, it could add tension to the overall story. How do Lily and Severus manage to navigate through this, and how does it eventually end?
• If you have a work where Snape going on holiday is the main plotline (in that the main objective is to enjoy the holiday), and you then wish to include Voldemort as a major, high-stakes antagonist, you have to consider if the addition takes away from the main holiday aspect. This could shift the focus from the holiday and simply become another "fight/destroy Voldemort" story.

Feel free to add more in the thread.