Ah, the joys of editing. I recently encountered an odd gap in one of my chapters after deciding to split it in half, as neither section was really good enough stand-alone. I faced the challenge of filling that space. As I have learned in my particular writing style, I either need to world build more, or describe food. In this case, world building was the savior for a few extra paragraphs.
Spellman Mining Corporation
The main character Levi owns a rare earth mining company. As rare earth elements are essential in modern technology, from smartphones to electric vehicles, I figured that would be a generic (and easy) enough thing to extrapolate out to the near future. It's similar an idea to the crazy quadrillion dollar asteroid they found. So there's a section where two characters to a little breaking and entering, and the standalone scene wasn't much to write home about, so in messing around on the internet (or research, as I call it) and stumbled upon the concept of hyperaccumulators.
What are Hyperaccumulators?
Hyperaccumulators are plants that have the extraordinary ability to absorb and concentrate heavy metals from the soil at levels that would be toxic to most other plants. These plants can pull metals like nickel, cobalt, and even gold from the ground, storing them in their leaves and stems.
The Potential of Hyperaccumulators
For a mining company, especially one dealing with rare earth elements, hyperaccumulators could be a game-changer. Imagine growing plants that can harvest valuable metals from the soil, making the extraction process more sustainable and environmentally friendly. It’s the kind of innovative solution that adds depth to your story and makes the entire world more believable.
By incorporating hyperaccumulators into my world building, I not only filled the chapter gap but also added a layer of realism and intrigue to Levi's business. It’s a great way to show that the company is on the cutting edge of technology and environmental sustainability, and putting a futuristic spin on something environmentally friendly was easy enough.
Plus, it gives readers something cool to think about - how plants today might help us solve some of our biggest industrial challenges.
By introducing hyperaccumulators, I turned a potential problem into an opportunity to expanded a lot of what was pretty flimsy world building into something more concrete. The next time you find yourself facing an odd gap in your manuscript, consider diving into some interesting research. You never know what fascinating tidbits you might uncover that could bring your story to life.