: Re: Should I use the words "pyromancy" and "necromancy" even if they don't mean what people think they do? If you look up the exact definition for "pyromancy" or "necromancy" they refer to divination

@Sue2132873

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You face a challenging problem. Either be true to yourself and use the words in accordance with their historical definition or use the terminology as it is commonly used.

If your sense of art or integrity (kind of the same thing) says I need to go with the proper historical definition, then you can ameliorate confusion in your readers by having one character explain it to another character. If handled poorly, it sounds like an exposition dump. If handled well, it is engaging and interesting.

It can be an overheard conversation, or aside banter. Maybe start with other words ending in -mancy that have a clear association with fortune-telling. Like palmistry -- which is chiromancy. And cleromancy which is using random events like dice or cards to foretell the future. After a list of words ending in -mancy, someone might ask about necromancy and pyromancy -- and yes it means telling the future with fire or communing with the dead.

Alternatively, don't challenge your audience's preconceptions. And, adjust your storytelling accordingly.

Either way is fine. It's up to you and the story you want to tell. The important thing to keep in mind is writing and story-telling is about clarity.

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