Young teen is a natural-born mage, able to cast very powerful spells with ease. However, that very strength causes him/her to flub the simplest of spells, making those around him/her believe that he/she has very little magical aptitude. This is very limiting because one cannot learn the higher magics before showing expertise in the lower forms first.
Never seen it.
To showcase how I was thinking of it:
Using carving as a comparison example, it takes very little skill, very little strength, and just minor accuracy to use a carpenter's plane to shave wood (total Novice) .... it takes a minor amount of skill, a little knowledge, and minor strength and accuracy to use a wood chisel (Apprentice) .... it takes a decent amount of strength, skill, and knowledge and high accuracy to effectively use a stone chisel (Journeyman) .... it takes a decent amount of strength and knowledge as well as high skill, accuracy, and precision to effectively use a Jeweler's chisel (Master) .... it takes high levels of knowledge, strength, skill, accuracy and precision to effectively use a chainsaw in carving (Adept). Now imagine unknowingly bringing the Adept level (or higher) of strength and accuracy to bear when using Novice level spells (that carpenter's plane isn't going to be shaving the wood but instead is going to split it and mangling the plane in the process).
The MC (and most everyone else) has no clue that the problem is that they have too much strength... almost like trying to light a candle using a stick of dynamite.
I bring up naruto episodes 1-2 because the plot of these episodes are basically the MC is failing ninja high school because he can't use the most basic of cloning techniques, in fact he sucks at it. But then he learns a loop hole where he can graduate automatically if he masters one of the hush-hush special secret ninjitsu.
Which in fact he does and he does great at the "shadow clone jitsu"
The way i figure it he had no fine control over his spiritual energy and kept overloading the clones at the lower level so he needed a higher level technique to accommodate the power he was dumping into his clones.
exactly - instinctively channeling too much force through a spell construct that is inherently incapable of handling that much power
I bring up naruto episodes 1-2 because the plot of these episodes are basically the MC is failing ninja high school because he can't use the most basic of cloning techniques, in fact he sucks at it. But then he learns a loop hole where he can graduate automatically if he masters one of the hush-hush special secret ninjitsu.
Which in fact he does and he does great at the "shadow clone jitsu"
The way i figure it he had no fine control over his spiritual energy and kept overloading the clones at the lower level so he needed a higher level technique to accommodate the power he was dumping into his clones.
I think I've read a few with that type of premise.
I believe pixy has something along those lines with 'Marr', but you'll probably have to read it via blog his posts.
Fick Suck recently posted 'A Fundamental Betrayal', which has that sort of vibe.
I can vaguely remember a story where a mage has to pass his exam by doing something simple like conjuring up a piece of fruit, which he's incapable of, but instead he carefully crafts a perfect rose. I have no idea of the title or author or even whether it's on SOL.
AJ
The blog posts were deleted when they were uploaded to the story. Also, Marr is not incapable, he's just not interested.