In a guest post on Jane Friedman’s blog, Hannah Kate Kelley offers tips for creating a believable magic system for your fantasy novel. “Like geography, historical era, and social customs, a magic system is another element of world building,” she writes. “A magic system is a map establishing where magic comes from and how it works. It contains a structured set of rules and principles of magical powers in a work of fiction.”
Kelley identifies two common pitfalls and suggests ways to fix them:
Your magic system is too complicated. Worldbuilding is fun, but sometimes writers get carried away explaining every nuance of their magic system, to the detriment of character development and forward plot movement. If readers are having a hard time following along, Kelley suggests:
- Simplifying part of your story. If one part of your magic system is complex, simplify other areas. If your plot is complex, keep the magic system simple. Too many schools of magic, too many rules, and too many components can make it hard for your reader to keep everything straight. Similarly, if your plot has complicated politics or character dynamics, adding complicated magic rules may confuse your reader.
- Combine characters, creatures, or other magical elements. Do you really need 100 different creatures or multiple schools of magic?
- Introduce differences and nuance over time. You don’t have to put your entire magic system before your reader in the first few chapters. Give the reader bits to chew on and then introduce another layer when the time is right.
Your magic system is inconsistent. Once you’ve established the rules of your magic system, stick to them. Don’t give your characters new abilities without warning and don’t drop magical items in their path at convenient times. If spells must be spoken aloud or always require a physical component, maintain those rules.
Kelley advises these tips for avoiding the above pitfalls:
- Define the role of magic in your story. Your magic system should suit your story. Don’t force magic into a story that doesn’t require it. That might seem obvious, but unless magic drives your plot or character, you should rethink your story until it does. Define magic’s role in society, how it functions in your plot, how it contributes to conflict, and how it supports your theme.
- Research your genre and subgenre. The various subgenres of fantasy have their own rules and expectations. Know what you’re getting into before you start to write.
- Choose a magic system type. Are the rules of your magic system clearly explained or fuzzy? “Writers of high, epic, and urban fantasy subgenres enjoy hard systems because the cast of characters and their various plotlines can be very expansive, and therefore easier to track with a concrete navigation,” Kelley writes. “Soft magic systems are more mysterious because they are less defined than their harder counterparts. The rules governing the magic are not fully explained, which can create a sense of wonder, suspense, and unpredictability.”
- Define the source(s) of magic. Does magic come from an outside source or is it innate? Do users rely on ritual or objects? Is there a geographic source?
- Define how magic is accessed. Does your magic system require spoken word or hand gestures? Use focus objects such as a wand or talisman? Does your magician have to deal with a demon?
- Define visual and sensory details. What does your world’s magic look and feel like? Are spells accompanied by sound or smells?
- Define the rules and limitations. Your magic system should have some kind of limits. For example, perhaps a spell always requires a sacrifice or a price. In many stories, magic can do the seemingly impossible, but it cannot not raise the dead. A spell may be incredibly powerful, but ineffective against living creatures.
