Magic

[alishenai.livejournal.com]

If your a fantasy writer and you write about magic how does it work? what are the limits i.e. can magic bring back the dead? is magic open to anyone who wishes to learn it as in Buffy, or is it selective as in Harry Potter? do the users each have seperate powers as in Charmed? do the users speak a secret language or is spells simply a rhyme?

Comments

[cat-mcdougall.livejournal.com]

THIS (http://cat-rood.dreamwidth.org/548.html) is my basis for pretty much everything magical I do. It's my own way of thinking about it, but it does help. (It's my DW account, so feel free to link to it)

[alishenai.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[fyifoff.livejournal.com]

I the Novels Of Terry Goodkind, people have to be born with the gift, and their are even people void of magic. His books state that everyone has a little 'spark' of the gift, and these that are totally void of magic very rare. The Jedi of Star Wars is also like this, "the gift is stong in that one"

But then there are spells and magic that can be learned, like the black arts and the so forth. Usally on needs to speaks words and do certain acts to achieve something.

My fantasy story is a low fantasy so magic is only hinted at. What is the point of magic in your story?

[alishenai.livejournal.com]

Magic is everything in my fictional universe.

[diane-b-taylor.livejournal.com]

Then I would say that magic in your story could be limited only by your imagination - it can bring back the dead if there is a person who is that powerful, but I would be interested to read the trade offs that level of magic would have. For instance, someone could have the ability to raise the dead, but they would have to deal with the aftereffects of raising that person back to life, some of them good, some of them bad.

Even though magic would be everything in your fiction's universe, there has to be a level of realism to it. This would help the reader to identify much more closely than if it didn't. Trade offs, even in a magical universe - would have to be discussed. Nothing is ever perfect in any universe and it would be nice to read a fantasy world that reflected that.

Once you have set the boundaries your magic cannot cross, be sure you do not cross those boundaries, even for a special character! Stephenie Meyer did just this with Twilight and it's a big problem for the series.

Good luck!

[the-mome-wrath.livejournal.com]

I think the most important thing when having magic in the story is to keep things consistent. That is, don't break the rules of the universe you've created. Everything has advantages and drawbacks to it. It adds an air of realism to magic when this idea is applied to magic. It's also a great way to add tension to a story.