Master Your Magic: Three Tips for Creating Magic Systems
This post is the third in a series on paranormal world-building.
Ms. Melissa and I have reached the point in our manuscript where the magical abilities of our shifters are on full display. So, we’ve been thinking a lot about magic and the best ways for it to work in a contemporary setting.
We’ve been rereading some of our favorite fantasy series and embarking on new fantasy reads. In some narratives, the magic is beautifully described but doesn’t feel necessary. The reader can imagine gilded tattoos that glow during incantations or orbs of light that pulse between characters’ palms, but if the magic were removed and replaced with another weapon–a sword or gun–the plot and characters could easily exist without it. The magic might “look cool”, but it feels replaceable or vague.
Ms. Melissa and I want our magic to feel essential, so we’ve spent a lot of time discussing the use of magic in books and films we love. The way magic is handled from story-to-story varies greatly, but there are some core ideas in the fantasies we love that we keep returning to when talking about the world we’re building. Based on these conversations, here's three tips for creating magic systems:
Magic Feels Grounded When It Has Its Own History and Vocabulary
One way to ground the magic in a fantasy is to have it exist before the timeline of the story begins. When magic is an integral part of the history and culture of the fantasy world, characters know about the magic–if only through prophecy or urban legend. There are often stories about its most powerful practitioners, and there are norms and customs around the use of magic.
In some cases, magic is so essential to the world that it requires its own vocabulary. For example, Star Wars has Jedis and Sith and the Force, while Harry Potter has wizardkind and muggles and a plethora of words to describe spells and creatures.
We find that giving magic its own backstory and vocabulary allows the magic to exist beyond the ambitions of the characters, making the world feel richer.
Questions to consider:
How has magic been used in the past? How is it being used now?
Have ideas about magic changed over time? How and why have they changed?
If there are non-magical characters in your world, how do they feel about magic and the people who use it?
Who are the most powerful magic practitioners of the past? What abilities did they have? What happened to them?
Who are the most powerful magic practitioners now? What abilities do they have? For what purposes are they wielding magic?
Are there norms or customs associated with magic use?
What words need to be invented to describe the magic and its practitioners?
Magic That’s Difficult to Master Enhances Character Development
In most of our favorite fantasies, magic requires discipline and study to excel. In the first book or film of a series, magic is often introduced by watching a novice (Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter) train to become a master. Often there is a sage or mentor (Yoda or Obi Wan Kanobi). Sometimes there’s a whole school full of teachers (Hogwarts).
Readers enjoy rooting for the success of a character who has worked really hard at something. Achievement that comes from effort is admirable. When magic is difficult to master, it allows readers an opening into the fantasy world. Despite the improbability of the magic, readers can imagine themselves as practitioners of it. Perhaps, with enough discipline and the right training, they, too, could become magic masters. They, too, could become Jedis and wizards.
More importantly, making magic difficult to master creates impressive heroes and villains. We like that it lets us see magic practitioners who aren’t just destined or fortunate. They’re also driven, disciplined, and persistent–all great qualities for well-matched adversaries.
Questions to consider:
How do your characters learn and practice their magic?
Is there an established educational system to teach it? Or does instruction happen in secret?
Is your magic linked to warrior training?
Where is information about your magic stored? Is it contained in books or schools or scrolls or vaults? Is it passed down in prophecies and legends?
Can you learn to master magic in isolation? Or does it require peers and mentors?
Has any magical knowledge been lost over time? What’s the impact of this loss?
Magic That Has Consequences Raises the Stakes for the Hero
One of the reasons heroes must master their magic is because it’s powerful and has consequences.
Many traditional fantasy stories include a villain who abuses magic. We like it best when magic in the hands of that villain is formidable–we want the malicious misuse of magic to be terrifying and consequential. Including dark and dangerous magic is one way to increase narrative conflict and heighten tension and emotion in fantasy stories.
However, the magic doesn’t have to always be dramatic and grandiose. Even when a practitioner uses magic with noble intentions, there can still be unintended, negative consequences. Some of the most interesting fantasy stories force the hero to navigate and take accountability for those consequences.
Including magical “mistakes” in a fantasy narrative is another way to allow for character growth and give the magic gravitas. When a mistake is made–either through naivete, impatience, arrogance, or noble intent–the consequence should be significant enough to create a change in the hero or the plot.
The hero should come to understand magic’s potential for harm, not only to others, but also to themselves. It can enrich a story when the power that comes from magic provides a temptation for the hero. Maybe the magic corrupts or maybe the magic tempts the hero to select an easier path. Even if the hero is a “good guy” who only uses “good magic”, adding an element of temptation can increase the stakes of the story and make the hero more relatable.
Questions to consider:
Does your magic system have a classic good/bad duality? If so, what does “good” magic look like? What does “bad” magic look like?
What are the consequences of practicing magic poorly? What might a magical “mistake” look like?
What temptations does the magic present?
For what purpose is magic most often used? Why does the villain practice magic? Why does the hero? Do their purposes differ from that of other magic practitioners?
How does magic strengthen and/or weaken the character of the hero? Of the villain?
These three ideas–magical histories, intense training, and consequences–can provide a loose structure for establishing a satisfying magic system.
If you’re a fantasy writer, what overarching ideas do you use to guide the creation of your magic?
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