McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft

Making Generic Magic more Appealing

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SlimMason:
I’m not much of a writer, as I hardly ever write, but I like to brainstorm ideas as a hobby. I don’t read as many fantasy books as I should. I imagine that generic magic systems are generic because many of the titles I choose not to read use these generic systems. The other extreme is magic systems so good I can’t Imagine magic working any other way. (the Dresden Files for example – thank you Jim.)

I would like to write in an adventure-laden magical setting, but I don’t see much need to stray from the norm. I’m just mussing on what I could do as an author to take a mostly generic system, and spice it up and give it its own identity.

A general rule about magic in my musings is that it is used to create rather than destroy. Wizards use their power to build things. Spellcraft is often referred to as building. Magic usually requires several people to work together to do anything big. (The obvious exceptions are the wizards too powerful to be main characters. i.e. Senior Council/White Council Wizards.)

So, any advice to help make a magic system stand out a little without being ground-breaking? and how to fairly use good ideas from books I love (like Dresden Files) without writing clones?

daylightdreamer:
Well, my first thing is I like the whole magic to create not magic to destroy thing. I think you can create an interesting magic system just using that as a base concept. If that's the case, are there other forms of supernatural what-have you that is basically the flip side of the coin? I'm big on balanced forced and all of that, but I think if you're going to go with this using magic to create thing you're going to need to fully explore what all that means and set up some rules for it. What all do you want magic to be able to accomplish. What do you mean by create? Can you use spellcraft to completely build something from nothing but energy and will then? Would creating a fire column like we see Harry do fall under "create" as you're "creating" fire, even though the intent of the fire might be to destroy?

I think that's some food for thought in that department. As far as adding spice and so such...I generally look at a lot of mythology and metaphysics when I'm figuring out the nuts and bolts of magic. I'm also a neopagan, though, so I have a lot of references for energy channeling and all of that just kind of laying around my apartment. You could draw from things like the old Greek version of the elements and how everything is made from Earth, Fire, Wind, Water (and Spirit, too possibly) and find a way to incorporate that. There are a lot of sources, but that's somewhere to start with that.

And as far as the clones thing...speaking as an English major, really everything's been done before. It's not a good idea to blatantly rip other people off, but at least when I do stuff like this I usually start with a "Hm. I think I'd like my magic to work kind of like it does in this book, but I want to also work in this idea. And I really don't like this bit, or it doesn't work for what I want to do, so I'm going to get rid of that...and replace it with this...and then I like this idea from this other thing I read, so maybe I can do something like that..." Eventually you get to a point where you can still see influences from other sources, but you can't look at one specific source and go "You totally copied that!" *shrug* My advice there would be to give it time to cook in your own head. You'll put your own spin on everything without even realizing you're doing it, most likely.

I hope this helps some. :)

seekmore:

--- Quote from: SlimMason on May 17, 2009, 09:59:08 PM ---I’m not much of a writer, as I hardly ever write, but I like to brainstorm ideas as a hobby. I don’t read as many fantasy books as I should. I imagine that generic magic systems are generic because many of the titles I choose not to read use these generic systems. The other extreme is magic systems so good I can’t Imagine magic working any other way. (the Dresden Files for example – thank you Jim.)

I would like to write in an adventure-laden magical setting, but I don’t see much need to stray from the norm. I’m just mussing on what I could do as an author to take a mostly generic system, and spice it up and give it its own identity.

A general rule about magic in my musings is that it is used to create rather than destroy. Wizards use their power to build things. Spellcraft is often referred to as building. Magic usually requires several people to work together to do anything big. (The obvious exceptions are the wizards too powerful to be main characters. i.e. Senior Council/White Council Wizards.)

So, any advice to help make a magic system stand out a little without being ground-breaking? and how to fairly use good ideas from books I love (like Dresden Files) without writing clones?


--- End quote ---

Really all I can tell you to do is examine the magic systems you like and cobble something together, and then add your own rules to it.

SlimMason:

--- Quote from: daylightdreamer on May 17, 2009, 10:27:48 PM ---Can you use spellcraft to completely build something from nothing but energy and will then? Would creating a fire column like we see Harry do fall under "create" as you're "creating" fire, even though the intent of the fire might be to destroy?
--- End quote ---

You can't build buildings out of magic alone. You can build metaphysical contructs (enchantments, etc.) out of magic.

*eye_roll* Fire. It is always so easy to do. Well, I haven't settled on how to limit Fire, but here's what I'm thinking: State of mind is important to magic. "Pre-Rituals" are offen necessary to do cast magic. I can't imagine Fire not being an easy spell to cast (energy to energy), but perhaps Fire is limmited to those who have prepared in advance to use it. This preperation would prevent the flame-thrower from casting other spells and affect his sate of mind. (flame-throwers would be prone to rash, passionate decisions while using that type of magic.)

Daylight: Your comments were helpful. I'm Comming up with some ideas for the magic, and the world around it.

Leonsagara:

--- Quote from: SlimMason on May 18, 2009, 02:12:35 AM ---You can't build buildings out of magic alone. You can build metaphysical contructs (enchantments, etc.) out of magic.

*eye_roll* Fire. It is always so easy to do. Well, I haven't settled on how to limit Fire, but here's what I'm thinking: State of mind is important to magic. "Pre-Rituals" are offen necessary to do cast magic. I can't imagine Fire not being an easy spell to cast (energy to energy), but perhaps Fire is limmited to those who have prepared in advance to use it. This preperation would prevent the flame-thrower from casting other spells and affect his sate of mind. (flame-throwers would be prone to rash, passionate decisions while using that type of magic.)

Daylight: Your comments were helpful. I'm Comming up with some ideas for the magic, and the world around it.

--- End quote ---

Going off what you said, maybe the different elements can only be used in certain states of mind or by people with certain personality types.  Like you said, fire could only be cast in a passionate frame of mind or by a hot-headed, zealous person.  Earth when you're feeling stubborn or inflexible, or by a person who tends to be stubborn, but is someone you can always rely on.  Etc, etc.

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