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McAnally's (The Community Pub) => Author Craft => Topic started by: matorade on September 29, 2010, 09:12:52 PM
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What articles and sources have you found very useful as a guideline to help you develop the magic rules/systems for your works? So far I've found this series an excellent start: http://pymfanasywriter.blogspot.com/2008/10/magic-rules-part-1-types-of-magic.html (http://pymfanasywriter.blogspot.com/2008/10/magic-rules-part-1-types-of-magic.html)
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I also recommend Sanderson's first law of magic, "The ability to solve problems with magic is directly proportionate to the readers understanding of the magic system." Which applies to that article right there.
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Fantasy World Building Questions by Patricia Wrede (http://www.sfwa.org/2009/08/fantasy-worldbuilding-questions/)
Though the article is about world building in general, there's a section specifically for magic systems.
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Good find!
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Do remember that problem-solving systemic magic is only one of many viable ways of doing magic.
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Could you elaborate on that?
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Could you elaborate on that?
Off the top of my head, there's also magic as numinous/mystical, and there's the whole magic-realism thing of dream-logic magic or metaphorical magic.
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Do remember that problem-solving systemic magic is only one of many viable ways of doing magic.
Actually Sanderson addresses this very thoroughly (just about everything he writes is thorough though) in his explanation of his "First Law of magic"
http://www.brandonsanderson.com/article/40/Sandersons-First-Law
P.S. Sanderson is now a big time up and coming fantacy author (he was noticed by Robert Jordan's widow for his Mistborn Series and she tapped him to be the Wheel of Time ghost writer) who is well known for his ability to craft very origonal, intricate, and inventive systems of magic. Elantris and Mistborn were absolutely amaising, I liked the magic system in Warbreaker too, but had a few issues with the plot. He did an amaising job of breathing new life and vibrance into the Wheel of Time, but I am holding off on reading his "Stormlight Archive" project because I am hesitant to start reading another epic epic fantacy series that requires that I yet again wait a year between each installment. The Wheel of Time kinda burned me out on that, although I am glad my coworker suckered me into the Dresdenverse :)
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I did a search of the forum for threads that mention Sanderson's first law and other than some topics where I commented on it in the DF spoiler section, this thread we are in now, and one other thread (http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,11327.msg482550.html#msg482550) in the Author Craft section, there isn't much mention of it.
In the other thread in the Author Craft section is a little old no though, and in it the OP stated that he was pointed to the "First Law" by another helpful thread that must be even older because it appears to have "decayed" off the boards. I recomend that this section have a sticky topic (not unlike this one) that links to articles on world and magic system building, so that helpful stuff like this is doesn't get lost so easily.