Believable Magic Systems: First Installment
I have seen plenty of articles on the process of creating awesome magic systems (some of which I shall provide links to at the end), so I figured I should do something just a bit different here. How about a post about what I used to build mine?
I wanted to talk about magic systems in particular, since I have only recently been converted to actually enjoying them. See, magic is the one thing I swore I would never put in my books, and here I am, writing my first novel that is littered with it. And why did I dislike it so much? To put it simply, it is too much of a crutch for many authors. I like to see disadvantages in writing, how a character can overcome with little to no power. Magic (sometimes) is just too much.
Why did I choose to use it then? Well, my book is based on folktales, fairytales, and mystical legends rooted in ancient Europe and Asia. After I came up with the main concept, the magic seemed unavoidable, so I did what this magic-opposed writer would do in a situation such as this. I made rules. Lots of them. And I removed the word: magic. Ugg, I still roll my eyes at it. And I know, a rose by any other name, right? The word I replaced it with, Influence, just sounds better to me because it has a system behind it. Like the bending of the world of Avatar or the alchemy in Full-Metal, it is not just magic anymore. It has structure, purpose, history. It becomes something tangible even when the characters do not understand what it is or how it works.
How did I structure it then? How did I give it purpose and history and tangibility? I began with focusing on two things: religion and culture.
Religion is a huge topic that I have noticed many articles skip over when talking about magic systems. It could be due to it simply being a part of the culture, but even culture seems less important than determining who is a mage and who is not. I find both religion and culture to be the root of most magic systems without much exploration. What happened when the world began? Was magic a thing, or did it randomly appear thousands of years later? Why does it exist? Is it from the gods? From the elements or a plant? Who can use it and why? All these questions, when digging deep enough, really end with religion and culture.
You could ask about other cultures and religions within the same world. I mean, in our world, there are far too many to count, so why do they matter for the system itself? They matter because they determine how and why your characters specifically use it. If you want a good magic system, build it around your characters' religion and culture. Make it important to them so, in return, it will be important to the reader.
So, how do I incorporate religion and culture in my magic system? I'm glad you asked!
Religion, in this story is not particularly a blinding topic, as it is intertwined with the culture itself. There is no: "Oh, gosh! I forgot to go to church!" or "Do we have a virgin for the sacrifice this next Monday?" Instead, it is present in limited ways and everyday life (*clears throat* the culture). There is no question if the deity, the Creator, exists or not. To this culture, he does. There is no question on where the Influence came from either. However, there is a question, an obvious moral dilemma on who can use it.
Here is where religion comes into play. Once you know what the religion is, how the culture defines it, and how the government incorporates it (or doesn't) into the system, you will have a better understanding of how the magic itself works in your world. In my world, the two opposing forces within the same religion are that of accepting and rejecting the Influence. If I did not have a religion, there would be no moral dilemma on it's use, and the story itself would not exist.
When looking at culture and religion in your magic system, here are five questions you could ask:
- What do my characters believe in (morals, obligations, spiritual influences, etc.)?
- What cultural aspects tie the magic system into the characters' everyday lives?
- Or, if the magic system is new to them and the world, how did they incorporate it?
- Where did the magic come from, and who or what can utilize it?
- Why is the magic important?
And that last question covers it. If magic is not important to your story, then why does it exist in the first place? You can have a system just for fun, but if you really want to build a compelling world and magic system, it must have a reason. In short, the reason lies in the culture and religion of your characters. Figure that out, and you have taken the first step to building a magic system like that of the greats.
Part two on this thrilling topic will be posted on Friday of next week, so stay tuned! And once again, thank you for readin' my ramblin'!
By: Carissa Borders/ Writer
Article: "How to Create a Rational Magic System" by Chris Winkle
Blog: "World Building: Magic Systems" by Nat Russo
Youtube: "How to Create a Magic System" by Jenna Moreci