Using magic in fantasy fiction
Filed under Tips & Tools on April 14, 2009
Tagged: fantasy fiction, magic, world-building
Magic is a mainstay–some might even argue a defining characteristic–of fantasy fiction. A writer determines whether magic follows a system of rules or leaves it mysterious and unexplained when building the world the story is set in. That is only the first step of using magic in fantasy fiction, however. The writer then needs to decide how they will depict the use of magic by the inhabitants of the world.
The means and methods of using magic really adds flavor to the setting of a fantasy fiction story. Witches and shamans casting bones or reading entrails sets a very different tone from wizened old men with long, white beards invoking the names of planar beings or reading aloud from thick, leather-bound tomes. One lends a primal feeling to the world, while the other comes across as more sophisticated and scholarly. The writer could even create a pseudo-futuristic fantasy world where magic replaces technology.
How magic is used can also dictate the direction and pace of the plot. Magic that requires reagents for the casting of spells, or is contained within powerful artifacts, provide moments of conflict as characters manage resources, motivations for quests, or scenes of character development as they learn to use the magic.
Magic use can even aid in determining the genre of a fantasy fiction story. One of the defining traits of sword-and-sorcery is the preference of steel over magic by the protagonists. Magic serves as the obstacle the hero must overcome, usually wielded by an evil sorcerer or supernatural monster.
How has magic use added flavor to a fantasy fiction story you’ve read or written? Is there a depiction of some wizard casting a spell or hero unlocking the mystic secret of an artifact that now defines a particular world or setting for you? Describe it in the comments.
