Magic Rules Part 2: Limitations of Magic – At What Cost?

by guest author P. June Diehl (used with permission)

Fiction is about conflict, and fantasy is no different. Magic cannot be an all-powerful force, or there would be no conflict: If anything and everything is a possibility, then nothing would be interesting in your fantasy world.

I’m not talking about rules, at least not yet. That’s the subject of the third article in this series. Setting limitations allows the author to focus on story elements: tension, conflict, plot, etc., whereas, rules are part of a worldbuilding system.

Magic vs. Intelligence and Strength

While magic can be used to get the heroine or hero out of a sticky situation, it’s not the only or always appropriate way out. The protagonist has intelligence, strength, and other non-magical abilities to be called into use. Use those first. Only use magic as an out when there’s no other way.

On the other side of the mirror, we have the antagonist, who might appear to have no limits to his or her magical power, but if that were true, our heroine or hero would lose in the end. The editor or agent reading your manuscript would be disappointed, and the author would not be offered a publishing contract.

Limitations of the Magical System

Any character who uses magic in a fantasy world has to deal with natural limitations of that magical system. Magic is a wonderful force in a fantasy story, but it’s also a dangerous force. This adds inherent conflict to the plot: not only is the antagonist trying to stop the heroine or hero, but those who love and support the protagonist might also not want her or him to use this dangerous power.

Magic can have limitations in other ways. Maybe it only works as desired 60% of the time. Perhaps the outcome is predictable half of the time. Possibly the side effects change over time.

Another aspect a fantasy author must remember is that if you take away the magic, the protagonist and antagonist are people, with their own limitations and flaws, their own strengths and salvations. Accent these and let magic play a secondary part in your plot.

A character’s current situation might also limit the use or outcome of his or her magical power. What happens when the hero has a cold or the antagonist didn’t get a good night’s sleep? How might this affect the ability to use magic effectively?

Fantasy characters make mistakes including mistakes with magic. This adds additional conflict and tension and shows the character dealing with an outcome not intended or expected. Maybe the character has to deal with guilt as a result of a mistake in using his or her magical power.

Develop Real Fantasy Characters

Fantasy characters are more than their magic. They feel, they think. They have dreams and fears. Your characters need to be well rounded people, with aspects of goodness and a pinch of the dark side. Focus on them as characters first, as magic users second.

Anyone who uses magic in a fantasy world must keep in mind the limitations, which make the story believable, and allow the author to develop tension and to create conflict. Remember: no conflict – no story.

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P. June Diehl is the author of The Magic & the Mundane: A Guide for the Writer’s Journey and working on a second book for writers. Her short stories, articles, and poetry have been published in print and online. June works as a writing teacher/mentor at Pearls of Writing and Writers Village University. She is the Editorial Director and a Senior Editor at Virtual Tales, and a Lead Editor with ePress-Online.

Fantasy Writing - The Setting

The Fantasy world can be on any world, in any climate, but invariably the classic form of an agrarian landscape, free of manufactured pollution comes to mind. Popular demands tend to prefer the simple lifestyle of pre-industrial society. Understandably, we seek to escape back to the good old days, so writers make use of the Arcadian idyll where life has the ability to be perfect.

Fantasy writers create worlds using their own style and voice. The process follows a path of logic. Even within similar fantasy settings, distinct points of diversity set scenarios apart. Carefully chosen words change the flavor of the backdrop. This backdrop establishes components that make up everything from authority structures, belief systems and even the geography of the landscape. These details lay the groundwork for a Pre-modern society and culture. Environment, learned behaviors, social organizations and beliefs all influence this culture. Adding culture gives the characters a structure within which to make choices, take sides and interact.

Religion

In a pre-modern fantasy world, religion is often tied in with government structure. In such a culture, laws reflect the religion's belief in right and wrong. For example, if the religion believes it is wrong to speak of those who have died, it would not be uncommon to find a law in the fantasy world that enacts punishment if one of its citizens speaks of the dead.

Religion can be based on superstition or reality. The fun of writing fantasy is that the writer can create a bizarre belief system as long as it makes sense within the plot and fantasy characters' lives.

Magic

Every fantasy contains some element of magic. It's part of what makes the world work. It doesn't have to be called magic, but the element must exist. Unlike Science Fiction, the magic in fantasy is not based on science but on a form of mystical magic that still must make sense to the reader. A base line of how and why it works must be drawn.

In my novel Windwalker, an ancient necklace holds healing properties. The history of the magical properties is passed from generation to generation through the oral telling of history. However, the magic of the necklace only works for characters from a specific bloodline. It's not called a magic necklace, but readers not only understand its powers, but also know when it will work and when it won't.

Language

Language reflects origins. Fantasy writers develop different regions and languages for only one reason--to bring the two cultures together in some fashion within the plot.

Does your fantasy world have one language or more? Learning to communicate is a vehicle for character growth. Fantasy characters that survive a hostile environment only to find one other survivor that can't speak their language adds elements of conflict while forcing the two characters to work together.

Government

Who is in power? How did they get to this place of prominence? When developing a pre-modern fantasy world, government plays an important role. Without structure, every character is free to do what is right from their point of view. However, if the government treats its citizens unfairly, it opens the door to a power struggle on some level. How the quest for justice develops and what it involves will depend on the government's structure. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

	Are indigenous people ruled by outsiders or enemies?
	Do settlements or colonies populate the fantasy world?
	How is the country, state or area divided?
	Is the government a democracy with rights exercised by the people?
	Are representatives elected?
	Is the government a monarchy?
	Does a patriarch or matriarch sit on the throne?
	Is there only one kingdom or several friendly or rival kingdoms?

Get Started Writing Fantasy

These basic elements will get you started. Plan to set aside time to write each day to develop the habit of writing. Have fun, take a class and hone your skill.Take a moment and pop over to epress-online blog and you can get a preview of my novel Windwalker.

My second young adult fantasy, Beyond the Fifth Gate, is due out in September. I'll keep you all posted.

How to Create A Fantasy World - Part 3

Construct a History

Fantasy novel writers work out a history as they build a fantasy world. This involves anything from politics, religious views, and anything similar that may divide or bring people together.

Books with pictures stimulate world-building ideas. Encyclopedias for older children present one potential source. Flip through the pages and glance at the pictures. When you find an item or event that stimulates your imagination, consider it. Text included in this type of book is short enough to peruse information in minutes. From there you can either research it further, use what you've learned or dismiss it entirely. The bottom line is that it doesn't waste a lot of time.

Don't allow character or plot to sidetrack from the task of pulling together geographical details; jot down exciting but distracting ideas to get them out of your head and into a safe place until the basic world has evolved enough for characters to walk about. If your story takes place in a specific city investigate the history of that city. Even when writing fiction you need to use enough facts to make the story believable.

Once the landscape is in place, add characters and build a rough timeline. The past and future don't need to be well defined, but exist enough to help the fantasy writer know where characters came from and where they are going.