For the next couple of posts, I’m going to discuss some simple world-building tips for anyone writing fantasy who is creating a magic system for their world. No matter how unique you want to make your fictional world, things within the story should follow the rules of the world you’ve built. This creates consistency and helps build trust with the reader; this makes your story more believable, no matter how fantastical some elements may be.

There are a few basic concepts that I think can help writers to build the structure of magic within their fantasy world. Answering these questions can help you think more deeply about how you want magic to work in your story.

What Magic CAN Do

What is magic able to do in your story world? Is it used for playing small tricks on others or adding minor conveniences to everyday life? Or is magic used for raising the dead or jumping through alternate dimensions? Think about what the main purpose or main use for magic is in your story world.

What Magic CAN’T Do

There should be some limits to the magic, or magic-users’ abilities, because characters need challenges to overcome. Think about what magic cannot accomplish.

The Price for using Magic

A “price” for using magic doesn’t have to be something major, or something bad. But like the previous point, it can put some limits on the magic system and help keep your story world from becoming too easy or too perfect.

For example, in my portal fantasy world of The Light-Whisperers of Kalevala, the character of Queen Kuu is a sorceress and most of the time performs magic very subtly and with little effort. However, if she needs to cast a large or complex spell, it makes her weak and tired. This isn’t a bad or difficult price to pay, and she recovers quickly – but it shows that despite the character’s power, she’s not perfect or infallible.

Who uses Magic

Is magic reserved for the wealthy or elite, or are certain people born with the power? Or does everyone use magic as part of their daily lives? Deciding who uses magic and who doesn’t can expand your world-building by helping you develop societal and cultural traditions for your story world.

Next month I’ll cover four more elements about magic that can help you further develop your unique magic system and add more depth to your fantasy world. Stay tuned!

Like what you’re reading? Buy me a lemonade!