In my previous blog post, I went over 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 more 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. 

Societal View of Magic 

How does the society of your world view magic? Is it just an everyday thing, or reserved for special people or special occasions? Is it viewed positively or negatively, or kept a secret? A society that casts spells with the same casualness and frequency that we check our smart phones would be very different from a society that hunts down magic users and puts them in prison. The cultural ideals regarding magic should be a huge element in your worldbuilding. 

For example, in my dieselpunk stories that feature the sharp-witted Mrs. Jones, magic is kept secret from society at large and magic users talk and trade in an underworld of sorts. Magic isn’t illegal—it’s simply unknown, because the stories are supposed to take place in the real world in the 1920s. Mrs. Jones doesn’t talk about magic with just anyone—magic stays within the magic community. 

Good vs Evil Magic 

Is there morality attached to magic in your world, or is it something neutral and part of everyday life like the weather? This can be related to the previous point, about how your society views magic. If some people believe magic is good or evil, that can create different themes in your story versus a world where magic is treated as a normal, neutral commodity. 

Source of Magic 

This is not always something that has to discussed or explained in a story. Some story worlds benefit from a “scientific” (for lack of a better term) explanation of how magic works or what creates it. Other stories keep magic as a mystical thing that can be revered for its mysticism or treated as a part of nature. 

As an example, think of classic Star Wars before and after the introduction of midichlorians as an explanation for the Force. I don’t want to start an argument for or against, but it’s an example of an explanation of the story world’s magic system. Some people enjoyed understanding more about the source of magic (the Force), others didn’t. My point is that you as an author get to decide how much to explain. 

Talismans and Enchanted Objects 

Not every magic system uses talismans or tools. In Star Wars, the appearance of the magic is generally confined to living beings that are able to manipulate it (yes, Star Wars is far more of a fantasy story than science-fiction). In contrast, in the world of Harry Potter, while there are only certain people who can use magic, there are also a lot of physical items that help or hinder a wizard’s abilities, as well as enchanted and cursed items with powers of their own. You can decide how to use magical items (or not use them at all) in your story, depending on how you’ve built other aspects of magic into your world. 

I hope these tips can help you when you’re brainstorming and worldbuilding for your next fantasy story! 

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