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Happy 2019, literary lovers! We're going to kick it off strong with some more world building discussion. This time, we're going to cover how to create a magic system in your world.
As with all elements of world building, you can use as much or as little in your story as you'd like. To be honest, you're probably going to have more information in your notes about the magic system than what actually ends up on the page, and that's fine! The more you know about it, the better! We're going to discuss several different topics that can help you prepare your system.
Abracadabra, let's get started!
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Lore: What's the lore of your magic? How did it originate? Is it a gift from a deity or higher power? Did your character get bitten by a radioactive spider? Who first learned how to use the magic, and how is it viewed in your world?
There are so many questions you can ask yourself about it! Again, this may just be something you know, versus your readers, but understanding where your magic comes from can help you turn it into a well-rounded system.
Say your magic system comes from the Gods. Okay, great. Now ask yourself. Why did the Gods grant this magic to people? Let's think about Avatar: The Last Airbender (pardon the spoilers but it's a great example to use). The people there received their bending ability from the lion turtles. And the first Avatar developed the power first by learning how to control each power individually and then by bonding with the spirit Raava.
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Eventually the lion turtles stepped back and no longer provided the power, but children were born with bending abilities. The land ended up dividing into different nations: fire, earth, water, and air. Bending isn't an unusual thing. It's kind of part of the culture. At one point, a group of rebels despises the bending abilities and tries to take it away, but overall, bending is accepted.
What about in a culture where magic isn't accepted? How do the people react? Are magic users ostracized or are they hunted? How does magic play a role in your world?
Types of Magic: Next, you want to think about types of magic. Elemental? Can more than one person have the same power? Is it based on the earth, or is it more like superhero powers (teleportation, reading minds, turning invisible, etc)? Were they born with it? Did they develop it from somewhere?
