Writing Tips and Reviews

World Development: Mystical Power

Every fantasy type story has a form of mystical power, whether it is magic, artes like the Tales series or something else, it always has to play a part and be part of the world. Don't ever introduce something then never explain it or never even use it, that's bad writing. You can hint to something being important, you can say to the readers "this is a big plot point" but if it has no reason to be there and really isn't the big plot point you thought it'd be, then don't even try.

Explaining It:

If you introduce it, explain what it is, somewhere in the story. It doesn't have to be right then and there, sometimes it's best to wait, characters won't explain what is normal to them. You won't explain what a phone is to someone who has a phone. You'd explain what a certain app is if they don't have it. Simple logic. That's why my story Ascensions of Celestial hasn't explained what artes are, because the ones who know about it don't need to. I have explained it when it was introduced in the description. I'm trying something new here.

Always explain things, no one can read your mind or have the same thought process as you. So don't use that as an excuse not to explain it. And if the story ends with the introduction of a mystical power or anything in that matter, there better be a sequel or you just screwed up. If a story isn't popular enough to get a sequel that's one thing, but never even intending to explain it, you failed, you failed big time. I don't know what your version of aura is, you can say it's some mystical important power humans are born with, but what the hell does it do? I never got an explanation, and I was on the development team.

Development:

How does this power work? How does it develop? Can it mutate? Like genes, science guys. How does it effect the character? How does it effect others? Some simple questions you should be asking yourself. Along with the person who says "why" all the time. Show what this power can do and what it can't do. Nothing is made from the imperial void and nothing can do everything. Psychokinesis can not set things on fire, pyrokinesis can not pick up items. If your one power can do everything, then good luck Mary Sue. I know being a Mary Sue is when the world bends to the character's will, but let's be honest, anything perfect, overpowered beyond the universe itself and has no care for limitations is basically that.

Comparison:

As someone who likes the Tales series, I use "artes" and magic as separate entities. I hear one more thing about the magic system being the big thing in my series and I'm going to break something. Thing, weird word. I've explained why artes and magic are two different entities, they rely on different subjects to remain active and they are used differently. Both have elemental control but there's definitely more than that to both of them.

If you have a power and it's different from the well known laws of magic, then compare it to show why and how it's different. If there's no difference don't use it or merge what you think is different. It's like that OC drama I had, if the character is the exact same as a copyrighted character with difference of the name, just role play as the copyrighted character. It's not rocket science.

Use In Story:

Why do fantasy stories actually use the power they've introduced? Because it's common practice and why not use what you've introduced? It becomes void to even explain what something is if it never comes into play. Why bother with that special very important magic book that can't be bought with money because the rich protagonist doesn't have enough already, whew, to be in the story if it plays no part? When someone I seriously lost respect for can do better than that, then you know you're screwed, I don't lose respect for someone easily.

I introduce artes early on and it's used for battles, that's how the Tales series does it. Introducing it then using it in combat, what a thought! Artes are a combat type of power, not to use for playing games, doesn't mean characters won't use it play games. Magic in most media is shown to have outside combat use, changing hair color, picking up items (psychokinesis) and other uses. I don't focus on magic in my series and it can't do that, those powers are for other things.

Like I said back when I talked about deus ex machina, if it was introduced and used often, then it's not deus ex machina at the end of a fight. Deus ex machina is pulling the rug from under the audience's feet and saying "ha ha, this is a cheep way to end my story".

Conclusion:

Introduce, explain and use. Not that hard. For little kids, apparently being anywhere close to a consistent story is hard, so don't expect much from them. Little experience means little ability to do anything. You hear that Mary Sue? You're no a professional because you're amazing. You become a professional after years, more than two, of practice, probably like twenty to thirty depending on what it is. I'm tired.