Newsletter 03/17

Magic: Cause Or Effect?

Last time, we looked at some different kinds of magic to spice up your story. This time, I'd like to continue that theme by examining a different direction for making more interesting magic. In many fantasy stories, spell casters are differentiated on the basis of the effects of their magic. We have fire magic, ice magic, necromancy, demonology, all divided up on the basis of what the magic does. Another way to divide the magical community (without swords and axes) is to use the cause of the magic. In other words, instead of focusing on what the magic does, look at what the mage does.

There are many different kinds of magical methods. A mage might have to gesture wildly, or speak certain magical phrases, or manipulate a magical amulet. There's many more intriguing possibilities, however.

One alternative to the standard magical methods is a runecaster. Runecasting is popular in mythology, particularly Nordic. A skilled runecaster could do pretty much anything a traditional wizard could, but he either had to know the correct rune to draw power from, and/or he had to scribe the rune on something to make it work. This could easily be used in a Fantasy story, where wizards must trace their runes of power in the air, where they may take solid forms. Or perhaps they must scribe the runes onto physical objects. Clive Barker's recent novel Abarat has such magic.

Another alternative popular in myth is musical magic, or magical chants. Instead of having to speak certain magic phrases, the mage must actually sing, play or chant his spells. A slight variation might be a mage who whistles or hums her spells. Alan Dean Foster's Spellsinger series was a not so serious look at this sort of mage.

Another type of Magic could revolve around materials. Alchemy is the mythological precedent. A mage of this sort might need to combine different powders and oils to work her magic, or perhaps she must combine different reagents in the form of plant, mineral and animal substances. Terry Brooks presents a mage of this sort with Cogline.

Another route to go to a different magical system would be to focus on what the magic looks like. Steven Donaldson used this method in the Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. One of the characters is a Thaumaturge, whose magic all revolves around circles. (Pardon the pun.) Every effect he creates is circular, no matter what it is supposed to do.

So, when thinking about your magic, it is best to think not only about effects, as most authors do, but also causes. That way, you can be on your way to a more original feeling, and internally consistent magical system.

Colin Back on the Ghost Roads