In some of my stories, I map out the magic system as thoroughly as I do the plot. Others, I leave the magic of that world vague, simply saying a spell was cast or an object was enchanted.
Why would I leave the magic system vague? Sometimes it's because I simply don't know how it works and that how doesn't matter to the particular story as much as it does to others. Other times, I leave the magic system vague because I purposefully don't want to be examining it.
I figured out the magic of my gothic tale today.
It was one of the first kind, a previously vague system that I hadn't known how it worked. I still don't know everything, but I know one of my world's magic principles.
What kind of magic system do you prefer to use in your writing? There are those that the characters simply wave their hand or say some strange words and magic happens. Others, the magic is approached in the same way as a field of academic study, with theories and principles and laws.
I do enjoy examining the magic in my stories, making sure it works and is consistent throughout each story. This can lead to it becoming an academic study, but I'm happy to let it be vague and simply hand waving as well.
I'm not certain where the magic system in this gothic tale is going. I know what I want it to do but, beyond that, I have no idea how it works.
Yet.
Why would I leave the magic system vague? Sometimes it's because I simply don't know how it works and that how doesn't matter to the particular story as much as it does to others. Other times, I leave the magic system vague because I purposefully don't want to be examining it.
I figured out the magic of my gothic tale today.
It was one of the first kind, a previously vague system that I hadn't known how it worked. I still don't know everything, but I know one of my world's magic principles.
What kind of magic system do you prefer to use in your writing? There are those that the characters simply wave their hand or say some strange words and magic happens. Others, the magic is approached in the same way as a field of academic study, with theories and principles and laws.
I do enjoy examining the magic in my stories, making sure it works and is consistent throughout each story. This can lead to it becoming an academic study, but I'm happy to let it be vague and simply hand waving as well.
I'm not certain where the magic system in this gothic tale is going. I know what I want it to do but, beyond that, I have no idea how it works.
Yet.