Note: this chapter is largely influenced by Sanderson's Laws of Magic, which I suggest you read up on! This chapter is my understanding and expansion upon his rules.

The first thing to keep in mind is that your magic system can be as complex or as simple as you wish, and as mysterious or as clear-cut as you'd like. Magic in fantasy novels can fall anywhere on a scale between soft or hard magic, so it's important to understand the difference as you begin forming yours. Let's review the definitions, as well as some of the pros and cons for each.

────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ──────

| Soft magic |

A system that is more abstract and does not follow a set of hard and fast rules.

Example: Lord of the Rings, Narnia

Pros:

- creates a sense of wonder and mystery

- rules can't be broken if there are no rules to begin with (simply put: you have more freedom)

- more room for expansion of powers

- appeals to a broader audience

Cons:

- solving conflict with soft magic can be less satisfying (as the characters don't have to work around as many limitations)

- less tension (can feel like the writer is using a cop-out by creating just the right power to navigate the plot, especially the climax)

- can be hard to keep things straight

- can be harder to keep the reader grounded in your world if they are often questioning how things work

| Hard Magic |

A system that is defined and falls under a set of rules.

Example: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Fullmetal Alchemist

Pros:

- problem-solving is more satisfying (greater tension)

- can set defined limitations and consequences (soft magic can have these too, but they are usually not defined, rather discovered)

- the concrete nature is easier for designing plot, worldbuilding, characters

- allows the reader to feel like they have a full grasp on how things work

Cons:

- loss of wonder/mystery

- have to work harder if you choose to expand powers

- have to keep consistent within the boundaries you set

- more time spent on explaining/showing how things work

- characters must be more careful in their reasoning

────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ──────

How do I decide which type of magic system to use in my story?

Remember, your system can fall on either end of the spectrum, though it can certainly (and probably will) be somewhere between the two. You have to consider what your priorities are for your story as you try to decide which direction to lean in. Softer magic systems are great if you want it to feel mystical and abstract and expansive, and you'll have greater freedom, but you'll have to work harder to keep things grounded and to make conflicts feel tense. Harder magic systems are perfect for a story where you want your characters to use it almost as a science to solve problems, and you will more easily create satisfaction in your conflicts. However, harder magic brings greater limitations and, depending on how specific you get, can feel less accessible and less wondrous to readers.

How do I form a magic system?

Once you have an idea about which side of the scale might suit best to your story, there are few things you should aim to do as you formulate your system.

First, remember that the better your reader understands how the magic works, the more satisfying the characters' use of the magic will feel. This still applies to soft magic systems as well, but rather than the reader understanding the rules, you should make sure they understand that they are unknown. When your audience knows what to expect in terms of how the magic can or cannot be used, or that it is abstract, they can stop working so hard to decipher it and start enjoying the story more. You always want to avoid abruptly inventing a new ability right in the middle of conflict to get your characters out of problems. The reader will feel pulled out of the story, overly aware of the author's presence, and they will feel cheated. To get the most satisfaction out of solving a conflict is to use a tool (in this case, the magic) in a way that was hinted at or displayed on a smaller scale earlier in the story so that it doesn't feel out of nowhere.

In a more general sense, magic systems should have some sort of flaws, limitations, or consequences. We already know that full soft magic does not define these clearly, but that doesn't mean they aren't there. If your magic is all-powerful and all-accessible then everyone would essentially be invincible, in which case it is difficult to tell a story. If superheroes have no limitations to their abilities, there's less reason to follow their journey.

However, in the case that you do want your magic system to be nearly limitless, you can still create tension by asking yourself what problem there is that the magic cannot solve. As a basic example, perhaps your protagonist is a great wizard who can do just about all he pleases, but he loves someone who does not care for him back. He could use his power to force them to return his feelings, but he wants it to be genuine and therefore his magic cannot help him. But even this is technically a limitation, because his magic cannot make them feel true love.

Creating limits, flaws, or consequences to the magic is pretty simple on its own, though it may take time to determine what works best for your plot. You just need to come up with things that will provide tension and obstacles for your characters. And remember: a flaw is something that can be overcome while a limitation is something that must be worked with/adapted to.

How might I make the use of the magic feel satisfying?

Regardless of where your system falls on the scale, you want to use foreshadowing or examples in your story to signal to your reader the possibilities of what could go wrong (or right). If the climax of your book involves the protagonist faces a deadly result of using the magic, you should have previously dropped some sort of clue or example to what this consequence looks like. In Lord of the Rings, Gollum serves as an example of what long-term use of the ring will do, so the audience better comprehends the stakes for Frodo.

(! SPOILERS: skip the next paragraph if you plan to read The Siren's Curse and haven't done so yet! If not, read on)

* * * * *

In TSC, I tried to do this in two different ways. One was showing that there was a chance of breaking the curse because we saw it happen with Dawon and Yoongi, though the question of whether it would still break for Jimin and Katherine was unanswered because nobody yet knew why it happened. The second was when Jimin went into the water and risked his humanity to help Kat's mother. This showed that the curse could in fact still revert back to him, which raises the tension when his plan to take Katherine's place is revealed.

* * * * *

I realize I say this often, but that's because it's one of the most valuable tips I've learned: you always want to find ways to make things cohesive. When you have scenes displaying the magic, you should also be trying to characterize your characters, telling more about the setting, and/or progressing the plot. What does the way they are using the magic or how they feel about the magic show the reader about the characters? And what does the magic reveal or highlight about the plot or setting? This isn't a rule, but whenever you are able to connect at least some of these elements, you should!

Questions? Drop 'em here!