Magic, though commonplace, isn’t an essential element in fantasy fiction. However, a few fantastical powers can go a long way toward livening up many fantasy stories. Magic systems can even serve as a vehicle for theme, exploring topics such as power, privilege, oppression, and greed.

As fun as fantastical powers can be to write, crafting your magic system with care is key. If you fail to understand the role that magic will play in your story and develop your system accordingly, then you run the risk of undercutting the conflict and tension that keep readers turning pages.

Not sure what I mean? Let’s delve further into this topic together…
 

The Many Approaches to Magic

There is no “right” way to build a magic system. Your approach may vary wildly from other fantasy authors, and that’s okay. However, understanding how magic can operate in fiction is key to ensuring that your magic system serves your story rather than undermines it.

As bestselling author Brandon Sanderson explains, most magic systems can be classified as hard or soft in nature. Hard magic systems feature a strict set of parameters explained within the story to ensure that readers understand what characters’ fantastical powers can and cannot do. Sanderson’s Mistborn series and Stormlight Archive both contain excellent examples of hard magic systems.

Alternatively, soft magic systems remain nebulous. Readers know little, if anything, about the nature, origin, or limitations of the characters’ fantastical powers. A primary example of soft magic would be that which Gandalf practices in The Lord of the Rings.

Your story’s magic system may fall somewhere between these two extremes, and that’s perfectly fine so long as you understand the role that magic serves within your story.

As Sanderson explains, magic primarily exists to create conflict in fiction. If your characters will use magic to resolve that conflict, then establishing a clear set of rules for your magic system is necessary to avoid cheapening tension via contrived magical solutions. In other words, readers need to understand how your magic system works to ensure its use feels natural and believable within the context of the story.

However, if your magic system serves more to create a fantastical ambience than to resolve any major conflicts, then explaining how magic works on the page likely isn’t necessary. Gandalf didn’t use his powers to destroy the One Ring, so readers didn’t need to know how his magic worked to find the ending of The Lord of the Rings to be believable.

Six Steps to a Fully-Developed Magic System...

Crafting a hard magic system can be a complex endeavor, though soft magic systems also require a bit of care and attention to develop. Below, I’ve outlined six general steps you can follow to forge an effective magic system for your story. Use this guide as best fits your approach to magic.

Step #1: Define its use

How does a user summon magic, and how does that magic manifest (i.e. how would you define the user’s magical abilities)? What fuels the use of magic? Does the use of power exact a particular cost?
 

Step #2: Identify its users

What are those with magical powers called within your story world? Is magic inherited, gifted, obtained, or learned? Who can use magic? Are there multiple types of magic users? If so, what differentiates them?

Step #3: Outline its limitations

Is magic (or the source that fuels it) a limited resource in your story world? Can one’s magical abilities be stolen or suppressed through fantastical or physical means? What effect does the use of magic have on the user? Is there a cap on the users' magical abilities? How could a magic user be defeated?

Step #4: Establish its dangers

Can magic be used incorrectly or immorally? Can it be used to harm others or cause destruction? What dangers does magic pose to the user, whether directly or because the use of magic is scorned or envied by society?
 

Step #5: Explore its origins

How was magic created? Where does it source its power? Are there different types of magic, or did magic diversify over time? What important historical events in your story world were affected by the use (or failure to use) magic?

Step #6: Consider its culture

Is magic kept secret in your story world? If so, why? Are there magical societies or a hierarchy of magic users? Can a magic user be identified by their clothing, appearance, or some other distinguishing physical factor? Do magic users have their own language, religion, festivals, and/or other cultural hallmarks?

Magic as a Vehicle for Theme...

Many fantasy authors incorporate magic into their stories simply because fantastical abilities are a fun means of escapism. However, as mentioned at the top of this article, magic can also serve as a vehicle for theme (i.e. the primary topics discussed in a story).

Because magic is a form of power, it often explores related themes such as greed, privilege, and oppression. For example, in The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien uses the near omnipotence of the One Ring to explore the dangers of authoritarianism, which he fought as a British soldier during WWI.

The magic system in my current work-in-progress, Lady Legacy, serves as an allegory for ambition and the dangerous pursuit of glory, with magic exacting a heavy emotional toll on the user.

What themes will your magic system discuss?

Don’t be intimated by the often academic bent to the discussion around theme. In essence, theme is nothing more than an answer to the question, “What is this story about?” There’s a good chance that your story already contains themes regardless of whether you consciously developed them.

Of course, I wholeheartedly believe that considering each element of your story is the surest way to craft an engaging novel. If you’d like additional guidance as you build your story’s magic system and other facets of your fictional world, then be sure to check out World-Building Warrior, a workbook that will walk you through the world-building process step by step.