As I've mentioned, I recently attended our local SCBWI annual conference. It was spectacular! So well run and organized, with great speakers and interesting topics. My very favorite talk over the two day conference was one given by Holly Black on MAGIC SYSTEMS.
I loved hearing her thoughts on the subject as well as her methods for creating and defining her imaginary worlds. While it would be impossible to recreate the enthusiasm and humor of her session on a simple blog post, there are some tidbits that I came away with that I will most definitely use in the future and want to share with you. One thing she said that really resonated with me is this:
Magic is always metaphor.
Think about that for a minute. What a powerful statement. I love it. All magic is narrative. All magic is metaphor, so what do the rules of magic say about the world? Does it reflect the author's own world view?
Here are some other questions that she asked, when creating her magic system:
1. Who has it?
2. What does it do?
3. How do you make it happen?
4. How is the user affected?
5. How is the world affected?
6. How are the magic users perceived?
She went on to give examples in each case of how she applied this to her Curseworkers characters in the WHITE CAT series.
A few other things to consider:
1. How do you limit the magic?
2. What is the cost of the magic? All magic has a price.
3. What are the limits of the magic? All magic must be calibrated or everyone can do everything.
Final thoughts - Once the magic system is created and calibrated - TRY TO BREAK IT.
It was a FANTASTIC session, and Holly was a super speaker - funny, open, willing to answer any questions. If you ever get a chance to hear her speak - take it!!
Any tips you'd like to add that you've found work for you in creating a magic system?
~Kiki
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