It is my opinion that the words “magic” and “system” don’t really belong together. If it is a system, then it is not magic, but rather science. Even if we use the term “soft magic system,” we still have the word “system” in there, and that feels antithetical to the nature of magic.
Granted the term “magic” can be used to describe yet unexplained events that may one day be figured out with science, but if we want the forces in fantasy to feel magical, then that’s not really going to cut it, is it?
This gets kind of muddy, and in all honesty, this article will refer more to vibes than rational concepts. It kind of has to. The idea of magic defies rationality at its core. Or rather, it functions based off its own strange rationality.
Again, this will get a little muddy. And whimsical. Fasten your steatbelts.
Common Trappings of “Magic” in Fantasy
If you have ever seen a place in fantasy described as glowing and humming with magic, then you don’t actually have magic. You have fantasy electricity, and it uses LEDs.
If your magic follows a set procedure that always has predictable results, you don’t have magic. You have a fantasy toolbox.
If your magic comes in the form of beams and bolts from wands, you don’t have magic. You have fantasy ray guns.
If your magic comes in slots or has measurable power levels, you don’t actually have magic. You have fantasy artillery. Thanks, Gary.
If your magic is an energy field that encompasses all living things and which people can tap into in order to use psychic powers, then you don’t have magic. You have . . . biology? Wait, what?
(Are we sure this timeline is legitimate, guys? Things look a little suspect to me!)
If your magic is governed by a clearly defined set of tangible rules that look suspiciously like they came from a physics textbook, then you don’t have magic. You have fantasy science.
Magic laboratories aren’t magical at all, really.
Don’t get me wrong – I enjoy a bit of fantasy science. It’s a great way to give characters interesting tools to use in their adventures, and it lends itself quite nicely to nesting interesting secrets in your setting. Sanderson is, as always, a delightful evil genius. I just hesitate to classify it as magic.
It’s insufficient for a thing to be physically impossible for it to be considered magic. Otherwise, we should suppose most superheroes are magical, and that idea seems silly, frankly.
No, magic must be something other than merely supernatural.
What Is Magic?
What is magic, then, if not these things?
Magic is the weight of a word. It is when the word of a deity is given more consideration than the interactions of physical forces. It is when the will of the rocks and the winds and the trees has more bearing on their behavior than whatever rules mortals have supposed govern the cosmos. Rocks will refuse to budge because it is against the nature of rocks to move much, not because they are merely heavy.
It is the bond of a promise and the reality of a curse if that bond is broken. Curses don’t time out in an hour, but are instead broken by some thematic weirdness, like kissing a princess or reaching a certain age. Blessings don’t time out either. Rather, they are lost by breaking oaths, cutting your hair, etc.
Magic, at its core, is two things: perception and persuasion. Magic is the second sight of the witch and the comprehension of rumors carried on the wind. It is the art of persuading others to do what they already are disposed toward doing. A spell may be accomplished by various means, so long as you comprehend that which you intend to persuade. Iron persuades the fey to steer clear, while an offering of food assuages their wrath. A due sacrifice appeases those forces you would supplicate for aid, but it only succeeds so long as it is a sacrifice that is sweet to that entity.
Magic is the impossible made manifest, and it only makes itself manifest because it wills it, not because it is governed by some physical force. As such, it is antithetical to science. Science reveals secrets through orderly processes and careful reasoning. Magic is the intuition of the soul. Magic is not some element in the world to be manipulated. It IS the world in which it resides. Or if not that, then it is the practice of working with the elements of the world by means that appeal to the will of things rather than to physical laws.
Magic is the will of the abstract made concrete. It is the voice of the wind, the inexorable strength of the mountains, the will of the land for good or ill. It is the storms that turn where they ought not, the memory of rocks preserving the voices of people long lost, and the immortal evil of monsters. It is when one voyages in dreams and returns with a key in hand.
Magic in Fantasy
In short, magic is the stuff of myth. It should be uncommon enough to be strange, or else it risks degenerating into some form of fantasy physics.
How do you incorporate that kind of magic in your work? I don’t really know. There’s probably no set answer for that. What works for me is writing from vibes. Turn on some music, see some inspiring artwork, and use the feelings and imagery from those to create something. Start with emotions and atmosphere rather than mechanics. Let yourself play around a while, and don’t worry about getting it “right.”
Being a little odd helps too. If you’re here, you probably already have that one covered.
The Astral Wanderer is brought to you by the magic that only manifests itself on full moons when the wind blows the scent of a specific breed of squirrel. That might explain why these posts are often so few in coming sometimes. Anyway, share this with your writer friends, or print it out and burn it as part of a spiteful ritual toward whoever dared write this. Patreon also exists as a way to support the blog. All proceeds go toward figuring out where this stupid key came from and what we’re supposed to do with it. Really.