Magic is Might

Today is Friday the 13th for all you superstitious writers. Speaking of superstition, I've decided to write about magic, and how to use it. 

NOTE: I, Twain, am more of a Fantasy writer, than anything else. If we can get more authors who are better with other fictional genres, we can have each author specialize in writing about that genre.

Anyway, back to magic. Magic is fun. It's different. It creates interesting plot lines and characters. But, you have to be careful. You have to make the magic in your world believable. 

Yes, I know that sounds weird. Magic is supposed to be strange and mythical, which is fine. But if you have a character that can dissolve the world in seconds without any consequences, you're going to have a few readers shelving your book.

So, how do you make it believable?

NOTE: These steps do not have to be in order 

Step 1: Incorporate magic into your world. 

When you make magic part of the world, your setting, it becomes more believable. If it's just as easy to find a baker as it is a talented magician/sorcerer, then the whole world isn't gawking at your character because he just shot lightning out of his hand. Now, there are exceptions to this. If you want NO magic in your book, besides your character, you have to think of a logical reason as to why.

Step 2:  Set limits to magic.

This is a biggie. Newton's Law of Motion. With every action, there is an equal, but opposite, reaction. There has to be consequences to using magic. If any old wizard could shoot unlimited fireballs out of his hand, why isn't everyone doing it? Does he ever stop?  

I've heard of a thing where Wizards, when they used magic, completely destroyed life around them, literately sucking energy from plants. This caused a hatred of wizards, unless they could learn to control it.

In my book, for instance, magic is energy. There is this thing called Mana that flows through every living thing. Wizards have more Mana than the average person, and they have the ability to manipulate Mana. To them, the manipulation of Mana is magic.

The consequence, therefore, is that whenever they use magic, it cost them energy, and they feel like they've been drained of it for a while after a long session of magic.

Step 3: Make a way to stop magic.

This is more of my thinking than actual "How to write Fantasy", but I think it's important. Back to my example at the top of Step 2. There are bound to bad wizards, one who want to take over the world, kidnap the girl, whatever floats your boat. So, how do you stop them?

In my book, there is a solid/liquid metal that if it comes into contact with a wizard, their Mana manipulation freezes, and they can't use Mana as long as it's touching them. What I'm basically saying, give magic it's weakness. There needs to be a way to stop it

So, rehab:

Step 1: Incorporate magic into your world

Step 2: Set limits to magic

Step 3: Make a way to stop magic