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This is an old post, but I really want it accessible for me. So, here it is:
Magic. What's the first thing that that word brings to mind? In recent years, it's probably Harry Potter and, maybe, Gandalf. Possibly, given recent events you might even think of Mr. Robert Jordan.
However, magic has been in stories since people began telling them. Whether it was divine (god-given), or a special "gift" that the person had, magic has often been the explanation for the unexplainable.
The trouble with magic in writing is that it can become a crutch (or dues ex machina) for the writer to lean on, and not have an actual story. If you put magic in your writing, you have to be very careful not to "demonise" it -- meaning making it the reason that all bad things happen -- or make it, again, the crutch upon which everything depends.
So what do you do? How do you stop yourself from doing things like that. Well, actually, I have been thinking about this (namely because I do use magic a lot, and need to know for myself) and have come up with a few fast and loose rules that might help someone else when using magic:
( Da Rulez )
Now, this is not to put you off from using magic. Absolutely not! Use magic! Magic can be a fun, and funny, plot device. Just be aware, when you do, that there are those of us, who see magic as a tool, and a weapon -- or a science -- rather than as "magic."
Magic. What's the first thing that that word brings to mind? In recent years, it's probably Harry Potter and, maybe, Gandalf. Possibly, given recent events you might even think of Mr. Robert Jordan.
However, magic has been in stories since people began telling them. Whether it was divine (god-given), or a special "gift" that the person had, magic has often been the explanation for the unexplainable.
The trouble with magic in writing is that it can become a crutch (or dues ex machina) for the writer to lean on, and not have an actual story. If you put magic in your writing, you have to be very careful not to "demonise" it -- meaning making it the reason that all bad things happen -- or make it, again, the crutch upon which everything depends.
So what do you do? How do you stop yourself from doing things like that. Well, actually, I have been thinking about this (namely because I do use magic a lot, and need to know for myself) and have come up with a few fast and loose rules that might help someone else when using magic:
( Da Rulez )Now, this is not to put you off from using magic. Absolutely not! Use magic! Magic can be a fun, and funny, plot device. Just be aware, when you do, that there are those of us, who see magic as a tool, and a weapon -- or a science -- rather than as "magic."
