The 5 most common magic-system mistakes (and how to fix them)
Nobody likes to hear their magic system isn’t working, but it’s one of the areas that most often lets a manuscript down. So what are the common mistakes I’ve come across and how can writers avoid them?
I studied the creation of magic systems as part of my Masters by Research, and because I’m such a nerd, I’ve carried this on ever since. I’ve hoarded books like I’m Smaug sitting on a vault of treasure. I’ve crafted templates and guides that I’ve tested on my own writing. I’ve also worked with clients as a developmental editor and provided a targeted analysis on their magic system – because it’s such a big part of the genre that can link into every aspect of worldbuilding and plot, that it deserves special attention.
Here are my top 5 no-nos for crafting magic in a manuscript:
1) It’s consequence-free
I hate to say it, but this is the first thing I look for when reading a fantasy book. Magic comes with a price. It has to. Really, it does. If it doesn’t, then the stakes aren’t high, the characters can’t grow as much, and you lose a whole chunk of tension. Not to mention the plot holes! I worry that my clients will think I’m a toddler at a keyboard, because most of my initial comments are ‘Why did this happen?’, ‘Why didn’t he do this?’ or ‘Why didn’t this magic affect this character after he exploded with energy and decimated an entire army with no training or consequences?’ Characters grow the most through suffering, and magic needs to play its part in that.
Having no consequences lowers the stakes and can turn your reader off. If the character doesn’t grow, if the magic has a get-out-jail-free card to do anything it wants because there’s no price, then you’ll probably find your manuscript will be riddled with plot holes and your characters will feel flat.
How to fix: look at your magic (who uses it, where it comes from, how it is used) and ask yourself what price would make logical sense and entertain your reader? Is it that the character loses a tooth every time he casts a spell? Is it that nature dies bit by bit? Is it that the rich are forced to trade places with the poor if they want to use magic to kill an enemy? What price would match the magic and drive the plot?
2) It doesn’t link up
The source of the magic, its backstory, its manifestations and forms, its limits and consequences, how it drives the plot, how it impacts the characters, how it’s used, how it integrates into the world – if it doesn’t all connect, then it won’t:
stick in your reader’s mind
make logical, coherent sense
answer the questions your reader needs answering.
How to fix it: start with one element, the one that drove you to create this magic in the first place, and then work out from there. If you know the source is a magical pool in the heart of an abandoned forest, ask yourself why that pool is there, how old it is, what its purpose is - that’s your backstory. Then think about what it can do: can it link to all water in the world (elemental magic), can it be a portal to another land, can it contain the spirit of a vengeful witch who melted a hundred years ago? That gives you a solid footing for working out how your magic represents itself in the world. I could go on, but I think you can see what I’m getting at … and I kind of want to write a story myself now. Doh!
3) It merges too many magic systems into one
It’s really tempting to add dragons, elemental magic, god-powered stones, light vs shadow magic, werewolves and vampires, the world as a god, and all other cool magic systems into one big combined super-charged magic system. There’s nothing wrong with that … if it’s done well. More often than not, if you have too many types in on 90,000 word manuscript, and they don’t have a logical link (see Point 2 above), then it can feel like a Frankenstein-monster-esque system that is disjointed. This means that there’s a high risk that your reader will get confused as to what the magic system is, can maybe identify a well-known element and bring their own biases to that only to find out it doesn’t work the same way.
If you want to do this, please do! I’d love to see different magical elements brought together … but it has to work for your story, for your plot, for your characters and for your reader.
How to fix it: grab a cup of tea, take a seat, and look at your magic system as a structure. Ask yourself if there are too many parts to it that could do with trimming, if there are elements that you want in because you love them but they don’t make sense for the world you’ve created, and if there’s a link that connects it all together. If not, you might have to cut some bits out of the manuscript. If it’s not serving the plot or growing your characters, can you remove it? Killing your darlings is hard – thankfully, I wrote a blog post all about that which you can read about here: ‘Kill your darlings: why it works’.
4) The magic solves EVERYTHING
I’ll admit it – this one can make me want to bash my head against my screen. It’s really easy to let magic fix every problem in a manuscript, and magic definitely has a place in the plot for resolving a problem, ending a battle, or bringing characters together. Like Point 3 above, it’s necessarily wrong to have magic as a problem-solver, but if it solves everything, then, to be blunt here, what’s the point of reading on? Where’s the tension? The sense of urgency? The slight fear that the characters we’re rooting for won’t succeed in their task?
How to fix it: magic is best used when it complicates the plot for the characters; when it’s a problem and not just a solution. Think about how you can use magic as an obstacle, as a tool for character growth. You may find that the plot takes a different turn, but that it also presents new opportunities that can elevate your manuscript.
5) The magic isn’t explained
Okay, maybe this is the one I bang my head against the screen for, but I promise it’s for good reason! Have you ever heard someone ask ‘Why did that happen?’ and the writer (or a character) replies ‘Because it’s magic?’. I’ve seen this more times than I can count and it always makes me react in the same way: NO!
Having magic as a mysterious force that creates, destroys or solves something can reduce your manuscript’s appeal. Readers want to know why something happens, they want it explained so that they can see the magic at work, and maybe even connect the dots as they come to a big reveal in the plot. If you’re doing something fantastical, introducing a magical element that is beautifully described and drives your plot forward – but you can’t explain why it happens to your reader, to your characters? Then you’re withholding information and basically holding up a sign saying, ‘I don’t know how this works but it needs to’.
Magic being a fix-it wand that is waved but never explained is another form of deus ex machina: a last-minute solution that is unexpected and convenient. If you can explain why something magical happens, you have an opportunity to strengthen your characters, create new plot points, solve problems you never knew you had, and impress your reader so much that they want more of the world you’ve created.
How to fix it: be honest with yourself as you review your manuscript – are you using magic to get your characters out of a situation purely because you don’t know how else to do it? Are you using magic without a reason for using it? Without an explanation to justify why that particular form/type of magic is used in that particular situation by that particular character? If the answer to any of these questions is ‘yes’, then you might need to take a few steps back in the writing process and figure out the reasons for these events happening. If you can’t find a reason, then you may have a bigger problem than the magic itself – you might have a problem with your plot. A developmental editor can help you pinpoint this, but I won’t lie to you: it’s probably going to be more work than you’d like, but your manuscript (and your readers) will be better for it.
To sum up:
If you’ve made some of these mistakes in your own manuscript, or seen it in a client’s work, you’re not alone – these are common structural points that can be fixed with the right guidance. With my editor and researcher hat on, I’ve designed an analysis that deep-dives into a magic system, summarises the strengths and weaknesses, and identifies practical steps that can be taken to improve on the core elements that form the basis of magical structure in fantasy fiction. Check out my services on my website and let’s make magic (make sense)!
Heather x