writercises | Entries tagged with magic

Original posting 2022/2/4

Watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, and I wondered... I've read several science fiction takeoffs on the Olympics, with participants from multiple worlds, sometimes aliens and such. However, offhand, I don't remember a magical Olympics? Your choice, just humans, or add in other creatures. But...

What would an Olympics look like with magic? Who gets to participate, and what events are there? Go ahead, stretch those imaginary athletes and their goals!

Just write!

mbarker

Original Posting March 26, 2018

Writer's Digest, January 1991, on page 32, had a short sidebar by Piers Anthony, with the title "Being Smart with Magic." He starts out with some definitions. "Science fiction is the literature of the possible. Fantasy is the literature of the impossible.… The key impossible element of fantasy is magic."

Now according to Piers, "magic is not science, and should not be treated as such." He gives the example of a magical transformation of form. Don't bother worrying about making the mass stay the same. "Conservation of mass is science, and you don't want it polluting your fantasy." The old rules are gone. However, there are some rules you still need to pay attention to.

The rules of good storytelling. "Start with a good story and tell it well; if you do not, no amount of magic will make it fly. You are trying to encourage your reader to willingly suspend his disbelief, and he won't do that if you have obscure characters in a confusing situation inconsistently developed, with a pointless conclusion."

Another rule? Make your magic integral to the situation. "Don't take a mundane story and plug in magic and think that makes it good." Make sure that the magic is a necessary part of your story. "Apply this test: if you can remove the magic and still have a coherent story, then the magic may be extraneous."

Don't let science govern your magic, but… "The magic should be consistent. … Rules are essential, because magic is inherently as limitless as the imagination, and your story will become nonsense if reasonable constraints are not put on it." Rules are what make the game fun. If magic can do anything, there is no challenge! You need constraints.

"It isn't necessary to have special effects." You don't have to have glowing amulets, jags of lightning, and so forth. "If you believe in your magic, let it express itself in its own fashion. On the other hand, if you want to have fantastic effects, consider the magic of illusion. Since there is no substance, you can certainly have anything happen.

"In short, be smart about your magic. Don't overuse it, don't make it garish, do think it through so that it makes a genuine contribution to your story."

So there you go. A good story, where the magic is a necessary part, and is consistent. Sounds like it could be fun.

Practice? Well, obviously you need a story with some magic in it. Now consider, is the story well told? Is the magic a necessary part of it? Is the magic consistent? If you've got special-effects, do they fit?

Now, tap your heels together three times, and say, "There's no place like home."

mbarker.livejournal.com

Original posting 13 July 2009

[Note: the contest is being held on the Writers list http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/writers and is only open to members.]

Mulling over the contest, how about...

What about this one from What If? By Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter?

Write a linear story, in which a strong main character is on a quest for something important and specific (e.g., a shelter for the baby, medicine for a sick mother, or the key to the storehouse where a tyrant has locked away all the grain from a starving populace). The object is a given -- don't explain its importance. The main character starts acting immediately. She then meets a (specific) obstacle; finally she triumphs over the obstacle by means of a magic or supernatural element that comes from the outside (like Dorothy's red shoes in the Wizard of Oz). You may introduce minor characters but the narrative should never abandon your main character. This story should be told through action and dialogue.

We could tighten it up. Define the Maltese Falcon -- the object of the quest. Pick out a particular obstacle, and a magical element. But I think off-hand, I'd leave it loose.

So, there's the challenge. Write a story:

main character is on a quest for something important and specific
Start with action
Have them meet at least one specific obstacle
Have them triumph over the obstacle by means of a magic or supernatural element that comes from outside
Focus on the main character
Action and dialogue

Does that sound good?

As for the quota or time limit? How about this? If there are ten stories posted for the contest, we'll declare victory. Otherwise, we'll cut it off at the end of August (having my deadline and quota too!). That's mostly so that we can start prepping for the big Halloween contest (October, right?).

Multiple submissions? Personally, I don't mind. So let's leave it open for now (yes, you can!).

'saright? Write a quest story. Submit to list. Lather. Repeat. Until either ten stories or end of August. Can do?

Crits? Yes, we would also like them. How about we try to do them on the stories submitted, okay?

Go for it?

Current Mood: sideways

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The Place For My Writers Notes

Entries tagged with magic

EXERCISE: An Olympic Challenge!

TECH: Being Smart with Magic (moldy oldie!)

CONTEST: One Flew Over...

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