qrtemis

[qrtemis]

Writing Notes: Magic Systems

Magic - change wrought through unnatural means

Most fantasy can be placed along a spectrum where there are 3 main points: soft magic at one end, hard magic at the other, and a middle ground between the two.

Soft Magic

Magic that is not well-defined for the reader.

Generally, we don’t understand where the magic comes from, who can use it, or what its limitations are.

Readers can see this type of magic being used.

But they can never anticipate when magic will be used in the plot because they can’t begin to guess how it works.

You can’t break a rule if the rules don’t exist!

Most stories that feature this system will have the magic users be secondary characters, allowing them to avoid explaining exactly how the magic works.

It’s also argued that without knowing everything about the magic, it tends to hold more wonder and excitement for readers.

Hard Magic

Has very rigid boundaries.

Readers know where the magic comes from, how it’s used, who uses it, and what its boundaries and limitations are.

We know the limitations of the characters and can understand why they can’t simply magic themselves out of any particular challenge.

Stories with hard magic systems do not need to avoid the main character being a magic-wielder, as they have the capacity to explain to the reader what is going on.

A lot of writers this system because it gives them very explicit guidelines to follow in their plot and creates some more satisfying pay-offs for readers.

The Middle Ground

The meeting point between the soft and hard systems.

We might understand a bit about the way the magic works, but not all our questions are answered.

While most of the content adheres to rules, these rules aren’t fully explored.

This system relies on the reader’s suspension of disbelief.

The main character can be a magic-wielder or not, and it’s up to the writer to determine when magic will be used in terms of plot.

How to Choose a System

You can and should use these guiding principles to build your magic system. Remember that you don’t have to choose one or the other. Your system can draw from aspects of both. Just stay aware of the weaknesses of the path you choose, and ensure you utilize its strengths.

Use a hard magic system if:

You are going to use magic to solve problems

Your audience is accustomed to the tropes of hard magic

You are okay with jumping through hoops to expand your system

Your magic doesn’t convey a theme

Use a soft magic system if:

You want to convey a theme through magic

You want to create a sense of wonder

You want the ability to expand easily

You want to be accessible to a broader audience

Your magic won’t regularly be used to solve problems

Branches of Magic

Like most writing processes, there isn’t really a correct place to begin designing a magic system. A common, and efficient, place to start, however, is by choosing what type of magic system(s) you wish to employ, such as:

Nature-based magic: water, earth, fire, air, and everything in between

Divination magic: see beyond sight and peer through time and space

Conjuring magic: move objects through space over any distance

Psychic magic: master the world of the mind

Life and death magic: tap into the very forces of life, death, and un-death with this surprisingly versatile collection

Animal- or creature-exclusive magic: some creatures just do it better

Magitech systems: the blurring lines of sorcery and science give magic a next-gen, high-tech flair

Eclectic magic: it doesn’t have to be “real” magic to have a real effect

Uncommon magic systems: the unsung heroes of fantasy magic

AALC Method

How to create your own magic system using the AALC (Appearance, Abilities, Limits & Cost) Method

Appearance

What the magic looks like

Makes the world feel more exotic

Can cause problems for characters but cannot solve them

Usually tied to a character arc

Abilities

What the magic does

Points calculated based on magical effect, range, number of people affected, and duration

Characters have a finite amount of fuel (mana) to use abilities

More powerful abilities require more fuel

The fuel does not have to be overt for the audience to understand

If points not overt, cannot solve conflicts unless a cost system is added

Limits

Unlimited uses of magical abilities

Abilities stratified in codified levels defined by their limits

The more the levels' abilities and limits are known by the audience, the more they can be used to solve conflicts

Focused on clever uses of abilities against stronger foes

Cost system can be added to enhance dramatic moments

Cost

Costs must be greater than or equal to abilities to make them dramatically satisfying

Costs can include time, exhaustion, materials, sanity, morality, etc.

Adds dilemma to magic by forcing characters to make choices

The greater the character's sacrifice, the more audience satisfaction at conflict resolution

Each system builds on the previous ones, so that Cost Systems use all four, while Point Systems only care about Abilities and Appearance.

Multiple systems can exist within the same story, and systems can harden over the course of the story.

The Force, for instance, has been a Soft, Point, Level, and Cost System depending on who wrote it at the time.

SOFT SYSTEMS (Appearance Only)

Window Dressing - magic for secondary characters; can instigate conflict but cannot solve it; e.g., Gandalf

Soft Villain - No explanation or upper limits needed; makes villains more powerful to make heroes greater underdogs; e.g., The Emperor

Chosen One - Unknown power keeps hero safe throughout story; can be considered plot armor unless earned through character arc

Sort Hero Incomplete - Curse or positive ability the character cannot control; hero still learning limits of ability at story's end; powers and arc continued in next adventure

Soft Hero Complete - Hero embraces ability to complete arc and solve main conflict; magic must become harder in subsequent adventures

POINT SYSTEMS (Appearance + Abilities)

Points Opaque - Non-explicit reservoir of energy fuels powers; cannot solve main problems without cost option because characters finding hidden energy reserve feels like deus ex machina

Points Hard - Both abiliites and points system must be explicit like in video games; becomes about resource management; easy to understand but takes sense of wonder out of magic

LEVEL SYSTEMS (Appearance + Abilities + Limits)

Soft Level Static - Unchanging power without upper limits; cannot solve conflicts because feels repetitive; power must be used cleverly; e.g., Wolverine's healing factor

Soft Level Advancing - Increased powers or new powers with unknown limits; cannot solve conflicts unless tied to a character arc like Soft Hero Complete, at which point "unlocks" new abilities

Hard Level Static - Unchanging abilities with clear-cut limits; can solve conflicts so long as setup is properly seeded, usually resulting in sacrifice; e.g., Genie

Hard Level Advancing - Well-established abilities with limits; can solve conflicts based upon clever uses of abilities, usually against stronger foes; e.g., Airbender

COST SYSTEMS (Appearance + Abilities + Limits + Cost)

Static Cost - Well-established cost remains consistent for each use of ability; can solve conflicts since based on personal sacrifice

Cost Fluctuating - Costs change based upon dramatic need; costs must be greater than or equal to ability; possible costs include lost time, money, sanity, health, memory, life, morality, etc.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 ⚜ Writing Notes ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs Writing Notes: Magic System ⚜ Fictional Items; Poisons ⚜ Fantasy

[qrtemis]

hey guys just want to draw your attention to @gaza-evacuation-funds, it's a blog dedicated to highlighting vetted campaigns that are low on donations and need more traction and attention! <3

[qrtemis]

UPDATING SOON!

Vetted fundraiser masterpost-masterpost

TRY MY NEW DONATION ASK GAME!!! (COMING SOON)

This is a collection of links to various posts concerning fundraisers I've vetted and instructions on how to submit fundraisers to me. These are primarily ones for Ghazzan families although some fundraisers for Sudanese families are also listed (I'm more familiar with my own country's politics and dialect and am more capable of vetting fundraisers for Palestinians as a result).

I know that people do not like clicking on links, but please actually look through the posts / Google Sheet and choose a fundraiser to donate to. Please.

Instructions on how to submit a fundraiser. (for those not Ghazzan) Paused تعليمات لتقديم طلب توثيق و نشر حملات التبرعات الخاصة بالغزاويين و عائلاتهم (للغزاويين فقط) فاتح!

Google doc list compiling vetted fundraisers.

List of fundraisers for my direct contacts from Ghazzah & Sudan. - PRIORITY.

Unvetted but highly likely legitimate fundraisers.

Additional fundraisers for various purposes - (TO BE UPDATED)

About the targeted harassment campaign against Palestinians on tumblr, from August 2nd to August 3rd 2024. Now extended to August 7th because of writing-prompt-s' accusations and slander (now only badjokesbyjeff)

[qrtemis]

As you should, king!

Source

[qrtemis]

jiara is now in the same boat as bellarke….. genuinely never thought I would ever say that again but 😹😹😹😹

god I’m so angry that producers keep doing this and keep killing off characters that don’t deserve it…. jiara was my fave ship from the show with JJ being my fave character (AGAIN like bellarke) and the only reason he was killed off is because fucking Rudy Pankow couldn’t stand to be in another season with Madison as his scene partner…..

I’m sorry but that’s just fucking stupid 😭 bring back early 2000s and 2010s era of tv shows where ppl who absolutely despised each other were forced to do 22-episode seasons together every single year. if anyone was a TVD fan they would remember the absolute shit show that was Nina and Ian 💀

GOD EVEN JARAH!!!! the actual exes!!!! they had soooo much chemistry this season just for them to be completely over-shadowed by the others

And yeah, I blame Rudy but also Elaine, Madison, Mariah AND the producers. I blame them all.

[qrtemis]

OUTER BANKS 4 SPOILERS

how i actually got the bellarke trope AGAIN with jiara of all ships is beyond me what the fuck did i do to deserve this

[qrtemis]

thinking about bellamy and clarke again

[qrtemis]

🔴I recently lost my older brother Muhammad in a previous war that the world knows nothing about

I don't want to lose anyone, I want to get my family out sooner

Please help

Urgent Appeal: Help Yusuf and his Family Evacuate Gaza!🆘🆘🆘🚨🚨

Youssef birth was marked by deep feelings of compassion and sadness. He realized that something was very painful on the first day of his life, so he took the responsibility of taking the mother out on foot, who was very pregnant, to give birth to him in battle in the shadow of war.

In addition, Youssef suffers from a lack of nutrition and healthy eating, which increases his fatigue and negatively affects his color and growth. Such circumstances pose challenges that the child faces in living a normal and dignified life

🔴🔴Any donation could save the life of Youssef and his family.

https://gofund.me/9f771d26

[qrtemis]

Pray for everyone in rafah now Israeli tanks reach the middle of the city under heavy bombing every where. Pray for my brother and my relatives there the situation is very bad

[qrtemis]

verified ways to send aid to gaza directly

Help a Palestinian family directly:

gazafunds.com - Donate directly to a Palestinian family in urgent need of evacuation, medical attention, food, rebuilding homes/businesses etc. (Spotlights 1 verified gfm at a time so if you don't know who/where to donate to just go here and donate to the one they show you!)

Help provide tents (urgent):

The Sameer Project: Currently providing tents for displaced families in Gaza (emergency bc tents in Rafah are being burned as we speak) (paypal) (gfm)

Food, cash & essentials:

Care for Gaza: Working on the ground in Gaza to distribute food, cash, medicine & other essentials to displaced families. (paypal) (gfm)

Direct Aid for Gaza: also working on the ground in Gaza to distribute food, cash & other daily essential suppliess to displaced families. (paypal) (gfm)

Water:

Gaza Municipality's water project: The official Municipality of Gaza needs help rebuilding the water infrastructure in Gaza City to restore access to clean water and waste management services for the people of Gaza. (This campaign only has a couple of weeks left but it's still only at 15%!)

eSIMs (urgent):

guide to buy & send esims for gaza

crips for esims for gaza: If you don't know how to buy esims or don't have the capacity to manage them (e.g. topping up regularly), this team of volunteers are collecting funds to buy & manage gaza esims regularly

Medical Aid

Palestine Red Crescent Society: Provides emergency medical and ambulance services and humanitarian relief on the ground in Gaza e.g. rescuing and treating the wounded.

[qrtemis]

HELP LMAOOOOOO

[qrtemis]

this was me!!!! I didn’t even want to watch the walking dead until I saw clips / edits of Richonne on tiktok and Twitter !!! now I’m so obsessed with them

The amount of people who weren’t in TWD fandom but are being lured in by The Ones Who Live/Danai and Andrew’s chemistry pleases me immensely.

Welcome, my friends, to true romance. Partake in this W with us.

[qrtemis]

richonne fanfic recs pls!!! bonus points if carl is still alive in them

[qrtemis]

here is a link to a list of active fundraisers from gaza, compiled by twitter user @sohni_c. the list is regularly updated, so please share and circulate. these are mostly verified individuals requesting aid for specific goals, and not organisations!

[qrtemis]

i joke a lot about being the reason for the fast car renaissance, but this is actually so beautiful and i’m glad tracy chapman got to have this moment tonight 🥹

[qrtemis]

[qrtemis]

🪷💜