On Magic Practitioners
When magic exists, there are obviously going to be people or creatures in your world who will try and utilize that magic somehow. There are often two main ways this is dealt with: through wielding objects that have innate magical power, or the person themselves having some sort of innate magical ability. Sometimes it’s both, where a person must have some magical affinity already to be able to utilize magical objects. Obviously, this will overlap some with Q is for Qualifications.
There is an additional way that magic is dealt with, though not quite as commonly: it’s tied to religious beliefs. In our world, magic and religion are tightly intertwined, even when religious beliefs about magic are that magic is forbidden or evil. In fantasy worlds, magic usually exists apart from religion. If religion exists in your fantasy world, know it may affect your character’s belief in and use of magic.
Worldbuilding Exercises:
- Who are the magic practitioners in your world? What are they called? How are they selected or identified?
- Are those who use magic seen as a boon to society, or a curse? Or are they commonplace, and therefore mundane?
- How does a person discover their own affinity for magic in your world?
View 2019 A-Z Participant list here.
Rebekah Loper began creating epic worlds and stories as a child and never stopped. She is the author of The A-Zs of Worldbuilding series, and has a fantasy novella published in Beatitudes and Woes: A Speculative Fiction Anthology.
She lives in Tulsa, OK with her husband, dog, two formerly feral cats, a small flock of feathered dragons (…ok, ok, they’re chickens), and an extensive tea collection. When she is not writing, she can be found battling the elements in an effort to create a productive, permaculture urban homestead.
