I recently listened to a panel of speculative fiction authors trying to define the concept of magic. They gave specific examples of what did or did not, in their opinion, constitute magic, but they were struggling to come up with a definition that they could all agree on. Nobody actually said it, but in the end it sounded much like a case of “you’ll know it when you see it”. So this got me to thinking. How would I define “magic” if asked the question? A Definition of Magic Really, if you reduce it to its very essence, magic is Read More …

Food and shelter are all well and good, but on the story stage, there’s one need that rules them all. The need for safety and security. Just as in real life, almost nobody wants to get killed or maimed or robbed or even inconvenienced. But put several people into a room, or several countries or other entities on a map, and chances are that what one does to ensure their own safety and security will infringe on those of their neighbors. And vice versa. And there you have it: Conflict. As everyone who’s ever taken a writing class knows, conflict Read More …

World-building, at its most basic, is determining the rules within which your cast of characters acts. Some of these rules will be unbreakable (the basic physical laws of the world), and others will be negotiable. As a matter of fact, a lot of story tension can come from a character breaking the rules, and maybe changing society in the process. Even our most basic needs, like food, clothes and shelter, as well as safety and security, are governed by such rules and are therefore free game for any worldbuilding author. If your characters are human(oid) or otherwise not endowed with Read More …

Food (including drink) is one of the most basic needs we have. Along with clothes and shelter, as well as safety and security, it is non-negotiable. And yet it usually doesn’t play a big role in fantasy literature. Often it’s “travel bread”, the occasional chunk of cheese, and whatever animal had the misfortune to end its life in the pot. Usually in the form of “stew”, which, even without the benefit of magic, rarely takes more than ten minutes to prepare. Have these authors ever tried to cook a meal from scratch? Or do they buy their sustenance at the Read More …