I have (just now) a simple goal, I want to write a good short story. I have no idea about what, but that's no problem just now. As exercises, i will try to write even shorter stories. I 'm pleased to put the storys in the world and time we live in. But, I would like to try something with "magic". I don't read much fantasy, (maybe 15 books). Most of them have very complicated magic, it would take a short story just to describe the magic and several other to describe the environment and a novella to describe the characters. Anyone have some small nice magic that could be found now (the year 2017) on the earth we are living on, without affecting the society too much. Who has it? are there side effects? Talk with dogs? Reading wife's mind? Seeing through paper wrapped around gifts?
Never burning a meal, earbud wires don't tangle, always having exact change / exactly enough for a good tip, always winning at a coin toss / rock-paper-scissors.
You're probably better off with so called 'psi' if it's set in the present day. Remote viewing, precognition, telepathy, telekinesis, etc. It even has a basis in reality. Instantly being able to hypnotise people is a good one.
You all gave me another way of thinking about it. As I don't want to create a new world it has to be something that can't be used to change the world we are living in. izzybot gives a good one. always having exact change with the obvious side effect that one is never being able to sum upp costs. Let two of them meet!
