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  1. RaitR_Grl

    RaitR_Grl Member

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    Origins of Magic...

    Discussion in 'Research' started by RaitR_Grl, Jan 12, 2018.

    So I'm building an Epic Fantasy novel on the premise that possessing too much of the wrong type of knowledge can damage the living soul. More specifically, possessing knowledge of the true origins and source of Elven magic in my world can be harmful.

    Now here's the hard part. I'm stuck when it comes to building my world and figuring out this information.

    Where do I start researching?
    How can I find information on the origins of other fantasy worlds in existing books?

    I've heard that research is an important aspect of writing, but where do I start?

    PLEASE HELP!! Thanks!
     
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  2. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    I wouldn't think that you'd research other novels--that would just end up with copying other works, and even if it's not copyright violation, it can look bad.

    Instead, maybe you should research origin myths believed by real-world societies. I realize that they're arguably all fiction, but I see a difference between things that people truly believed, versus things that were always fiction.
     
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  3. Iain Aschendale

    Iain Aschendale Lying, dog-faced pony Marine Supporter Contributor

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    Or take a look at magic through a different angle, like by comparing it to something in the natural world. I've heard it said that psychology being born during the Age of Steam may have heavily influenced our view of the human mind, the phrase "blowing off steam" being the most obvious. What if you viewed magic as electricity? Your body uses it to send signals to muscles, but too much can kill you. Ditto with, um, Vitamin K I believe; too much can be toxic. Or you could go with Lovecraft's "things the human mind isn't meant to see" style, perhaps exposure to magic can cause something akin to PTSD. Chocolate can kill dogs, aspirin is fatal to guinea pigs (IIRC), but dogs have much more acidic stomachs than people do, so are less susceptible to food-borne illnesses since the bacteria just dissolve before they can spread. Elves are a different species, they are (traditionally) highly susceptible to cold iron, but magic might be something they can handle harmlessly, like a dog with a day-old porkchop that fell by the grill.
     
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  4. badgerjelly

    badgerjelly Contributor Contributor

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    Read philosophy. Read about totalitarianism and how they develop.

    The age old "power corrupts" adage pretty much says it all. You can explore such things on innumerable levels, from how you interact with friends and family, to schooling and law, and right through to religious authority and such.

    On a personal level the exploration of the idea of "ego" may be more telling. Think about being able to write a book that would change the world ... would you do it if you had, and can have, no real idea of how the change may turn out? This is basically radicalism born form idealism. Understand it is a two-way street and that radicalism can bore out people into idealistic forms.

    Or you could look at basic physics and symmetry. Generally balance and harmony can exist only under highly unstable conditions. I always liked the analogy of too small a bed-sheet stretched out over a large bed. It may be tight and perfectly smooth in appearance, but in order to appear so there has to be considerable physical strain leading to eventual tearing and/or snapping.
     
  5. OB1

    OB1 Active Member

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    Whilst I'd agree that copying other peoples work is bad I don't think that researching what other people have done is a bad thing. I certainly agree that look at what history and current society says about such things.

    If your referring to elven magic then research norse mythology, even read about how Tolkien built middle earth and the magic that inhabits it. If I understand correctly Tolkien did a lot of research into Norse Mythology to come up with the elves and some of the other dominions of Men.

    If you are referring to how magic can corrupt and/or be harmful to the user. Then perhaps look into what todays religions have to say about magic and sorcery etc. The bible has quite a bit to say about it. Buddhism and Daoism might give you some ideas on balance and how thought and intention affects oneself.

    Starwars might be another thing to look at. See how the power of the dark side affects Anakin Skywalker. In the films you can clearly see how the dark side of the force corrupts what appears to be such an innocent and good young lad into the evil lord vader.

    I don't see how researching other works is bad? After all most ideas now are borrowed!
     
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  6. Stormburn

    Stormburn Contributor Contributor

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    I've been doing exactly the same kind of world building for my fantasy series. Here is my experience so far:
    Since the series originally was in the D&D Forgotten Realms, I wanted to use some version of the D&D magic system. I read several Forgotten Realms books and discovered that, oddly enough, the D&D magic system isn't represented very well. So, scratch that.
    Then, I discovered the two inspirations for the D&D magic system; table top medieval war games and Jack Vance's fantasy novels. From those two inspirations I had an idea of 'how magic works' in the game.
    From that point on my research was all over the place. Newton's aether theories, Watkin's Ley lines, the human aura are a few examples. This hasn't been an overnight process, but, I'm very satisfied with the results.
    The work is worth it to you as a writer and to your reader. I feel so let down when an author uses 'plot device magic or science' . I enjoy it when the magic or science in a story is immersive and makes sense.
    Godspeed!
     
  7. newjerseyrunner

    newjerseyrunner Contributor Contributor Contest Winner 2022

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    I don't read much fantasy, but I do play a lot of video games based around it. I've noticed that almost all magic tends to be attributed to a civilization that existed before the current one, which allows the more realistic interpretation that the "magic" is actually just some advanced technology that is unknown to the current residents.

    For example: The Legend of Zelda is set in a time where most technology is more or less the middle ages in the human timeline. It's also said that ten thousand years prior there was a much more advanced civilization that knew about lasers, AI, futuristic materials, teleportation...

    The same was done in Skyrim. It's a sword/bow and arrow civilization, but another species a few thousand years before had developed automatons and advanced materials, and even longer before that a civilization of dragons had been even more advanced and developed technology indistinguishable from magic to the humans.
     
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  8. Privateer

    Privateer Senior Member

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    In most systems of belief that include it- or at least, those that I've studied- magic is an inherent part of the natural world. It's not so much a 'thing' as the ability to alter the very fabric of nature by the application of will- the Copenhagen Interpretation taken to extremes, I suppose, whereby the observe doesn't just create reality by observing, but decides what reality to create in advance.

    Generally this strength of will is considered beyond the average human and is the preserve of gods and spirits who have a less clunky, nuts-and-bolts understanding of reality.

    Perhaps those who come to realise the true nature of reality before having achieved the proper mental and spiritual fortitude might have a tendency to come apart at the seams, as it were? Perhaps to lose their grip and sense of self and simply be 'lost' in it all, perhaps even appearing catatonic to those around them.

    There's also the old stand by of 'hey, look how strong I am! Now bow down before me, lesser beings!', aka Going Full Voldemort.
     

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