Building magic systems is one of my favourite things to do as a writer, and it is more involved than you may think. The best place to start as with anything is the beginning. The first aspect of creating a system is whether to utilise existing magic or invent a brand-new type. It’s worth taking the time to consider this carefully and the options available, but first…

Life. 

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It’s August. I love summer, but I always dislike the end of glorious August, partly due to it feeling like the firm close of a chapter, far more so than other seasons, but mainly because I associate it with leaving a happy place and how one decision (had I made it) would have changed everything. Now, I believe one can change anything at any time, and maybe one of these years I will. I’m a gutsy woman, a relentless truth seeker, a girl who follows my soul and sorcery, so I find it odd that I have not done this already. It’s interesting how we cast the trajectory of our lives every day, whether we realise it or not. When making decisions, I encourage all to follow the intuitive side of yourself, your inner or higher self… the excitement, joy or curiosity you feel. Passion leads to good and right things, whereas logic is not your friend – despite appearances.

Perhaps it can always be August, if we choose it to be. 

I digress. Back to magic

First rule of magic   

There are many great teachers of magic and magic systems, Brandon Sanderson and CR Rowenson, for example, are worth your time and learning from. 

Whether this is for a book, film, television or video games, the core structures and principles of magic are the same. To begin building your system, have a little about this question:

Are you going to use an existing form of magic or create a new one?

I have done both. In my supernatural young adult series Stay Wild, for example, I created a completely new system from scratch, but in the story I am writing now (book one in The Brewers Lane series), I am leaning in and borrowing on existing systems.



It seems like a simple, straightforward choice, but the answer comes down to your story, what you want the magic to do, what you need it to do, what feels right with the characters and plot you have or the theme you are conveying. I tend to find that you get an inclination as to which way to go. If you choose to create your own, be prepared to put in the time to get this right and build it correctly, not to mention be ready for the hours of your life you will lose doing so! However, I can’t tell you how much fun this is.

Existing magic can sometimes be easier, as you have a sense of it or a framework you can work with already. Below is a list for you to consider and decide whether one or more of these will work with your story or world you are building. This list of existing magic and types is by no means exhaustive, but suggestions to get you off a starting line. Once you know your type, you're ready for moulding into your specific system and story.

• ·      Witchcraft
• ·      Wiccan
• ·      Elemental (fire, air, water, earth)
• ·      Psychic/mental magic
• ·      All the forms of divination
• ·      Conjuration
• ·      Necromancy
• ·      Bloodline
• ·      Arcane
• ·      Illusionary
• ·      Ceremonial or ritual
• ·      Mermaid/Sirens/Selkies/Water folk (I question if this is a type of magic or type of character, but let’s bob them on the list anyway)
• ·      Gods/Goddesses
• ·      Black magic
• ·      Celestial
• ·      Spirits

Which are your favourites? Do let me know or ask away your magical questions.

P.S. This is how I do it; your way might be different!

Book News

The first book in my Brewer’s Lane series is underway, and things are kicking off between the witches and vampires of London. Let’s just say a lot can happen on one cobbled street! I can't wait to release this book, and a pre-order date will be up on Amazon soon. As a reminder, all my books are available in eBook and paperback from Amazon and all other outlets, starting at just 2.99.

TV News

I also love to write scripts (I'm more of a TV writer than a feature film writer). As it happens, I ended up writing a young adult supernatural TV pilot this August... in between book chapters and social media videos. I love everything about it, and whilst I need to polish a few things around it, I have decided to take this out (to the industry) and see what I can do with it. 

Life Advice

Over on Instagram and TikTok, I’ve been sharing life advice videos and author life antics, which I hope you find useful, inspiring or entertaining! Come and say hi or give me a follow, would love to see over there as we all navigate our way through life and books.

I will see you next time until then, remember:
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All the world is made of faith, trust, and pixie dust ~ M. Barrie, Peter Pan

Spreading the sorcery love,

annaliese