Hi! I was wondering if you could help me out. I’m currently working on a story that takes place in a magical world, but I feel like it’s missing something. My question is this: what are the things that a magical world/plane needs in order to be unique? Thanks in advance!! (P.S: I love this blog <3)

promptsforthestrugglingauthor:

I could have sworn I had a few posts before to link you to, but I can’t seem to find them. So then let’s start anew! A few key elements, in my mind, include:

• Magical rules/limitations/origins. What exactly can magic do? Does it distort reality, feed off internalized energy, or is it a borrowed force? Is it something that can be studied, or a natural skill to be honed? Is it gods given or an omnipresent forced to be tamed? These questions (and more) can lead to more consistency and make your world more believable.
• Societal organization. Magic can change the game with social hierarchy and social classes. Plus, since your world isn’t based in historical/earthly happenings, you have complete control over the way the society runs. It doesn’t have to be at all reminiscent of what our world does/has done!
• Keep religion in mind. At its core, religion seeks to explain answers to questions people don’t have answers to. With the addition of magic, people will have different questions. Tailor any religions/religious beliefs to that fact!
• Unique species. You have the freedom to create entirely new types of creatures, sentient peoples, etc. (You can also borrow from existing mythologies! Think the fauns of C.S. Lewis’s worlds [from Roman mythology] and elves of Tolkein’s Middle Earth [Norse and Anglo-Saxon mythology]!) Creatures like hobbits are exciting and popular as they’re novel to, well, Tolkein’s novels. This isn’t an absolute must have, but it makes things more interesting!
• Diverse landscapes (and cast). These tend to be overlooked, but even in fictional worlds, there’s likely to be more than lush forests and one standard appearance to people. You can still include deserts and mountains and valleys and tundras in a fantasy world! And you can have people of all different sorts of cultures and tones living in them!