[mynameiswillem]

do you think that the use of magic of any sort is getting too cliche in todays fantasy novels? or is it the magic that you can cast fireballs and lightning bolts with it that is cliche? i think the use of magic can be a very good element in a story and make a good story great. but is it just that easy to avoid that kind of magic? i think so but i havnt written a book...

so what are you thought on todays use of magic in fantasy stories?

edit: i was gonna ask a couple more questions but decided not to so if some1 can change the title to something like "today's magic" or something go ahead :D

[hippokrene]

Short answer: No.

Long answer: Nooooooooooooooo.

:)

[kmtolan]

It's not the magic, it 's how you use it.

Read "Weave World" if you want something fresh (although the book was published a long time ago).

Kerry

[zachariah]

Come up with a fresh synonym for 'force' or 'power' and you've got it made.

[SuperFede]

i Think anything is pretty much ok.

Unless of course your concept of using magic is waving a wand and saying "abra cadabra" (or however you spell that in english) :)

That is a little over done, however i believe someone can find a new way to make it intresting...

[Salsa Dip]

I don't think magic is overused, because if something is done well, it's fun to read about. If it's done badly, however... well, that goes for everything.

I have magic in my book, with a system/feel that I find interesting and have enjoyed writing about. However I have noticed that my recent short stories haven't had any magic in them at all, and I've really enjoyed writing those too.

Sometimes it can be the easy thing to fall back on, so it's nice to throw it away now and again and focus on the other aspects of fantasy you enjoy, whether you're reading or writing.

I think cliché is a matter of execution.

[Holbrook]

If you are writing to sell, i.e. submit to agents/publishers, study the market in your genre. See how others are using magic, what is current, not what was selling five years ago. Then create a system that suits your story, based on what you have learned.

If you are writing for pleasure ( a hobby writer) do what the hell you want!

[tdnewton]

Magic is one of those things that makes Fantasy Fantasy. Along with dragons and unicorns, of course. You're not required to use any of these things in your story, and it can still be Fantasy, just like an audio book is still a "book" that has no paper. You make the rules in your story, and if you want magic then have crazy lightning bolt fireball magic. If you want something more subtle, like magic only being performed by demigods or goblins, that may or may not set you apart from the crowd.

But overused? No. No more than any other stereotype found in Fantasy (like farmboy becoming king). "Commonplace" is probably more the word you're looking for. Honestly, though, it just depends on how it is used.

[hippokrene]

The difference between a farmboy becoming king or magic is that the farm boy scenario is part of the plot wherein magic is part of the setting. You can remove the farm boy scenario without too much disruption, but remove magic and suddenly a huge barrier comes down over your work.

Magic is common place in fantasy, because a general description of fantasy is ‘a story in which stuff that does not and cannot happen happens’ while the general description of magic is ‘when someone makes stuff that does not and cannot happen happen.’ Fantasy stories without magic usually have magic that the author has decided to call natural. Giant, flying fire breathing lizards don’t exist in the real world, and couldn’t exist in the real world. In some worlds they ‘just do’ exist, which to me is no different than saying ‘it’s magic.’

[Expendable]

It's all in the presentation. Your view of how it works. As long as it stays consistant, it's fine.