How to Write: Soft Magic

Magic. A muttered malediction that is nothing if not intoxicating to ponder.
It is the backbone of fantasy, the cornerstone of longing, and the pillar of uncertainty that has plagued mankind throughout history with its rousing, lustful notions. Where once we coveted it. We then began to fear it. And now, in the age of technological genesis, we yearn for it in our lives.
The modern human is cursed with a desire to understand, cursed to look deeper into the world than ever intended. With science, comes clarity; with clarity, the shades of mystery die. Without mystery, man becomes obsessed with flights of fancy, because mystery creates purpose. Man is intended to discover.
But soft magic, as coined by author Brandon Sanderson, is magic without clear rules, limitations and understanding. By its nature, you will never understand it. Soft magic always lies beyond your reach.
This particular system of magic is most prominent in series such as A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) by George R. R. Martin and the Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkein — two stories where the magic isn’t clearly defined.
The beauty and danger of a soft magic system is that it exists without technical limits, and because of that, there sits a sense of wonder and tension within the narrative. You have no idea how it works, or what it can do — it’s exciting.
And it’s within that very limitless range of possibilities where fantasy fiction’s cliched plague hides. Soft magic can be used to solve any problem if the author deems it so. This means that in the wrong hands, it is simply too powerful. What I’m talking about here is more commonly referred to as “Deus Ex Machina”, or “Poorly Contrived Solution”, or “BS Bad Writing”.
Let’s have a look at some ways to avoid that.
How to Use Soft Magic
Soft magic comes with its own plethora of risks, but there is a great reward to be reaped from a conscientious storyteller. Removing rules and limitations from a system to make it more enigmatic and mysterious requires you to put more rules and limitations upon yourself. Unlike a hard magic system, soft magic needs to be well balanced throughout the story. It can’t be sprinkled around willy nilly — after all, imagine reading Harry Potter without the chanting, wands, and motions. It’d be an absolute mess (even more than it already is) of people pulling random spells from nowhere and having them do simply whatever. You must be diligent about when and where to put it in.
See the most important thing to remember when you implement a soft magic system is that you should avoid using it to solve problems.
Imagine if, in Game of Thrones, Melisandre assassinated every potential candidate for kingship with her magic. Gone would be the complex drama and intrigue that made the show so compelling (at least the earlier seasons) and gone too, most likely, George R. R. Martin’s career as an author.

George R. R. Martin spoke to Russian news outlet Meduza on why he uses soft magic:
“Fantasy needs magic in it, but I try to control the magic very strictly. You can have too much magic in fantasy very easily, and then it overwhelms everything and you lose all sense of realism. And I try to keep the magic magical — something mysterious and dark and dangerous, and something never completely understood. I don’t want to go down the route of having magic schools and classes where, if you say these six words, something will reliably happen. Magic doesn’t work that way. Magic is playing with forces you don’t completely understand. And perhaps with beings or deities you don’t completely understand. It should have a sense of peril about it.”
There really isn’t a right or wrong answer about how to write a magic system, and whether you decide on a hard or soft system depends on what story you want to tell. If you’re looking to build an intriguing, magical world shrouded in mystery write a soft system. If you’re looking to have your magic system be the focus of your story, make it a harder system. Or, you can subvert expectations and flip it around — use your discretion. You’re the storyteller, after all.
The rules laid out below are less laws and more guidelines for consistency. Fantasy is fantasy. Magic is magic. By definition, these phenomena are fictitious and exist in whatever state and realm you wish them to be.
But if you do decide on crafting a soft magic system, great! Here are 5 tips on how to implement it into your story, with some help from the legendary Brandon Sanderson:
- Can be used to create problems, but not to solve problems
- Don’t overuse soft magic throughout the story; the appeal of soft magic lies in its mystery and awe
- “You’re only as strong as your weakest link”. The limitations you place on your magic will define its strengths
- Expand upon your existing magic, don’t add new systems
- Maintain consistency with the usage of magic — remember the rules you have placed upon yourself
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