Understanding the Rules for Magic in Fantasy Novels

The number one rule for using magic in a fantasy novel is that there has to be a rule, says Laurel Anne Hill, award-winning author and former underground storage tank operator. Magic has to have its limits. It may be that there is a price for practicing magic – something happens to your characters or the world around them when they devote themselves to magic, and it is often detrimental, explains Hill. This may be corruption to the environment, the surrounding characters in the book, or to the soul...