Introduction

Welcome back to all of my nugs to August’s Newsletter. I just wanted to say a quick thank you for your continued support of all things Myers Fiction. I hope everyone had a good, productive, and safe July and you’re ready for August.

August’s newsletter writing tip focuses on the use of magic systems in your book and hard versus soft magic.

Recent News and Updates

For any of my patient readers. I am making some great headway on my Scroll of Stone novel and have reached the halfway point, at 117,954 words! I wrote over 34,525 words for the book in July, but didn’t use all of them because I changed some chapters and scenes. As I did when I reached the 25% point, I’ll go through and read what I’ve written over the last few months and add some notes. Then venture into the third quarter. One thing I’ve learned a lot during this book is thinking big picture over what the series will cover and not just what the single book accomplishes. I’ve restarted a couple of chapters when I realized it would take the entire series in the wrong direction. I planned to finish the draft by now, but I overestimated my abilities in the short term.

For all of you who supported the Soul Scepter: Time Marauder’s book review last month, thank you. It’s great to see the support for a fellow author through how many page views and shares the review got. I hope you’ve picked up your copy of Soul Scepter: Time Marauder by Eric Westergard.

Featured Content

I wanted to thank you for reading today’s newsletter with a brief insight into my WIP, The Scroll of Stone. The story idea first came to me as I was trying to figure out how a world I’d created came to be. That world was from the first novel I attempted to write when I was 13. The Scroll of Stone is an Epic Fantasy take on a multiple magic system world, where the magic varies by region. The magic systems in each region function differently, can be learned, and have their own distinct reactions. The Mistborn, Lord of the Rings, and Fablehaven series have been my inspiration. I made challenging rules for myself with four magic systems in one world, and I found scenes where I need to rewrite them to follow better.

Writing Tips and Advice

If you’re an author working with a singular or multiple magic systems, make sure you write the rules you create for it. The softer the magic, the less you need to worry about this, but the harder you make it, the more your readers will hold you accountable. What do I mean when I say hard versus soft magic? Brandon Sanderson coined these terms to define how magic is understood and used in different fantasy worlds. If you want to learn about this more in-depth visit Sanderson’s link here.

Being able to recognize what level of magic system you’re using can help you write a better book. If you’re working with a softer magic system, you don’t have to worry as much about how the users of magic conduct their spells, curses, and other abilities. Though make sure the cause-and-effect change remains the same. Whether that’s through keeping the same words in the spells, or how the magic system is learned. An example of soft magic is lord or the rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien. In the LOTR world, there is wizard magic, elf magic, and magical creatures. Yet, the magic as a whole is never explained to the readers, and they accept how and by who the magic is used.

A hard magic system requires a more descriptive cause and effect. Your readers want to understand your magic system and how it affects the story. By the end of the book, your readers should say that they understand the magic system at least at the basic level. A great example of a hard magic system is from the Mistborn Series by Brandon Sanderson. The Alomantic magic system is well thought out with hard and fast rules. If you run out of metals, you run out of powers. Burning unclean metals will make you sick, and burning unknown metals has unknown risks.

Recommended Reads

I know I do my book reviews, but I also want to share some other books that I don’t do full-blown reviews for. I dove back into Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card for the first time since high school, and I’m glad I did. When I got ready to read Speaker for the Dead, I wasn’t sure what to expect. A common sequel flaw is to almost write the first book a second time. So I wasn’t ready for the dynamic sequel to Ender’s Game. In “Speaker for the Dead,” Ender, now known as Andrew Wiggins, is called to be a Speaker on a Catholic Colony planet that is not in contact with the native inhabitants. On Lusitania, they have their religious exclusion contract based on a no-contact policy with the locals.

But I don’t want to give too much away. So go check out the Ender’s Game Series by Orson Scott Card and add your own opinions of those stories in the comments below. I’d love to talk books with you!

Closing Remarks

Thank you again to all of my nugs who support me on this journey of writing. Whether you’re a fan of my stories or my writing tips, I hope you enjoy your times reading what I write. Thank you to the amazing people who engage with my posts via likes, comments, and shares. And a big shout out to the authors who reach out and ask for book reviews. I always look forward to discovering new books.

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