Scientific and/or magical workings

[Redemit]

How much does it really matter to make the science and magic systems accurate or sensible in your stories?

I'm not too well versed in science and the jargon associated with it and most magic systems are pretty much the same in my opinion so it really makes me wonder if I should even waste too much of my energy trying to make those aspects of my stories make "sense" or if I should just use that energy on the actual story and character development?

 

[SailusGebel]

To most readers doesn't matter that much. If there is no chance that huge plotholes will appear, you can do anything. Other people here might disagree with this fact, but they are not your target audience. They won't read your books.

 

[BigHoodieBoy]

I’m relatively new to writing, but I say to at least make it have some basic rules. That should help with power scaling if you do that, as well as less chances for ass-pulls

 

[Lorelliad]

I once tried to incorporate science into my magic. Didn't work out so well. For Gravity Magic, sure that wasn't hard. But going to in-depth can be boring.

 

[NotaNuffian]

How much does it really matter to make the science and magic systems accurate or sensible in your stories?

I'm not too well versed in science and the jargon associated with it and most magic systems are pretty much the same in my opinion so it really makes me wonder if I should even waste too much of my energy trying to make those aspects of my stories make "sense" or if I should just use that energy on the actual story and character development?

You don't need to science your way fully, keep the explanation simple and vague. While there will be others who rule lawyers you, most people will just listen and stop if you can grant them a satisfying "sense".

 

[LostLibrarian]

Magic and science in your story needs rules. If it's used in battles, all the more.

If your readers don't understand the magic, they won't understand what is and what isn't impossible, and you have to resort to "telling the strengths" instead of letting the readers come to their own conclusion. A good magic/science system follows a clear logic so that the readers can imagine possible solutions to problems. Otherwise, it can feel underwhelming or even frustrating if "things just happen"...


That said, "logic" is different from "defining one thousand rules for each aspect". So there is no need to explain why someone can create a fireball or the physics behind the spell. That stuff can be fun to read, but it is part of the worldbuilding.

The things your readers need is:
(a) who can do what (a can throw a fireball, b can heal)
(b) what is the rough extent of the outcome (fist sized fireball that explodes on impact, can heal small cuts fast but no deep wounds)
(c) what is the price (mana, tiredness, etc)
(d) any limitations (can only be cast 3 times in a row, caster needs to concentrate/silence, etc)

Those are things your readers so that they can think on their own. (Hmm, there is a dark room, maybe he can use fireball. But then he only has 2 more times if a monster appears. Let's read and see what happens.)
But all of those can be given without a 100% clear rulebook or scientific explanations. Just like with other worldbuilding-problems, magic/science doesn't need to be explained or even be similar to our world. It just needs to be logical in its own to avoid plotholes...

 

[trinitys_gadget]

First off, science is just how our world works. It's like magic, only real. Magic is when the physics of your story world differs from ours. Hard sci-fi or speculative fiction walks that line as closely as possible, but if you're asking, I bet that's not the kind of story you're writing. And that's really the crux: what story are you trying to tell the reader? A "what if" idea will usually cover you for a short story or maybe a novella at best, but if you're trying to write a longer fiction, then ultimately, your story is going to be about people (or elves, or aliens, or slimes, but for the sake of the reader, they get to be "people" too.) That said, if science and tech or magic are going to be crucial plot devices for your story, then the better you can talk science and the more consistent you can make your magic, the better. I did, after all, drop "Release That Witch" because much of the tech described would not have worked as described and I just got super annoyed trying to suspend impossible levels of disbelief.

And remember, your ignorance is pardonable. Not a one of us were born knowing how to talk, much less write, yet we learned. If some particular aspect of science interests you enough to include it in your story, learn about it. Half the random junk I know (paticularly history) I researched because some novel mentioned the topic. By all means, embrace and indulge your own curiosity and wonder and pass that along to your reader.

But, if you are going to write battle scenes in detail, read some millitary history first or blatantly crib past battles (change the names to suit). There is nothing I hate more than fantasy authors writing crappy battles and justifying it with bad science.

 

[Temple]

Just make sure it's consistent in your story. If a guy has like general purposes magic powers (can basically do anything), then you have to be aware of that when crafting situations. Readers will react if the character is trapped in a situation he can magic his way out of but doesn't. Same with a guy who has very limited powers. Let's say he just shoots fireballs, you can't just have him suddenly shoot lightning without setup.
You don't need complex magic systems or accurate sci-fi stuff, just be consistent, and don't do asspulls.

 

[K5Rakitan]

You can always just change the laws of physics.

 

[SpiraSpira]

How much does it really matter to make the science and magic systems accurate or sensible in your stories?

I'm not too well versed in science and the jargon associated with it and most magic systems are pretty much the same in my opinion so it really makes me wonder if I should even waste too much of my energy trying to make those aspects of my stories make "sense" or if I should just use that energy on the actual story and character development?

It is vastly important, in my opinion, that your "science" or magic (really the same thing in my opinion) be at minimum internally consistent. You don't need to know a lot about either subject but you do need to know a LITTLE about them.

Let me share with you an example of not to do:

I read a book on Amazon that was set in a space setting and the main character supposedly developed a new type of sensor system that was supposedly an order of magnitude more sensitive than existing sensor systems. It accomplished this by combining radar, lidar and SONAR. IN SPACE. Obviously there's not a lot of sound in space so I almost immediately rolled my eyes and almost stopped reading.

Here's the thing... all that was meaningless. I mean, the author tripped himself up here. If he had just left it at "Developed a new sensor system that is an order of magnitude more sensitive by combining existing sensor technologies" I wouldn't have batted an eye.

An example of something similar, but a lesser sin is in the same novel. The author described a fusion powerplant that used uranium as a fuel source. This is something that is less known but in fact to fuse any element heavier than iron you need more energy that you could ever get out of it, so uranium fuel is impossible. (Incidentally this is also why fusion fuels are Hydrogen, Helium, etc -- the lightest elements around.) This is also an own-goal because if he didn't understand the physics involved all he had to say was "fuel", there was no need to say "uranium fuel." If you know a little about the subject, feel free to be a little descriptive -- like if you know a little bit about how controlled fusion or fusion chain reactions feel free to say things like "He-3 fuel." But if you're writing about something you don't really know anything about? Just say "fuel."

Don't trip yourself up is basically what I am saying, if you know a lot about a particular subject that's great. If you don't then try to avoid being overly descriptive with the details of how it works. Honestly, so long as you are internally consistent in how your technology or magic is utilised there is not a strong need to know how it WORKS.

It's like in a magic setting, if you describe a magic circle to bind demons do I really care that it is based on a real world Aleister Crowley's theories on magic? Not really. Except as perhaps an aside. All I care about is that if this circle can barely bind a demon in the first chapter, why the heck are you trying to use it to bind a stronger demon in the 10th chapter, i.e. you need to explain what is different now if you're going to do that, it might be as simple as MC is stronger and has more magic now but it would need to be addressed. Stuff like that.

​

 

[trinitys_gadget]

An example of something similar, but a lesser sin is in the same novel. The author described a fusion powerplant that used uranium as a fuel source. This is something that is less known but in fact to fuse any element heavier than iron you need more energy that you could ever get out of it, so uranium fuel is impossible. (Incidentally this is also why fusion fuels are Hydrogen, Helium, etc -- the lightest elements around.) This is also an own-goal because if he didn't understand the physics involved all he had to say was "fuel", there was no need to say "uranium fuel."

Incidently, Uranium is the fuel for a fission reactor and the detonator for a hydrogen bomb. The above also means that any solar system with rocky planets originated from the supernova remnant of a supermassive star.
But I digress. Spira is absolutely correct.

 

[SpiraSpira]

I’ll add something I meant to say but forgot. I mentioned it briefly, but ultimately “science” and “magic” in a story is essentially the same thing. Since magic doesn’t really exist the only thing you have to worry about is being internally consistent. Nobody is going to say “What?! You obviously need at minimum three quarts of human blood to summon that devil!”

Science, on the other hand, is built upon all the science that goes before it. So even though we don’t have fusion reactors and very powerful laser weapons it is possible for someone who knows a little bit about what is possible to recognize something you’re writing as impossible.

If you want to avoid that then either stick with magic setting or stick with science that is in effect no different than magic, and by that I mean science that has no possible connection to real life science. Nobody can complain about how your particular hyperspace system works. Nobody can complain about how your anti-gravity works. Nobody can complain about how your stargates work, stuff like that. Leave the more mundane stuff that can be seen as just an advancement of existing technologic field more vague. Like don’t get into why your power reactor works if you don’t know a little bit about that but feel free to describe in depth how your ship travels faster than light.

That’s all, I guess.

 

[trinitys_gadget]

I’ll add something I meant to say but forgot. I mentioned it briefly, but ultimately “science” and “magic” in a story is essentially the same thing. Since magic doesn’t really exist the only thing you have to worry about is being internally consistent. Nobody is going to say “What?! You obviously need at minimum three quarts of human blood to summon that devil!”

Oh, but now I am.

 

[Zirrboy]

Oh, but now I am.

Good we already have an expendable sacrifice!

 

[ElijahRyne]

I once tried to incorporate science into my magic. Didn't work out so well. For Gravity Magic, sure that wasn't hard. But going to in-depth can be boring.

How much does it really matter to make the science and magic systems accurate or sensible in your stories?

I'm not too well versed in science and the jargon associated with it and most magic systems are pretty much the same in my opinion so it really makes me wonder if I should even waste too much of my energy trying to make those aspects of my stories make "sense" or if I should just use that energy on the actual story and character development?

Decided that I would start with the smallest and work my self up. After 5 days of studying quantum physics and 2 hours of making different particles, I decided that I was being stupid, and that I will just bs my way through. Decided that I should just make fields for different types of magic.
…
What is mana? Just a particle that allows the soul field to interact with matter and the elements.
What is Qi?A particle that allows matter and the elements to interact with the soul field.
What is a soul field? It is a way of quantifying how much soul is in a place, similar to the electric field.
What is soul? A kind of music incorporating elements of rhythm and blues and gospel music.
Etc.
…
So just find a framework for your magic, and don’t worry about the nitty gritty.