Spells

When my MC uses magic, she gives a, italicized one-word command, always followed by thanks to her patron goddess, sometimes preceded by an entreaty to the same. If I'm going for something complicated, she might say something in "an ancient tongue", or something similar. I'm all for simplicity...lol.

Yeah, I struggled with this too.

What I ended up doing was just saying that my main character chanted the words of the whatever spell. And then she made comments about how stupid she felt saying those words.

I've also translated the words into Latin, which makes it sound far less hokey.

The way in which your character uses spells (be it verbal incantations, the use of herbs or fire, dancing or movement, etc...) should somehow be derived from the system of magic in your fantasy world.

Here's a good starting place: http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18583

Well, I haven't used too many spells for that exact reason--I always think it'll sound inane or stupid. For one of my planned projects, I plan on there being enough of the character's own language to attempt to get away with them saying the spells in that toungue. My hope is that will sound natural. Other times I try to avoid the words. I try not to have the actual person preforming the spell act as if it's amazing, because I feel like they shouldn't think it's so spectacular unless they're personality is just that way. I tend to be of the mindset that anything you write will probably sound stupider to you than someone more willing to suspend disbelief, so maybe you're somehow breaking that suspension of disbelief, or making it seem like it doesn't make sense somehow?

I try to make it simply make sense. I don't quite know how to explain it.

I've tended to avoid spells because of that problem. I got around it by having it a mostly-silent process for anyone who doesn't have the ability to "hear" magic, and rather than conjuring things from nothing, restricting it to modifying or manipulating things which are already there. Cop out? Maybe. But cringing makes me not want to write. *shrug*

I have the same type of problem. My MCs use specialized elemental martial arts "Techniques" rather than "Spells" persay, but most of those attacks has an accompanying hand motion. For example, when my main MC uses his signatue move "Burning Handguns" he flips his hands around and fire dances around his fingertips before he pulls back and lets loose a barrage of flame, ending with six bolts that are much larger than the others. It's more of an action thing, so that when people see the start they can say "Oh yeah, here comes the Burning Hanguns! That guy is in for it now!" rather than, "Which attack is this one again, the one were he sets their pinky on fire or what?"
As for actual "Magick" it's hard to say. Maybe having it in bold to remind the reader that this is an epic ability that isn't to be matched by normal charas would be a way to do it.

My system is mostly sigil magic, which is will magic, so no words need to be spoken. The sigil is a symbol the caster uses to infuse his or her will to enact a spell. However, if it's a big deal that requires ritual magic, that's more of a production. And it's meant to be, because it's special and stands out from the standard sigil magic that's performed on a daily basis.

darrtwish said:

So, I got sucked into co-writing a YA Fantasy/Sci-fi novel, and during final re-writes I noticed how hokey the spells sound...I was wondering if anyone would be kind enough to give me either a crash course in spells for a fantasy novel, or would give me some pointers. Any help would be much appreciated

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There's no such thing as a crash course. Some examples would help though, if you want specifics. And also the background for why these spells are the way they are.

Maybe you should also have a point system, so that they can't use the ultimate meteor oblivion spells and all that crazy stuff more than once a day because it takes up too much of their energy from within or something similar, just another thought.

Well first you need to work out how spells are cast, and what the cost is ( being able to let off any spell whenever you feel like it is too Superman)

For instance, my guy mutters his spells ( saves on hokeyness). The cost is either someone else's blood, or in essence his own -- his own strength. If you know the right words, and say them the right way, bob's your aunty. If you say them wrong you get something else ( he once ended up with an unexpected elephant, because he was drunk and slurred).

You need a system. Once you've worked out what it is, you're laughing, because that system should give you enough ideas of what you can and can't do. And of course each guy will have his favourite spells. Mine likes to melt eyeballs.

IdiotsRUs said:

( he once ended up with an unexpected elephant, because he was drunk and slurred).
And of course each guy will have his favourite spells. Mine likes to melt eyeballs.

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That is grounds for a professional ROTFLMAO my dear Idiots.

That's one heck of a system, especially one that has reasonable consequences (or erractic ones considering how magic works at times,). Maybe a time lapse or refresh time could be needed too, so he doesn't drop elephants on everyone three times in a row.