Magic School Alternatives

Magic school is a great way for an author to introduce a reader to a magic system. It works particularly well in young adult and middle grade fantasy, but it can work for adult fantasy, as well, since many adult fantasy still have younger protagonists. But what other choices do you as a writer have to avoid a massive infodump that stops action cold and more importantly—wrecks the integrity of the voice you are using to narrate your story?

1. A debate about the old ways of magic and the new ones between an older character and a younger one. This can even be disguised as “conflict.”

2. A newcomer or foreigner arrives and a character tries to explain the magic system to this person, who is clueless and needs constant correction. This can be disguised as “humor.”

3. An embedded newspaper article, encyclopedia entry, or historical archive. But remember, if you do this, keep it short. You can put one at the heading of every chapter, but also have fun and make sure the reader is having fun with these.

4. Dueling wizards who pontificate on their own style of magic before each blow with a wand is struck. Can be televised.

5. A person from our world of any age enters the other world and asks questions that the reader would ask. Very commonly done, which is part of the problem with this approach. Either do it cleanly and quickly or do it deftly and with an original style that makes readers want to keep going.

6. Someone finds a book from the past that has completely different assumptions about the magic. Can be a journal or a textbook or a newspaper.

7. A new area of magic study is being added to the accepted canon. Adults and everyone else have to learn it and see how it works.

8. Write a poem (a la Tolkien) about the magic and it will feel more mysterious.

9. (Not my favorite) Have a prophecy about the change in the magic in the future and allow people to interpret it in different ways.

10. Show someone who is doing the magic absolutely wrong and someone else can come along, laugh, and give some hints on how to do it better. Not quite the same as school, but not dissimilar, either.