The Worldbuilder’s Tavern

This week is a special episode in celebration of Mythos & Ink's upcoming graphic novels! The hosts are chatting about aliens with Lyndon Radchenka and Steven Kaul, creators of the graphic novel Infinite Universe. How do you create alien races with lived experiences so it feels like the story's universe is inhabited by other lifeforms? How do you create that necessary feeling of unfamiliarity? What makes a believable alien?

Notes

Produced by Mythos & Ink.

Announcement Music: Coffee Beats by Aaron Parsons (Used with permission)

We’re at the end of our series on magic systems! To celebrate, each host is bringing a different magic system to the table for this, the final episode. And then we’ll battle it out with said magics. Muahaha.  Just kidding. Maybe. Today, we’re talking about Blood Magic—which involves using, you guessed it, blood, to cast spells—Demonic Magic—which usually involves summoning demons—and Light Magic—using the visible electromagnetic system to produce mystical effects.

Notes

Produced by Mythos & Ink.

Announcement Music: Coffee Beats by Aaron Parsons (Used with permission)

We’re nearing the end of our series on magic systems. To celebrate, each host is bringing a different magic system to the table for the final two episodes. Today, we’re going to be talking about Alchemy—which involves transforming matter—Witchcraft—which involves pagan spellcasting, black magic, and nature—and Necromancy—which involves raising or communicating with the dead.

Notes

Produced by Mythos & Ink.

Announcement Music: Coffee Beats by Aaron Parsons (Used with permission)

Abra kadabra alakazam!

As powerful as words are in the “real world,” they get even more powerful when they are imbued with magic. Incantations are words said aloud in order to produce a magical effect. Usually they involve mystical, made-up languages, and they are often accompanied by gestures or physical components in order to get a spell to work. This topic is a fun one to talk about, because it’s focusing on the mechanics of magic rather than the results produced.

Join the hosts—Kyle Rudge, Allison Alexander, and Emma Skrumeda—as they delve into superpowers and give you questions to ask yourself when writing stories with incantation magic.

Notes

Produced by Mythos & Ink.

Announcement Music: Coffee Beats by Aaron Parsons (Used with permission)

Generally, In superhero stories, every hero has a different ability. Think X-Men, the Avengers, or Justice League. These abilities might fall under a theme (for example, everyone can shapeshift into animals), or they might be a hodgepodge of superhuman abilities (Thor has lightning powers, the Hulk has super strength, etc.). Some characters gain superpowers in unique ways (like the Fantastic Four, who survived cosmic radiation), while others are born with them (like the X-Men). The possibilities are endless, and the lines can blur between superheroes and other types of magic systems, but that’s why it’s fun.

Join the hosts, Kyle Rudge, Allison Alexander, and Emma Skrumeda, as they delve into superpowers and give you questions to ask yourself when writing superhero stories.

Notes

Produced by Mythos & Ink.

Announcement Music: Coffee Beats by Aaron Parsons (Used with permission)

As of 2020, scientists have discovered 118 elements that make up all matter on earth, but elemental magic systems tend to deal with far fewer than that, involving the manipulation of natural forces, most often the classic elements of fire, water, earth, and air. Sometimes magic users can create these substances out of thin air, while in other systems they can merely control those that already exist in the world around them. Still others involve more, or different, elements than the traditional four. While these magic systems can appear common or basic, they offer a lot of room for creative storytelling.

Notes

Produced by Mythos & Ink.

Announcement Music: Coffee Beats by Aaron Parsons (Used with permission)

We are so excited to be beginning our series on magic systems today! The episodes in this series will delve into specific types of magic, but today we’re discussing examples of hard and soft magic. These terms were popularized by fantasy author Brandon Sanderson, who is known for his complex magic systems that have a lot of rules and explore how magic works. This is “hard magic.” Think Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicles or Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot.

Soft magic, on the other hand, is when magic is a mystical part of the universe and the story doesn’t go into detail about how it works or even why it works. It just does. Think J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings or George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire.

Most books are somewhere in the middle of these two systems. Harry Potter, for example, is near the center point of this continuum, as Rowling’s magic has rules and laws, but, as a whole, you’re still not entirely sure what magic is capable of and the system is expanded throughout the series.

Notes

Produced by Mythos & Ink.

Announcement Music: Coffee Beats by Aaron Parsons (Used with permission)

In fiction, religious people are often portrayed in one of two ways: they are either stupid and ignorant, or they are manipulative and using religion to exploit others. But there are so many other dimensions to faith, with people who believe in a god (or gods) for a variety of different reasons. Organizations, governments, whole countries, some of the greatest atrocities and some of the greatest acts of mercy spring from religious beliefs, and there is much to be explored in science fiction and fantasy that can deepen your worldbuilding.

Notes

Produced by Mythos & Ink.

Announcement Music: Coffee Beats by Aaron Parsons (Used with permission).

Incurable illnesses. Magical maladies. Pandemics. Perhaps this topic feels too real right now, but it’s been explored in sci-fi and fantasy for ages. Diseases can cause panic, start a ticking clock, or force characters to make difficult decisions (do you kill your zombified brother or do you tie him up and play video games with him?). One thing’s for sure: diseases are a pain.

Notes

Produced by Mythos & Ink.

Announcement Music: Coffee Beats by Aaron Parsons (Used with permission).

Machines capable of thinking and acting like humans. Robots with souls. Do they take over the world and attempt to destroy humanity? Are they depressed sidekicks? Do they just want to be left alone? It depends on the story, but all of these characters have one thing in common: they explore the question of what it really means to be human.

Notes

Produced by Mythos & Ink. 

Announcement Music: Coffee Beats by Aaron Parsons (Used with permission).