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Lists for Fantasy Writers

 




Magical Elements List - Keep track of characters and their magical elements in this simple Excel spreadsheet.  Download the spreadsheet here. 

In the example shown in the spreadsheet, the main character, Mortimore, possesses the Magical Element, the Skull of Sirrah.  The power of the Skull is that it allows the holder of the Skull to take knowledge and power away from another being.  The consequence for using the Skull is that someone or something must die.  Only the Skull knows who or what will die, and how many will go.  Mortimore must use the Skull judiciously.  In Chapter 1, he uses it to escape the crone, who has captured him and plans to use the Skull to destroy the mortal world.  The specific consequence after he uses it is that the crone and her minions die, and he takes on the knowledge of the Dark World - an evil so great that it now attempts to control him.  Can he be certain, now, that he is using his powers for good and not for evil?  In Chapter 6, Mortimore again uses the Skull in an attempt to release a village from the spell of the Evil Lord.  He knows that this is a risk, but with his knowledge from the Dark World, he sees only doom for the beings of the village.  He takes his chance and uses the Skull, robbing the Evil Lord of his powers.  But, the Village of Mi-tah, the beings he hoped to free from the spell, all die - a result of using the Skull.  Mortimore is torn between his knowledge that to stay alive under the Evil Lord would have been a fate worse than death,  but can he be certain that this is a truth?  Or is it shadowed by the powers of the Dark World? 

Use the spreadsheet to keep track of the Magical Elements, who uses them, and how they are used in your own work-in-progress. 

Characters and Their Abilities - Keep track of characters' special abilities and when they are used.  Download the spreadsheet here. 

In the example shown in the spreadsheet, Mortimore is an empath.  He uses his empath ability to trick the crone and gain his freedom.  Mortimore also has the knowledge of the Dark Force as an ability, which was gained after using the Skull of Sirrah (his Magic Element) against the crone.  But as Mortimore soon realizes, he battles his inner demons when he again uses the Skull, wiping out an entire village in the process.  He tells himself that they are in a better place - or is that the Dark Force talking?