Sunday afternoon the Fantasy Literature track welcomed Nicoli Gonnella, JC Kang, Bryce O’Connor, Davis Ashura, and T.J. Reynolds to the Hyatt Embassy to discuss the convergence of magic and weapons in fantasy. Jay Boyce, moderator of the session, after acknowledging the prevalence magic as part of combat in Fantasy literature, began by asking the panelists to reflect upon the relationship between magic and weapons in their work. Ashura, whose draws upon Indian-Asian sources to inform his fiction, likes to consider and play with questions about what happens to characters. Sometimes you want a character to die quickly, in which case a spell (like a fireball) or a magically enhanced sword can achieve that. It’s essential, however, that what drives the use of magic is the story you’re trying to tell not the magic in and of itself.
Gronella pointed out that it is critically important to understand the ways in which magic and weapons inform each other. If a character is going to use a magically enhanced weapon it must make sense. It requires that you understand the “system” of magic at play in your world and its limitations. Ashura discouraged writers from using magic to create “shock and awe moments.” He wants the focus to always be on the character and doesn’t want his characters dying due to “one touch” or “one punch.”
The same measured and rational approach that dictates the use of magic in combat must also be applied to healing. O’Connor (a trained physical therapist) emphasized that healing magic is about recovery time. Authors need to remember the physical limitations of the human body and be true to that. Kang, a doctor of Chinese medicine, spoke about the psychological impact of healing as well.
When asked about the differences between individual and group or team combat, O’Connor spoke of the opportunities each offers an author. He especially appreciated the opportunity group combat offered to explore supporting characters. Ashura enjoyed group combat as well. It allows an author to comment on the actions of the hero through the eyes of another character. As for the tactics of group combat, figuring out what happens and how is an opportunity for the author to “work your brain.” Like the rest of the story, a battle must proceed according to the logic (the rules) of the world the author created.
There’s an old saying that to be a good writer you must be a reader. The panel encouraged aspiring authors to not just read but to find media that they liked and engage it. Ashura pointed out that one of the most effective ways to develop skills as a writer is to carefully study and analyze texts you enjoy. Take some time to examine how the author went about her work, how she constructed the text, and consider what you did and didn’t like about it. You can then use that analysis in your own writing. It was a fascinating and informative hour. You can watch a recording of the panel on the track’s YouTube channel after the conclusion of Dragon Con.
