Hi folks, it’s your usual amateur author, Ameron, again! So, this time our discussion would be about a power system. What exactly is a power system? I tried searching google again, but nothing came out of it, I guess I have to define it in my own terms then… A power system is the order of power and how the powers work in a fictional universe. It’s pretty understandable for one to find it hard to create a power system from scratch, but that’s where I come in again! Allow me to lend you aspiring authors a hand.

I remember seeing a lot of power systems when I was watching anime, especially in the shounen genre, and oh boy! They are very different from each other, very distinct. Now I tried creating a power system myself, and trust me they were very fun! Not to brag, but I think I’m pretty good at it, although it still took me some time to create my very first power system.

Now enough about those and to try and actually help y’all, the trick to creating a power system is to, of course, first think of the rules, a power system is all about the organization of the powers kept within it, we need to think of how it works, and then set limitations to them, can’t exactly make a power there get too broken. However, I’m sure most of you are having a hard time creating the powers themselves. I think the best way to explain this, is by actually showing a power system I made myself, so you could analyze it for yourselves. This power system came from my novel World Linking High School Boy Emis, my first novel, the power system itself hasn’t been completely introduced in the story, but I’m willing to share it with y’all to help. Also, please don’t read it in its current state, it’s… horrible.

My power system is called Manipulation Chants, it is the interaction or meddling of matter or energy in form of chanting. It has 5 specific types:

1. Natural Manipulation – It is the extension, reduction, or expansion of a particular object. It deals with the three dimensions.
2. Energy Manifestation – It is the release of energy using mana.
3. Light Arts – The use of energy as a force to attract or repel matter.
4. Dark Arts – It can be used to convert matter into energy, but not the other way around. It is considered taboo because of its overpowered use.
5. Sacred Incantation – Conversion of a Manipulation Chant to another. It’s very unstable to perform hence, sacred.

So, what do you think? I think it’s pretty cool. Looks sciencey.

Now, if you analyze it properly, you can see that I have set intricate details for each power, it is so that the power isn’t too vague, in which some cases, stories have a problem with. Having a power be too vague can mostly be a dagger to the author, since the readers may notice some form of application that isn’t shown in their story because of how vague it is. Also, if you examine closer, you can notice that barely any power intersects its authority with another. That’s right, your powers should be distinct from each other. It’s not bad to have powers with the same ability or powers that completely contain another one’s but has more, it can even be used as an interesting narrative. However, it’s best to reduce the repetition of abilities throughout the course of the story for its betterment, as well as for the power system itself. The powers themselves are also quite related to each other, involving matter or energy in my case, make sure that the powers you create in the power system have some kind of relation to each other, it narrows down the possibilities and may even help you find and create more powers that follow its formula.

But if you’re truly too lazy, you can always stick to the classic magic system. It’s not too bad, but it’s been oversaturated over the years, so it’ll be tough to make something out of it. The thing I did for the magic system was that I defined tropes I saw in the shows I saw and then defined them on my own terms. Maybe you could do so for a system that already exists, try defining it on your own terms.

Honestly, the hardest part about this is the first step. The next steps are a lot easier. The only help I could do at this point is provide examples. One novel of mine uses biblical texts as a form of a power system. Another novel I plan to create will literally have weapons and powers as the power system, nothing more, nothing less. See, even a power system can be simple? Lol, imagine if you use eating as a power system, though I’m sure someone already has done it.

Well, that’s it for now. I’m sorry if it’s a bit more scuffed than usual, but I still hope I managed to give you guys some ideas. With that, I’m signin’ off for the day, adios!

Oxford Languages says that a commonplace book is “a book into which notable extracts from other works are copied for personal use.”

Commonplace books are not to be confused with journaling, as journaling more so involves the documentation of one’s personal life and inner dialogue: we can see this being done in the social media of today as people spill their innermost confessions online for no one and everyone to see.

Commonplace books are meant to compound thoughts and information from sources other than the self. Of course, if it was an interesting event or an epiphany experienced by the self, it should be included as a personal anecdote to preserve for later reflection. 

Storage of commonplace books can take on different forms according to one’s preferences. It is recommended that one try out various versions just to see how their notetaking is influenced, or how their reflection readings form unlikely connections between passages. Below are a few examples:

Notebook: Less flexibility, but more convenient for travel and storage. You can write quotes in line by line and use symbols or colored markers for different topics for quick reference in the future.

Index Cards: High flexibility and opportunity for organization, but storage can be troublesome. Quotes can be written card by card and divided into different subjects easily.

Digital Apps: Convenient travel and a variety of formats depending on which app you use. Some unorthodox uses of different apps can result in some interesting compounding, like using a character planner as a commonplace book where each character represents a subject, or each quote (regardless of subject) correlates to a character’s characteristics in some intuitive way.

You can really get creative with it.

Commonplace books are typically used to store information that the owner appreciates or finds useful. Like a post-it on a full-blown research paper. 

The sources of information do not have to be official if you intend on researching the topic yourself later on with the quote as an addendum. In fact, the “information” does not have to be entirely scientific, but instead a purely interesting or amusing quote from a friend.

• Genre Spotlight 3: Absurdist
• Characteristics

Genre Spotlight 3: Absurdist

Absurdist fiction takes place in reality but exaggerates the incomprehensibility that reality often displays. It explores the human struggle to find meaning and purpose in a universe that often feels chaotic, illogical, and devoid of inherent order. It avoids offering its readers direct answers to dilemmas and instead forces one to confront the unsettling questions of life, and perhaps even embrace one another in the shared absurdity of our existence.

Characteristics

Absurdist fiction is littered with dark humor and satire. The grievances of the observant are framed to expose the absurdity of human existence and question the established beliefs of an assumed perfect society. This is all done with a sense of schadenfreude, as though this bitter accounting of events is the only way to cope with the insanity.

Existentialism and nihilism are two accompanying themes in absurdist fiction. The search for meaning in a meaningless world is often depicted as a tragic one filled with anguish. Characters are made to feel alienated, disoriented, and incapable of finding resolute answers in these stories. Sometimes, the inherent lack of an answer at all is the best solace.

Illogical plots and characters make up the majority of an absurdist tale, as mundane yet disarming as people in real life can be. Characters find themselves in bizarre, illogical situations where traditional cause-and-effect reasoning fails.

Unconventional storytelling has been a common staple of absurdist fiction. Writers may use the framing of the book itself to tell a meta story. Or, they may discard traditional plot structures entirely, trading them for dreamlike sequences, unfathomable dialogue, and repetition to reflect the disjointed nature of reality. The method of storytelling is used as a tool for social commentary in itself.

Absurdist fiction is an explicitly and hopelessly human genre. It raises the void of existence and hurls it into the face of the reader, craving community in shared dread and anguish.

Origins and Influences

The seeds of absurdist fiction were sown from the disillusionment following World War 2, a period marked by the collapse of traditional values and the rise of existentialist and nihilist philosophies.

Absurdist fiction also drew heavily from the artistic movements of Dadaism and Surrealism, which embraced the illogical and unconventional.

This confluence of philosophical and artistic influences gave birth to a genre that continues to challenge and resonate with readers by reflecting the inherent absurdity of the human condition.

Notable Writings

The Metamorphosis, published in 1915 and written by Franz Kafka.

Waiting for Godot, published in 1952 and written by Samuel Beckett.The Stranger, published in 1942 and written by Albert Camus.

Genre Spotlight 2: Slasher

The slasher is a horror subgenre that is a notable classic among horror movies. Slasher novels, despite lacking the immediate visual appeal, are textbook studies on how to keep an audience on the edge of their seats. 

Slasher novels are all about the suspense and horror of a beast stalking its prey. Readers are made to anticipate the next death, the method of murder, and to get lost in the killer’s relentless threat. Typically, slashers involve a serial killer who haunts and slowly kills off a group of people in a secluded area.

Characteristics

The slasher genre is home to many running cliches, most notably in the form of the characters and each part they play in the story. There’s the slasher, who is the person or monster behind all the killing. There are the victims, who often personify the extremes of stereotypes such as jocks, nerds, supernatural buffs, and the airheaded hottie; much like the stereotypical cast of high schoolers. Finally, there’s the “final girl”, or the one who makes it out alive in the end thanks to the sacrifice of others.

As a subgenre of horror, part of the slasher genre’s appeal is in the gruesome death scenes. The shock of a grisled corpse of a familiar face never fails to morbidly entertain a reader’s attraction to the macabre. 

Of course, one of the greatest components of horror is in its use of anticipation. Slasher stories often feature cat and mouse chase sequences where the slasher chases after the group of victims in a montage where the group fragments and each character is isolated in an uncertain location. Characters begin to lose their cool and display extreme emotions of desperation and terror. In these times, the audience is made to anticipate the slasher’s next appearance, to anticipate betrayals and the next to be killed.

From the subgenre’s conception, social commentary themes have been prevalent. The stereotypes of the characters tend to represent society as a whole, and characters who are picked off are often chosen according to what negatively judged traits they had ended up showing as the pressure of the chase got to them. Those who survived had also survived in the eyes of society.

Origins and Influences

The groundwork of slasher horror novels can be seen in other forms of horror such as psycho-thrillers or “whodunit” mysteries. One could argue that gothic horror novels also had a play in slashers given the striking, isolated imagery of the settings that the stories take place in, as well as the morbid intrigue in death scenes.

Slasher novels often mirror the anxieties of certain generations due to its punishing nature towards the victims. The slasher boom of the 1970s and 80s, for example, can be seen as a response to concerns about sexual liberation, changing acceptance of family dynamics, and a growing fear of outsiders.

These various influences, blended and evolved by horror authors, culminated in the slasher novels that we know today.

Notable Writings

Psycho, published in 1959 and written by Robert Bloch.

I Know What You Did Last Summer, published in 1973 and written by Lois Duncan.My Heart is a Chainsaw, published in 2014 and written by Stephen Graham Jones.

Genre Spotlight 1: Wuxia

Wuxia can be considered a subgenre of fantasy. Literally translated from Chinese as “martial arts and chivalry”, these tales depict action-packed epics of martial artists facing extreme moral dilemmas, powerful adversaries, and combat that pushes the limits of human ability.

Characteristics

Kung Fu and Daoism are the highest running themes in wuxia, as heroes are bound to a system of extreme discipline to refine their martial arts ability. Whether they involve fists or swords, staves or hidden weapons, each fight and each display of power is bound to feature lightning-fast moves and jaw-dropping acrobatics.

The main character often starts out as a normal person who discovers or is imparted a life-changing martial arts technique or manual and sets off on a journey of self-cultivation. Their allies, adversaries, idols, and rivals are often all martial artists with a hand-tailored backstory for their devotion to their practice. 

Jianghu, translated literally as “rivers and lakes”, is a persevering concept in wuxia that can be roughly summed up as the common “land of the survival of the fittest”. The jianghu of a story is a land not governed by any martial arts sect or imperial edicts where the powerful feast and the weak cower under the defenses of the compassionate strong. It is here where one’s moral conduct is truly proven, since anything goes so long as you have the power to be arrogant.

Confucianism can be seen throughout wuxia texts as a major characteristic. Heroic ideals are a mainstay feature of these stories as martial artists discuss the purpose of power and who deserves their protection.

Human ambition can be seen as both a stumbling block and something worthy of admiration, as power often stretches not only from one’s physical prowess but also prestige, community, and wealth. Human ambition to achieve any one of these things can lead to one’s demise or conquering triumph. Conflicting ambitions can spark the start of wars between martial arts sects. They may also lead to demonization, either through the condemnation of one’s peers or a literal transformation into a devil as one’s ambition turns into obsession.

Since wuxia is based heavily on philosophy and ideals, it has the most fun with moral dilemmas. How else can one’s ideals be proved right without the thrill of swordplay and the cathartic release of debate? Heroes of wuxia are often presented with impossible situations to prove whether they were right or wrong all along.

A classic tale is of hidden dragons and tigers in jianghu, pretending to be a pig only to eat a tiger. Mysterious, nameless masters of martial arts often trek the world of wuxia for reasons unknown. Many times, they only reveal themselves when their moral code is challenged and finally decide to join in the waning battle to turn the tides.

Origins and Influences

Wuxia stems from Chinese storytelling, a rich tradition that has endured the ages through both mouth and ink. Tales about chivalry and legendary martial artists have existed even before the term “wuxia” was coined.

Wuxia as a genre came in during the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). The rise of vernacular novels during this period provided a platform for wuxia stories to flourish.

Much of wuxia’s running themes can be seen in major Chinese philosophies such as the Confucian ideals of heroes and the self-disciplined nature of Daoism. Modern wuxia novels might incorporate social commentary or delve deeper into the psychological aspects of its characters.

Notable Writings

Water Margin, written sometime in the mid-14th century by Shi Nai’an.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, written sometime in the 1940s by Wang Dulu.Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain, published in 1959 and written by Jin Yong.