Hey, Reader, I’ve been reading my grimoire edition of Witch Hat Atelier. It’s seriously the most gorgeous book I’ve ever owned, and worth every penny of its $50 price tag. Even if it did take 3 months to arrive.
(For context, I ordered this back in June. It was only supposed to take 10 days to arrive, but I guess they oversold them and just kept pushing back my delivery time. By 3 whole months.🫠)
It got me thinking about my own Magical School stories. Mainly ExSpelled, my Magical Dark Academia set in an alternative Belle Époque (Beautiful Era) England and Wales that’s FREE for Kat’s Quest subscribers. And also Hex Breaker, the Magical Dark Academia I’m hoping to release next year. But also Magical School stories as a whole.
Since Ursula K. Le Guin first published A Wizard of Earthsea in 1968, magical school stories have tempted us with the alluring idea of being whisked away from our humdrum lives to somewhere more exciting. Somewhere with magic.
Where we concoct potions instead of organic chemistry. Where we learn divination instead of algebra. And where we learn to fight with a saber or fly on a broom instead of yet another year of track and field in school-branded sweats.
If you search the shelves or scroll your screen, you’ll find a full spectrum of magical school tales. From Little Witch Academia to Blood at the Root to Wistoria: Wand and Sword.
So if the arrival of autumn has put you in the mood to write a little magic…
Here are the 5 elements you need to craft your own Magical School story🪄
1) The Magical School
In a magical school story, the setting—the institute of learning—is arguably a major character in and of itself. So when designing this all-important setting, you have to ask yourself: What is my school going to be like?
Is it a massive castle exclusively for magic users, like the island of Roke in A Wizard of Earthsea, or Easton Magic Academy in Mashle: Magic and Muscles? Maybe it’s a luxury boarding school only for the noble elite, like in My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!?
Or it could be a small live-in workshop for only a few select students, like the titular atelier in Witch Hat Atelier? Or even a seemingly normal high school but in the Demon Realm, like in Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun.
Whatever your choice, Reader, put some time and effort into crafting this all-important locale.
2) The Magic
How does your world’s magic actually work? Just like the laws of physics and math, magic systems need to be functional to ground your story. So what about yours, Reader?
Is the magic language-based? Do they have to recite incantations to summon their magic? Or do they use something more unusual, like in the Simon Snow Trilogy? Do they call upon a deity, elemental spirit, or demon they’ve made a pact with to obtain their magic like they do in Blue Exorcist?
Maybe they were bestowed magic during a rite of passage ceremony, like in The Gorilla God's Go-To Girl or Black Clover? What about magical tools? Do they craft their own wands and staves like they do in The Ancient Magus’ Bride? Or do they purchase their magical pens and ink in a specialty shop like in Witch Hat Atelier?
However your magic system works, make solid rules and NEVER violate them.
3) The Prerequisite
What qualifications does one need to attend said magical school? Is there an entrance exam? Is admittance a matter of lineage? Is there a limited number of spots like our real-world university equivalents?
Keep in mind, a story that sets a high bar for entrance is going to be closer to a magical college or academy and focus more on refining a magic user’s gift. Whereas a story about a school that pretty much accepts anyone with magic will be about learning to use said magic and use it safely.
4) The Subject Matter
What’s taught at your magical school? Is your school divided into different “subjects” like Alchemy, Transmutation, and Potions, with all the students in the same classes, much like our standard schools?
Or is it segmented into schools of magic for students to train to become Arcanists, Summoners, Diviners, Artificers, and Alchemists? Or does it have both?
True Cross Academy in Blue Exorcist is a premier private boarding school in an “academy town,” but it also houses the secret exorcist cram school within it. The former teaches the standard school subjects while the latter trains several types of exorcists with numerous career options after graduation.
5) What Comes After?
What do they do after gaining their magical knowledge? Are there guaranteed jobs waiting for them? Or do they have to figure it out for themselves?
Is there a clear goal they’re all working towards, like in Wistoria: Wand and Sword? Where the goal after graduation is being accepted into the Mercedes Caulis and becoming a Magia Vander?
Or do they have a wide range of career paths after graduation, like in The Irregular at Magic High School? Your magical school will feel a lot more solid and real if what your characters learn has applications outside of the classroom.
I hope this helps you craft your own Magical School story, Reader. Because there’s always room in the world for more wonder and magic. 🪄 Until next time, this is your friendly neighborhood storytelling Kat wishing you a wonderfully creative weekend.
Your cohort in storytelling,
Kat Vancil
🐱
PS 👉 Though Mashle: Magic and Muscles is a parody of a—*cough more famous and now problematic IP—I absolutely adore it. The MC is an authentic, non-stereotyped representation of an autistic person. And his truest desire in life isn’t to be the most powerful magic user ever, but instead to live a peaceful life with his dad.
Honestly, I wish more stories had MCs like Mash. He’s not the perfect prodigy, top-of-their-class genius chosen one. He’s neurodivergent, he can’t use magic, and he’s always one step away from failing. But he’s like so many kids out there. It’s honest and relatable.
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Amey Deo
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