A new look at old magic

[Dizzy - atari]

I am working on a little E-book to help the newer generation.

I was hoping that some of you could give me some pointers on what to cover.

So the topic of this thread will be. What should a New practicer start with. what should they hope to have learned with in a year.

It should only end up being at max 30-50 pages long and will cover such things as channelling there energy, mental mapping, basic defensive wards and so on.  

[Obscurus]

My suggestion is to make sure that it's well-researched as has good citations. I can't really help much as far as the other content as magic isn't my primary focus.  

[Luciferin Bandit]

Also, make it basic enough so that all occultists, be they wiccan, ceremonial magicians, etc. can benefit from it.  

[Dizzy - atari]

Luciferin Bandit

Also, make it basic enough so that all occultists, be they wiccan, ceremonial magicians, etc. can benefit from it.

This is something I certainly strive for.

Heres another question even the non practitiners can answer. how many pages would be best?

If I truely put my all into this I could have a school sized text book on the subject, however I feel this would be far to long. Personaly I have been thinking around 30-50 pages would be about right.
Also should I include pictures and diagrams where ever they could be of use?  

[Luciferin Bandit]

Well, if you are going to include pictures and whatnot, I'd strive for at least 100 pages. Not giant, but long enough to thoroughly explain everything that needs explaining.

Magic is a pretty complicated subject. A basic overview would probably be detrimental to the aspiring magician. It's best to make sure they understand it thoroughly, rather than go charging into a magical endeavor with a very basic knowledge of what they are doing.  

[Dizzy - atari]

A very good point/ However one i am not to worryed about. I have been writing out the book in a very step by step manner. I am not sure if the end result will still be in this format, though i have been writing it with the idea that this could very well be the first book a new caster picks up, and if this is the case i want it to be as simple yet thoro as possible.  

[Obscurus]

I think that it should be as long as it takes to get out what you want to get out. That said, there are a plethora of beginner's magic books on the market. If you're wanting to provide the basics then at least give something for the more advanced practitioners as well; something to give them an incentive to get the book.

If you need pictures or diagrams to explain your material then I think it's a good idea to include them.  

[A1Saucy]

I think limiting yourself to 30-50 pages for a beginner's book on general magic is not conducive to your goal. I'm not fully certain on what you want to cover, but I agree with what others said about pictures and diagrams: allow for more pages.

In regards to your first question I think beginners should learn at least the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram. They may not use it, but it's still decent to learn since it gives an idea about circle casting and visualization, as well as a few other things you want to cover.  

[Dizzy - atari]

thank you I will look into it and see if it fits.

the issue with length though is that its just an E-book. If i were actually planning on contacting a publisher and having the shelves of your nearest chapters crammed full with my book then i would aim for something a little longer.

Although I do agree about the pictures and so now for every picture i add i will add an additional page to make things fair.  

[Its Wolfeh]

Length wouldn't matter for me, the more information the better! I'd also prefer a textbook than an e-book, I like having it there with me because reading on electronic devices for some reason deters my interest. I may still get it though, if I can get it on the computer that is and not like amazon kindle only.

_Gentle Like The Fawn, Fierce Like The Bear, Protective Like The Wolf.