Cognitive Scaffold

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MENTAL MODEL · M2718

Sanderson's Laws of Magic

Sanderson's Laws of Magic
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

First Law: An author's ability to solve conflict satisfactorily with magic is directly proportional to how well the reader understands the rules of that magic. If it's "hard magic" (clear rules), it can be used to solve problems; if it's "soft magic" (mysterious), it can only be used to create problems.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Deus ex machina defense. If you haven't explained the costs and limitations of the magic, you must never use it to defeat the big boss, or the reader will feel cheated.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Sanderson's Laws of Magic (author Brandon Sanderson's creative rules): if the magic system has clear rules, it can be 'engineered' by characters like science; soft magic is for atmosphere, hard magic is for puzzle-solving.

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_SandersonZH · Explicit
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