Being a semi-professional writer in any niche field holds a certain level of mystique. Yet as the following article, originally seeing digital print over at ChaosMagick.Com in early 2023 will hopefully show, I am the last person to put myself on a pedestal based on my track record. True, that assertion may initially seem strange, especially as the entire Accelerated Chaote project is literally designed to showcase my work for a wider audience. But while I do feel pride in what an old dyslexic college dropout like myself has been able to achieve over the last decade, I am also living proof that there is nothing stopping you doing the same.

The Write Magick
Sharing Shards of Insight
By Gavin Fox

Writing for your fellow occultists can be very rewarding. Not only does it give you a chance to make friends and build relationships, but it also allows for the magickian to stake out their territory within the wider community, show off what they are good at and maybe discuss things in their practice that still need work. As a published author I am mindful of the undeserved weight that title adds to my words, and far from wanting to use this small but focused body of professional experience to elevate myself above other chaotes I instead hope to pass on some of the tips and tricks that got me where I am today. I share my insights here so others can do what I do, and better.

The first tip I would give to aspiring authors is an obvious one. Write what you know. This takes on a far more multifaceted meaning for chaos magickians as it can be assumed that while a small amount of crossover between disciplines exists, each practitioner approaches the task of manipulating reality a little differently. As such there is a vast area open for exploration, with as many shards of insight as there are individual perceptions of the truth. Even those solidly defined paradigms such as witchcraft or ceremonial magick are ripe for personal interpretation. This leads to a robust body of both learning and experience that others will be genuinely interested to hear you discuss.

But just like any tangentially academic field, if you cannot back up what you say with supporting sources you will have to fall back on telling a good story instead. That is not to say that you should be restricted to merging or synthesising the ideas of others. If you are talented enough to have designed your own magickal system or found a unique method for firing sigils then an interesting and even emotionally charged narrative can often make up for a lack of supporting arguments by more recognisable voices.

Less obvious to those lacking experience within the field of writing is how to go about choosing this narrative voice. That consideration relates to the wider tone of the article, and will vary a little based on what the publisher prefers. Some outlets are staunchly academic, requesting factual third person essays that have little to no commentary by the author themselves. These will usually require direct quotes and full references to the information being explained, and get very stale extremely quick unless handled delicately.

Others want to hear you discuss the topic from a personal perspective, usually in first person. These have the opposite problem, and can spiral completely out of control unless a solid framework is hashed out ahead of time. It is always best to check what the submission guidelines of a given publisher before submitting. If there is no hard and fast rules easily available then you can always fall back on reading some of the other articles they gave the green light to instead. Remember, it is not a matter of copying the style of this earlier work wholesale, but a little research can definitely help find the right fit.

Knowing how to tell an engaging story is also important, and there is no reason to start at the beginning, either. Sometimes joining a narrative part way through the timeline of events holds a far greater ability to draw the reader in, and as long as you remember to revisit the past and then discuss the present at some point within the text manipulating the chronology is perfectly fine. The flow of the article will usually define itself in line with the accepted format required by the publisher, and once the initial structure is set then the more experienced writer will begin laying their own voice down over that skeleton to flesh it out. In my case I often use a hook and deliver process to keep the narrative interesting.

This can be as simple as making a comment early in the essay and then referencing it again towards the end, though practice will allow the author to pull that hook multiple times throughout the text and reinforce their point of view. It can be a key tool to support your wider narrative, though if overused it may instead seem clumsy or forced. As with all the tips I am sharing here there are general rules to follow when plotting out your work, and good writing is as much a set of ritualized actions as any necromantic summoning or ceremonial invocation. It can be equally as tiring too.

The next most important point is to accept feedback. When I first started out as a writer I had a frankly baffling sentence structure. Long, rambling prose with enough commas and diversions to make even Crowley raise an eyebrow. It was a total mess, and the feedback I received about this was difficult to hear at first. No one wants their individual voice challenged, especially by their fellow authors. But after some resistance I took those comments on board and drastically altered how I lay out my work. This in turn made my writing far more accessible to a wider audience and helped me see print more often.

While constructive criticism is sometimes hard to accept, those who have been in the game longer than you probably know what works from a purely technical standpoint. Even if you disagree try not to attack them personally over it. The occult is a small enough field to be writing in to burn bridges with potential publishers over something so easily correctable. As an aside, It is also worth vetting the company before you agree to have your name linked with their output. Certain less mainstream outlets may be easier to approach, but can do permanent damage to your reputation should they be subsequently outed as holding extreme political or social beliefs you do not share.

And that leads into my final point. Not everything you submit will be seen as suitable to publish by those who receive it for review. Writing in any field is a marathon, not a sprint, and my folder of failed attempts is sadly quite full. But the very reason there are so many is because I ignored this rejection and kept trying. I refused to be silenced. So yes, writing for your fellow occultists can indeed be very rewarding. But never forget that you are also writing for yourself, and as long as you stay true to your vision someone, somewhere will want to read what you share. So now it is up to you. The keyboard awaits. Go.