Magic! Or, what would -you- do?

I would use it, first and foremost, to get work done, so I could focus my time on other things.

Secondly, I would use it to make a world for myself. Honestly, that sounds really stupid. But I would make a place that literally only I could get to, where I could invite people in if I wanted them to come, a sort of private paradise.

:)

Hope that helps.

I would immediately become an evil, power hungry sorceress. I would kill off anyone who would dare to defy me, and I would kill off the young heroic farmlad before he becomes older, handsome, stronger, and skilled in magic.

Or, alternatively, I would use it to become an amazingly talented writer. And an amazingly talented piano player. And an amazingly talented singer... the list goes on.

http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/2681/mybanner48fbc22ca92faps6.jpg

Let's see, I am pretty cerebral.

If I was doing magic then I would likely go with writing to try and cast spells.

After that, I am big on Tarot Cards, Salt, Mirrors, and Candlemancy.

I would likely use magic to be more of a 'player' at bars.

Within the limits you've set... heh. Let's see.

First of all, I'd use it to enhance my abilities (In standard D&Dspeak, I'd use it to buff my stats) as much as possible. Who needs to influence the thoughts of others when your Charisma score is best represented by the symbol for "infinite"? You could easily become the Grand High Warlord of Absolutely Everything, and with an infinite Intelligence score.. just think of the technological advances you could be responsible for... and that other people could become reliant on.

If you want another way of doing stuff like this... It can't influence the thoughts of others... but it *can* copy them. It can copy their experiences, their skills, their knowledge... and fuse them into my own. No charisma and therefore no hope with women? Copy the mind of that playboy into yours, and BAM! Instant win. Keep going with everyone you meet, and soon you'll have the greatest mind ever.

I use a great deal of magic in my fantasy book series. So, I've set up rules (to some degree) to govern what can and cannot happen. For example: where does the power come from that makes the spell take place? How does someone do an enchantment, etc.? See what I mean? Make sure your system is consistent. And keep to it. Then rock on!

I would use it to do the stuff I hate to do, or am bad at, like cooking and getting cat pee out of carpet. And making my hair look awesome all the time.

I would close my eyes, raise an island up out of the sea, try to remove all of my imperfections, then wander upon my island, immortal, nearly perfect, and more-or-less alone, for all eternity. Silly, yes, but that's what I would do.

I would take up business writing rhyming spells, like those in Charmed. I've always wanted to try that. Maybe I should starta spell book. That would be fun...

Aly the Spy

The playlist makes the novel.

No Doubt
Massive Attack
The All-American Rejects
Plain White T's
Nirvana
The Goo Goo Dolls

I had a whole paragraph about where I'd time travel to, and then I reread your original post. Oops. Anyways, here goes.

I'd like to be able to shapeshift into animals, especially birds so I could fly. Heal everybody. Travel to a bunch of different places in the world, and arrange it so that there weren't many other tourists.

Here are some bad things that I think would probably happen, if you need them.

I can see people using it to get away with crimes, or killing someone with a wish because they could get away with it. Making money so they could go on a shopping spree and creating major inflation.

I think just ebcause I grew up so hardcore with the Belgariad and the Mallorean by David Eddings, I would have to go the Will and the Word way of using magic, because that's what is closest to my heart. Or looking at it as scientifically manipulating energies, just with magic.

And I am totally about the flying.

I'd also be very, VERY careful about what I'd wish for, in case it bit me in the ass.

I'd probably go my own way and use it in conjuction with my aura. Very, very natural feelings to induce it. Maybe I'd turn myself into a talking dog, too. By dog, I mean wolf. But, I guess, if I can go any way I want, I could play around a little bit to see what I liked most. XD

Could I use magic to make it easier to write a lot, somehow? :3

I'd use it to augment my intelligence until I could think of a way of mind controlling the entire world even accounting for the fact that everyone else had magic. Then from my new seat of power, I'd continue augmenting myself until my head was no longer bursting with the effort of all that mind control, and set about sorting out the human interventions causing global warming. And making the economy less mad, too.

Butterfly wings, a prettier face, and golden sparkles that trailed behind me everywhere I walked, glittering audibly.

When did my lighthearted standalone urban fantasy turn into a family saga?

i always liked the idea of what ever i wrote comes true...i used to try it when i was litle, but to no prevail!
awww
After that, there's always thinking and being amazed when it happens

Definitely flying -- preferably the option of with and without wings. Without would be the fun Peter Pan version, where I could hover in midair and read a book upside down. I've always wanted to "swim" down a hallway, ever since I dreamed about it once.

And with wings would be a fun challenge too, actually using the muscles and learning to do it right. I would hopefully not fall on my head.

Oh, and the telekinesis that would let me levitate would extend to other things as well; I'd be able to grab things from the other side of the room without getting up, and set fallen leaves swirling about me wherever I went. Also, personal dramatic-swoosh! I own a trenchcoat and am not afraid to use it.

I also own a skateboard, and am not going to wait until hoverboards are invented before taking to the skies with it.

...And the wings thing would of course be shapeshifting, which would involve other forms as well. I would love to climb trees as a cat, and walls as a gecko. Oh, and swimming without running out of air! Good stuff.

So basically I'd like shapeshifting and telekinesis. That's not too much to ask, right? :D

First to your original question, then to some of my own:

Flight. I would use magic to fly, then probably telekinesis. I would use it for exploration and philosophical introspection. I would use it to fight injustice, likely get corrupted by my own sense of twisted ethics and become some sort of multifaceted villain that never meant to be...

Now to my questions:

Can anyone, lietrally anyone use magic? I mean no training off the street just Bam! lightning from the hands sort of stuff or is it that all people have the potential an dthat through training and study you can call it forth and it will do your bidding?

See, if everyone can do it, well you have problems. Everyone's a god, so no one is and the world goes to the crapper. At least if people have to study and work at learning to control the magical forces, with say the risk of death or at least disfigurement if they do it wrong, well then you have a much more sustainable idea, because people are lazy and afraid mostly and would not bother even though the might of gods were just over that ridge...

Thoughts?