Semester of Graduation
Spring 2026
Degree Name
Masters of Professional Writing
Department
English
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Dr. Andrew Plattner
Second Advisor
Dr. Kurt Milberger
Abstract
This Master’s Thesis, "THE WORLD OF MAGIC SUITE: THE EMERGENCE OF A LIGHT NOVELIST," is a collection of loosely related fictional works rooted in a seven-year-old promise made by the author to a family member. The project serves as an exploration of the author’s evolving voice and approach to writing fiction, using the unifying theme of "The Personal is The Political is The Supernatural" to build immersive fantasy worlds. The suite contains three distinct narratives. "Apathy’s Reward," a dark fantasy short story, follows Calrie DuNacht, the Apathetic Exorcist of the Golden Cathedral, as she confronts grief and the discomfort of loss in her solitary, problem-filled life. "The Mind Undying" captures the absurd and psychological thrill of a quest for a psion’s brain, featuring student Poppy Rootbound and her Grand Arcanist mentor. The final, long-form narrative, "Wynneve’s ‘World of Magic,’" blends high fantasy with political intrigue, exploring the emotional toll of broken promises and the arrival of a relentless witch hunter on the half-goblin Wynneve’s isolated island. Collectively, these works demonstrate the author's blend of light novel-influenced textual velocity with literary-style thematic depth. This capstone is an investigation into how fiction can be a method to both entertain and raise awareness of real-world complexity through the lens of fantasy.
Included in
Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons, Literature in English, North America Commons