Thank you all for the information. I really appreciate it. I've been hoping to start a 3.5 campaign with spell-creating rules from the Elements of Magic e-book. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1XGgL25J3k)
...Oh wait that was the wrong link! I meant this one: (http://enworld.rpgnow.com/product_in...ducts_id=2699&) And I was having trouble understanding this rule from my old 3.0 edition rulebook.

whoring myself to E.N. publishing and random Youtube video submitters,
-Thoughtbot