Why Creatures Matter in WorldbuildingFirst of all, why would you want to include creatures in your worldbuilding? There are a variety of reasons. First of all, they may be relevant to your plot. They could be something the hero has to face, or they could be an ally, other species, or anything in between. These are especially prevalent in fiction. The hero's may be on a long road when they are suddenly attacked by some fearsome beast. It breaks up the monotony of travel, and gives you some fun conflict. Another reason to have a creature is that they reflect the environment. A lot of creatures are specially adapted to whatever environment they live in, and can be used to help emphasize how deserty, jungley, mountainy, etc... your world is. So especially if your story is a man verses nature type, this is a great reason to have creatures. So what are the most important things for a creature? Appearance, Type, Habitat, and Food SourceFirst and perhaps one of the most important parts of creature creation is appearance. What does the creature look like? A great example from my own book, The Castaway Hero, is the Grunkle, pictured above. This has one of the most fearsome appearances you will find anywhere. This is a creature of nightmares. Its entire appearance screams danger! Avoid me at all costs! This appearance also serves another purpose I will discuss a little later. Closely related to appearance is type. This is basic enough, by type we mean is it a mammal, reptile, fish, or something else entirely? Next is habitat and food source, which are also quite closely related. Where does your creature live? What does it eat? Often habitat and what it eats are also intertwined with appearance. If your creature eats meat, like the Grunkle, it will have adapted like that. The reason the Grunkle has such gigantic claws is because it eats meat. If a creature eats plants, then it doesn't really need things designed for killing. And as noted earlier, a creature that lives in a jungle is going to look quite different than something that lives in a desert. All things to consider when designing a creature. Magic, History, and AdaptationsThe next set is relatively small. First of all, is this creature magical. This is generally something to consider for a fantasy. Next is history. Now this isn't something like an evolutionary history, though that can be something to consider if you are creating creatures that are closely related, such as the Grunkle and Krunkle. What I mean by history is the history of a specific individual creature. If you have a certain creature that may be the last of its kind, what storied past has that creature had? What has shaped it? And the last thing in this chunk is any special adaptations and abilities. These can be quite closely related to habitat and how they survive. Turning to the Krunkle, it has a special ability to shift between a very dog-like form and a monstrous Grunkle-like form. Another thing to consider with the adaptations is why they have them. Has anything forced them to evolve like that? Uses, Threats, Domestication, and PertinanceAnd now for the final things to consider. First of all, how is the creature useful? Is it some kind of beast of burden? Can its body parts be used for something special? Is it quite edible? Can they be used in magic rituals? The next thing is simple. Is the creature a threat? Is it something that could hinder your hero's, or is it just another creature? Another simple thing to ask yourself is are these creatures wild or domestic? In The Castaway Hero, Grunkles are wild, while Krunkles are quite domestic creatures generally. The very last thing to consider is pertinence to the plot. This is almost certainly the most important part. If your creature has no relevance to the plot, why do you even bother creating it? So what you need to think is what purpose does the creature serve in your book? Are they just another obnoxious creature on the long road? Are they some kind of guardian for an object of power? And are they representative of something? For an example, lets return to the Grunkle. In The Castaway Hero, one of the characters is deathly afraid of Grunkles. But, as part of a challenge, he absolutely has to overcome his fear to protect someone he cares about. So in this case, the Grunkle literally represents fear and how the character overcomes it. So consider that next time you create a creature. To end offI hope you have found this article useful. Down below you will find a button which will allow you to download a copy of the template I use for creating my amazing creatures. I think this will help you all surpass even me in creating amazing, fascinating creatures! If you are interested in experiencing many of my creatures, be sure to check out my book, Stones of the Middle Lands: The Castaway Hero, out now on Amazon HERE and Barns and Noble HERE. Until next time, keep on writing!
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Welcome to The Writers Block!AuthorKen Mears is a new 17 year old author, here to share his wisdom, advice, and experiences with you, the reader! Archives
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