3 Fun Steps to Help You Develop Unique Fictional Fantasy Monsters
How do I develop the monsters that appear in my dark fantasy fiction? Why I break it down into fun steps of course!
Because if it’s not fun, why even bother, amirite?
If you’ve ever wanted to know how to approach writing monsters (or more accurately, how my brain works when I write dark fantasy fiction) this is the post for you.
Here are 3 fun steps to help you develop unique fictional fantasy monsters.
Fun Step 1: Read & Research
Writing inspiration is all around us, we just need to be aware enough to spot the flecks of gold through the clay and silt.
As a result, I spend an obscene amount of time reading and researching.
Here’s an example. I came up with the idea for He Who Can Open All Doors while researching demons for my Book of Eve Series.
All I found was his name and a single sentence of description.
It didn’t matter that I barely had any information about this monster. I was more interested in the concept of a demon that had the ability to open any door.
The complete lack of description also gave me free rein to develop how I wanted him to look.
For this part, I turned to images. I searched through hundreds until I had a description that would send shivers down my reader’s spines.
Funnily enough, I’ve never been able to find anything about him online again.
Creepy? Maybe. But I got one hell of a (contest-winning) story out of that one random click.
Fun Step 2: Give it a Twist
If you want to write about vampires, werewolves, or witches, I say go for it! I truly believe that it’s how you write the story that makes these characters unique.
I know plenty of authors who make me want to read about vampires all day, every day.
I’m just not one of them.
My approach to writing monsters is slightly different.
There’s nothing that excites me more about writing than discovering a monster and giving them a “twist”. That twist could be the way the monster looks, the magic they possess, or how they act within the world I’m building.
As a writer, that shift is everything.
Adding a “twist” is a way for you as an author to show your readers your voice.
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Does this take time to develop? Yes.
Will it work for you? Maybe. Maybe not!
But think about it this way: When you’re writing about monsters you need to make them yours.
The spin, or stamp of your unique writing voice is the special ingredient that makes your readers come back for more.
Fun Step 3: Walk. A Lot.
When I’m feeling stuck, going for a walk always leads me to clarity.
If I don’t know the right “twist” to give a monster, by the end of a walk, I often have it figured out.
So if you feel stuck, or you come across an idea that feels like a nugget of something, throw it to the back of your mind.
In other words, stop mulling it over.
I know this sounds counterintuitive but hear me out!
Go for a walk.
Every so often that nugget of an idea will bubble to the surface. Give your subconscious time to develop the idea. Let it percolate.
Keep walking.
It might not happen right away but one day, the answer will pop into your head.
Your monster will be spectacular.
Well, friends, there you have it! 3 fun steps to help you develop unique fictional fantasy monsters.
If you give any of my tips a try, let me know! I’m always curious to hear what works (or doesn’t) for other writers.
Want to learn more about the types of monsters I write about? Check out He Who Can Open All Doors and help support a Canadian literary magazine!
