Science fiction, fantasy and horror stories are full of monsters. But one of the toughest jobs a writer has is coming up with creatures that are new and interesting.
When I sat down to write my urban fantasy novel A Kiss Before Doomsday, I knew that the bad guys would be undead creatures. But today’s readers have seen countless undead foes. How do you put a brand-new spin on such an old idea?
The Secret to Making Monsters
The secret to creating compelling monsters can be found in the word itself. MONSTER makes a useful acronym:
- M is for Mind
- O is for Origin
- N is for Need
- S is for Sketch
- T is for Take On
- E is for Eat
- R is for Relationships
To create a truly unique, complex monster, look carefully at each of these aspects, then ask yourself questions and write down the answers. By the time you finish, you’ll have a monster that’s not only frightening, it’s also fascinating.
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