Settings & worlds · Tip 40 of 82 · 4 min read
Invent an Amazing Creature
Mix, match and imagine a brand new beast, then decide how it lives, eats and behaves.
Dragons, unicorns and mermaids were all invented by somebody once. Now it's your turn! A brand new creature can make your story world feel completely fresh.
Try a mix-and-match
One easy way to start is to combine two or three real animals, objects or even weather. Then give it a name.
- A hedgehog crossed with a cactus that lives in the desert and stores water in its spines
- A jellyfish that floats through the sky instead of the sea
- A tiny owl with lantern eyes that lights the way for lost travellers
- A cloud with legs that grazes on mountaintops
Go beyond what it looks like
A creature becomes really believable when you know how it lives. Ask yourself some questions:
- Where does it live, and what does its home look like?
- What does it eat? (And does it ever try to eat people?)
- What sound does it make?
- Is it shy, friendly, grumpy or sneaky?
- How do people in your world feel about it?
Gloomwhistles nest in chimneys and only come out after the fire has gone cold. They eat soot, sing in long, sad notes, and leave a single grey feather behind as a thank you. Most families think they bring good luck. Mrs Pike thinks they're pests.
Notice how the last two sentences show that different people react to the creature in different ways. That's a story waiting to happen!