Story types · Tip 60 of 82 · 4 min read
Writing Stories With Talking Animals
From fables to adventures, here's how to give animals big personalities.
Some of the most loved stories ever written star animals that talk: clever foxes, brave mice, grumpy bears. Animal characters are a brilliant way to tell exciting stories.
Mix animal and human
The best animal characters are a mix of real animal behaviour and human personality. A cat character might be proud and fussy like a person, but also chase string and nap in sunbeams like a real cat.
Duchess the cat looked down her nose at the new puppy. "I suppose you'll want to share my sunny spot," she sniffed. Then a moth flew past, and she forgot all about being dignified.
Match the animal to the personality
- A tortoise could be slow, patient and wise.
- A squirrel could be busy, nervous and forgetful.
- An owl could be a know-it-all who stays up too late.
- Or flip it: a shy lion or a fearless mouse is a fun surprise!
Fables teach a lesson
A fable is a short animal story that ends with a lesson, called a moral. In the famous fable of the tortoise and the hare, the speedy hare loses the race because he stops for a nap. The moral: slow and steady wins the race.
A magpie collected so many shiny things that her nest became too heavy, and the branch snapped. As she sat in the wreckage, a sparrow hopped by with a single berry, happy as could be. Moral: More isn't always better.