A monster is defined as a legendary animal combining features of animal and human form or having the forms of various animals in combination, as a centaur, griffin, or sphinx. Any creature so ugly or monstrous as to frighten people is also called a monster as is any animal or human grotesquely deviating from the normal shape, behavior, or character.
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When creating a monster, there are certain things you want to know. Answering these questions will also help you to organize the facts about your monster and keep your story straight.
What is your monster called?
Does your monster have a name? Maybe your monster doesn’t have a specific name like Shelab. Maybe it is just called Spider Monster.
Some famous monsters include an extraterrestrial known as Pennywise the Dancing Clown, Shelab; a giant spider that guards the entrance to Mordor; and Balrog, a giant demon clothed in fire that doesn’t die, wields a flaming whip as well as a flaming sword.
If your monster does have a name, when do you let your readers know what it is? Is it revealed in the opening pages of your book, or is it better to let the monster’s name remain unknown until the very end?
What does your monster like to eat?
What will it eat only if it has to? How does it eat? Is your monster a carnivore, an herbivore, or an omnivore? If your monster is a carnivore, how does it overpower its meals?
How does your monster move? Does it walk, fly, glide, hop? Or is its way of moving unique?
Will its prey hear it crashing through the trees and begin to run in terror? Will the flapping of its wings cause winds so strong that it feels like a tornado is coming?
How big is your monster?
Is your monster so large that it towers over buildings and trees? Or is it so small that it can hide beneath your bed?
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Describe the physical appearance of your monster.
What is the shape of its head?
Does it have eyes? If so, what color are they? What shape are they? How well can it see?
Does it have ears? If not, how does it hear?
Does it have a nose? If not, does it smell its surroundings in some other way?
Whatever it eats with would be considered its mouth. Describe this mouth and how it is used to eat.
How many limbs does it have and what are they used for? Describe them.
Can your monster change its appearance at will?
Is your monster slimy? Or maybe your monster is scaly. Could your monster be covered in hair?
If your monster is covered in hair, what color is it? How long is it?
If your monster is slimy, what color is its skin? Where does the slime come from and what color is it?
If your monster is scaly, describe the scales. Are they just one color, or are they made up of different colors? Why?
Is your monster scary to look at? Or does it appear sweet and innocent?
What is the reason your monster acts the way it does?
Was your monster born a monster? Or was it transformed into one by something that happened?
Is there anything that scares your monster?
The huge elephant is rumored to be scared of a tiny mouse, but more than likely, it is just surprised by it. What is your monster afraid of or at least startled by?
Is your monster capable of being physically hurt? If so, what hurts it?
Everyone has a weakness, so your needs to have at least one weakness.
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How intelligent is your monster Does it have the ability to remember? To what extent?
If you do something not so nice to this monster, will it remember?
Is your monster capable of being emotionally hurt? If so, what hurts it?
Rage could be the only emotion your monster has now but has it ever had any others? If your monster began as a human or as part of a family of monsters, there should be plenty of emotions to choose from even if they are now gone. Memories could be the only thing that brings them around.
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How would an average person be able to defeat your monster? Strength? Agility? Intelligence? Something else?
Superman can be brought down with Kryptonite. Samson was able to be defeated once his hair was cut. There needs to be at least one thing, one weakness, that can bring your monster down.
Recommended Article: Creating a Monster: Where Does Your Monster Come From?
Writing Prompt:
Grab your monster notebook and answer the above questions for each monster you have in it. The beginnings of a story for each monster should be forming in your mind.
