The New Fantasy Beast

AuthorAppleton on March 7, 2016

Innovative fantasy creatures are born from strange ideas. In my writing experience it is easy to invent creatures. But it is not enough to create new creatures, they must be memorable in their uniqueness. They must be believable in their physical and behavioral traits. …Such a creature is the Cat Beast.

Some of the creatures I created for The Sword of the Dragon series were more successful than others. The most popular so far have been the Megatraths. Six-legged monsters of an ancient lineage that has been lost to legend. Offspring introduced these beasts with a cruel Megatrath whose consideration of humanoids was that they were little more than playthings for his cruel amusement. Then we trekked into the desert homeland of the creatures and met Vectra, matriarch of the Megatraths. The Megatraths are neither cruel nor thoughtless. Cunning, yes. Of great physical strength, definitely. Breathing fire, exhaling poisonous vapors.

In the Neverqueen Saga I wanted to introduce a new beast that would hold us with a similar fascination as the megatraths. This may be same storyworld as the primary books in The Sword of the Dragon series, but here I wanted something that would personify the different sort of stories these books will tell. Neverqueen is more about finesse and beauty that hides souls in pain. It may sound a bit strange, but Hey! let me apologize. This is the writer’s mind.

What creature is more subtle than a cat? More resilient than a mountain ram? What sort of beast would rival a dragon in a fight even if it possessed no scales and could not breath fire?

The Cat Beasts are rarely seen. Possessing the strength of a dragon and near a dragon’s size, but often rivaling a dragon’s intelligence. They seem to be all but extinct. A couple are known to remain of the species… until the events of Neverqueen2. But there is one more truth that could determine our perception of them: they serve the wizard, Turser.

Such beautiful creatures. Yet such a pallor of uncertainty and fear surrounds them.

Q: What type of beast most fascinates you?

How to create original fantasy creatures

AuthorAppleton on February 16, 2015

Among the interesting questions I have received from fantasy readers is the one regarding my process for creating and naming original fantasy creatures. Here is my little how-to on the process:

Take fascinating creatures from the real world and dissect them. Ask yourself: What do I find fascinating about these creatures? What abilities do they possess that inspire my imagination? Do their scales or their colors make them memorable? What parts of their bodies are interesting or unique?

Mash together elements from the creatures you’ve considered. You might do what I did by pulling in the head of an alligator, the feet of a dragon, the tail of a dinosaur, and then make six legs instead of four. The result was my first version of a Megatrath (so far my most popular creature). I felt that the head of the alligator gave the Megatrath a vicious demeanor, the length of its body allowed it to react with the speed of a snake, and the scales on its body armed it like a dragon. This was a creature I envisioned as a powerful adversary and a valuable ally.

Name the creature’s species. In the case of the Megatrath I wanted the name to convey brute strength, patience, arid terrain, and the largeness of its body. Mega for the size and strength, and trath combined trek (like a long journey) and wrath.

This is a simple system but it has worked very well in creating my fantasy worlds. Originality is key to producing a fantasy world that readers will remember, and one answer to that need is to craft original creatures. If you like dragons, gryphons, serpents, and the phoenix, then use them as well. But put them in a world populated by creatures new and strange.

Question: Does this process give you ideas for how to create your own fantasy creatures?

Backstage Pass! Creating an original Fantasy creature: the Megatrath

AuthorAppleton on January 12, 2015

The many aspects of the creative writing process includes designing creatures never seen before. I love this process! It brings the fantasy world to life and enables visual representations that make it real for the reader. One such creation was the Megatrath.

Dragons, elves, fairies are all great in fantasy fiction. Also, they are undeniably linked to classic and established fantasy. When writing your own fiction the last thing you want to do is appear to be stuck using other writers’ ideas. While I do appreciate using the classic fantasy creatures in my stories, I find greater satisfaction in designing new ones.

In my old fantasy sketchbooks I have a wealth of creature ideas. These were first conceived of during the initial creation of The Sword of the Dragon story. Looking back, I am glad I took the time to create not only written content, but sketches and maps, too.

For the Megatrath I drew inspiration from the head of an alligator, the tail of a lizard, the feet of a dragon, and then I gave it six legs. The sketch that you see in this post is artist Amber “Vantid” Hill’s representation of one of these creatures. It was not easy at first to get her to sketch what I had envisioned. The process took several hours of live video chat so that the Megatrath turned out right.

You will recognize this creature from my novels Offspring and Key of Living Fire.

Question: Have you envisioned any original creatures that you would like to see used in fantasy novels?