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Friday, April 26, 2013

10 Steps to Creating Realistic Fantasy Animals

10 Steps to Creating Realistic Fantasy Animals

By Ashley Lange
10 STEPS TO CREATING REALISTIC FANTASY ANIMALS
by Ashley Lange
Why do writers write? Because it isn't there.
- Thomas Berger

Arguably, the two most challenging aspects for fantasy/science fiction writers to conquer are originality and believability. In this article, I'll use the study of Ecology and animals (don't worry; it won't be a science lecture! You can actually use this stuff! I promise!) to help your fantasy creatures to be believable, original, and about the common mistakes of making up creatures and matching them to places.

Okay, so why use animals?
The attraction to fantasy animals is obvious. Whether it is the magnificent griffon, the fierce dragon, or the magical unicorn, the “endless” possibilities of imagination can combine to create a lovely masterpiece of a story. Few excellent fantasy stories just feature humans, and their interactions with creatures can vary from the main conflict point of stories to just an aside to make the reader wonder. If you want to harvest this unlimited field, you have two choices: choose mythical animals or make up your own. Of course, every mythical creature has its stereotypes and it can be near impossible to avoid these situations. Read on, and hopefully you'll be able to creature realistic fictional animals as well!
(click on the link to read the rest at the source)
from Elfwood

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