How to Write Relatable & Sympathetic Monsters?

• Sympathetic Monsters…
• Why do we expect Monsters to be Horrible?
• How to make them more Sympathetic?

Summary – 6 steps to Relatable/Sympathetic Monsters

1. Establish Expectation & common Biases.
2. Create Relatability by comparing them to Humans.
3. Give them Multiple Emotions other than Anger.
4. Explain why they engage in Conflicts.
5. Display manifestation of Intelligence.
6. Describe how they Organize.

• Sympathy is develop through Likeliness.
• Likeliness needs not to be Absolute.
• As if depends of relative Affinities.
• You only need to create a Potential Likeliness.



Establish different Expectations

• What do we expect from Monsters?
• Hideousness.
• Violence.
• And when it comes to Humanoid Monsters, Sadism.
• There is little to be desired from Monsters.
• Which is only due to the Connotation of the word.
• The Perception of the concept is often enlarged.
• And everything which is seemingly Otherworldly is placed under the Monster umbrella.
• The word Monster finds its origins in Monstrum : ‘Warning’, ‘Omen’ or ‘Sign’.
• It may also describe a ‘physically Deformed’ creature.

• What would Surprise us?
• Pacifism.
• Beauty.
• And Calm.
• Even if it were to be Violent Calm.
• Monsters aren’t meant to be Attractive.
• Except when it comes to Physical Attractiveness which is presented as a corruption tool.
• Therefore creating non-physically Attractive monsters, would be Surprising.

• Living Beings Needs
• Monsters are Considered Unnatural.
• Even if they will often be Animals or Vegetals.
• If they are alive they have 3 type of need bound to Survival:
  • Sustenance & Food.
  • Sex & Reproduction.
  • Sleep & Rest.
• If Monsters are seen as acting in necessity they are more likely to be considered like animals or plants.
• Therefore, even if they are Dangerous, this dangerousness is explainable.
• Because it is explainable it is less likely to elicit fear.

If you want to know more about Expectation & Surprise.



Conflicts

• Explainable Violence
• Creatures become Violent when they feel Threatened.
• Threats are Multiple.
• Some threats could have modified the Behavior of entire Species.
• Turning these Species into Monstrosities.
• External Factors could have modified their Appearance as well.
• Making them more Horrendous.
• Or unusually Attractive.

• War
• Monsters may have other reasons for engaging in Conflict.
• They may conduce Wars are Rituals.
• War is, in this case, a set of Rites.
• The Monsters therefore have a Procedure.
• The Rites themselves could find their origins in Fear or Anger.
• The Monsters may have been Persecuted.
• They may have developed this Procedure preventively.
• Whichever the Reason it will result in Fear or Anger.
• The Weapons used by the Monsters should act as Clues on the Reasons.

• Trade
• Do these Monsters engage in Trade?
• They must need Resources.
• They may need inaccessible Resources.
• And therefore engage in commerce with another Group in order to obtain them.
• They may need these Resources.
• Or simply want them.

If you want to know more about Conflict.

Intelligence

• Entertainment
• Do they entertain themselves?
• Do they need a form of Entertainment?
• Monsters may display other emotions than Anger & Fear.
• If they display signs of Joy, they may have an affinity for Comedy.
• They may enjoy Humor but not be able to produce it.
• They could have Celebrations.
• Or even Preferred Foods & Drinks.

• Technology
• Do they use Tools?
• Which kind of Tools?
• Every group need at least 3 types of Technology:
  • Habitations.
  • Transportation.
  • Energy.
• They do not have to be particularly developed.
• For example, their Accommodations may only be an arrangement of their environment.

• Cults
• Did they develop Cults?
• Do they have a notion of Respect?
• Of Generosity?
• Or Benevolence?
• The Manifestation of Belief are fundamental.
• Belief is Symbolic.
• They need to display their Beliefs.
• Even if it is Discreet.
• Even if it is in a way which is inaccessible to externals.

If you want to know more about Cultures.



Organizations

• Diverse Behaviors
• Components of a Singular Species will behave differently.
• What is the main Tendency in this Monster group?
• What are the divergent Tendencies in this Monster group?
• Conflicts could appear inside the Monster group.
• These Conflicts originate from difference in wishes & Goals.
• If a subgroup has decided to secede, their Behavior should differ significantly.
• Hence, explaining the secession.

• Hierarchies & Ranks
• How do these Monsters organize themselves?
• Is there a Leader?
• Are there multiple poles of Power?
• You may want to appoint a Leader of Monsters.
• Then, You need to explain why other Monsters follow her.
• There may be other reasons than Fear or Excitement.
• This Leader may express the need of an Organization.
• You can create Relatability between this Character and her Followers.

• Cooperation
• Your Monsters may be Gregarious.
• Or they may evolve in Isolation.
• When they are faced with an Issues, they may call out others.
• Which kind of Monsters would they ally with?
• Why?
• Would it be a situational alliance?
• Issues & Crisis are the Occasion to create new Organizations.

If you want to know more about Organizations.