Writing outside the paranormal box

– creating unique characters

Paranormal stories are extremely popular right now. Editors, agents, and readers just can’t seem to get enough of them, yours truly included. But sameness and reader fatigue often come with numbers, no matter what the genre is. For example, there are lots of vampire, werewolf, and witch stories out there that are very similar to each other.

Since there are lots and lots of paranormal books, how do you make yours stand out from the crowd? By writing outside the paranormal “box.“ There are four magical creatures or constructs that form a “box” that most paranormal writers fall into – witches, vampires, werewolves/shapeshifters, and ghosts/spirits. The majority of paranormal books I’ve read have one or more of these creatures (or some variation thereof) in them.

And it sort of depresses me.

There’s so much more we could be doing as paranormal writers. The great thing about writing fantasy is you can make up the whole thing. If you want to write about cross-dressing centaurs on the planet Znod who are the love slaves to a tribe of elven maidens, you can. If you want to write about bloodthirsty fairies who eat the wings off pixies and frighten small cats, you can. If you want to write about hippie dwarves who grow pot underground, you can. All you have to do is make your world believable and your characters relatable.

So how do you find your paranormal character/construct? How do you break out of the paranormal box? Here are three steps that have helped me. Maybe they’ll help you, too.

n Step One: Think about the kind of paranormal and fantasy tales you like best. I love fairy tales, mythology, and comic books. Over the years, I’ve read/watched lots of comic books, movies, TV shows, etc. And the more I saw, the more I wanted to change the stories. Like make Lois Lane, Mary Jane Watson, and all the other heroines realize their husbands and boyfriends are really superheroes. And have the women be just as strong and kick-ass as the men.

Then, one day, it hit me. I could write my own comic book. With my own characters. And my own mythology. And thus, Karma Girl and the crazy world of Bigtime was born. In short, if you like to read it, you’ll probably like writing it, too.

n Step Two: Once you’ve identified your favorite type of fantasy, decide what sort of character/construct you want to focus on. If you like mythology, you could write about the Greek gods or the Fates or Valkyries. If you like fairy tales, you could write about giants or ogres or trolls. If you like straight-up fantasy, you could write about gremlins and Druids and water sprites and … the list is endless. You could even write something about leprechauns, for crying out loud. You could call it Love Among the Little People. Okay, maybe not, but you get the idea.

n Step Three: Make it your own. Take your character/construct and give it your own personal stamp or twist. People say there’s nothing new under the sun, and they’re right. Everything’s been done before in some way, shape, or form. But it hasn’t been done exactly the way you are going to do it. So, go for it, no matter how out there it seems. If you want your water sprite to sink like a stone whenever she tries to swim, do it. If you want your dwarf to be a closet disco fan, do it. If you want your fairies to be miniature Rambos, that’s quite all right. Just make it unique and memorable. Go big, or go home.

Also, think about your voice and writing style. Do you pen slapstick comedy? Serious drama? Pedal-to-the-medal action? Think about giving your characters powers that tie into these things. For comedy, you might give your character a power/ability that constantly malfunctions. For drama, maybe someone’s power is more of a curse than a blessing. Active, explosive powers like telekinesis or the ability to throw energy balls might come in handy in an action-driven book. It’s always good when stuff blows up.

Don’t worry – it’s okay to stay in the box. I know, I know. I’ve been talking about breaking out of the box. But the box isn’t good or bad. It’s just where most people fall, in my opinion. If you want to do a vampire or witch story, you can. After all, you’re the one writing it. Authors like Sherrliyn Kenyon, Kim Harrison, Jim Butcher, and countless others have won legions of fans writing about vampires, witches, and wizards.

But if you do use a more common construct, you’re going to have to work harder to separate yourself from the pack. Take Kenyon, Harrison, and Butcher. Their worlds are well-developed and very different from other books on the market.

Boiled down to basics, Kenyon’s is vampires + Greek mythology = Dark Hunters.

Harrison’s is witches + killer tomatoes = magic-conscious society.

Butcher's is wise-cracking wizard + private investigator = Harry Dresden.

They’ve taken the constructs, added a new twist to them, and made something unique inside the box.

Whether you write inside or outside the box, what I’m saying is this – write what you love and give it your own special spin. That’s where the magic really is.

Got questions or comments? E-mail me at jennifer@jenniferestep.com.