I have a lot of people ask me how I choose what kind of shifter to write about. I started out with wolves, because that was the norm at the time, and because they have this built-in social structure. All these societal rules. They're rarely solitary, and their territories are well-defined. All of that makes it easier to relate them to being human, and to helping them blend in with the largely urban society we've become.
The more I wrote shifters, though, the more I wanted to stretch my boundaries. I've written foxes and bears, tigers and mountain lions. I have to admit, I rarely write non-predator animals. Deer, horses, etc. I just don't see them surviving long. And I have to find the animal aesthetically pleasing. I mean, I could write a were-komodo dragon, but ew. Drool. Toxic drool.
Tigers are loners, really, so when I write them I feel like I need to make them social awkward. Bears amuse me, even as I marvel at their awesome physical powers. So, like in Bar None, the anthology I did with BA Tortuga, Sean Michael and Kiernan Kelly, my bear bartender Seamus is sexy and silly, powerful and clumsy.
I love to study animal behavior and pick weird and wonderful shifters.
comment with your favorite and I'll pick one reader to give an ebook copy of Bar None from Torquere Press
XXOO
Julia
3 comments:
I agree. Predator weres are definitely the way to go. And I like thinking outside the norm. Tigers... sigh. I picked coyotes for mine. Mostly because they are viewed as vermin, really. But when you look at them—they're survivors. Despite decades of being targeted by traps, poison, etc, they continue to increase in numbers. Yeah, that's my kind of animal. And their howl... stunning.
hugs...
Hmm I"m pretty partial to wolves right now, but I wrote a predator cat thing once. I kinda enjoyed writing that, the cat's independence transferred into the human character.
I'm not sure I could name a favorite as I haven't read too much outside of wolves...*ponders changing that*
Kris and Katherine both email me at juliatalbot at gmail.com and I'll send a copy of Bar None!
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