Creating Monsters That Reflect Human Fears and Desires

Kayjah Taylor
1 day ago
2 min read

Monsters become memorable when their presence has meaning. While it is scary to see something visually terrifying, it is also something overwhelming to experience a creature that reflects the worst parts of humanity.

Monsters can be mirrors. They can show fear, longing, obsession, grief, loneliness, etc. Embodying the worst emotions we are foced to struggle with.

Let Emotion Influence Your Creature

As writers, we're taught to focus on detail. Detailing a monster's looks can be an important tool for instilling fear in your reader, but what if you led with emotion? Ask yourself WHY your characters and reader should fear the monsters.

What fear or trauma does your monster embody?

Is there an anxiety your main character has that facilitated in the monster's creation?

What is an uncomfortable truth your characters are unwilling to confront?

As yourself these questions, and birth your monster from these revelations. Your monster will become stronger because it has a solid foundation.

Make That Emotion Familiar

The scariest thing about a monster is recognizing parts of it in yourself.

What emotions will your reader understand and resonate with? Here are some examples:

Abandonment

Loss of Control

Being Forgotten

Becoming the Monster

Paranoia

Loneliness

Despair

Make the horror personal!

Monsters Can Represent Desire!

While fear is a great emotion to build your monster off of, a monster can also manifest off wants, too.

Emotions of longing, such as the following, can influence your monster:

Obsession

Addiction

Power

Immortality

Envy

Greed

Monsters bred fromthese emotions can be scary as well as tragic. The monstrous thing about them is their deeply human wants. Although hidden beneath the surface, we can all admit to having destructive feelings and beheviours.

Use Symbolism to Emphasize Your Monster's Logic

Make your monsters consistent with their behaviours. I've included some examples of how you can achieve that below.

If your monster is born from obsession, make them stronger the more your main character pays attention to them.

If your monster is born from guilt, let them only appear to those who are hiding a terrible secret.

If your monster is born from loneliness, give them the ability to impersonate your characters' love ones in voice and visuals.

Symbolism will help your readers pinpoint exactly how the monster is able to lure or entice your characters into their traps.

My Favorite Monsters

As a horror videogame and movie nerd, I am always looking for a monster that will set my heart thumping. Here are a few of my favorites, which all have an incredible tie to human emotion.