So, I guess I'm obligated to make fun
of werewolves as well, as well as other changers, just for the sake
of fairness. So...
The Psychological Were: In a
surprise twist, the were is not able to actually change shape but
instead regresses to an animal-like personality, becoming a lot more
fearsome, capable of doing harm to others, and generally acting like
an animal. This can work, but the writer makes the mistake of
allowing some human mental processes into the mix; familiarity with
someone is fine, but memorization of passcodes and advanced strategy
is a definite issue. If the point is to make a statement on the human
condition by showing that we are all animals, then it gets undone by
allowing the animal access to his human abilities; all you have is a
psychotic human who is using his animal urges as an excuse to commit
evil, and that really does not make the point.
The Teenage Werewolf: There's an
obvious analogy between puberty and lycanthropy; the sudden growth,
the increased strength and body mass, the rampaging hormones. It has
not been lost on horror writers. When it's used well, it works out
great; note the difference between Teen Wolf and Teen Wolf 2.
However, the problem is that werewolves are being used more and more
as replacements for vampires, including the supernatural boost to
angst. Although the angst is understandable, given the chances of
accidentally killing someone while transformed, it still feels
awkward; the point of being a werewolf is the temporary lack of
restraints and to saddle them with all of the negative human emotions
will always be weird. They just need to come to grips with who they
are; a few counseling sessions would improve this character by leaps
and bounds.
The Were of Vengeance: Okay, so
I get this one: A guy finds out that he can turn into a werewolf and
so decides to take advantage of his were form to kill people,
possibly becoming more animal-like in human form. The idea here is to
explore those little wishes of revenge that we all have and why they
aren't necessarily good for us. The problem is that the writer goes
overboard on the idea at some point, and makes the were virtually
invincible, possibly to suggest the need for revenge can be
overwhelming. The problem is that if you're going to show something
as a problem, you also need to show it has a solution, be it
forgiving your targets or getting killed because you have become
worse than those you prosecute. The irony here is a variation on the
psycho-were; you are using an animal to express higher mental
functions, and once that happens your story invariably goes
off-track. End it quickly, or transform the person into a defender of
the weak; either way find a resolution before your readers want to
put the were down.
The Out of Control Alpha: This
is a relatively recent modification, but one worth noting. The alpha
of the pack becomes so invincible that no one can do anything about
him, and he rules his pack with an iron and ruthless fist. The pack
either takes over some major crime ring or becomes a force for
anarchy, and although some of the pack wants to do something about
him they are too scared of him. This character is usually meant to
show that either mankind is no better than animals, that leadership
can corrupt, and/or absolute leadership is a bad thing. The obvious
problem is that the writer forgets that he's dealing with humans; any
solution to a threat works, and, unlike our animal brethren, we are
not limited to hand-to-hand combat. Yeah, a basic hunting rifle will
solve the problem just fine, or even, in extremis, a slingshot with a
silver marble. You can argue that the pack won't respect someone who
wins this way, but the winner does define the rules after all, and
the usual rule is to honor the new alpha, and any threats from the
old, DEAD alpha should evaporate with the wind as the new political
structure solidifies. There will be chaos in the wake of his death,
but that should work out well for any decent writer.
The Funny Were: Okay, this is
cute, and can work out really, really well in the right hands. The
concept is that you are taking a random animal, one that people do
not usually associate with lycanthropy, exaggerate the traits, and
then make a humorous statement on the human condition through satire.
The catch is that it takes a really fine control to make it work, and
someone with a very definite point in mind, or else it comes off as
more silly than humorous, and the point may be lost. The key is to
not make the point too broad, while at the same time applying it to
humanity in general; a fine balance point, to be sure, but if you can
find it your story will really work.
The New Were: Sometimes people
get tired of the usual suspects, and so create a new kind of were.
They either research a specific species or come up with one to fill a
niche, and sometimes a little bit of both, but any case a new changer
is born. The key in all cases is to make sure that your new were
fills a niche, or you will get a lot of weird looks from readers; an
animal that is just there and doesn't bother fitting just feels like
a waste of space. My personal suggestion is to avoid the trickster
and warrior roles, as they have lots filling those spots already.
Another issue to bear in mind is to not mess with existing too much;
if you find a were-antelope that already fills a specific niche for
an African tribe, for example, don't mess with it too much or you may
offend someone who actually knows about it, and then you have troll
issues. Basically, fill a niche or keep it to an established niche,
and you should do fine.
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