beccastareyes

Have been trying to work out the history of one of my alien species in my current writing world. Mainly because it explains why they don't have psionics and didn't really take to them quickly. Humans were at a disadvantage with psionics because the ability most common in them is the ability to sense them being used. Having a psi on Earth before psionics was formally recognized by modern science (and some level of schooling in shielding was put into place) was like having a Christmas tree at a star party -- a very bright thing near a large number of people who don't like light right now.

( Story time )

Pick apart, offer suggestions, etc.

I worry that the non-humans I write aren't non-human enough in mentality. I think I've gotten it so that they don't feel like the normal 21th century Western humans. Not sure if they feel non-huamn though.

Or, for that matter, in looks. I think that's different for visual media as opposed to prose. Even ignoring the budget considerations, I think there is a reason most aliens were supposed to empathize with in visual media are humanoid (or, less commonly, based on other familiar mammals). Visual media (like television, movies and comics) rely on facial and body language to carry emotion. So, alien characters have to show body language the humans could read.

Books are different, since we are getting the thoughts of a character. A good author can have us pick up that certain gestures mean certain things, and don't correspond one-to-one with human gestures without confusing us. Which may mean I need to work on looks if I turn my webcomic into a writing project.

((This could also explain something zannechaos noted about how it was weird most geeks considered falling for elves or Vulcans or Mimbari perfectly normal, but they consider falling for anthhropomorphic animals freakish and deviant. Most of the former group have human-looking faces, even if they have funny ears/foreheads/heads. Anthro-animals usually don't.))

On the other hand, people tell me I'm crazy nuts about worldbuilding. Like knowing that the Darynese language has five forms of 'I', and wondering how to write one character's speech as both polite and even a bit humble in terms of the dialect he speaks, and sounding very arrogant to every other Darynese speaker who doesn't know the dialect. Or knowing that Melody calls Phillee 'mother' not because they are biolgoically related (I think Melody might become Phillee's kinda-biological-niece -- I loathe her backstory right now), but because it's the closest English translation to the Starsailor word that describes their relationship.

I think too much, sometimes.