In 1816 the then Mary Godwin and her future husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, spent the summer vacationing with Lord Byron and his doctor John William Polidori at a villa on the shores of Switzerland’s Lake Geneva. The summer weather was so bad the group was confined indoors and spent their time reading a collection of German ghost stories called “Fantasmagriana”. When the book was finished Byron challenged each member of the group to create a horror story to decide who could produce the most frightening tale. Mary claims she had a dream where she saw “the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together”… and the seed for Frankenstein was planted. Interestingly a second classic horror creature resulted from this challenge. Dr Polidori took Byron’s short paragraph based upon the famous vampire legends he had heard during his journeys through the Balkans and created the book “The Vampyre”, also published in 1819. 1816 is also known as “the year without summer” - the eruption of several volcanoes in Indonesia, the Philippines and the Carribean caused severe climate changes in the northern hemisphere. Freak snowstorms, frost and unseasonably cold weather destroyed crops and caused many human deaths. So perhaps it is fitting that 1816 is the year two of the horror genre’s most famous monsters were born…

Monsters are synonymous with fear. Long before the evolution of the creature in literature monsters were a staple of myths and legends, used to highlight bravery and heroic deeds as well as strike fear into the hearts of man. Images of monster adorned paintings, mosaics and pottery. In its earliest incarnation the monster was usually a deformed being, or a creature containing the features and character of several fearsome animals:

Greek mythology’s Cyclops were a fearsome trio of giants with a single eye in the middle of their foreheads. Totally lacking in emotions they made weapons for the Greek gods, and became synonymous with brute strength and force…
Egyptian mythology’s Amut is part hippo, part lion and part crocodile, and assists in the judgment of the dead before they move into the Afterlife. The deceased heart is weighed upon a scale with the feather of truth. If the heart outweighs the feather Amut consumes the heart, and the dead person disappears – forever…
Arabian mythology’s Sandwalker is the size of a horse, with a bird-like beak, crab-like claws and a scorpion’s tail. By day it hides underneath the desert sands, emerging at night to steal horses and camels, carrying them off in its massive claws. The only evidence of its visit is a trail of crab-like tracks…
British mythology’s Black Dog is larger than a regular dog with glowing yellow eyes. It is considered an omen of impending death…
Aboriginal mythology’s legendary lake monster “Bunyip” has a thin, twisted body with flippers, tusks (or horns) and a horse-like tail. It lurks in swamps, creeks and waterholes, and utters dreadful blood-curdling cries as it consumes any creature straying near its home…
Chinese Mythology’s Taoti is one of nine dragon children, depicted as a head without a body. It eats people, but rather than swallowing and killing its prey it harms them…

Of course monsters are still relevant in the horror genre today, but they’re not the easiest of characters to create. Numerous factors need to be considered when applying a monster to a story. After all – a monster can make or break a good horror story. Most writers suggest keeping a notebook with you at all times – that way you can add information and jot down thoughts whenever inspiration strikes. It’s also ideal for refreshing your storyline, and keeping you focused on the plot and your characters. Assign several pages to each character. You may need the space for rough sketches as well for notes. Here are a few guidelines to consider when creating your own monster.

GIVE THE MONSTER A REASON TO EXIST

The monster needs to play a part in your story. Don’t simply add a monster to fill a void in the plot. Decide how involved the monster will be in the story – will it play a central or supporting role? Then decide who the monster will support – the hero or the villain. Frankenstein’s monster was devoted to his creator, and could not understand the doctor’s disgust at his “creation”. Mary Shelley never named the monster, and this echoes and enforces Dr Frankenstein’s loathing for the monster, so deep he could not bring himself to give it a name.

Perhaps your monster is guarding a secret entrance to the hero’s adversary’s house, or maybe he’s the adversary’s chief confidant or even his pet/familiar. Monsters can also be created as a group or army to fight the hero, or as a tribe who will aid the hero – perhaps reluctantly, for a price or because they seek vengeance against the adversary. A monster can be used to create ambience (glowing eyes in a dark forest) or to add visualisation to a specific scene, such as a swamp or a cave. Perhaps they’re the result of a scientific experiment gone wrong… or perhaps they’re an intentional scientific creation.

GIVE THE MONSTER A LIFE

Once you’ve assigned your monster’s role it is important to give it a personality. If your monster is the main adversary your imagination could serve you well. Describe its character: vindictive, spiteful, hateful, angry, vengeful, malicious, arrogant, brutal, calculating, deceitful, evil, fearful, greedy, lazy, nasty, stupid, intelligent, troubled… note I’ve suggested mild words as well as strong ones, because the monster may well need to feature a range of traits. While “lazy” certainly doesn’t imply a monstrous personality it’s a trait that is very effective when combined with others. For example, a lazy, vengeful monster might order a minion to carry out his bidding instead of doing it himself.

The monster’s home is also an important tool for developing personality. If it lives in a cave it may well behave like a bat – sensitive to daylight. Perhaps it dwells in or near a lake or stream, and can only exist without water for a specific period.

Phobias are a good tool for a writer to use when giving a monster life. Think about the thing that most frightens you, and work out what makes you fear it so intensely. Then use the “fear factor” to add dimension to your monster. J R R Tolkien was very ill after a bite from a venomous baboon spider during his early years in South Africa. It’s thought this incident was perhaps the basis for the terrifying character Shelob in “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Two Towers”.

GIVE THE MONSTER A FACE

Even if your monster has a human form there are still aspects you can apply to make it look different. The eyes are perhaps the most important feature a writer can use when describing a character, because they convey an individual’s deepest thoughts and personality. They are an extremely effective tool to create fear in a horror story. Imagine closing the curtains at night in your house, and looking up to see a pair of menacing, glowing eyes watching from the other side of the glass as you pull the curtains shut... the height and width of the eyes gives an indication of the monster’s size. What shape and colour are the eyes? Are the pupils elongated or round? Do the eyes blink or stare unflinching through the glass? Consider the nose, mouth and ears, making sure the features are necessary to his existence. How is the mouth shaped and does it contain fangs? Perhaps it uses the fangs to attack its victims, or to consume a specific type of food. If there is a nose does it have nostrils, how many, and how is the nose shaped? Is it snout shaped or beaklike? Perhaps the ears are elongated, or covered in hair…

Use the same approach when describing the rest of your monster. If he’s hairy he could perhaps live in a cold climate. A skin covered in scales is excellent for a character living in water or perhaps a desert. Build a picture of your monster, making him a part of your story’s environment. Take into account his feeding habits, his social life and his sleep patterns – if any!

Mary Shelley’s monster was created from different body parts, given a humanoid appearance. The idea that body parts from several human beings were combined to create a single character is truly horrifying… and adds to the fear factor created by a believable and terrifying monster.