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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/41094
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/41094
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

# Describe don't name

To summarise your problem, you have a very serious, very deadly in world threat that bears an unfortunate resemblance to something out of world that the reader's will identify with humorous connotations.

You have identified that the protagonists of your story will find the invaders foreign but does that mean they find them humorous as well? The answer to that question informs how you should handle it.

### If your protagonist finds them funny

Do nothing. If they are funny, let them be funny. Your characters aren't taking them seriously neither should your readers. Introduce them as you would any other character, race or creature. Their true nature will show through once the novelty wears off.

### If your protagonist doesn't find them funny

If the reason the invaders are humorous is nothing to do with the beings themselves but entirely to do with the real world connotations of the creature then you have do it differently. You want to introduce the beings through the actions and temperament rather than their appearance (assuming their appearance is the thing that is funny). There are dozens of books that do this well and I will highlight a couple of them.

Magician by Raymond Fiest deals with an invading army that initial seemed weak. They come from a world with no metal and the protagonists initially dismiss their wooden weapons and armor as not a threat until Fiest shows us that they are. He uses rumours, ambushes and misinformation to grow the threat of the invading race. You can use similar techniques to make your invaders feel both alien and serious.

In the Tiger and the Wolf series by Adrian Tchaikovsky we are first introduced to the invaders through the fearful campfire stories of the protagonists. We only ever see the enemy though the eyes of the characters, with all their prejudices and fears. As skeptical readers it is easy to determine who the invaders are but within the suspension of disbelief they are a terrifying unknown. Using the wrong words for things that the readers will recognise but the characters would not (i.e. death stick instead of gun) is a good way to communicate the fear of the unknown.

Use a serious tone and refrain from referring to the enemy as something the readers will find humorous, create in world terms for the same creatures but with different connotations. Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden does this well, never quite referring to the enemy by name but giving us a clear description of what they are.

Finally, stick to your guns. If you are writing a good story readers will gloss of the humor get to the good bits. The spells in Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling are rediculous, but we ignore that for the sake of a ripping yarn. Be confident and don't just to apologise for the funny aliens within the text, if done properly you won't need to.

Original score: 3