How can I introduce the names of fantasy creatures to the reader?
In the story, these fantasy creatures are everyday animals that most people in the story already know. How can I introduce them in an natural way that instantly makes readers remember their names? The story is in comic book form, so that might open up a few more options.
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The easiest way is to have someone say the name while looking at the animal and having a frame in your comic where the animal is the center. If you have an animal that plays the role that cats play in our real world for example you could have someone angrily say "Get the damn qutie from our table!" with a frame where this person is getting a water spray bottle while the animal is looking at the reader. This makes it clear what your character is referring to. The same would apply to other animals.
Give someone a reason to point out the name and look or point at the animal to make them the center of a frame. If you manage to make this an important thing your readers will surely remember it. Maybe there is an important document on the table. Or the qutie needs to get away from the water tank on the table with all the machies. Especially with a visual medium like comics this is quite easy for the reader to understand.
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Depending on the type of comic you're creating, there are several ways.
Comics have the added benefit of placing narrative directly with the picture. You can simply introduce it through that method, with the creature in the frame. Or, as Secespitus suggests, have a character introduce the term.
If you are using a narrator, check out Schlock Mercenary for ideas on how this can be successfully.
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Have a "Cast of Characters" line up at the beginning showing all your characters with their names and include the creature(s) in some typical pose such as sitting on their owner's shoulder. You can also introduce dynamic by having an antagonistic character (if any) scowling or something at the creature on the other character's shoulder.
This post was sourced from https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/44716. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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