In this post, we’re looking at how to create a fictional species.  If you’ve been a fan of the website, you’ll know that I’ve been interested in different creatures all of media, whether they’re normal, supernatural, extraterrestrial, interdimensional, etc.  This post also helps me with my writing when I’m creating my fictional worlds and everything that lives within them.

Name

What is the name of the species?  Does it go by another name? What is it’s scientific name?

Biology and General Appearance

What does the species look like?  Does the species have hair or fur? Is it humanoid? Is it bipedal or quadrupedal? Do they commonly have bright green skin or hazel eyes?

Genders

Male and/of Female, Asexual, etc.  Can they change genders?

Characteristics

Are they all evil or all good? Does it vary? Are they carnivorous, herbivores, or omnivores? What is it’s danger rating?

Culture

Do they utilize any symbols? Do they wear clothing? If so, then what type? What are their beliefs? Do they believe in nationalism or individual liberty? What does their diet or cuisine consist of?  Are they prejudice, racist, or tolerant?  Do they have specific weights and measurements?

Life Span

How long do they live? Are they immortal? Can they extend their lifespan? If so, then by what means?

Compatibility

What is the species temperament?  Can they be tamed and kept as pets or work animals?  Are they loners? Do they form packs? How do they relate to other species?  Think about when you’re watching the discovery channel and you’re watching how two separate species interact with each other.  Whether it’s predator and predator. prey and prey, or predator and prey, the interactions are pretty interesting.

Reproduction

How does the species reproduce? Laying eggs or live birth?  Can they produce few offspring or many?  Do they reproduce only once in their life, in cycles, or intermittently throughout their lives?  Do they reproduce sexuality or asexuality?  In real life, most mammals give live birth while fish, birds, insects, and reptiles lay eggs.

Common Strengths

What are the species strengths? Do they have any special abilities?  Let’s take a look at DC Comics’ alien species the Kryptonians.  Exposure to a yellow sun gives Kryptonians enhanced physical abilities to near godlike if not godlike levels.  They gain super strength, near invulnerability, the ability to fly and move at superhuman speeds, as well as superhuman senses.

Common Weakness

What are the species weaknesses?  Does the sunlight burn them to a crisp?  Are they sound sensitive? How can they be killed?

Habitat

Where are they most likely to be found and where did they originate? Do they all live in one specific place, or do they live all around your world?

Population Structure

What kind of hierarchy do they have? Are they nomadic?  How big are the population sizes living together?

Races

Are there different races in this species?  If so, what are they and what do they look like?  Was there interbreeding that caused a mixture of races?  Is one race descended from another?  Subspecies? Related species?

History

How did they come to be as they are?  Were there any defining aspects of their history that have shaped the way they are now?

Thanks for checking out the post and in the comment section below let us know if this post has helped you with your writing and also what you think of it.