Writing Non-Human Characters: How Other Should Other Be?

During Stellar Fest, I was fortunate enough to be on two panels on characterization, both of which addressed the idea specifically within the realm of science fiction, and with a focus on non-human characters. But, sci-fi doesn't have a monopoly on non-human characters, so I realized immediately that I wanted to take this discussion to the blog. (And here we are.)

When writing characters who are not human, what is your starting point? The race, the species, the human characteristic to use as an entry point, what?

E. Robert Dunn: Typically, it starts with a race/species that I'd like to develop ... which may or may not include 'human characteristics.'

Danielle Procter Piper: First, I must realize that the story requires a non-human entity, after which I then decide what sort of being it should be. My background in biology helps me create realistic creatures, as does my artistic ability. When I wrote Quasar 169, it was based on a dream I had where a news anchor described a murder, and an image of the victim slowly morphed into an image of the killer. That's what inspired me to create a species of humanoid sexual shapeshifters. 

Bobby Nash: I start with the character. Most non-human characters can still have a human-ish trait that I can start with like how family works, or something about their personality. Then, I build from there.

Sean Taylor: I have to start with the character, plain and simple. That's always true for me whether I'm writing a straight white dude, a poly black woman, a purple Glorp from Vendellia 45, a Loup Garou from the Bayou, or a gaseous floating cloud above the top of Kilimanjaro. For me, that means something human in terms of characters, some need, some drive, something that man, woman, Glorp, Lou Garou, or cloud wants and must overcome some hardship to achieve. If I don't have that skeleton to put a coat on, then I can't start moving on the story. 

When writing alien (monster, god, etc.) characters, how do you balance the opposite ideals of (1) having the character alien enough to be an "other" and (2) "human" enough to be identifiable?

Bobby Nash: Very carefully. It’s all about getting to know the character and then trusting the character will get me where they need to go. I write with a mind toward my readers being human so there needs to be something identifiable, even if it’s just a human character trying to explain or understand a non-human character. Think about pets. How do you know your pet? It’s all explained from how we see them because we can’t fully know what they are thinking.

Danielle Procter Piper: I go against the grain with making non-humans "relatable." In fact, in my sci-fi series, the caveat goes, "Never ascribe human aspects to an alien." My aliens are typically more animal-like based on the Earth creatures they're most similar to. To balance this, I have a retired veterinarian as a hero. Then I have a few omnipotent characters who are extremely complex psychologically and not meant for the average human to feel comfortable with. They are not us at all. It's important to my storytelling to make this distinction. Perceived familiarity with an alien or omnipotent being can get you killed. 

Sean Taylor: I'll admit it. I don't do well with an other that is too far removed from not-other. As I said in the above response, I need some character need or drive to hang my story on. This applies if that character needs a point of view (third limited, 1st person, etc.) because that is the definition of story for me -- somebody (or something) wants something and must overcome some obstacle to either get it or fail to get it. Now, if that other is the thing that must be overcome, that's a lot more workable for me, but I still prefer something that gives me an "in" to the character of that other. 

E. Robert Dunn: Usually the 'human-ness' is a facade to garner likeability and/or attachment of the 'creature' beneath the mask toward any human (oid) characters they are interacting with.

Let's move out of humanity more completely. What about writing characters who are completely non-human (the Blob, a Xenomorph, for example) in thought or drives? How do you write those? And how do you get around writing them fairly when they are driving the story? 

Danielle Procter Piper: My non-human entities require a motive, and then I must concoct a suitable plan for them to attempt to achieve their goals. I typically base it on what I know of biology and zoology. If the character is non-corporeal, I try to have them make use of physical props (or even living props) as little as possible to reinforce the fact they're unnecessary for the most part. 

Bobby Nash: Moving on instinct is one I enjoy using. Again, the POV character can describe the creature and how it moves to the reader.

E. Robert Dunn: It starts with an instinct ... the drive to survive, for example, and then have whatever scenario my encountering characters have with 'it' be the plot center revolve around.

Sean Taylor: I can write them as the obstacle to overcome, but if they have no human or psychological reason for what they are doing, as far as I'm concerned, there's no story, just an empty plot. 

What are examples from books and films you feel are the cases when a writer or creator got it right?

E. Robert Dunn: The first one that comes to mind is in Star Trek the original series: the dikironium cloud creature in the aptly-titled episode “Obsession.”

Sean Taylor: Doctor Who has some wonderful non-human characters who are fully realized, and not just those who are humanoid. There's an old Sylvestor McCoy story in which Entropy and Evolution are the protagonists, and even though you never see them, you feel their presence and what they are striving for. I think also Yaphit from Orville was an amazing now human character, although one could often argue that even as a blob, he was often the most human character aboard the ship. Some of you are going to think I'm nuts for this one, but there's one Frank Peretti novel I like (the only one I like, in fact) that really gets this right. It's called The Oath, and the creature plaguing the town is both a metaphor for the town's sin and a physical manifestation of it. It's actually very well done. 

Danielle Procter Piper: It would be easier to name examples where non-human characters didn't get it right. That's mostly based on my knowledge of biology and zoology, which makes me pickier than the average audience. While I appreciate the aliens of Star Wars for the most part over those of Star Trek, I would say the best examples out there of non-human characters would be from the Predator and Alien franchises...Alien in particular.

Bobby Nash: I think the Alien movie did well with a non-verbal creature.