Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Tuesday Tropes: The Shapeshifter


You're walking in a forest and spot a wee rabbit. Cute thing, so happy and harmless. You take a breath and turn your back, only to see a shadow stretch in front of you. You spin around. The rabbit is gone. In its place is a dragon, or a demon ... hard to tell, being in its belly.

The Shapeshifter - A character or creature that can change their appearance or transform into other creatures or objects, often at will.

This trope is not to be confused with The Transformation, which is a single changing event (think Hulk or Beauty and the Beast). Proper use of The Shapeshifter can add fun and terrifying elements to a story and can be used in many "forms" (hehe). There are stories (< like this) that revolve around this premise.

Villains often make good use of this trope by copying someone (to which they then usually dispose of them) so they can enter a place with a disguise that no one will question.

Watch out, dude! (Warning: graphic example)

They can even use themselves to make their own weapons, but not all Shifters have to be bad. Some could just be ... misunderstood.

(Good clean fun example here).

Often times it's the good guys who makes the best Shapeshifters, but when it comes down to telling stories, there are fewer tropes than this that will keep you on your toes (or keep you guessing).

Ever implemented The Shapeshifter in your writing? What are your favorite examples of this trope? Why does sand get everywhere?
 
I'm David, and this was bloody brilliant!


17 comments:

  1. Nice distinction between shape shifting and transforming. Makes sense to me!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have a shape-shifter in my books. He's called the Keeper of Dreams or the Keeper of Souls, depending on what realm you're in. Hard to explain, you'd have to read it. HINT HINT. In true form, he's a dragon, or so that's what my characters think, as all they can see from him are yellow eyes and a long snout that snorts plumes of smoke. But really, his true form is the subconscious realm altogether.

    You drew a fine line between The Transformation and The Shapeshifter. Thank you.

    I saw that you're done with your WOVEN revision in your side-bar thing. Congrats!

    -Matt

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've never had a shapeshifter in my stories (I don't write much fantasy), but I love reading about them and watching them in movies!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've always wanted to be a shapeshifter.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Actually I have one in my new WIP, they are fun to work with.

    ReplyDelete
  6. First, love your new blog design! Looks great.

    Second, I write PNR and UF, so yeah, shapeshifters abound. :D Love 'em.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I haven't written about a shapeshifter but now I want to!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Bloody brilliant indeed!
    One of my favorite tropes!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I used a shapeshifter in my upcoming fantasy series. It was fun to write.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have never used a shapeshifter in anything I've written, as I kind of got sick of them. I still see them a lot in paranormal romance and fantasy, and I hope writers are doing something unique with that trope.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love shapeshifters, especially if they're capable of changing into different things/animals. I've used it, though not extensively/with a main character.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I've never written about a shapeshifter, but it sounds like a lot of fun! And I love reading books with them.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I like reading about the shapeshifting trope, but it's not something I really use in my writing. Animorphs, Harry Potter and a bunch of others kind of cornered the market. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  14. funny you should mention this. i've read several shape shifting blurbs and queries just this week!
    cool!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I do use the transformation thing in my own writing, mainly because I love the thought of being able to do it :) I mean, who wouldn't want to change the way they look every now and again?

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have a whole race of shape-shifters. Shape-shifters are in right now, but I started writing this when they were OUT. :)

    I like them. I had fun with both protagonist and antagonist being shape-shifters.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I didn't think of it like that, but I do have a shape-shifter in one of my books. I really like them as a story element. Maybe I'll have to use them more often.

    ReplyDelete