Julycanthropy began as an artist challenge in 2016/17 and as you can guess, all things werewolf is the theme. However, all things shapeshifting work for this month. Werewolves are the obvious choice but any animal, real or mythical could work for this. The act of shapeshifting has been attributed to many animals across global mythology, so there is a wide array of ideas to choose from.
Most of the monthly themes on the blog began as prompts for visual artists, but there is no good reason we as writers can’t use them too. Either as a stand alone piece, or as an addition to your other work use one or all of these prompts to get your creativity flowing.
Prompts & Ideas
Week One: Wings. Is it just visible wings on a human frame? Do they morph into a bird? Were they a bird first or a human? Write a monologue from the perspective of a bird shifter.
All kinds of animals have been used in stories as alternate forms, and each tells us something about the character. Stereotypes of certain animals, such as a dog’s loyalty or a snake’s cunning, form part of the character’s personality. What if the character were naturally the opposite? What if the girl who changes into a bear was a ballerina? What if the swan was the star quarterback? What do they wish others simply understood?
Week Two: What about the locals? How does the average human feel about “them shifters”? Are they advocating rights? Avoiding at all costs? Or maybe they are hunting them? The process of transformation is dramatic enough that everyone would have an opinion of some sort. Give us a story of the transformation process from the perspective of a stranger.
Try writing this as a guidebook. A guide to hunting, negotiating, raising, any kind of guide. Write from either the perspective of a shifter trying to educate or a human who thinks they know it all.
Week Three: On the night of…Maybe it isn’t the full moon that makes your character change form. When does the magic moment happen? Is it special or an inconvenience? Write a scene in which the particular evening or timing brings about a shift that cannot be stopped.
Perhaps it isn’t tied to a night, but triggered by another event. What if your character transformed each time a song was sung in their presence? Maybe it is a deliberate event triggered by drinking a potion. What triggers the change and can anyone use this trigger?
Week Four: Surprise Shift! What if your character didn’t know they were a shapeshifter? How and when do they find out? Were they in the middle of something big or were they just trying to relax? Write the whole story about that moment.
Or write it from the perspective of someone close to them. It would surely be a shock for them too. Use their field of view to give more detail on the physical transformation or focus on the confusion and emotions of witnessing this change.
C.M. Wellsmore 