Extra-terrestrials

For once, I’ve actually tried this one. So I thoroughly know what I’m talking about when I say that you really shouldn’t try to tackle this in a short story. I’ve tried, I’ve failed, and I’ve tried again—and failed again. And this is one of the subjects I most enjoy writing. So when I say that you probably shouldn’t try to do this, I really mean it.

Full, Rich, Alien Races

Here’s the problem: aliens aren’t human. Obvious. But it means that they don’t follow the same lifestyles we do. They don’t talk like we do, don’t act like we do, don’t really do much like we do at all. And in order to make a fuller richer alien race, you really need more than a mere 6,000 words. I’m working on a novel series at the moment, Earth-Space, and in it I have two distinct alien races. I’m four books in at this point, and neither of those races has been fully fleshed out. There’s just too much to do to create a fully realistic and lifelike alien race, even for novels.

How you’re supposed to do it with a short story?

I honestly don’t know. Like I said, I’ve tried. And every time, it just falls short. There simply aren’t enough words in a short story to give real life to aliens.

Now, as always, there is an exception. Fan fiction. These are based on already created aliens (for instance, the Goa’uld of the Stargate franchise). If you were to write about them in a short story, there would not be as much backstory or descriptive information for you to cover, because most of it has already been done in the movies and television shows, and you can safely assume that anyone reading your story has already seen at least some of the Stargate shows or movies before, because really, fans are the only ones who read fan fiction. 

But even then, there’s a lot to do when it comes to aliens. They’re so uniquely different from us, so entirely other from all of humanity, that it’s hard to write in any way, shape, or form at all.

If you’re going to try writing aliens, I highly recommend starting out with a novel. That way, you’ll have plenty of wiggle room and a lot of time and space in which to create your alien race. And afterward, if you like, you can cut it down or shave a piece off to use as a short story.

[love]

{rani divine}