How much shapeshifting is too much…or not enough?

My paranormals have featured shapeshifting wolves but my characters don’t run around as their alter egos very often. So sometimes I wonder if they spend enough time in their wolfy forms. How do you know how much is not enough or too much? I think this varies from book to book and author to author.

I try to have my characters change at least once, but is once enough? My characters are humans first and animals second. Their animal nature permeates their human selves but it isn’t all that they are about. They change if they feel inclined or being an animal is more convenient than being human. They also choose their animal form if it’s more suited to a particular situation.

It’s not that you never see any animal aspects of my shifter characters. I created my shifters so that when they mate during a female’s heat cycle, their fang’s elongate and other human parts of their anatomy change somewhat too. I let you guess what might change. :evil grin:

Their animal background figures into their speech patterns as well. For example wolf shifter children are referred to as pups and female shifters may be referred to as a bitch. For my shifters, the term is descriptive not derogatory. Their families are called packs and wolves within those packs are alpha, beta or omega, depending on their temperament.

Fellow writers…do you have your shifters make the change to their alter egos often or occasionally? How do you decide what’s enough? Readers, how much shifting do you enjoy in novel featuring shapeshifters? Lots, none or just a bit?

Finding the right words...

"It's okay to write badly."

I've heard many a writer utter these same words in the past few years and you know, I really like them.

"It's okay to write badly."

So much so that I wrote it on a post-it note and attached it to my monitor. I look at it each time I write.

"It's okay to write badly."

Now, of course, I'm talking about the rough draft and not the final draft. I mean who wants to send in their draft with the word need used three times in one paragraph. Or the draft where she begins every sentence for two pages straight. And gasp, do you really want to send in the draft with their spelled incorrectly each time it's used?

Yeah, I wouldn't either.

I just recently recognized one of these issues in my own rough draft. Word repetition. I did use need three times in one paragraph, but beyond that, I've found that I use the words change and shift uncontrollably throughout my story. Not to surprising considering I write about shapeshifting, but tiresome to read, over and over again. :)

So off I went to Webster's Dictionary and Thesaurus to find a new word. A huh, know what I found? Not much by way of romantic, shapeshifting words. LOL

For change I found: Alter, Vary, Modify, Evolve, Convert, Turn(I've used variations of this one for sure), Ripen, Transform, Adjust and Shift.

For Shift I found: Transfer, Transformation, Displacement, Fault, Alteration and Substitution.

Okay, some of those might fit, but still I like Change and Shift with Turn bringing up the rear. Thank goodness I'm still working through my rough draft and have time to decide how to shake up the Change and Shift usage.

So I ask you fellow shapeshifter writers out there, do you too have a problem with these two words or have you found a sexier, and more romantic substitute?

Have a great weekend everyone! And for those going to Nationals next week, Have Fun!!