Ailuria: A Creative Exploration of Adapting Animals to Fiction

Abstract

This thesis examines the use of anthropomorphized animal characters in literature through the lens of an author writing an animal story. The academic portion serves as a guide through the often-complex process of creating these stories, and it argues that authors have a responsibility while writing them: We cannot understand animals completely, and if we fill in the blanks without taking proper care, there will often be issues of consistency, improper messaging, or even real-world consequences. It analyzes the specific reasons why an author may choose to write about animals, the challenges of writing about them, and the wide array of considerations an author may need to make to create animal characters. For each point, there is a discussion of the specific choices made for the accompanying creative portion of the paper: Ailuria. Ailuria is an incomplete animal-fantasy novel that shows the beginnings of implementing the academic portion’s ideas.