BUILDINGBETTERWORLDS

It's probably not a shock to you—especially if you've read quite a bit of my work here at WD—but one of my favorite shows of all-time is “Supernatural.”

- MORIAH RICHARD

The Supernatural

Yes, the writers played fast and loose with the world-building, and we were all betrayed by certain character deaths (quick, pick the one that traumatized you the most) and the treatment of the nonwhite and queer characters, but still. There’s something about the fact that in the first five seasons alone, there are about 50 supernatural entities that appear in the show.

As a kid who grew up on the deliciously bad made-for-TV movies on Syfy (back when it was Sci-Fi), the supernatural has a stronghold on my heart. So, in honor of the ghosts and ghouls out there, let's discuss how to incorporate the supernatural into your work.

THE SOURCE

When it comes to these kinds of entities, there are a bunch of ways an entity can enter into the real world.

The first is SPIRITUAL—this category would house things like ghosts, spirits, demons, gods, and other creatures that are tied into the religions and creation stories of your world. Think of the gods in Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean series or Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, the original haunted house story. Remember, the idea of ghosts is tied to the idea of people's souls lingering after the body has passed, getting into the theological discussion of the soul and the afterlife.

The second is going to be NATURAL. These would be things like the ley lines in Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle or elemental forces like air elementals in Dungeons & Dragons. These entities should come from nature in some way, even if the way is unclear to the readers. We don't need to know where the ley lines get their power from, just what the consequence of that power is. You might also include shapeshifters on this list, like Stephen Graham Jones’ Mongrels showed that some shifters are as natural as humans.