𝖶𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖳𝗂𝗉𝗌 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖫𝗈𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗌

𝖥𝖺𝗇𝗍𝖺𝗌𝗍𝗂𝖼 𝖡𝖾𝖺𝗌𝗍𝗌 𝖠𝗇𝖽 𝖧𝗈𝗐 𝖳𝗈 𝖶𝗋𝗂𝗍𝖾 𝖳𝗁𝖾𝗆 (𝖨)

❖ 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲-𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀
There  are a lot of shape-shifting fics and stories out there. Like. A lot.  Whether they be about were-creatures or about characters that just have  the ability to shape-shift, a lot of the times- like with winged  characters- these shape-shifters are not written very well.
They may be unoriginal, or they may be super Mary-Sues/Gary Stus when it comes to the fact that they have an infinite amount of power or whatever. So I decided to tackle the issues that come with creating a shape-shifting OC or making a canon character into a shape-shifter.

✎ 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿
Shape-shifting  can be used for a variety of reasons, and that's why it's critical for  you to figure out what your shape-shifter will mostly be using their  powers for.
Here are some reasons why shape-shifters can use their powers:
✎ 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 (transforming into a bigger creature to overpower enemies)
✎ 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗴𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗲 (transforming into something that blends in with the environment around them to hide from enemies)
✎ 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 (AKA werewolves)
✎ 𝗦𝗽𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 (transforming into antagonist's lackeys to infiltrate the base or even vice versa)

✎ 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝘁
Shape-shifters  are incredibly powerful, and in theory, they can be practically  invincible when it comes to battle and hiding from enemies.
However, that should ONLY be in theory. Your shape-shifters CANNOT be all-powerful like their abilities can call for them to be. Here's where Mary Sue/Gary Stu elements come in, because many writers just state that their characters can shape-shift and leave it at that.
𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘂𝗽 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
✎ "If he was running from the Big Bad™, then why didn't he just shift into a wall or a chair and disguise himself?"
✎ "If she had to fight the Big Bad™, why didn't she just transform into a dragon and deep fry him?"
✎ "Couldn't they just masquerade as the Big Bad™'s minions and get inside the secret lair?"

Then, the author tries to make up for the lack of rules by giving us some half-assed explanation halfway through the third book
𝗔𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘀:
✎ Can they only transform into animals?
✎ Can they only transform a certain amount of times at any given point?
✎ Is there something that distinguishes them from the object/person/animal that they've transformed into?
✎ Can they only transform into inanimate objects?
✎ Can they only transform into other people?
✎ Does transforming take a lot of energy and therefore they don't do it often?
✎ Is transforming painful?

Take Beast Boy from Young Justice/ Teen Titans/ various other things as an example:
He can transform into a lot of animals, yes, but they're all obviously green and unnatural, making it difficult for him to blend in with other animals. his means that his shapeshifting would be most used for attack than for disguise.
You  need to set limits, or else your character will be all-powerful and the  plot won't be all that intriguing to the readers; they know that the  protagonist will win, so they won't bother to really get invested in the  story.

✎ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗬 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿
Did you know that technically, a werewolf is just a subdivision of were-creatures?
The  prefix "were/wer" means "man" and is usually followed by the name of an  animal, ANY animal, to imply that the man (or woman) is transforming  into it.
Therefore, there could be werecats, weretigers, werelions, wereunicorns, and were[insert plural name of creature here].
You  should really look up the different kinds of shifters from all  different cultures and regions of the world. They're actually quite amazing!
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀:
✎ Were[insert name of big cat here]
✎ Werewolf
✎ Skinwalkers
✎ Animaguses(Animagi?) (don't use these they're JK Rowling's I just really like Animagi)
✎ Generic, run-of-the-mill shapeshifters
✎ Were creatures that are actually just the creature trying to masquerade as a human/ a creature that has a human form
✎ Transforming into huge gruesome monsters (it's good shit 10/10)

✎𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗗𝗢 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲. 𝗢𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵.
Readers  don't want to have to go through long, agonizing paragraphs of  description every time your character changes, especially if they change  during a battle. They don't want the bloody, gory action to be  disrupted by a description of a transformation that they've read a  hundred times before.
If you truly want to describe the  transformation more than once, though I highly advise against it, never  describe it more than three times, and make sure to make it unique every  single time. If you don't think you can do that, just describe it once.
You  should, however, describe the symptoms that come with transforming. Is  it painful? Is it uncomfortable? Does it feel incredible because it  makes the character feel a rush of power? Gimme the deets, but not all  of them.
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:
𝖯𝖺𝗂𝗇𝖿𝗎l
✎ Fur/scales growing (stinging and itchy)
✎ Bones breaking and reorganizing, as well as new ones appearing and old ones transforming
✎ Muscles ripping and elongating/shrinking
✎ Fingernails/toenails turning into claws
𝖨𝗇𝗏𝗂𝗀𝗈𝗎𝗋𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀
✎ Heightened sense of sight/smell/hearing
✎ Adrenaline rush
✎ More power/strength/speed

𝗰𝗿; 𝘀𝗵𝗲-𝘄𝗵𝗼-𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀-𝗮𝗻𝗱-𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀