Of all characters, I find those of the winged variety to be the most interesting. If you know me, this will not be a surprise. So yeah, I figured I'd share some little ideas around in case there are people with the same interest. Looking back at my old drafts, my winged characters were nowhere near close to what they are now. It was like I forgot they even have wings at all. This is kind of a common mistake. Here are some ways to avoid making it:
- Remember that there is a physical difference between your winged character and an ordinary human.
Look at the human body. Almost everything that makes it what it is has a reason for being there. And our world is adapted to cater to our bodies. There's no reason why a winged humanoid wouldn't live in a world that does the same for them. Essentially, they're six-limbed. Their wings are an important set of appendages. It's worth thinking about how they use their wings, how often they use them, and how they take care of them. And what about their general anatomy? Even though achieving flight with a human body would be impossible, that doesn't mean you can't make it plausible. James Patterson's bird-kids in the Maximum Ride series have larger chest bones; in fact, looking at the anatomy of birds is a good place to start to help you understand how they become airborne.
If you're writing an angel character, you probably won't need to go into too much detail, considering they're known for their human appearance. But do they have a spiritual, non-physical form? And how do they cope when using a human vessel/form? It might be helpful to think about how they conceal their wings, or if they're of a material or magic that can be summoned and repressed at will.
- Human behaviour isn't universal.
This can apply when writing any otherworldly character. Cultural variety is something that our planet is nothing short of. Sometimes, it's easy to think that our emotions, standards and expectations are universally applicable to everything that might fester in our imaginations. But think about this: if someone at the other side of the earth from you can be unique in their way of life, then it's hard to believe that something galaxies away - or something existing in a different dimension - will adopt the exact same behaviours as a human. You don't have to be overly detailed, but for example, how would certain human behaviours look in the eyes of your winged character? Gestures and movements are another thing that can have multiple meanings depending on where you are on earth. Your winged humanoid might be prone to misinterpreting these things based on how they would look to their kind.
Also, having wings will affect balance, and 'idle' behaviours. When a human is left standing still for a long while, they might fold their arms across their chests or tap their feet. Does your winged character do the same? Again, bird behaviour is useful here. Birds preen and ruffle their feathers; they have their own little movements and behaviours when they're not flying.
- Wings should be for more than just decoration.
The greatest conflict for a winged character is causing them to lose their wings. Imagine if a human character lost an arm or a leg. What's the chances of them getting back up and moving on with their lives like it's no big deal? There are multiple obstacles that would prevent that. Even if your winged character has some kind of spiritual or magical quality that can repair the damage, it doesn't make the emotional response go away.
Like with any limb, wings develop and grow. There are ways for them to be injured or altered, which would prevent flight, too. How would members of the same species view your winged character if he/she lost their wings? What difficulties would they face there? By any chance, are there methods/reasons for your character's own species to cause wing damage and keep a member of their race from flying? Or would they look upon such a thing as a barbaric practice?
Wings can be used for expression as well. Like a human's arms and hands, wings will undoubtedly respond to most emotional stimuli. What kind of movements do the feathers and wings make when your character is upset/frightened? What about when they're happy, curious or adopting an aggressive stance? We can tell what another person is feeling from their body language at times. It's likely your winged characters would notice the same amongst their own species.
Also, it might be worth noting that your character's wings will make certain types of clothing a little difficult to wear. Designing outfits for your winged humanoids can be fun; be as creative as you like!
These are the three main things I consider when writing my winged characters. As you would describe the facial expression, hand/arm movements and stance of a human character, I include all the same for my winged guys and girls but also think about their wings, and how the behaviour would be different to a human's. Eeep so yeah - sorry if these seem like a really obvious set of rules! There's a ton of other things to consider, but this post is long enough as it is. This isn't an official guide or a 'YOU MUST DO THIS' kind of prompt; just a bit of rambling about wings because, let's face it, they're awesome. Feel free to chip in with your own ideas, if you'd like~
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