I’m still figuring out what will happen to Brianna’s clothes when she transforms. I know that objects don’t transform with her and reappear in her hands after she changes back. When I first started working on the series, she would wear bike shorts and a fitted sphegtti strap shirt under her clothes, but then as the explanation for her abilities became more developed, her clothes didn’t change with her (immediately after changing back, she would only have been shown from the shoulders up without clothes on). Now I’m trying to decide which those it will be. I haven’t really planned out the scenes where she uses her powers. Should I plan the scenes involving her transformations (as well as the explanation for her powers) first? Do you have any ideas about how her powers work/what happens to her clothes? Also, I’m having trouble working her powers into the series. Any ideas?
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Clothes are a practical consideration for a shape-shifter, and your solution depends on whether you're writing more toward fantasy (magic answers to problems) or science fiction (technology answers to problems). A lot of authors and writers have had to face this problem, so it never hurts to look at how others have handled transformations.
Any recommendations of media about shape shifting I could read/watch/play to see what other creators have done? It’s really hard not to come across innapropriate stuff when searching for stories on the topic.
I’ve been reading A Quantum Case for God by Dennis Zetting and am on the section about light. I found it interesting that all matter on Earth is held together by light. I was thinking Irregulars’ abilities more or less involve “tapping into” (for lack of a better phrase) and manipulating this light (it’s one hundred percent hereditary, there’s nothing a normal person can do to become an Irregular). I am going to read the rest of the book (as well as a couple other books) before finalizing the explanation, though. I’m not sure how this would cause mental abilities (such as mind reading), but for physical and time/space abilities, this is a really great explanation (any suggestions as to how this could cause mental abilities is greatly appreciated). I’m trying to decide how it would factor into Brianna’s clothes transforming with her, though. I’m not that far along into planning yet. I’m thinking the only thing she’s able to manipulate is her DNA and not even long hair will change with her (her hair would grow back when she changes back, though), but there is the issue of not oversexualing her. What do you think?
I think dressing yourself in light would be a enchanting possibility.
There’s a problem with that in my series. Manipulating visible light, manipulating objects, and manipulating DNA are three separate abilities. Also, sorry about the boldface. I can’t get it to turn off.
What do you mean?
Psalms 104:2 speaks of God wrapping himself in light as a garment. I believe that meant to be symbolic, not science, but its still a captivating idea to dress in light. Bending beams of light requires the bending of space, so having a character dress in light would be a creative stretch but no more so than inventing something like "hyperspace."
Here's another way to look at it; we know how something looks because photons are coming from that object to your eyes. Change the photons you're emitting and you look a different color, have a different pattern...look like you're wearing clothes.
Here's another option: Octopus easily and quickly change their texture, color and pattern through specialized skin cells. Maybe your character doesn't need separate clothes, but could just create their own with specialized skin cells.
That’s an interesting idea, but the limit of Brianna’s shapeshifting is to an animal who shares a certain amount of DNA with humans, which she uses as a “base” and is within a certain amount of her total body mass and weight. The larger the mass difference, the harder, more painful, and more physically exhausting her transformation to and from that form is. I’ve also thought of a couple of other restrictions on her abilities. How could I work involuntary transformation into this setup? How could this play into the clothes issue? How could I still work the idea of light into this? The manipulation of light is going to play into the explanation of all my “irregular” (super powered) characters abilities, not just shapeshifting? Also, do you have any suggestions of some good comics/manga about shapeshifting I could get ideas about the clothes situation from?
I like your thinking, Brianna's going to be a fun character.
I have limited experience in Manga, but one character who is a major protagonist shapeshifter is Genma Saotsome in Rama1/2 ( http://ranma.wikia.com/wiki/Genma_Saotome ) and in his case the clothes magically reappear when he transforms back into a human. Rama1/2 sexually amoral so I never really read any issues, however the website I list is safe enough.
Thanks!