Writing about dragons seems a deceptively easy task. Everyone knows, or thinks they know, what dragons are all about. Almost every culture around the globe has some sort of wyrm or draconic creature lurking in its mythology or folklore. And it would be a difficult hunt indeed, these days, to find someone who hasn’t watched, read, or played something with a dragon in it at one point or another.

But ask two people to describe a dragon, and you might get two very different answers. One may conjure up a picture of a hulking beast as large as a castle, with wings like a hurricane and fiery breath that brings death. Another might describe a guardian spirit with fur as well as scales and more of an affinity for water than for flame. Another still might think of something cute and cuddly, like Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon—when he’s in a good mood.

And there’s the catch. When writing about your own dragons, you’ll want them to be memorable—unique enough to stand out from the crowd. But at the same time, if your heart is set on writing about dragons in particular, you’ll want to balance creativity with certain conventions that readers will recognize as draconic—otherwise, why bother calling them dragons at all?

What Makes a Dragon Draconic?

In truth, there are very few traits that are truly universal to dragons. To make a few sweeping generalizations, Western cultures tend to see dragons more as aggressive enemies, while many Eastern cultures cast them as nature’s guardian spirits. The dragons in Game of Thrones, for example, are prime examples of a typical Western interpretation, while The Neverending Story’s luck-dragon, Falkor, bears much more resemblance to the Eastern version.

Samantha Shannon’s The Priory of the Orange Tree took this difference and ran with it, to spectacular effect. Though it’s set in another world (and there’s even a disclaimer at the beginning of the book to remind readers of this fact), the book wears its influences from real-world Eastern and Western cultures on its sleeve—especially when it comes to the dragons. Shannon’s Western dragons are cruel, vicious fire-breathers bent on destroying the world. Their Eastern cousins, on the other hand, are sea and river guardians who work with humans to keep the world from being devoured by flame.

Even within a single culture, dragonkind may be broken down into various species (such as drakes or wyverns), and even then, not all accounts may agree on their specific characteristics. Size differs drastically from one account to the next; while many of us may think of dragons as huge, characters like Mushu from Disney’s Mulan and the so-called Last Dragon in the World from Tales from Moominvalley (and its various adaptations) are “travel-sized for your convenience.” Likewise, not all dragons have wings; some fly by purely magical means, while others are the penguins of their kind—that is, flightless—like Heinlein’s dragons from Between Planets.

And yet, we recognize one and all as dragons. Why? What makes a dragon… well, a dragon? Here are a few ideas, though even in these cases, there are likely counterpoint examples for each:

• Dragons have power. That is not to say that they are necessarily all-powerful. Smaller-statured dragons, in particular, tend to be on the gentler, less dangerous side. But dragons typically have some kind of power, whether physical or magical or both. Dragons like the one from Moominvalley seem to break this rule, but even in these cases, there is often a suggestion of power—for instance, they may be the lesser descendants of a larger species that went extinct in ages past.
• Dragons have tails. Most dragons fly, and those that do typically require tails for balance—not unlike a kite. Even flightless dragons, however, may use their tails for balance or battle. Often, these tails are barbed or spiked in some way, but not always.
• Dragons have scales. Most draconic creatures wouldn’t be recognizable as such without at least a few scales to their names, even if they sport fur or feathers as well, as many Eastern dragons do.
• Dragons have teeth. The better to chew their meals with, my dear. And yes, even Toothless has some (small) teeth in his mouth, if you look closely. But in general, dragons tend to sport an impressive jawful of mincers and grinders—even those too small to do any real damage with them.

Beyond that? It’s largely up to you. Merriam-Webster defines a dragon simply as “a mythical animal usually represented as a monstrous winged and scaly serpent or saurian with a crested head and enormous claws.” See that? Even the dictionary has to qualify its definition of “dragon” with the word “usually.”

In other words, when writing about dragons, there aren’t a whole lot of rules you need to worry about following. What’s much more important is how you make your dragons your own.

Writing About Dragons Creatively

If dragons only play a small part in your story, sticking to the conventions you’re familiar with is probably fine. After all, you wouldn’t want to pour hours of research and creativity into crafting a creature that may only be referenced in a single scene or a few lines of dialogue.

If, however, you’re writing about dragons at length in your novel, you’re going to want to put a bit more effort into it than that. With so many dragon stories already on the shelves—and more being published every day—it’s harder than ever to write dragons that stand out from the crowd. It’s not impossible, however. Here are a few ideas to hopefully spark your own imagination and get the gears turning.

Consider Communication

Before you skip this section because your dragons don’t talk the way Tolkien’s Smaug or Draco from Dragonheart do, remember: even animals in real-life have various ways of communicating with one another.

Dragons often roar, grumble, or growl like many mammals do, but what about other options? Maybe your dragons use movement to communicate meaning, like birds doing mating dances. (One poignant example that comes to mind: the sky-bound mating ritual of the dragons of Anne McCaffrey’s Pern books, an elegant death-drop that mimics that of eagles.) Or perhaps they sing like whales, or make clicking noises, or use smell, as dogs do. Or maybe they do something else entirely.

Tinker with Physical Traits

While, as I mentioned earlier, dragons do need certain basic physical features to be recognizable as dragons, the details are much more open to interpretation. In The Dragon’s Last Flight, for example, Tashka sports a fairly standard Western dragon body type, with the usual scales and wings and claws. But she’s also feathered in places, and her golden eyes—which turn out to be something of a plot point as you progress through the story—are modeled after a goat’s.

Mix Up the Magical Aspects

For many dragons, fire-breath and flight are the sole magical attributes they possess. But especially if magic is prominent in your story, feel free to experiment with other possibilities as well. Perhaps your dragons have healing powers, among other abilities, as did those of Christopher Paolini’s The Inheritance Cycle. Tying their magic to different elements (ice, lightning, et cetera) or themes (such as seasons, astrological affinities, light and dark, and so on) can also be an interesting way to add a new spin to an age-old formula.

Explore Evolution

Finally, consider how your dragons may have changed (or will change) over time. They could easily have begun as textbook examples of Eastern or Western dragons, but have since developed certain adaptations to help them survive the unique challenges presented by your story’s world. In The Dragon’s Last Flight, one result of the generations-long war between dragons and mankind was that dragons developed shapeshifting powers that helped them escape their enemy’s notice, much like a chameleon’s camouflaging abilities. Your dragons might also change during the course of your story, as Ursula K. Leguin demonstrates in her Earthsea books.

Give Your Characters Some Character

One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen some novice writers make is to write dragons with one-dimensional (or even no-dimensional) personalities. Anyone who’s ever owned a pet, particularly more than one, knows that animals have distinct personalities just as people do. Even if your dragons are not sentient, they should still have distinct personalities—even if your characters don’t notice this. Two predators of the same exact species may still approach problems and react to surprises differently; one may be bolder, one may be cleverer, and so on.

Of course, if your dragons are sentient, it should go without saying that they should get the same treatment any of your human characters would. Think about what they desire, what they enjoy, what they fear. What sort of things might get lost in translation when they communicate with humans? What sort of secrets do their hearts and their histories harbor?

Oh, and one more thing—try reading outside of your comfort zone. Dragons may rule the fantasy shelves, but they appear in other genres, too. If you intend to write a fantasy, for example, try reading some sci-fi books with dragons in them, or delving into ancient mythologies and their cultural contexts. The change of scenery and approach may help shake things up in your own brain and spark some great ideas.

If You Want to Write About Dragons, Do It

There are people who will tell you that dragons are overdone, that they have become almost cliché in the world of fantasy literature. And while dragons certainly seem more popular than ever—and it’s definitely easier than ever to fall into the trap of lazy writing and create dragons that merely mimic those that have come before—I do not think this is a well that is fully tapped just yet. One of the things I love most about writing fantasy is that the possibilities are nearly endless—and just because someone has done it before doesn’t mean you can’t do it differently, perhaps even better. Writing fiction—with or without dragons in it—is never a waste, even if what you’re writing now turns out just to be practice for your next big creative project.

The Dragon’s Last Flight is an interactive fantasy visual novel about the last dragon and the dragonslayer who has vowed to take her life. Together, they embark on an unexpected journey that explores the meaning of a good life—and a good death. Download the demo for free today!