This is a really long list of prompts for writing about alterhuman identities.
This list is intended to be comprehensive for a lot of different kinds of alterhuman identities: archetropes, extranths, factives, facttypes, fictives, fictotypes, hearthomes, hearttypes, kintypes, theriotypes...
This was written because We wanted to share about Our alterhuman identities, but We're not very good at communicating without being prompted. We compiled this list from a bunch of prompt lists We found online (linked at the bottom). We're sharing this list with you in hopes that it may help you too.
The bullets are examples of specific ways you could answer the questions. You are not at all limited to them.
Basics
What is this identity?
- What sort of species, object, concept, location, etc. is it?
- If it's an individual, who/where?
- If it has elements from fiction or mythology, which story/ies?
- What does it look/sound/feel/smell/taste/etc. like?
- If it's a place, what is it like to be there?
- What are its foundations/cornerstones?
Day-to-day
How does this identity influence your behavior?
- Instincts?
- Activities?
- Hobbies?
- Occupations?
- Social interactions?
- Learning something (such as a skill or language)?
What are some other ways you express this identity? (Or ways you would like to express it)
- Living space?
- Language? (name, pronouns, "paws" instead of "hands", etc.)
- Possessions?
- Fashion?
- Gear?
- Food preferences?
Any other ways this identity affects your day-to-day?
- Things other people might notice about you?
- How foundational is the identity to you overall?
Alternormal Experiences
Do you have dysphoria, euphoria, or homesickness about...
- ...your abilities, or lack thereof?
- ...your appearance?
- ...your perception by others?
- ...any people or things you miss?
- ...the laws of physics?
- ...culture?
- ...senses?
- ...instincts?
Do you have any memories and other noemata about this identity?
- exciting
- peaceful
- mundane
- relationships to other people
- formative
- scary
- silly
- out of character
- If this identity involves another life, how does that one parallel your present life?
Canon, etc. Compliance/Divergence
- How similar is this identity to the "canon", theriform, etc. version of it.
- If divergent, do you diverge from canon, or does it diverge from you?
- In what ways does this identity diverge? (appearance, events, identity, etc.)
Have you had any other notable alternormal experiences?
History
When and how did you determine this identity?
- To what extent was/is the identity intentional or unintentional?
- How long or short was discovery/development period?
- Are still questioning or building the identity now?
- How were you introduced to the concept of this identity?
- What people, art, and other things have influenced this identity?
- What are some of your earliest memories relating to this identity?
What is the overall history of this identity?
- How has this identity changed over time?
- How have your thoughts on the identity changed over time?
- How do you get new information about the identity?
- studying source, theriforms, etc.
- noemata
- headcanons
- stories
- intentional
- unintentional
- Do you have a specific process or not?
- OC-fictomere? (did you or someone close to you have a hand in the story?)
- What lessons have you learned from this identity?
What conscious decisions have you made about this identity?
- Is it something like a link or a tulpa?
- Have you edited your canon on purpose?
- Have you done any worldbuilding?
Relationships...
...to other people.
How "out" are you about your identity...
- ...to friends?
- ...to family?
- ...to partner(s)?
- ...online?
- ...offline?
How do you interact with other people?
- Have you had any notable interactions with kin, sourcemates, or doubles?
- Have you had any notable interactions in general with other people in relation to the identity?
- How do others perceive the identity (as it relates to you)?
- How do others perceive the identity (unrelated to you)?
What's your relationship to your identity's fandom (or equivalent community)?
- What's the community like?
- Opinions on the community?
- How do you engage with the community? (if you do at all)
- What are some myths or misconceptions about this identity?
- Stereotypes about the identity: How do your experiences compare or differ?
...to other aspects of you.
- What other alterhuman identities of yours does this identity connect to?
- What meaning do you derive from the identity?
- What religion or spirituality do you derive from the identity?
- How does the identity relate to your physiology?
- How does the identity relate to your neurology?
- What unique perspectives do you have on the world related to this identity?
- Does this identity have a relationship to any places you've been to?
- How does this identity relate to your gender or sexuality?
- What is this identity's relationship to your interests and knowledge?
- Is this identity connected to your real-world culture or ethnicity? to some other real-world culture?
...to art.
- What art do you relate to this identity?
- music
- drawings and paintings
- books
- films and TV
- games
- etc.
- Is there some fictional culture or world this identity is connected to?
- what's the culture like?
- technology
- morality
- art
- transportation
- traditions
- education
- festivities
- If the identity is a fictomere, how do you engage with source material?
...to ideas & concepts.
- What elements, concepts, archetypes, or tropes does this identity relate to?
- water
- earth
- fire
- sky
- space
- colors
- hero
- villain
- chosen one
- time
- seasons
- time of day/day cycle
- passage of time
- how would it change over time?
- illness or death
- technology
- What mythology, legends, or lore exists surrounding this identity?
- What paratypes, exemplars, or other reminders have you encountered of this identity?
- Are there any language(s) this identity relates to?
Framework
What is your relationship to this identity?
(This list of examples was compiled by the Dragonheart Collective.)
- I am this thing
- I both am and am not this thing
- I cannot tell whether I am this thing or not
- I was this thing
- I will be this thing/I am becoming this thing
- This thing became part of me
- I do/practice/perform/embody this thing
- I have traits/behaviors of this thing
- I experience this thing/this thing happens to me
- I was made to be this
- I belong to this/I am part of this
- This is a core part of me/defining trait of me
- I use this thing as a metaphor/this thing is a metaphor for me
- This thing resonates with me/I resonate with this thing
- This thing reflects me/I reflect this thing
- I share a bond with this thing
- I deeply like/hate this thing
- This thing is like me/This thing is shaped like me/this thing has my vibe
- This is connected to me through system members
- This is connected to me through other experiences
- I am attracted/drawn to this thing
- This thing is my family
- This thing impacted me as I developed
What category/ies do you place this identity in?
- Is the identity more domestic, feral, wild, artificial, divine, or something else?
- Does the identity being extant, extinct, historical, legendary, mythical, fictional, etc. give it any sort of "flavor"?
What labels do you use to describe this identity, either in reference to the identity or to yourself?
- alterhuman
- archetrope
- clinical lycanthropy
- constelic
- copinglink
- delusional attachment
- dissociative disorder
- dæmon
- endel
- extranthrope
- factive
- factkin
- fictionfolk
- fictionkin
- fictive
- flicker
- furry
- godshard
- godspouse
- hearthome
- holothere
- imaginary friend
- introject
- kin
- kinnie
- kith
- link
- multiple
- neuronarration
- nonhuman
- otherfix
- otherhearted
- otherhuman
- otherkin
- otherpaw
- otherspin
- othervague
- paratype
- pet regression
- phytanthrope
- plural
- polymorph
- quadrobist
- soulbond
- speciesqueer
- synpath
- system
- therianthrope
- thoughtform
- transspecies
- tulpa
- vampire
- voidpunk
- walk-in
- were
- xenogender
What's your origin theory for this identity?
- archetypal resonance
- delusion
- genetic
- inherent
- intentional creation or adoption
- metaphor
- neurodivergence
- plurality
- a political statement
- psychological
- reincarnation
- sharding
- spiritual
- transmission/contagion
- trauma
- walk-in
- quoiluntary
Feelings & Opinions
What are your overall feelings and opinions about this identity?
- Is it a blessing or a curse?
- Is there anything scary, sad, difficult, or embarrassing about it?
- Is there anything joyful, euphoric, contenting, or empowering about it?
- Are you grateful for it?
- If you could change anything about it, what would you change?
- Would you drop it if you could?
- What's your favorite thing about it?
- How's your self/ves-acceptance of this identity?
Would you become this physically if you could? What if you couldn't go back?
- transform into another species
- transform into another person
- transition into another species or person
- go to another place
- go to another world
- Have you already transformed, transitioned, traveled, etc.?
What other thoughts do you have about this identity?
- Do you have doubts about the identity?
- What advice do you have for other people with this identity or similar identities?
- If the identity is a fictomere, what are your opinions on source? Alternatively, how do you feel about artistic representations or adaptations of this identity?
- book-into-movie
- fictionalized story about an animal
- how well-written is it?
- how well does it portray you/your identity?
- opinions on the artist(s) themselves?
- what about knock-offs or clones?
- Is there anything you don't know about your identity that you wish you did?
- What do you wish other people knew about this identity?
- Is there anything about this identity you can't explain?
- How well do you understand this identity overall?
- Any other questions you have?
sources compiled from
prompts
- aloiis, et al. Entries tagged with prompts
- Archie. Alterhuman Questions
- Kiera. unhinged 30 days of otherkin challenge
- Lim. 30 Days of Otherkin Challenge
- Ouros. Otherkin Ask Game
- Page Shepherd. The Folcintera Week Challenge
- sun_dragon, tanadin, et al. Entries tagged with prompts
- Swift. 30 Day Fictionkind Challenge
- tsu. The 30 Day Non-Human Challenge
- vitaanteacta. Hearthome Prompts
- wizardsfang. Niche Kin Appreciation Challenge
labels
- Azure. The Alterhuman Dictionary
- Interstellar System. Terminology List
- Kiera Ember. Alterhuman Dictionary
- plurgai. Basic Alterhumanity Carrd
- The. Alterhumanary (Alterhuman Dictionary)
frameworks
- The Dragonheart Collective. On Alterhuman Frameworks
origin theories
- Otherkin Wiki contributors. Theories of origin