Letting go of a snake character for story (Resolved)

[Rocketeer Raccoon]

For a long time I've been thinking out my story, Rocketeer Raccoon, a skilled raccoon hero with a rocket pack who fights against evil Anthro diseases. In it he has a girlfriend but the problem now is I'm just not sure what to make her. Originally she was going to be a skunk with a similar design to Princess Sally from the Sonic series but after that for a good long time now I was planning to make her as a snake, preferably a Ball Python Naga. But I've recently come by a realisation, for a little while now I've mentioned that if I left home then I would have my own pet snake but I've been told that snakes stink, covered in semolina bacteria and are a high maintenance pet. Even the mention of snakes gives people the thought of cringe or disgust, it's like they have this bad stigma to them believing that they are germ ridden monsters. That's a shame because I love snakes, Anthro Snakes are very sexy and it annoys me that a lot of people including my own family just don't like real snakes. Sure having the character as a snake would have been interesting but then again if loads of people don't like the real thing then why bother?

So I believe I have no choice but to make the sad tough decision of letting the snake character of mine go and having to think of a new girlfriend character for my raccoon hero. I'm not happy about making this decision but what must be done must be done must be done. 

[Obey138 (Matthew "Fluffy")]

**censor** others and their opinions. Make it what you want it to be.
And you might be overthinking a bit.

[Rocketeer Raccoon]

**censor** others and their opinions. Make it what you want it to be.
And you might be overthinking a bit.

What do you mean I might be overthinking it? What I'm saying is lots of people don't like the real thing and making them Anthro still won't change their perceptions of them.

[Obey138 (Matthew "Fluffy")]

What lots of people? Where?
So far you specifically only mentioned your family.

[Rocketeer Raccoon]

What lots of people? Where?
So far you specifically only mentioned your family.

I just thought that's the general opinion of them?

[Eden-H]

That is typically the opinion held of the more poisonous varieties that can kill a human being or those who simply know nothing of the animal. That aside, I think it is ridiculous to avoid using a certain species solely due to the fact that some people have an irrational fear. I'm terrified of certain spiders and a lot of people in the world are as well, yet you see them cropping up as fantastic characters in some incredibly popular literature. Not to mention that by avoiding the usage of certain species (in this case snakes), it only helps to perpetuate the idea that they are disgusting, filthy animals, since no one will take up the mantle of putting it straight when it comes to media. Ignoring wildlife experts, of course. Though they seem to be more concerned with alligators, crocodiles, big cats and sharks currently.

If you want the character to be a snake or any other reptile for that matter, go for it. Just make sure you have the species you desire to use researched to its fullest, as you should do with everything in any work you may be writing, and see if it works. If it winds up her being a snake simply does not fit the story, fine; change it. However, to not even give it a shot because of how a few people see the animal? I'll point to Fluffy's comment for what I think about that.

Besides, your main character is a raccoon, which a lot of people see as a disgusting pest and have a large stigma to them as well. Yet you are not even entertaining the thought of changing them. Why should you do so with this?

[Rocketeer Raccoon]

That is typically the opinion held of the more poisonous varieties that can kill a human being or those who simply know nothing of the animal. That aside, I think it is ridiculous to avoid using a certain species solely due to the fact that some people have an irrational fear. I'm terrified of certain spiders and a lot of people in the world are as well, yet you see them cropping up as fantastic characters in some incredibly popular literature. Not to mention that by avoiding the usage of certain species (in this case snakes), it only helps to perpetuate the idea that they are disgusting, filthy animals, since no one will take up the mantle of putting it straight when it comes to media. Ignoring wildlife experts, of course. Though they seem to be more concerned with alligators, crocodiles, big cats and sharks currently.

If you want the character to be a snake or any other reptile for that matter, go for it. Just make sure you have the species you desire to use researched to its fullest, as you should do with everything in any work you may be writing, and see if it works. If it winds up her being a snake simply does not fit the story, fine; change it. However, to not even give it a shot because of how a few people see the animal? I'll point to Fluffy's comment for what I think about that.

Besides, your main character is a raccoon, which a lot of people see as a disgusting pest and have a large stigma to them as well. Yet you are not even entertaining the thought of changing them. Why should you do so with this?

Bah, filthy Humans who hate them. Ever since I was a kid I had this Sega Mega Drive game called Puggsy and that game sparked my love for raccoons, they are like nature's bandits, always thought of them as cool animals. I see what you mean, ignore the negative stuff and make what you want with the species you want.

As far as I know there are many animals that have a bad sigma, rats being the number one pest although there are many people who love them too. The animals however that no-one loves are as follows.

• Flies
• Mosquitoes
• Fleas
• Ticks

What do all of these have in common? They're all creepy crawlies are fricking vampires.

So, I'm not letting her go, hurray.