I spent a couple of hours yesterday trawling through the supernatural romance section of FictionPress, looking for some decent stories to add to FWB. The fact that there are some truly appalling writers on here aside, I couldn't help noticing that the main supernatural creature the stories focused on was the vampire. Something like seventy percent of the stories had vamps in them (I'm not necessarily saying this is a bad thing - most of my own stories contain vampires).

This inevitably got me thinking about vampires, and how they appear in novels, both online and offline. They're almost always sexy (think Lestat), often broody (Angel), and just bloody cool. So what I'd like to know is this:

1. What are your favourite - and least favourite - vampire cliches? Do you like the typical Romeo-and-Juliet-with-fangs stories (e.g. Buffy and Angel, and Bella and Edward)? What about the attacked-in-an-alley plots? And, the most ubiquitous of all, the oh-no-I've-been-kidnapped-by-a-hot-vampire! Do you love 'em or hate 'em?

2. What characteristics do you think vampires should have? Are there any special abilites authors have give vampires that you particularly like? Do you prefer to think of them as bloodthirsty monsters - straight out of horror movies - or as basically human with a few quirks? And, if you write stories about vampires yourselves, what special powers have you given them? Have you stuck with the classic rules, or made up your own?

For example, in my stories I like to play around with the normal vampire rules. In A Quick Bite, my vampires are alive - being bitten has transformed them into something more, but they're not undead. They still breathe, they can go out in sunlight, and holy items have no effect on them. They obviously drink blood, though. Their bodies don't disintegrate when they're killed, unlike in Bite To Break Skin, where vampires (who are, incidentally, undead in this story) turn to ishy black sludge upon being staked. A common thread in all my vampire novels is that vamps are good-looking. Because, let's face it, if you're going to turn someone into a vampire, you don't want it to be someone whose ugly mug you'll have to look at for eternity. Many are wealthy, because if you're going to live forever, it's a good idea to invest wisely so you don't have to worry about money. Super strength and speed, heightened senses, and accelarated healing are all par for the course in my stories. I decide what my vampires are going to be able to do before I begin writing a story - but, once I've begun writing, I tend to focus more on how they interact with the other characters than on their powers in particular.

So... What about you guys?

A great point--something about vampires just intrigues and fascinates the mind. Is it their immortality? The concept of an never aging, never dying beauty? I think its the power--the tying to the mysterious night and the allure of seducing us down and into the darkness. Who knows? All I know is that there are QUITE a few vampire cliches that have gotten on my nerves over the years. Here's a trend I've noticed--the vampires in most vampire stories (Angel, Edward, Stefan, etc) are lost souls, torn by their dark nature and devoured by self-loathing. They deny their nature--thinking themselves as monsters and unworthy of love. And frankly, it always ticked me off a bit. I got tired of reading about the "woe is me" vampire character. And of course there is always the "embrace the night" vampire that the girl never quite falls in love with--he's too dangerous, to unworthy and the girl must always fall for the "save me from myself" vampire. Sorry, but I find that "I'm a monster thus I hate myself" vampire just boring! Its so over done. And frankly, if I were a vampire, you can be rest assured that I wouldn't be crying in the corner about the "darkness in my soul." Hell no! I'd be jumping off roof tops and outrunning cars. Drink a little blood for power? No prob.

Because of this trend in vampire genre, I created Lucien Mesonger (a character in my book in progress) as sort of the "anti-vampire." I wanted the girl to finally fall for and WIN the bad boy. I wanted to give the Damon character (from Vampire Dairies by LJ Smith) center stage instead of being doomed as the unrequited lover. Lucien is not dark and broody. He doesn't drink fine wine and speak with an old accent. He's not a smooth aristocrat. (Other trends I've noticed in vampire novels). No, he likes being a vampire. In fact, he revels in it. He drinks blood, beer, and sleeps in flannel sheets instead of silk (sort of the anti-Jean Claude from Laurel K. Hamilton's books). He wears jeans instead of suits. He's unapologetic, violent, a slave to his emotions, and a bit unethical. I guess he's just NOT a good guy (a bit of the basis of his character comes from Alexander the Great, which should be a clear indicator of how far and violent his ambitions can go.) But I wonder, do readers LIKE this kind of character? Can a somewhat evil vampire be the main love interest of a book? Or will readers cringe when he doesn't something unethical and morally wrong? I guess its a bit of an experiment--one that can go either way. Here's hoping I'm not the only one who enjoys the "Spike" (Buffy the Vampire Slayer reference) vampires of the world!

But I'm with you--I enjoy creating new themes. I love the idea of a living vampire. Like you, I enjoy straying from the traditional vampire themes. And I think its a good thing. We're broadening the horizons of the vampire genre and appealing (at least I hope) to more readers.

Did you get your title for this thread from the Godsmack song?

Did you get your title for this thread from the Godsmack song?

You make an interesting point on stories are dominated by vampires.

1. I think my favorite vampire cliche would have to be the one with a vampire struggling with this new found power where their humanity is put to the test. I don't know why this appeals to me as much as it does, but I think it might have to do with finding ways to write down humanity which a feat in and of itself. My least favorite would have to be the I've-been-kidnapped-by-some-hot-vampire because these occur much too often, and most often with horrible plot line--or worst a title that give the entire story away. I understand that there is hardly anything out there that hasn't been written, or isn't cliche, but when you see the same thing, the same plot line over and over, it gets old.

2. There was a story I read a little while ago that described what I believe to be the more tradional vampire. In this story vampires were strong, fast, wealthy, charming, and they actually sleep, albeit more coma-like; basically everything they're usually described. The only difference was that in this story once a vampire drank your blood, they knew everything about you. You couldn't hide anything, and I thought that was really neat. Other thing that I thought was cool was that they all read people's minds, not just a select few, and none of them had any other powers. These are the types of powers I believe vampires should have--funny how none of my vampires really have these powers.

3. I didn't create a new form of vampire in my story Masked but just brought this type into the lime light so to speak. Eli is an incubus, or a member White Rose Court. The way he survives is by feeding off the emotions or enrgey of human. I didn't make him too different than blood vampires, but I gave him, and others of his kind, the power to sort of seduce their victums to bed. It is something of mind control, but the vitcum has the sudden desire to do whatever will please the vampire, or feel like they are so loved by this vampire. In a way, it's a cruel power, but it is what helps them live.

So that's pretty much my vampire story--or demon I guess, since incubi are considered more demons than vampires. :)

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