Young Writers Society

This doesn't exactly qualify as research per se. It's more of a give-me-your-opinions type thing.

I'm getting ready to start planning out a vampire story, but I wanted to get some ideas flowing first.

What are some clichés that really bug you in vampire novels, movies, etc? Should vampires be burnt to a nice, toasty crisp when they step into the sunlight, or should they just get a little sunburned? What about garlic? Is it a vampire repellant or, to quote Mick St. John from the vampire show Moonlight , "tasty on pizza"? Does a vampire sleep in a coffin, or do they even sleep at all? And what about the whole changing-into-a-bat deal?

So, you tell me. Do the vampire clichés annoy you, or are they what makes a vampire story, well, a vampire story? And if you are annoyed by the clichés, why? I'm looking forward to reading all your thoughts, opinions, suggestions, etc.

it's not really that I'm annoyed at cliches but I think you should write a story about a vampire who hates these cliches. Like they say that vampires don't die when their skin touches sunlight, they just need more sunscreen than normal people (or something silly like that) and about garlic. Maybe the girl or guy just says that "we dont like the smell of garlic, that doesn't mean it'll keep us away" or something along those lines. And about the coffins, maybe the character should explain how vampires sleep in regular beds but they do like sleeping in dark places and most of them find that changing into a bat is either a lot of fun, or it's easier travel or both.
I know my suggestion might sound kinda silly but I'd love to read a book like that from the vampires point of view, giving his or her opinion about those cliches.
Hope that helps!
Goodluck =)

Oh wow, I have been waiting for something like this for a long time.

I really think that only SOME vampires can turn into bats. That would be cool. Like have a selected group of them fly. Yeah...

About stepping into the sun: they shouldn't be burned, but more like have their energy drained out, because if they are completely out of energy, then they die. It sounds plausible...right?

Sleeping in coffins? Well, again, I really don't like it. Why do they sleep in coffins? Hey, like Jassie said, maybe you should have the vampire be causterphobic or something and have him/her not ever sleep in a coffin.

Well "Call me, beep me, if you wanna reach me!"

BBB

For Vampires I used a hierarchy and deterrents to match their level of interest in a target. This is demonic natured Vampire. For those without Satanic ties, remove all religious aspects.

Sunlight being very dangerous to the point of lethal
Holy Water effective if blessed by a powerful pure priest
Blessed Silver very very dangerous. Could kill a vampire through poisoning their body, very slow and painful from a single shot or being impaled.
Garlic almost laughable would be about as revolting as being sprayed by a skunk, if the Vampire is determined this has minimal effect, but in general for warding away would prevent all, but the most desperate from snooping around.
Holy Cross, laughable. Basic protection for a child and is meant to ease them and their fears. The true power comes from a high ranking priest whose presence and prayer can hurt them.
Blood Madness, something only to affect hellish vampires, cause thirst for blood and killing.
Body Severment, lethal to all Vampires. Exceptions exist with hellish based ones.

As for sleeping in a coffin. Only to retain power for hellish Vampires. This comes with the belief that the have risen from the dead and thus the Coffin is their restin place and home. For other Vampires not of hellish creation, a coffin would merely be a stunt or a preferencial choice over a similiarly comfortable bed with the elimination of sunlight upon awakening that would otherwise harm them.

I mainly use evolved Vampires, never hellish ones. I've gotten quite good at doing them, but seriously think practically if you are going to have Vampires exist in the modern world or whatever without some religious weakness. They should be generally wise and powerful, but distant and a bit odd.

Heh. I wrote a vampire novel last year. I won't be giving away my nonclichés! But, as a suggestion, try to come up with a unique way to pass the blood or to make new vampires.


I would suggest reading as much as you can. Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire (there is a whole series but only the first one is necessary to understand vampires) if you haven't already and Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian is an interesting take on vampires, more about Dracula than anything, though.

Try to avoid constant depression, woe-is-me-I-can't-die, blood lust crap. And avoid [u]anything[/i] that is used in Twighlight. (sorry twilight fans!) Do not repeatedly compare your vampires to statues. Or repeat anything of that nature. Once you've told us what they are like, we will remember it.


Also, if you follow the myth that vampires bodies are dead they cannot eat, drink, or make love.

Oh, and you might want to look for The Vampire Encyclopedia which is just real neat if your looking for unique ideas. Vampire melons, anyone?

If you have any questions or need some tips, I wouldn't call myself a vampire expert, but I know a lot about them. ^_^ I was a complete vampire nerd a few years back, and I still kind of am.

I don't know which annoys me most, if they sleep in a coffin or if they don't sleep at all. I think it would be better if we keep it they don't sleep at all. Like BBB said, it would be cool if they stepped into the sunlight and their energy got drained..... no it wouldn't be cool..... it would be awesome! Like Twilight. Example:Edward, the hot vampire can't go to school when it's sunny..... Also do vampires have a natural enemy? I think it would be cool if you made half of the people who turned into the bat be the evil vampires and the one who didn't turn into a bat be the good vampires. I don't know just a thought hope it helps. If you need help making the characters or their names feel free to PM me.

-Max

Vampires... I'm addicted, ever since I read A. Atwater-Rhodes. Well yes, her vamps are a tad bit cliche (well, more than a tad) and have an all-powerful-ish symptome, but still, I like her books.

But back to the subjects. Vamps. Yes, well. Reading alot about them, about how different authors portray them, is a good idea. Do that, and think of your own rules concerning them.

And bats. Ew. Never liked that part

But, Suzanne? You wrote a vamp novel? You did? And ot giving away absolutely anything? >.< Oh, woe is me.


Cheers,
Esme


Edit: (After reading the post below): Stab self. Again. And again. Ve-e-e-ry cool... *Dies*

And yes, I am working on my own novel. And yes, I ave my own explanations. But still - awesome, Suzanne! (And again I started writing: Claudette, lol).

if they sleep in a coffin or if they don't sleep at all.

For about half of my story my vampires sleep in pits in the ground. XD They bury themselves in. Also, I had sort of explanations to why they fell asleep for mine. If you were a first vampire (first vampire to be made by a master, so to speak) then you could "Resist" the need to "sleep" if you were a second, you could resist only slightly (though I realize now that my second acted like a third). At third, you have no strength enough to resist to it, and practically fall into comatose during morning.

It worked all on the idea that you could only make so many fledglings without your blood "tainting".


^_^ but please do not nab my ideas. I might try to publish this one day!

Suzanne wrote:And avoid anything that is used in Twighlight. (sorry twilight fans!)

Aww, did you not like Twilight? I love it. Edward is the best fictional character in the world.

Sorry, that was off-topic.

I enjoyed Twilight but her vampires weren't very well written. Or maybe I should say she wasn't very well at writing them? It was enjoyable, but she got incredebly redundant and annoying. *shrugs*

There are two main vampire clichés that drive me, er, batty.

First, is the Day-Walkers. If a vampire can walk in sunlight, then it's virtually invincible and that's boring like woah. It also goes against most vampire lore. If they can walk in the daylight and not suffer some consequence (ranging from at least a severe sunburn all of the way through insta!death), then I wouldn't call them vampires.

Second, vampire offspring. It just doesn't seem like there's enough blood in them to create life, or to sustain it for nine months. Also, just the idea of a dead ... thing giving birth is kind-of squicktastic.

Things that tend to annoy me:

- Having to sleep in coffins (or worse yet: not having to sleep in coffins, but doing so anyway),
- Weakness to garlic,
- Wishy-washy having to be killed by stakes (by this I mean: don't make a big deal out of stakes, only for a large portion of your vampires to be killed in some other way. Why bother with stakes if swords do the job even better?)
- Transforming into a bat.

I say try to avoid everything you think is cliche, and just have fun! That's the point of writing every novel, isn't it?

I like all vampires story- cliche or not. Or, even better, I love when someone takes a story (Dracula, for example) and twists it way our of proportion. It makes a very interesting story.

Being a fan of Dracula myself, and having read it a million times or so, I have considered doing that myself, but I've never gotten around to it.

Anyways- the more I rant the more I'll have to edit later (D'x dang stammer) so...I should have kept it short, but nope, had to rant.

If anything, isn't it kind of awkward asking other writers for ideas for your story? I mean- there's nothing bad about it. Not like it's illegal. Maybe it's just me, but I'd feel pretty strange taking someone else's idea. Perhaps I'm just stubborn? I doubt it...I'm not...I'm not that kind of person.

So, long rant about...me...jeez, -hides in corner-. I hope I got my point across. Don't kill me -covers self in blanket-

<3;
Emily