39,327
edits
So You Want To/Write a Vampire Novel: Difference between revisions
So You Want To/Write a Vampire Novel (view source)
Revision as of 08:23, 10 April 2017
, 7 years agoupdate links
m (update links) |
(update links) |
||
Line 16:
* [[Our Vampires Are Different]]: If you're going to write about a vampire/vampires, first you must establish their behavior, weaknesses, abilities, physical makeup, and limits pertaining to them. This will prevent such [[Continuity Snarl|continuity snarls]] as your vampire saying that weakness to garlic thing is a complete myth in Chapter One and having him burn his mouth on garlic pizza in Chapter Five (with the obvious exception being if it's rather ''[[Reality Ensues|hot]]'' garlic pizza). This is for you, the author, to remember-- not necessarily the reader. So you do not have to spell everything out all at once or at all. However, once a vampire "rule" is established, avoid contradicting that aspect of the vampire.
* Be [[Genre Savvy]]: Decide ''which'' [[Show Genre|genre]] your vampire novel will be. The first vampire novels (''[[Varney the Vampire]]'' included) were almost exclusively [[Gothic Horror]], but nowadays you can add vampires into almost any genre. The most popular are the [[Mayfly-December Romance|vampire romance]] and the [[Vampire Detective Series|vampire detective]] genres (well, technically subgenres). Don't be afraid to branch out, however, mixing vampires with different genres is always fun. Make a Vampire [[Romantic Comedy]] (it worked with [[Shaun of the Dead|zombies]]) or a Vampire [[Spy Fiction|Spy Novel]].
** Be sure, however, to know the genre you're writing in well. If it's romance, study [[Romance Novel Plots]] or [[So You Want To/Write a Love Story|So You Want To Write A Love Story]]. If it's a mystery, read some [[File talk:Mystery Fiction]]. If you're going for a straight up vampire horror novel, the classics are always a must. There's a reason ''[[Dracula]]'' is so well remembered.
== '''Choices, Choices''' ==
Now that you've decided what kind of vampire novel you're going to write, here are some things to consider.
* [[Speculative Fiction/Analysis|Is it Sci-Fi or Fantasy]]? Depending on what kind of vampires you're writing about, your novel could fall on either side of the spectrum. If you try to [[Doing
** Overall, it is recommended you take the supernatural route, as the vampire is a creature rooted in folklore and scientifically explaining the phenomenon should only be done if you are feeling very ambitious.
* [[Character Alignment]]: Now you have to figure out what alignment your vampires are. Are they a race of [[Exclusively Evil]]? If you want to have a heroic vampire, however, that could fall into the pit of a [[Friendly Neighborhood Vampire]]. If, on the other hand, all vampires are [[Chaotic Good]] and merely misunderstood, that could fall into the pit of...well, bad writing. Only the best of writers can pull off making years and years of evil vampires be "misunderstood."
Line 68:
* The color {{color|red|red}} is almost ubiquitous in vampire fiction, mainly having to do with a vampires need for [[Captain Obvious|blood]]. These displays of red can range from the obvious (roses) to something unique (perhaps a character literally wears rose-tinted glasses).
** Bram Stoker's ''[[Dracula (novel)|Dracula]]'' featured the repeated imagery of red against white -- red blood against white shirts and white fangs, the wolves' "lolling red tongues and sharp white teeth", red prick marks against the white flesh of the heroine where Dracula had bitten her, et cetera.
* Traditional Gothic settings (crumbling old castles, overgrown cemeteries, deep dark [[
Line 85:
=== '''Set Designer / Location Scout''' ===
* If you're going for the classic [[Gothic Horror]], nothing is better than a [[Haunted Castle]] in [[
=== '''Props Department''' ===
Line 152:
[[Category:Vampire Tropes]]
[[Category:Write A Vampire Novel]]
[[Category:
| |||