# Vampires are beaten to death now, aren't they?



## mochastain (Aug 8, 2010)

Okay, if you've taken a recent trip to a bookstore in the past couple of years you've probably noticed that at least a quarter of all books in either the teen or fantasy/scifi section seem to feature vampires. More specifically, the brooding romantic anti-hero.
My problem is, I've been writing a story featuring vampire characters for the past couple of years. I wouldn't say it is a typical story, the vampire isn't the main character for the most part and he's a french lawyer, but still the vampires are in there. For that matter, I'm writing about werewolves and werebears in the same story like many vampire books now.

Even if my book had enough distinguishing differences from the market (elves and dragons as main characters, vampires as supporting cast members), is it really enough to bring attention to it from my target audience (which is a teen/young adult audience) and not have it come across as just another vampire novel? I'm worried by the time I actually finish, edit, and publish my book there will be no more of a market vampire characters or my book will be overshadowed by the glut of vampire novels already out.

Any ideas for how I can rise above the crowd?


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## SoNickSays... (Aug 8, 2010)

I can put it in this way for you: in the Harry Potter universe, there are vampires. A friend told me this, and I did my research and sure enough, there are vampires in it. You wouldn't even notice, if you read the books, because they are barely mentioned. The focus is on the main species/supernatural aspect: magic.

As long as your focus is on the elves and the dragons, and the vampires really are only a minor part of the universe you are creating, the book (if published) won't be advertised as 'SUPERNATURAL BOOK WITH VAMPIRES', and it won't be read as a vampire book.

To answer your original question though... Yes, they are.


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## JosephB (Aug 8, 2010)

What about blood-sucking elves? Has that been done?


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## SoNickSays... (Aug 8, 2010)

JosephB said:


> What about blood-sucking elves? Has that been done?


 
Yes, I think so. You could pass with saying the big blind monster that enjoyed eating children in _Pan's Labyrinth_ is a fairy. Didn't it have pointed ears?


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## JosephB (Aug 8, 2010)

Could be. I never saw _Pan's Labyrinth._

But I like that bit in the OP about the vampire being a French lawyer. The lawyer part certainly makes sense.


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## SoNickSays... (Aug 8, 2010)

JosephB said:


> Could be. I never saw _Pan's Labyrinth._
> 
> But I like that bit in the OP about the vampire being a French lawyer. The lawyer part certainly makes sense.



I wonder if all the lawyers in his universe are vampires, or demons, or bloodsucking elves?


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## Ilasir Maroa (Aug 8, 2010)

Beaten to death?  I though you had to stake 'em in the heart... 


No, it is still possible to write a good vampire story that will sell.  Completely possible.

And if elves and dragons are the MCs, then it is not a vampire novel, and it will likely not be _marketed_ as a vampire novel.  Though I have to say, elves and dragons have been around the block a few times, themselves.


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## Deleted member 33527 (Aug 8, 2010)

They should have their own vampire section at the bookstore. They do at my library. Makes it easier to avoid things you don't want to read.


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## seigfried007 (Aug 8, 2010)

It's all in how you write it. It probably won't be marketed as 'vampire' fiction, but will probably be lumped in with other fantasy YA books, which typically have elves, magic and vampires in them.


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## mochastain (Aug 8, 2010)

I see, so if I focus on the other parts of the book and just allow the vampires to be background pieces, I may be okay? I'd rather be accused of having smoking, jazz playing elves than having just another vampire book.
My other problem is that in a later book I plan to have a vampire/mortal romance. I mean, the 'vampire' is half vampire and half elven, the mortal is a werewolf. I mean, it's subverted in that first of all it's a vampire and werewolf romance and that the two in the relationship are gay but since this half vamp/elf guy is a later main character....This may be a problem if this is released in the next five years, isn't it? 
(Half elven/vamp boy is the previously mentioned french lawyer's son if you're wondering)


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## SoNickSays... (Aug 9, 2010)

As was previously mentioned a few times, as long as it's not advertised as a vampire novel it will not be perceived as one. I would suggest if you are worried, the hybrid character's history and species is focused - at first - on the elven part of him. If later you wish to add more to the story, it could be considered a 'treat' for him to look further into his vampire history, and for the readers to discover more about the mysterious vampire race of this novel. 

Don't worry, I'm sure it will work out fine.


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## Gumby (Aug 9, 2010)

> Any ideas for how I can rise above the crowd?



If it's a strong story and the writing is good, above the level of "cliche". I've read lots of books in different genres, but I still remember the really good ones, no matter how many others I've read in that same genre.


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## Motley (Aug 12, 2010)

It is very sad that vampires have become rather hackneyed lately, because they are such intriguing beasties in myth and legend. I, too, have a vampire novel languishing on my hard drive, which I don't think will get published in this slew of vampire novels. Even if I finished it tomorrow and submitted it right away, AND it got picked up, by the time it would be published, the vampire craze will probably have diminished. They're super popular right now. You can try riding the wave.


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## thewordsmith (Aug 13, 2010)

Maybe it's just me but ... vampire ... lawyer ... isn't that a bit redundant?


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## mochastain (Aug 13, 2010)

Yeah, a little redundant. And I belive he's a _white collar _lawyer as well. I can only imagine his son being reluctant to tell people his father is a lawyer..
"My dad works in a morgue! Hey, Seth, where does your father work?"
"Uh........He uh...works..."
"As what? Come on, it can't be that bad!"
"He's a..._lawyer_..."
*snort*


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## RM Americano (Aug 13, 2010)

Vampires have been a common subject in literature for some time now, but it's recently that they have become more mainstream, which is where the money is.  I would say beaten to death as much as I'd like to say opportunity knocks.


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## Destroyer (Aug 21, 2010)

Got a vampire in my book. She's not a true vampire, but a vampiric alien who seems really quiet and shy most of the time but descends into a beserk rage when she gets into a fight. She may be a teenager (or the rough equivalent, being over two hundred years old), but she's not angsty and she doesn't mope all the time.

And she has detailed conversations with her dagger, which just happens to answer back.

How's that for breaking the mould?

More importantly, she's not my main character, so vampires aren't a theme of my book. It's simply something I threw in later on.


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## mochastain (Aug 21, 2010)

Destroyer said:


> Got a vampire in my book. She's not a true vampire, but a vampiric alien who seems really quiet and shy most of the time but descends into a beserk rage when she gets into a fight. She may be a teenager (or the rough equivalent, being over two hundred years old), but she's not angsty and she doesn't mope all the time.
> 
> And she has detailed conversations with her dagger, which just happens to answer back.
> 
> ...



That's actually pretty awesome, I'd read a character like that! Actually, I'm a little sad I've never come up with any character like that...I used to have extraterristrials in my book in fact and I remember most of the non-human sentient beings were supposed to have descened from them...and there was a cult (?) who worshipped the aliens and wanted to kill all non-humans (!?) for a reason I cannot remember....

Congrats for breaking the mold, I mean she's not a main character but still...sometimes the minor characters are awesome too. For some reason from what you've said about this character, is your book kind of like Disc World? (I've never actually read Disc World, so I'm only going by what I've heard of it.)


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## Destroyer (Aug 22, 2010)

I'm glad you like it. And no, my book is not like Discworld. For one thing, I'm trying to keep my book serious for the most part, with just a few moments to amuse readers. Pratchett lets humour control his books with just a few moments of seriousness. I don't have the talent to make something like that work.

And I'm hoping this character will go far, she's rather important to my main character so there's a lot of room to develop her character further.


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## k3ng (Aug 23, 2010)

mochastain said:


> I'd rather be accused of having smoking, jazz playing elves than having just another vampire book.


 
Smoking, jazz playing elves.

I would sooooo read that.


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## malvo4 (Aug 23, 2010)

I think one problem that with things getting labeled as a "Vampire Book" is that there is a set story structure of what is supposed to happen in the plot. Plain Jane captivates the eye of gorgeous hunk vampire, they struggle to express their love and then to be together, he turns the girl, adjustment period, and then they live happily ever after. That isn't just Twilight, but pretty much most of the romance novels that have vampires in them. Or the plot where he changes her first and then they struggle with adjustment and loving each other yada yada yada. With these story cut outs, everything is so predictable, even how the characters are. The story is so familiar, but people like familiar and just want to hear the same thing over and over again. So if you think about it, none of it is original, not even the characters really. If you think about it, take any one of those characters in one of those cut out plots, and take away the supernatural elements would those characters even be interesting? Let alone be able to carry and propel a plot line?


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## Mike (Aug 23, 2010)

In any mob riot there's always someone being squished to gooey little pieces, and today that someone is vampires. We'll grind 'em to the bone, then stumble on, roaring righteous towards that horizon, although all of us know that a strong right step ends in circles. We can't see who's leading at the front, nor who's urging from behind - we only see what's underfoot. It might have been beautiful once.


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## Fox80 (Aug 23, 2010)

When I was a kid my friends and I got arrested for breaking into a Catholic church. We were looking for vampires.


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## malvo4 (Aug 23, 2010)

Fox80 said:


> When I was a kid my friends and I got arrested for breaking into a Catholic church. We were looking for vampires.



Wha?


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## Olly Buckle (Aug 23, 2010)

I keep seeing the title of this thread in new posts and thinking "No they get stakes through their hearts". That reminds me of the story about silver bullets, apparently the man who invented that idea had been watching "The Lone Ranger". Moral of that? Vampires can be anything you want them to be, not the same old plot malvo4, they are a hook to hang your original ideas on. The reason they are so popular and always have been? Inventive authors coming up with a new twist every so often. If you are going to write a book that is you, go ahead, if it is any good it will succeed and a hundred clones will be written, if it is another clone don't bother.


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## mochastain (Aug 23, 2010)

Thank you..can I call you Mr. Buckle? I've been trying to buck formula in my story for a while, the reason why I have the vampire/werewolf romance (of course that was me saying to myself, "Why wouldn't it be fun if my vampire lawyer and my werewolf cop each had a gay son who took interest in the other?" honestly) and a female vampire/dorky male human somewhere in the story. And the male vampire in love with...an elderly woman, someone a little closer to his own age. 
I guess screwing with conventions is partly why Twilight got popular, what with sparkling and all. 
But I've also noticed straying _too much _from the expected...can be...interesting. I knew someone who was writing a vampire story (which she wrote for a now ex-boyfriend) and her vampires were beautiful, blood drinking beings who transformed into vampires....by eating magical purple snow. Yeah, it's a cute idea...but it puts me into diabetic shock just reading my previous sentence. Now, I've never read that story so maybe she was able to actually pull it off but the world may never know.
I find playing with the original legends and popular ideas to make something familar but original at the same time works for me. I'm attempting to make vampires as biologically possible as a young biology student can (meaning a vampire can reproduce because they reproduce with human...reproductive cells which carry the vampire infection, somehow infecting their offspring but somehow it does not infect their mate.) 

So, yeah this ended up a little longer than I wanted


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## malvo4 (Aug 23, 2010)

Olly Buckle said:


> Vampires can be anything you want them to be, not the same old plot malvo4, they are a hook to hang your original ideas on.



I know that, I have recently read a very good original vampire novel, and I can't wait till the next installment. I was just mentioning the recent vampire trend and how what is currently popular is that same cookie cutter story. I am just frustrated with it. More people need to realize that and try to shake it up from the vampire/romance fall back plots. If there is love between a vampire and a human, that is fine, just what makes it different from everything else and is it different enough.


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## Olly Buckle (Aug 23, 2010)

> Thank you..can I call you Mr. Buckle?


Are you a tax inspector or a policeman:wink:
I like some of your ideas, ultimately I feel nearly all good stories are some sort of metaphor for the human condition, and why shouldn't old people and outcasts fall in love, it is a superb premiss.

Sorry malvo4, I must have caught the wrong end of the stick.


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## The Backward OX (Aug 24, 2010)

> why shouldn't old people and outcasts fall in love, it is a superb premiss.


 
Indeed.




_erm....premise_


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