Vampires -- why are they so appealing for romances? They're violent, creepy, and they drink blood, for goodness sake. Depending on the mythos behind them, they're incapacitated by the sun, doomed to remain their age (young or old) forever, or cursed.
I did a lot of research before starting my vampire series. I think I've explained elsewhere the different philosophies of vampire creation (including biological or physical trigger, and just plain cursed).
But why, with all the things we have against them, do we still write about them? Why do we even make them the heroes of our stories?
- They put the super in supernatural. Most stories, if vampires are pitted against other supernatural beings, will put the vampires on top. Often by a mile. They're faster, stronger, and wickedly clever.
- They're timeless. Because they're essentially humans-plus, we can write them in any era we right people.
- People-plus, but they're also a taste of the unknown. Whatever mythos creates the vampire, they're beings of the shadows, inhabiting, even thriving, in the places we fear most.
- They're sexy. Dangerous, alluring -- the stuff of our nightmares, but also our dreams. They represent the unknown, and in being unknown, offer us untold possibilities.
Published since 2009, over the years I've accumulated various items of writing
wisdom. The Third Tuesday Writing Tidbit showcases these items in no particular
order. Click here to see all 3T Tidbits.
