Are vampires too cliche?

[Flemming Hansen]

I must admit that 'Interview With The Vampire' by Anne Rice is one of the best and most beautiful written books that I've ever read. However, since the Vampire thing is blown into teen pop culture, I fear the rest of the genre might be overshadowed by i.e. the Twilight series. I would guess that it´s risky to put it out there at the moment, but who knows? I guess it's all up to you, and how confident you are. If your book is good enough, you might as well catch the wave and go for a ride.

[Lawfire]

I think a manuscript is going to have to be very good to get past a lot of editors and agents with vampires as the lead(s). However, if you are writing YA fantasy, it might be a different story.

That said, I would write what you like, and publishing will come when the time is right.

[T.Allen.Smith]

Might be time for the literary emergence of a real bad ass of a vamp. A character that doesn't rebel against their nature and long for humanity (I find that weak to be honest).

Wash away some of these wussy, sparkly, teenage heartthrob versions.

[SeverinR]

I have said this on another thread about elves, but basically lets change your OP question:

Are humans cliche? Have they been written to death? 90% of books involve one or more of these critters.

Are humans cliche? as a whole...no.
Are certain personalities cliche? yes.

People still write about humans, they write about the good, the bad, the troubled, the insane... Before asking is a type of animal or humanoid is cliche, ask yourself, has every human story been written? If not, then there is still stories out there that can be written about_____*(*place stereo-typical race or being here).

Modern authors can publish nusery rhymes known for many generations, just by making them their version. Make the ______* your version. Give them your oddities, your abilities, your weaknesses.
recent movies: Red riding hood, Brave, Swan princess, Beauty and the beast,

Cliche is an authors problem, not a racial or beastial problem.

[PrincessaMiranda]

Those are all very good points, I enjoy vampires that love being vampires. The story I have only relates to Twilight in that Boy vamp likes human girl, but didnt want to be changed. Though it is his fault he was changed. I wanted it to be YA but some scenes I have are a bit vulgar. I like vulgar. haha.

[Steerpike]

PrincessMiranda, you have a lot more leeway in teen and YA than you might expect for vulgarity, language etc. I read one recently that not only had language, but had overt sex (blowjobs, for example, and other acts). A few years ago I might have been more surprised, but as it stands now I can't think of many vulgarities than haven't already been explored in teen/YA fiction. So I wouldn't worry too much about it. The degree of explicit description you use would be the only factor that would cause trouble, imo. If you're writing erotica, you won't be able to get on the teen/YA shelves. At least, I think not

[Jabrosky]

I've never liked vampires. The very thought of them made me sick to my stomach even long before their current popularity phase. That said, if you're genuinely fond of vampires, I say write what you want. I'm also sick of people worry too much about cliches or tropes.

[psychotick]

Hi,

For me its not vampires that are cliche. Its pretty boy vampires that really just want to be loved and understood by teenage girls that are hugely overdone. They're supposed to be monsters.

Cheers, Greg.

[PrincessaMiranda]

Steerpike- Some of my stories get pretty into it. haha In fact I just submitted a piece into my portfolio which wasnt quite clean. But I suppose as long as I dont used tired versions of stories I will be ok.

[kjboe]

Know what i cant stand in books and movies, that fact that the person writing it is afraid of calling it what it is, for example, Walking dead call their zombies walkers, thats fine, sounds cool and all, but i mean come on! If a vampire is a vampire, lets call it a vampire, not a fanger, or a bloodletter of boobytron, or a human transfusion centre. I understand that it works sometimes when the creator has made a few changes to the basics of the vampire but apart from that, be true!

Oh and twilight, vampires shouldnt sparkle in the sunlight, they burn! Bram Stoker all the way im afraid.

good luck with the book, be true to yourself, i doubt that it will matter that you have a vampire novel when its became a craze. Who cares, if its good its gonna take wings and fly (pun).

good luck