Are vampires too cliche?

[PrincessaMiranda]

Well, the biggest reason is because when I lived with my roommate we had a kind of 'Storytime' and she was into the pop vampire books. After a while they all seemed to run together and sound the same. Same 'teen vamp' stuff, same love issues, same problems that don't really matter. That is what I mean by cliche, I don't want my story to bleed together (No pun intended) with all the rest of those out there, because it lowers the books value in my eyes. I'm also a rebel to the core so fads are always repulsive to me. This vampire thing with little girls who long for love is ridiculous, even though I know where they're coming from.

As they say, I was into vamps before it was cool.

 

[Ireth]

This vampire thing with little girls who long for love is ridiculous, even though I know where they're coming from.

Agreed. Admittedly there is a vampire/human romance in the backstory of my novel's villain, but it's not of the cheesy teen romance type: the human woman in question is an adult widower with a young son, who takes a long time to actually warm up to the vampire even after he ends up saving her life multiple times. And she never finds out he's a vampire until he accidentally turns her into one on their wedding night just after they consummate their marriage. She divorces him immediately upon waking up, and takes her son with her. The age gap between them isn't nearly as significant as in many vampire/human love stories; he's physically twice her age and actually a few years older than that, but this is the Middle Ages, and older men married younger women all the time. (For the record, the woman is 23 when she's married to the vampire, NOT a teenager.) She is by no means naive or weak, either.

 

[PrincessaMiranda]

It makes the women look weak and stupid if she has to be 'saved' all the time. Though, additively, deep down most women crave being 'protected'. Its sort of an instinct, but it doesn't justify the fact that most of these stories have a heroine who couldn't open a jar without help, let alone fight off a horde of vampires. The term heroine shouldn't even be used to explain them, because 'hero' implies strong and brave. Throw in a Scarlett O'Hara or Ayla (Clan of the cave bear) and you've got a strong, interesting female lead who can take care of herself while also 'taming' her potential lover. Now that is interesting.

 

[Ireth]

It makes the women look weak and stupid if she has to be 'saved' all the time.

I wouldn't call a woman weak or stupid for not being able to escape a burning building or a group of bandits who outnumber her five to one. She does hold her own against the bandits; the vampires who rescued her just evened the odds.

 

[PrincessaMiranda]

Well, a woman who does not even try, THAT is the problem. Instead she curls into a ball of panic and waits to be saved. A woman who tries is, indeed, a heroine. Because she TRIES.

 

[Ireth]

Well, a woman who does not even try, THAT is the problem. Instead she curls into a ball of panic and waits to be saved. A woman who tries is, indeed, a heroine. Because she TRIES.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[PrincessaMiranda]

In fact a strong women who is protected is a unique thing, it causes tension and play that works with your story sometimes. Though I see MANY romance novels with that theme. Again, there is a reason women respond to that. If it works, why ruin it?

 

[Ireth]

Indeed. ^_^ I think we've derailed the thread just a little bit though... So how about them vampires?

What are your thoughts on newly-turned vampires who struggle with trying to retain what's left of their humanity (if any) and resisting the urge to drink human blood? The protagonist of my novel is one of those, and I worry that he'll be branded as a wuss because he refuses to feed from humans (nevermind that he goes through that in-universe as well, when he meets a bunch of vampires who have absolutely no moral objection to it).

 

[PrincessaMiranda]

I had that exact thought.

Any human who has good morals is obviously going to object to something so taboo. In fact it makes him stronger than if he gave into painful urges immediately. That said, people today are jaded and believe that they can withstand any type of ordeal, but when it comes down to real work... well, lets just say they cant handle it. In my new one the female lead is turned without her consent, but comes to relish bloodletting. I write dark fantasy most times. Dark Romanticism. Is that a thing? Well, it is now.

 

[Ireth]

Any human who has good morals is obviously going to object to something so taboo. In fact it makes him stronger than if he gave into painful urges immediately. That said, people today are jaded and believe that they can withstand any type of ordeal, but when it comes down to real work... well, lets just say they cant handle it.

Well, according to what seems to be a lot of people, angsty vamps who don't feed from humans are totally cliche and boring. My vampire protagonist doesn't feed from humans, but he doesn't angst about the struggle either. He gets by perfectly well on animal blood. When he meets the vampires who take feeding from humans and turn it into a form of entertainment (even going so far as to have "drinking games"), he's horrified. He lies about his own diet to try to sound nasty like them, but doesn't join in their idea of fun.

 

[PrincessaMiranda]

That is better than the ones who whine about their situation. "OOH! Your blood smells so good, but I must Resist!"

A man should be a man! Even if he is a vampire.

 

[Taro]

That is better than the ones who whine about their situation. "OOH! Your blood smells so good, but I must Resist!"

A man should be a man! Even if he is a vampire.

Bloody shiney whingy girly vamps be real vampman lol

 

[PrincessaMiranda]

LMAo, that's what I'm saying!

 

[BeigePalladin]

agreed there. the angsty vamp is such a painful technique because its een done so badly so many times most people don't see it can be done effectivly. And then there's the idea that a vamp, to be a sympathetic character, must be angsty and hate being a vampire, which is a stupid idea; its like saying to make a sympathetic asian or muslim character in a piece of wesetern work they need to hate that part of themselves...

and its even worse with 'teen' vamps - especially once who have been a vampire far, far longer than being a human - it strains any form of belief or accocciation that this character could have hated themelves for so long without killing themselves/setting out for a cure, or that they wouldn't have done like any real living creature and at least triedf to adapt...

but then those would both get rid of your plot-point-avatar and require the writer to think of something to add the obligatory wangst about...

 

[Loupgarou]

It's also important to remember that even if your vampires are pretty normal your story doesn't have to be. Let The Right One In (the swedish version and book, haven't seen the american remake so i can't judge it) is not in any way the expected vampire story. But the vampire in the story drinks blood, would be killed by sunlight, can't be let in a room without being invited, and even emotionally manipulates (maybe actually loves, but it's ambiguous).

On what Paladin said, i know i already mentioned the Last Werewolf, but a large amount of that book is about the love hate relationship the main character has with himself. He is a character who is both suicidal and kills to survive, and yet it doesn't feel illogical in the story. It really can be done well, it just often isn't. I'm wary about your racial analogy because Vampires are monsters that have to murder to live, not just another race or species. It would be different if we were speaking orcs or something similar.

 

[Steerpike]

It's also important to remember that even if your vampires are pretty normal your story doesn't have to be. Let The Right One In (the swedish version and book, haven't seen the american remake so i can't judge it) is not in any way the expected vampire story. But the vampire in the story drinks blood, would be killed by sunlight, can't be let in a room without being invited, and even emotionally manipulates (maybe actually loves, but it's ambiguous).

The American version is good. It was an unnecessary remake, and follows the Swedish version fairly closely, though some parts are left out. The Swedish film is still better, but the American remake probably won't disappoint you.

 

[PrincessaMiranda]

B oth versions were really good, so unique and sad.. That is the kind of style and atmosphere id like to have for my own stories.

 

[Zero Angel]

I love vampire stories and am always in the mood for another. I do agree they have been done to death, but I thought there were already a lot of "generic" vampires after Anne Rice's novels and the Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) film. I especially like seeing new ways to explore vampires and how or why they develop the "rules" and weaknesses that they have.

It's something I explore in my own novels, but my vampires are a *lot* more monstrous than others I have seen.