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McAnally's (The Community Pub) => Author Craft => Topic started by: Infamous as Elle! on January 15, 2009, 08:00:53 PM
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Looking for some insight since I can't possibly read everything out there in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre (at least without book holding hand cramps).
Is there anyone out there who avidly reads anything that involves vampires in the plot or as main characters?
I'm asking because I have a story idea and I need to know that I'm not inadvertantly ripping someone off with the story I want to write. My previous graphic novel idea was eerily similar to The Cell, even though I came up with the idea a year before the movie came out. *grumbles*
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No but I tend to avoid stories with vampires in them like the plague. It was only how much I enjoyed the Alera books that made me start reading Dresden. And the whole Twilight series (young vampires in love ) makes me want to retch.
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Is there anyone out there who avidly reads anything that involves vampires in the plot or as main characters?
Not quite "avidly reads anything", but generally trying to follow most things with vampires that are not doing recycled Anne Rice/Laurell Hamilton angstmuffinery and similar cliches, so fire away and I'll see if it reminds me of anything.
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This story would be more like vampires falling....err, out of love and in love and out again....centuries of snarky-ness.
Basically the premise is two people, bound together as companions but estranged in marriage (Vivian would say her favorite mistake), but she is a "psychic consultant" for a police department in a city yet to be determined and Dante is a medical examiner/coroner in Boston. When suspicious deaths begin to crop up looking like copycat crimes from not only their past but also crimes that live in infamy, they end up having to team up to save the day....err, night. Oh and they happen to be vampires.
I kind of wanted to combine my loves across different genres and have been looking for a way for years to do it.
Twilight, it ain't. That whole series has some epic rants attached to it on my part, believe me.
I just tend to have the uncanny ability to come up with stories that are close enough to other stories that I don't even know about yet, to seem like I'm ripping my ideas off of them. Frustrating to be sure.
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This story would be more like vampires falling....err, out of love and in love and out again....centuries of snarky-ness.
Basically the premise is two people, bound together as companions but estranged in marriage (Vivian would say her favorite mistake), but she is a "psychic consultant" for a police department in a city yet to be determined and Dante is a medical examiner/coroner in Boston. When suspicious deaths begin to crop up looking like copycat crimes from not only their past but also crimes that live in infamy, they end up having to team up to save the day....err, night. Oh and they happen to be vampires.
I'm not aware of anything like that done with vampires, fwiw.
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The "estranged couple has to team up" idea is something I've seen in general, but not with vampires. It would be interesting to see where you could go with that.
Twilight, it ain't. That whole series has some epic rants attached to it on my part, believe me.
:D There's a hate thread somewhere in the Media section. I'm sure your opinions would be greatly appreciated.
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This story would be more like vampires falling....err, out of love and in love and out again....centuries of snarky-ness.
Basically the premise is two people, bound together as companions but estranged in marriage (Vivian would say her favorite mistake), but she is a "psychic consultant" for a police department in a city yet to be determined and Dante is a medical examiner/coroner in Boston. When suspicious deaths begin to crop up looking like copycat crimes from not only their past but also crimes that live in infamy, they end up having to team up to save the day....err, night. Oh and they happen to be vampires.
I kind of wanted to combine my loves across different genres and have been looking for a way for years to do it.
Twilight, it ain't. That whole series has some epic rants attached to it on my part, believe me.
I just tend to have the uncanny ability to come up with stories that are close enough to other stories that I don't even know about yet, to seem like I'm ripping my ideas off of them. Frustrating to be sure.
What kind of Vampires to you favor? Obviously not crazy monsters cause you have MC's that are vamps. Can they eat animal blood or do they need human blood? can it be bottled or does it have to be fresh? do they have to feed to live or just to use the superpowers? speaking of powers, what can they do? is it full dracula with mental hoodoo and superstrength? are they both unique?
ps NO SPARKLY VAMPIRES I HATE SPARKLY VAMPIRES VAMPIRES TURN TO DUST IN THE SUN THEY DO NOT SPARKLE NO SPARKLES EVER
thank you.
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VAMPIRES TURN TO DUST IN THE SUN
Only post-Nosferatu for the most part, I think. But yeah - sparkling is just wrong.
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So far I'm working on their character sketches and pinpointing down their timelines so that I can go back and research potential paralleling storylines.
I'm also working on supporting character sketches. Dante's best friend is Shakyamuni, Siddhartha Gautama actually. He's actually an older character idea than Dante and Vivian Bianco but I never had a story really for him to fit into except a small vignette about his creation. When I was in Thailand, I was reading a parable about how a King Cobra became enamoured of the meditating Siddhartha and so the snake gentle coiled himself beneath the young Buddha, rising up over his back and expanding his hood to shelter Gautama from the elements. That tale, twisted just a bit, is the key to Shakyamuni's background.
I'm also sketching out potential threats to vampires on whole. I thought about something like a Van Helsing society that investigate weird and paranormal things but from the other side of the spectrum. They are the first to point the fingers toward the beasties that lurk in the dark, so the vampires usually end up getting the short end of the stick. Sometimes Van Helsing is right but more often than not, they aren't. They also have a collection of professionals and amateurs, so it's a toss up as to who is more of a pest.
In this world there are good vamps and bad ones too. The biggest split is amongst the Dracul family but that's still a bit hazy for me. I do know that conflict sparked off a war for years that may still be going on and I want the wars to slip neatly in amongst some of the bloodiest human conflicts in history. There are always secret layers to wars and some of the biggest have been the deepest and darkest secrets of all.
Anyway....so I have ideas rolling around in my head. I'm just hoping I can find interest in it long enough not to drop it. That's my biggest problem, keeping motivated and interested.
I suppose I'll just have to write something that I really want to read! Heh.
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Only post-Nosferatu for the most part, I think. But yeah - sparkling is just wrong.
Trouble is, it's been part of the modern vampire lore for so long now, due to that, it's hard to completely tease it out. Although I like how they handled it in the sadly short-lived TV series "Moonlight": vamps there could go out in daylight, but it makes them very uncomfortable, while direct unobstructe sunlight (ie. one episode set in a desert) can make them deathly ill.
I might despise the Twilight series, but I have a feeling a lot of the kids who got hooked on it will go for anything with vampires because of it, so hopefully they'll find the better stuff, like Richelle Mead's "Vampire Academy", etc.
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What kind of Vampires to you favor? Obviously not crazy monsters cause you have MC's that are vamps. Can they eat animal blood or do they need human blood? can it be bottled or does it have to be fresh? do they have to feed to live or just to use the superpowers? speaking of powers, what can they do? is it full dracula with mental hoodoo and superstrength? are they both unique?
ps NO SPARKLY VAMPIRES I HATE SPARKLY VAMPIRES VAMPIRES TURN TO DUST IN THE SUN THEY DO NOT SPARKLE NO SPARKLES EVER
thank you.
Don't worry. *chuckles* I'm a happy heathen so none of my stuff is thinly disguised religious propaganda AND I grew up on good vampire fiction from Stoker to Rice (early stuff, way early stuff...okay maybe just Lestat in his golden years). The main conflicts that I see are less about good versus evil but more about how different people/groups/communities can develop a different moral compass. So I'd like it to be that not everyone is entirely wrong but not everyone is right either. I kind of like where Jim took his vampires but I see my version of vampires as just another race out there that happen to need more than just cheeseburgers and a good beer to survive.
I'm following along the main lines of everything precious about life. Blood, sex and rock and roll.....well, energy. Every vampire has the capability of drawing upon any of those resources. They use them, though like anything, some have preferences and strengths but when one method might be difficult, another can be used. Some vampires kill to eat, some don't. They also can and are functional during the daytime (sorry), but they are basically like every other mortal out there when they have to wear their sunglasses, which is why the night is so darned nifty and the preferred time of true living. The energy of the night for vampires is like the yellow sun for Superman. They don't sparkle though unless they've brushed their teeth really really well that day. Vampires are kind of as varied as human beings and they don't have any real leader, just people they really respected in some capacity or another for their deeds or charming personalities.
As far as abilities, they have better than average strength. No one is really sure if they can live forever but they don't age after a certain point. They can certainly die if someone is hell bent on trying (which for good story purposes, will most definitely happen). If you drive a stake through their hearts and cut off their heads, I'd say that's good enough to kill just about anyone. I think each character is going to have something they're really good at and on the supernatural spectrum. I just want them all to be as varied and as believable as possible. A good hint is that Viv is going to have pretty impressive mental capabilities while Dante is probably going to be very talented at being good looking....ahem. Okay okay, he's good at deductive reasoning and the science of the weird, maybe.
Anyway....literally just hatched this idea yesterday so it's going to take some considerable time for me to work out all the finer details.
Hope that helps though?
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That sounds interesting really. Probably something I'd pick up and read if I saw it in a store. I hope you proceed with your idea. :)
Per vamps and sunlight - yeah, it's become ingrained now. I can go either way on it. It can be an interesting plot device that they can't come out in the sun. It certainly takes away some of the "OMG! Vampyres r soooo cooool!!!1111" aspect, in that it would certainly be a huge drawback for someone's lifestyle. On the other hand, vamps that can go out in the sun can almost be a bit more insidious because you could pass them on the street every day and never know. (Just so it's balanced out by other weaknesses/drawbacks). I guess I like for vampires to have at least one major aspect that would make someone think twice (or thrice, or four times) about wanting to lead that life.
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Trouble is, it's been part of the modern vampire lore for so long now, due to that, it's hard to completely tease it out. Although I like how they handled it in the sadly short-lived TV series "Moonlight": vamps there could go out in daylight, but it makes them very uncomfortable, while direct unobstructe sunlight (ie. one episode set in a desert) can make them deathly ill.
I might despise the Twilight series, but I have a feeling a lot of the kids who got hooked on it will go for anything with vampires because of it, so hopefully they'll find the better stuff, like Richelle Mead's "Vampire Academy", etc.
Just have it where sunlight robs a vampire of most of their supernatural powers, and Elle de Valois, Dracul was a title, or a nickname, not a family name. The family name of Vlad Tepes , if he had a surname, it would probably be Bassarab.
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Don't worry. *chuckles* I'm a happy heathen so none of my stuff is thinly disguised religious propaganda AND I grew up on good vampire fiction from Stoker to Rice (early stuff, way early stuff...okay maybe just Lestat in his golden years). The main conflicts that I see are less about good versus evil but more about how different people/groups/communities can develop a different moral compass. So I'd like it to be that not everyone is entirely wrong but not everyone is right either. I kind of like where Jim took his vampires but I see my version of vampires as just another race out there that happen to need more than just cheeseburgers and a good beer to survive.
I'm following along the main lines of everything precious about life. Blood, sex and rock and roll.....well, energy. Every vampire has the capability of drawing upon any of those resources. They use them, though like anything, some have preferences and strengths but when one method might be difficult, another can be used. Some vampires kill to eat, some don't. They also can and are functional during the daytime (sorry), but they are basically like every other mortal out there when they have to wear their sunglasses, which is why the night is so darned nifty and the preferred time of true living. The energy of the night for vampires is like the yellow sun for Superman. They don't sparkle though unless they've brushed their teeth really really well that day. Vampires are kind of as varied as human beings and they don't have any real leader, just people they really respected in some capacity or another for their deeds or charming personalities.
As far as abilities, they have better than average strength. No one is really sure if they can live forever but they don't age after a certain point. They can certainly die if someone is hell bent on trying (which for good story purposes, will most definitely happen). If you drive a stake through their hearts and cut off their heads, I'd say that's good enough to kill just about anyone. I think each character is going to have something they're really good at and on the supernatural spectrum. I just want them all to be as varied and as believable as possible. A good hint is that Viv is going to have pretty impressive mental capabilities while Dante is probably going to be very talented at being good looking....ahem. Okay okay, he's good at deductive reasoning and the science of the weird, maybe.
Anyway....literally just hatched this idea yesterday so it's going to take some considerable time for me to work out all the finer details.
Hope that helps though?
I like most of that. Alot. You have successfully gotten around the eating people thing which is good if you want a "good" MC.
The sunlight thing could use a little work i think. It can be alright that they can walk the day, but i think they shouldn't have ANY powers if they are outside, not just diminished powers. Or maybe if they eat people they still get their powers. Some sort of temptation/villian setup is always nice.
Powers... I like the mental stuff for your heroine. The really good looking thing is a bit tooooo White Court for comfort (not to say i don't like the White Court angle of DF but you know it could cause some infringement issues). Maybe you could have Dante be alottt stronger or alot faster than any "normal" vampire? Or perhaps he could do magic of some sort? Perhaps telekinesis or pyrokinesis? Something flashy for those "damn he's such a badass" moments?
Perhaps you could make their powers stronger if they feed on people and snuff them out to give a temptation for them to overcome?
Also, what kind of "crimes for their past" do you mean? Is it like ANGEL where your MC used to be evil and like to snack on virgins?
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Just have it where sunlight robs a vampire of most of their supernatural powers, and Elle de Valois, Dracul was a title, or a nickname, not a family name. The family name of Vlad Tepes , if he had a surname, it would probably be Bassarab.
*nods* They're pretty much just like you or me as far as vulnerability during the day.
Secondly, thanks! I've watched many many programs on the History Channel and was always fascinated by Vlad Tepes' story. The man was incredibly smart and ruthless. Dracul is a title but it's also handed down in a certain family. Sort of like the difference between Merlin and The Merlin. I'll clarify it before it's read, believe me but I'm always fascinated and looking for more information, anything that can be helpful.
I'm probably going to boggle my own mind when I start looking into wars and how to build connections between them. Especially if someone addicted to battle has to reinvent themselves.
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I like most of that. Alot. You have successfully gotten around the eating people thing which is good if you want a "good" MC.
The sunlight thing could use a little work i think. It can be alright that they can walk the day, but i think they shouldn't have ANY powers if they are outside, not just diminished powers. Or maybe if they eat people they still get their powers. Some sort of temptation/villian setup is always nice.
Powers... I like the mental stuff for your heroine. The really good looking thing is a bit tooooo White Court for comfort (not to say i don't like the White Court angle of DF but you know it could cause some infringement issues). Maybe you could have Dante be alottt stronger or alot faster than any "normal" vampire? Or perhaps he could do magic of some sort? Perhaps telekinesis or pyrokinesis? Something flashy for those "damn he's such a badass" moments?
Perhaps you could make their powers stronger if they feed on people and snuff them out to give a temptation for them to overcome?
Also, what kind of "crimes for their past" do you mean? Is it like ANGEL where your MC used to be evil and like to snack on virgins?
Dante's looks have nothing to do with him being a vampire. He's Italian. He was born beautiful and with his vanity. He can only charm with his beauty as much as any good looking guy on the front cover of GQ. It's not like he can look at any woman and make them into a puddle of desire (don't tell him that though, you do not want to see his sad puppy face). He's strong and fast though, intelligent enough to become a medical doctor but I'm still working on his specialty.
This is damned good practice and helping a great deal! Thanks!
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ps NO SPARKLY VAMPIRES I HATE SPARKLY VAMPIRES VAMPIRES TURN TO DUST IN THE SUN THEY DO NOT SPARKLE NO SPARKLES EVER
You're still not using enough gunpowder, I tell you.
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My roomie actually has a phobia against glitter. So you can imagine the hell he's gone through in goth clubs and any other place someone has the opportunity to dress up like a faerie.
It's so bad, he says sparkly greeting cards and Christmas cards give him the willys. I can chase him around the house with my eye shadow case!
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The only vampire series that held my attention long enough to read most of it is Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's stories of the vampire Saint-Germain. That's mostly because they incorporate a lot of history into the historical fiction, and deal with a timespan of over 4,000 years from when he was first made vampiric in the late Bronze Age to the present day. Also, there was a real Comte de San Germain in the 18th and 19th centuries that served as the basis and inspiration of the character.
The vampire Saint-Germain doesn't have much in the way of supernatural powers, other than immortality, and somewhat enhanced physical strength and stamina. Sunlight and being over or in flowing water saps his strength, though he can offset the effect by maintaining contact with earth from his homeland, which usually lines the soles of his shoes. The process of becoming a vampire left him impotent, but intimate vampiric contact with a woman when he feeds provides them intense pleasure, and if he cannot find a willing companion, he does have the ability to influence a woman's dreams, and feed on her in her sleep without her knowledge. If he feeds on someone multiple times, it's possible they will rise as a vampire after death, so he's very careful to limit his contact, unless they are close enough to him to be willing (surprisingly few are, over the centuries). His main strengths are the knowledge he has accumulated over the millenia, including the secrets of alchemy, which have allowed him to manufacture gold and precious gems to add to his wealth, and the wealth itself, which enables him to travel and change identities, and conceal his true nature. He doesn't age, and can heal most wounds, in time, but fire and anything that destroys the brain or central nervous system can still kill him. A couple of other idiosyncrasies are that he cannot eat or drink normal food ("I never drink. . .wine." pops up occasionally. :) ), and religious artifacts like crosses have no effect whatsoever; he was born over 2,000 years before Jesus Christ, after all.
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being over or in flowing water saps his strength
That's a good one that I don't see used in a lot of modern interpretations. I've always liked it though. (Empathy I think - I don't like water :D )
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That's a good one that I don't see used in a lot of modern interpretations. I've always liked it though. (Empathy I think - I don't like water :D )
The flowing water thing and need for his "native earth" are also factors of P.N. Elrod's vampire characters, Jack Fleming and Quincy Morris. They don't have the ability to be active during daylight, though.
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I picked up one of those books and for some reason, it just didn't grab my attention. I couldn't keep track and there seemed to be something tedious about getting through the words. I don't know why, maybe it was just me.
I also love the story of St. Germaine as it pertains to the tale told down in New Orleans. The house on Rue Royale is staggeringly beautiful and is enormous, taking up one entire block. In fact, it's featured in the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Apparently, they can't keep it occupied though. The price tag was somewhere around four million for the place but the tale behind it all intrigues me. A mysterious gentleman showing up with gobs of wealth, dwelling in the worst parts of townn, hosting parties for the rich but never eating any food and having everything catered....then the lurid tales that began with the horror story of one terrified woman before she died, his disappearance and all the massive blood stains found soaked into the beautiful wooden floors.
Yes, very eerie and I'd love to write something around this tale sometime. After all, I think Vivian will want to be plenty far from Dante, so living down in New Orleans for some period of time may help.
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ooo thats another thing.
Does running water, garlic, crosses, holy ground etc.... have any effect?
What, if any, sorts of other creatures, creepy fairy biddies, wizards, etc... exist in your world?
So Dante doesn't have a speciality yet? Ok then (got confused when you listed Vivians and just put really ridiculously good looking for Dante ;D) i suggest something flashy and ostentatious. Like fireballs. Fireballs are always a good decision. *nods head sagely*
If they're up during the day, and living their 'true' life at night, when do they sleep? Do they sleep?
If they must sleep, or rest, do they do it in a coffin? (do they do it in a coffin? lol sorry couldn't help the pun it was toooo good)
Can they regenerate lost limbs? How about fingers if not limbs? Do normal weapons harm them? Must they be staked in the heart to die? What about decapitation and scattering of body parts?
Another question, is a vampire born, turned, or can it be either? (think the Blade series.)
Does someone have to get munched on (literally none of the eating ambient energy) to rise again? Is there some esoteric process?
Are there many vampires? Do they know about each other? Is there a club with a cool handshake and nifty badges? Are vampires common knowledge to normies?
Since this is urban fantasy, let me give you some advice from a concerned reader and all around bibliophile (book lover). IF you are going to have other mythical/supernatural etc.. beings in your world and IF you are going to have some of those be were-wolves, please please please for the love of all that is good reading don't make said were-wolves and vampires automatically hostile to each other. Its been done to death. Not to say that some were's and some vamps can't hate each other. Just don't make it some sort of given for the universe. Please. I'm literally begging you on my hands and knees.
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Of all things, an early Silhouette Nocturne romance featured one aspect of vampire lore that is too often overlooked in pop culture, except for Count von Count in Sesame Street:
Obsession with counting things. In a lot of traditional vampire lore, you can curb a vampire by scattering a lot of little things -- usually seeds, but in the Silhouette Nocturne I mentioned, the heroine helps her vampire sweety curb his desire for her blood by scattering rose petals (If I remember correctly) -- where the vamp is likely to find them.
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Of all things, an early Silhouette Nocturne romance featured one aspect of vampire lore that is too often overlooked in pop culture, except for Count von Count in Sesame Street:
Obsession with counting things. In a lot of traditional vampire lore, you can curb a vampire by scattering a lot of little things -- usually seeds, but in the Silhouette Nocturne I mentioned, the heroine helps her vampire sweety curb his desire for her blood by scattering rose petals (If I remember correctly) -- where the vamp is likely to find them.
This is a good one. I'm gonna try to somehow use it in the story I'm trying to work on.
One good thing I found with lots of info about vampires, and a lot which is overlooked or not well known, is the Vampire Encyclopedia by Matthew Bunson. It has several tables of different things, like things to distract vampires, what can hurt/kill them, how they can be made, and so forth. Along with entries of people considered to be vampires in history and movie vampires and so forth.
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ooo thats another thing.
Does running water, garlic, crosses, holy ground etc.... have any effect?
What, if any, sorts of other creatures, creepy fairy biddies, wizards, etc... exist in your world?
So Dante doesn't have a speciality yet? Ok then (got confused when you listed Vivians and just put really ridiculously good looking for Dante ;D) i suggest something flashy and ostentatious. Like fireballs. Fireballs are always a good decision. *nods head sagely*
If they're up during the day, and living their 'true' life at night, when do they sleep? Do they sleep?
If they must sleep, or rest, do they do it in a coffin? (do they do it in a coffin? lol sorry couldn't help the pun it was toooo good)
Can they regenerate lost limbs? How about fingers if not limbs? Do normal weapons harm them? Must they be staked in the heart to die? What about decapitation and scattering of body parts?
Another question, is a vampire born, turned, or can it be either? (think the Blade series.)
Does someone have to get munched on (literally none of the eating ambient energy) to rise again? Is there some esoteric process?
Are there many vampires? Do they know about each other? Is there a club with a cool handshake and nifty badges? Are vampires common knowledge to normies?
Since this is urban fantasy, let me give you some advice from a concerned reader and all around bibliophile (book lover). IF you are going to have other mythical/supernatural etc.. beings in your world and IF you are going to have some of those be were-wolves, please please please for the love of all that is good reading don't make said were-wolves and vampires automatically hostile to each other. Its been done to death. Not to say that some were's and some vamps can't hate each other. Just don't make it some sort of given for the universe. Please. I'm literally begging you on my hands and knees.
Okay umm....hmm....let's address each question at a time.
It may be that running water disperses magic and so it could weaken a vampire but not enough to kill....unless they were being murdered to death in running water. As for crosses, they're quite fond of looking at crosses (I couldn't help myself there). Garlic only instinctively makes a vampire hand you a breath mint. Holy ground....that's a bit more complicated. There is a respect there if anything for those that believe in it. I first climbed on board to the idea that places, objects and words can have power but only if you believe hard enough when I first read Death: The High Cost of Living. I carried that with me and the more I studied religion, the more it made sense to me. So yes and no. To each his own.
I'm debating bringing other fantastical beings in. On one hand I'm thinking I'm going to have enough on my hands sorting out the world of my vamps and on the other, if there are vamps out there shouldn't other mythical creatures exist? I don't know, it may be something I work in later if I have enough brain cells. I also don't want to be ripping off any of my...ahem....favorite authors.
I'll think of something way awesome for Dante to be sure. Levitation could be a fun option if not a fireworks show. Well, at least levitation could be a lot of fun for Viv.
My vampires do sleep. They don't need as much as mortals though. Feeding tends to be the equivalent of a Red Bull or Sobe Adrenaline Rush (Trademarked but yummy)! They also don't need coffins but dark helps, sensory deprvation is even better. If they wanted to do the whole traditional vampire thing, they could but it's purely for show. Sleeping under glaring lights and the grand stands at a monster truck rally is no fun for anyone. As for doing it in coffins, kinky and I'll ask Dante sometime. I bet he'd go for it. Just not at public funerals okay? That's the wrong kind of necrophilia.
They are immortal, not starfish. If they lose a limb or several limbs, it may come down to them gnawing you to death (only the most stubborn and frankly bizarre vamps would dare such a thing). They heal very fast but scars are with you for life or unlife as the case may be.
Can be born or turned. The key element is the blood but science lesson later. If enough blood is exchanged, a mortal can turn and yeah, it's painful. I'm not sure. Is dialysis painful? Doesn't seem so but I've never had it done. I know IV's hurt like hell, especially by inept nursing assistants who keep missing your vein and wiggling the needle around but I digress.
There are vampires in every part of the world but I'm thinking that they've been fairly well picked upon (and picked off) by the :Van Helsing Society:. I'm getting the feeling that they're kind of like another race but I'm not sure if I'd like them to be out and about for the general knowledge of all. I think they'd be cut up in the name of science and there is the potential for them to be treated as things without rights or feelings. That is still in debate with me. I'm not sure which would let the story flow better yet. As for them knowing about each other, there are some with psychic skill and the Society is relentless in it's pursuit of knowledge so I'm thinking there may be those that know and those that don't.
As for werewolves, nope, not going the Underworld route. Lycanthropy exists as a documented medical condition but I'm not even sure if I'm going in the all out mythical/fantastical other creatures route yet. If there is ever conflict though, it's probably going to be over who cheated at cards or some wise-crack about scruffy looking Nerf Herders.
*smoke begins to drift out from ears before she falls out of her chair and into a panting heap*
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This is a good one. I'm gonna try to somehow use it in the story I'm trying to work on.
One good thing I found with lots of info about vampires, and a lot which is overlooked or not well known, is the Vampire Encyclopedia by Matthew Bunson. It has several tables of different things, like things to distract vampires, what can hurt/kill them, how they can be made, and so forth. Along with entries of people considered to be vampires in history and movie vampires and so forth.
Thanks for the tip! I've seen it but haven't picked it up yet. Borders is my friend though. They give me coupons.
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Read stuff from White Wolf. Never read any of it myself but I hear it's meh ok.
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I have. I used have friends that LARPed it and I attended once. The mind-boggling amount of rules and already established story lines really got me confused.
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With theiroanthops (weres) why not go the yokai path. Instead of people turning into animals, have it be animals turning into people. ;D
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Aww but I've always considered animals to be fuzzy people, they just speak a different language and speak it directly from their hearts.
Although I do like that idea. I've also always liked the idea that Native Americans sometimes took on the guises of animals.
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I'm debating bringing other fantastical beings in. On one hand I'm thinking I'm going to have enough on my hands sorting out the world of my vamps and on the other, if there are vamps out there shouldn't other mythical creatures exist? I don't know, it may be something I work in later if I have enough brain cells. I also don't want to be ripping off any of my...ahem....favorite authors.
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In her Women of the Otherworld series Kelley Armstrong first introduced the werewolves, the only supernaturals in book 1. The were's introduction to the larger supernatural society (Vamps, Witches, Half-demons etc.) constitute part of the plot for book 2.
It's a viable technique, and helps avoid introducing too much information to remember at any one time.
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There's also the option of just making passing mention of other supernatural beings existing - ie. other characters briefly mentioning it in conversation. That way you don't have to go too in depth at first and heap up too much on the reader and you've also laid some groundwork; if your original story idea becomes more than one book you've got some background to use to introduce other characters.
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That seems like a good route. I may mention things here or there but make it so that it stands on it's own, easily contained in case there aren't other books.
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That seems like a good route. I may mention things here or there but make it so that it stands on it's own, easily contained in case there aren't other books.
I think the most important question here is, how big is your story compared to your world ? Do you want the story to feel like it deals with all the major stuff that's going on, that everything it introduces is plot-important and will be resolved, or do you want it to feel like a slice through a much larger universe with many more stories and things going on outside the scope of the one you are telling right now ?
There's no right answer to this one; there are great stories that take either approach. But if you're aiming for the former, you probably don't want to introduce that much at a world-building level that is not entwined with that particular story; if you're aiming for the latter feel, the more depth and density that is in there outside of what's important to your actual plot, the better.
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Well, I'd like to make it several stories but I think it'll really depend on my persistance.