Maybe it's just me, but have you noticed that every book, every movie, and every TV program has different 'vampire rules'? Some can walk around in the sun. Some of them eat garlic on a regular basis. And even more laugh in the face of a cross being held by some hapless victim. The inconsistencies baffle the mind.
So, what makes a vampire, well....a vampire?
Certain purists will tell you that the 'rules' can't be broken. Vampires only come out at night. Garlic, crosses, and holy water aren't good things for a vampire to encounter. You kill a vamp by staking, beheading, or by sunlight. Vampires go around killing and drinking the blood of everyone they see, but they particularly enjoy the blood of a virgin. They don't eat or drink anything because they don't need to. Some have superhuman powers. They have no heartbeat. I'm sure there are more, but those are the ones I thought of off the top of my head.
As a reader or a writer, what rules do you think can be broken? Would you still find a vampire believable in a story if the vamp didn't adhere to all of the rules above? I ask because my vampires don't follow every rule, though I'm trying to comply with most.
For example, my vamps:
- Can't go out in the sun
- Need blood to survive (duh)
- Don't have a heartbeat
- Can be killed by staking or beheading
- Are sired; one cannot simply become a vampire by being bitten by one
- Have superhuman strength and hypnosis ability (Except for my MC. She can't do hypno, which pisses her off. It's fun to piss her off.)
- Are extremely pale
Sounds good, right? However, my vamps also:
- Drink. They don't eat very much, though. One does eat a clove of garlic in one scene to prove a point.
- Have sex. Lots of sex. Maybe too much. Oops. (Sorry, Mom!)
- Aren't necessarily attractive; in fact, my MC is kind of plain-looking, but not ghastly or scary.
- Only involve the fangs, eyes, and fingernails when they transform. Nothing more.
- Don't sleep in coffins. My WIP takes place in modern times, and my MC has only been a vamp for about two years.
- Crack jokes. They happen to be very sarcastic. I don't know where that came from...
What's your opinion? If you write about vampires, do you have to obey certain regulations, or is it okay to stray from some of them, risking the wrath of the purists out there? Either way, I do promise you one thing:
My vampires do not and will never sparkle.
9 comments:
I did a post recently on the origin myths of vampires. The original myths actually bear very little resemblance to the Hollywood vampire we know these days. Essentially, Bram Stoker drew on some myths and legends to write a fiction story, and the 'new' vampire was born.
Ciara: Your post was fantastic. Very comprehensive! I wonder if most of today's readers would appreciate vampires who aren't of the Hollywood variety. It's hard to even picture a vamp who isn't from Buffy or even Dracula these days. I'll admit it: I'm a big Buffy fan, too!
I'm very glad they don't sparkle! Like your rules!
Julia: Thank you! Yes, sparkly vampires have no place in my novel...or anywhere else!!
Ha! I loved your sparkle comment. The timing of this article is phenomenal in that a friend of mine had recently posted a scathing comment regarding vamps on her Facebook. Apparently Harlequin recently added a genre of cowboy vampires. She didn't understand how that was possible as a cowboy's job happens predominantly outdoors and during daylight hours. Very tongue in cheek I'd mentioned how nowadays that simply meant her vampires sparkled. Actually, I rather enjoy the vampires that Lynsay Sands puts out. Her "vampires" have nanos that keep them extraordinarily healthy. The purpose of drinking blood is to heal any bodily damage...like sunlight to skin.
I'm not really picky about my vampires, though I do feel that blood should be necessary for their survival and that decapitation should be one of the only ways to kill them. Having said that, I enjoy most vampire books, as long as they're well written. :-)
I'm not proud and I'm no purist. If the vampire is ultra-sexy I'm more inclined to extend extra vampire grace.
My two rules for vampires:
1. Must drink blood
2. Must be good in bed
Chloe: I like the way you think! ;)
Katsmeow: Yeah, cowboy vampires...that's new! Hmmm...
I also think blood for survival and beheading should be a requirement. I guess it comes down to this: How much can you change the rules until a vampire is no longer considered a vampire? Thanks for stopping by!!
I think making your own vampire rules should be encouraged. In my books, they can actually go out in the day. (There's a long and possibly stupid reason why people think they can't, which my MC takes great delight in explaining to people, often while glaring and being sarcastic). I'm pretty sure that in the original myths they could go out in the sunlight.
I always find the biggest question about vampires is whether or not they can reproduce. With each other, with regular humans, what the babies actually come out like. Everything else seems to be flexible, but people seem to have really strong opinions on this one.
At the end of the day (can't believe I just said that, but moving on)vampires are mythical creatures. Create your own mythology and have fun with it.
Hi, Lesley!
I don't think it's a bad thing to make up your own vampire rules. The ability to go outside in the daylight has always been in question for me; some people are adamant that they can't, some insist that it's fine. Either way, for me, as long as it's written well, it's all good.
The reproduction issue: Fortunately, I don't deal with that in this book. Not touching it.
I'm happy to hear that I'm not the only one with a sarcastic MC. I think vampires need a little of that, no? ;)
Thank you for the comment!!
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