1. MissRose

    MissRose New Member

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    Are vampire books overused?

    Discussion in 'Plot Development' started by MissRose, Feb 16, 2010.

    I had a pretty good plot in my head for a book, but of course the main character is a vampire. That got me to thinking if anybody really wants to read another vampire book. Its like: "Oh, not another Twilight!"
    But its more of a tradgedy/action than a romance but with romance
    So, do you think that vampire plots are overused?
     
  2. Rei

    Rei Contributor Contributor

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    They are popular right now, but it will not stay that way. However, there will always be an audience for everything. If you are happy with it, write it. By the time you finish it and find a publisher, the trend will have shifted, so you have nothing to worry about.
     
  3. InkDream

    InkDream Active Member

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    From Dracula on we haven't been able to get enough. I think to some extent vampires will always be "in."
     
  4. Norm

    Norm New Member

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    When you think about it, most ideas that can be turned into stories have... already been turned into stories. The only thing that separates your vampires from the vampires of book X, Y, and Z is the way you write it.
     
  5. marina

    marina Contributor Contributor

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    If you've got a good story to tell, then tell it. Just my opinion, but unless you're already a proven writer and have a real chance of getting your next story published, then you should just be working on your writing rather than worrying too much about it getting published at this point. Hone the skills first before fixing your sites on publication.
     
  6. Anonym

    Anonym New Member

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    I don't think it'll ever be 'out', but yeah, I personally think the vampire theme has been grossly overused. But even then, there are still plenty of vampire-theme movies being churned out, so there'll always been an audience I think. That said, I'm enjoying the increasing shift from fantasy to sci-fi w/in the genre.

    that's just me
     
  7. Rachael89

    Rachael89 New Member

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    It's not what you write about, it's how you write about it. As long as you have a good sense of style and flow, you can write about anything and be successful :).

    Go for your idea, people have been writing pretty consistently about vampires for over 100 years and there will always be stories left to tell.
     
  8. cboatsman

    cboatsman New Member

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    I guarantee you that any concept you conceive can easily be shot-down with "Oh, God! Not another _____."

    Spend less time concerning yourself with whether or not your new concept is unique and more time developing your story so its worth reading regardless of concept. That's about all anyone can do at this point because so many concepts have been done to death.

    Fortunately for us this works to our advantage because we can see what worked well and what didn't.

    Good luck.

    Caleb
     
  9. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    stories about vampires, like the vampires themselves, are immortal!... after all, novels about vampires have been successfully published for hundreds of years, so what makes you think they'll ever stop intriguing readers?...

    as far as trends go, keep in mind that it will take you a year [or more] to complete and polish your ms, then will take another year [or more], to find an agent, and/or a publisher willing to publish it, then it will take between 18 months and 2 years from the time you sign the contract, before an actual book will be on bookstore shelves... so much for worrying about current trends!
     
  10. writewizard

    writewizard New Member

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    Overused or not shouldn't matter, what should matter is how you chose to write the story. Very hot market right now. But you have to ask yourself - am I writing this to get it published, or am I writing it for me? The end result of the book will probably be different.
     
  11. whiskeyjameson

    whiskeyjameson Member

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    Just because I won't ever pick up another book with a vampire on it doesn't mean someone won't. This influx of 'teen' vamps makes me miss old Anne Rice. But really. Write it. Because there are a lot of people applying for a job would you yourself not apply? It all comes down to you and what you have to offer.
     
  12. JTheGreat

    JTheGreat New Member

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    People love vampires. They're immortal, ambiguous (no boundaries on writing rules), dark (metaphorically), pale (literally), and pretty. They'll always be "in".

    Its pretty much all up to how you choose to write it. With fantasy and the supernatural, you have free range.
     
  13. tcol4417

    tcol4417 Member

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    Right now - at this particular point in time - vampire culture is dead (pun intended) and we all know whose fault it is.

    That doesn't mean that it will stay that way - history repeats itself and things go in and out of fashion all the time. I'm actually told that the next big thing is fallen angels, what with the book Fallen (whose premise is pretty much exactly the same as Twilight) and that movie that's coming out where some demons are chasing after this lady's kid - I don't even care, the SFX budget will be bigger than... well it'll be big and it's because the market follows the promise of profit.

    Nothing ever goes out of fashion permanently - everything will eventually be dusted off and worn again, even is it's just as a satirical statement (Thank you Penny Arcade and Evil Iguana. Mummies indeed.)
     
  14. PJ.Paradox

    PJ.Paradox New Member

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    I think Mercedes Lackey said it best when she said, paraphrased, that there is no point in getting worked up over ideas in writing because they are meaningless. It is what you do with the ideas that you have that truly defines your fiction. Granted this was in the context of so-called "stealing other people's ideas" for novels, but I think it also applies here as well.

    Is it true that writing a book about vampires is a common idea? Absolutely. This isn't exactly a new trend so far as popular fiction is concerned. The point is that the topic of vampirism doesn't in itself make or break your story - it's what you do with with the idea of including vampires in your story.

    Obviously if you go with the same cliche melodrama that typically saturates the unpublished (and quite a bit of the published) fiction on this topic, then you stand much less chance of creating a memorable work of art. If however, you find a unique way to present them that is not so warped as to repel your audience, then there is a good chance that you'll be able to create a piece that will be cherished. After all, in spite of all the vampire rubbish out there, vampires ARE a hot topic. If you don't believe me, then you might check into the success of Twilight, Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, any number of movies within the past 15 years, and the World of Darkness RPGs. The key is to find a way to tell a story based on the idea you choose to go with in a way that will be refreshing, engaging, and inspiring to your readers.

    Following up on my previous comment... I think the answer is far more simple than most people believe - Don't make another Twilight. It's been done.

    Don't make another Luis or Lestat. It's been done.

    Don't make another clan Toreador. It's been done.

    Don't make a a whore house in mexico where the employees are all vampires who eat their customers. It's been done.


    If you want to use vampires, make your own vampires. Don't base them on anything in popular fiction or culture.

    The reason why popular ideas become 'overused' is because inexperienced fiction writers often have an interest in writing, but are unable to come up with ways of presenting their (and I use the term loosely) ideas in a way that is distinctly their own due to self delusion,lack of experience, imagination, guidance, and/or education. ANY time something becomes popular people are going to be come inspired to try their hand at it, and in any situation where many people are trying their hand there are going to be people who are really good at it, and those who are not.
     
  15. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    keep in mind that if you're just starting to write a book, it'll be at the very least, a year before you have a ms ready to submit...

    then, it can take a year, or more, to snag an agent [if you're lucky enough to ever get one]...

    it can take another year for the agent to snag a publisher [if the book's good enough and the agent's lucky/good enough to ever get you one]...

    it takes from 18 months to 2 years from signing the contract, for a publisher to get a book out in the bookstores...

    so...

    it'll be 4.5 to 5 years before the book idea you have now will be 'out there'...

    so much for what's popular now!

    as for being 'overused,' everything that's written is, at one point or another... but a good story and good writing can always find an eager audience...
     
  16. Forkfoot

    Forkfoot Caitlin's ex is a lying, abusive rapist. Contributor

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    ^ Yeah, but there are at this time approximately one zillion doe-eyed teens and tweens currently infatuated with the subject and working on their own vampire manuscripts which will be vying for publication at that time also.
     
  17. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    95+% of which will be so bad, they'll never make it past a query... which does narrow the field significantly!
     
  18. PJ.Paradox

    PJ.Paradox New Member

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    Ultimately, awesome is awesome. It doesn't matter what your topic is. Most of the "Doe Eyed Teens" do not have what it takes to produce "Awesome," and thus fail. Can they get what it takes to produce "Awesome?" Sure they can, but they need to devote themselves to the pursuit of "Awesome" and if they are willing to do that, odds are they'd have been attracted to fiction writing anyway and pop culture vampires were just the excuse to unleash their inner creator.
     

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