I just had an interesting thought. There is a syndrome called Smith Magenis Syndrome, caused by deletion of the short arm of chromosome 17. One of the most distinctive features of that condition is an inverted circadian rhythm of melatonin - basically, they're designed to be nocturnal. I had an idea of a story where a vampire meets someone with SMS, but I have one question. If they became a vampire, would their circadian rhythm stay nocturnal, or would it flip again? Which do you think I should go with? (Rare syndromes are a fascination of mine, by the way.)
That depends on your story's definition of vampire. I'd think the person would stay nocturnal though.
I would say the same. Nocturnal is the "default" state of vampires. So the bigger question is "can these vampires walk in daylight?" There are many different kinds of vampires and I recommend establishing that to your record, it makes the rest of the plot move smoothly.
I've never heard of this syndrome, but it sounds like a great idea to add to a vampire story. There are too many same-y vampire stories out there, I like the fact that this is a real, if unknown syndrome. I don't think you should turn your SMS character into a vampire- but the fact that he/ she is nocturnal could provide a great insight into the what happens at night when the rest of the world is sleeping. Obviously, it's your story, but that's my 2 cents. Hope you write a short with that idea in mind and post it here soon, I'd be very keen to read it.
