1. VaxilRae

    VaxilRae New Member

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    Sterotypical Vampire Plot....

    Discussion in 'Plot Development' started by VaxilRae, Mar 8, 2017.

    All right here, have a bit of an issue with my vampire novel. (Yes I know this is stereotypical)

    I have a young woman and three vampires traveling together to find their creators; this is the middle of the book, I have a lengthy beginning and end already plotted and finished) I have a few scenes during this journey that are important to character's development. For example, they might not water, but shes human and needs food, water, and sleep. They can only travel during the night ect.) Those are potential conflicts. One of them can turn on her ect.)

    I need to come up with things that happen during these time.

    I'm honestly stumped. Between the time they leave and when they find the creator - I can't just have them walking, sleeping, feeding, walking, sleeping, eating...

    Anyone have ideas?
     
  2. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    Where cushions are comfy, and straps hold firm.
    Perhaps not turn on their human helper/companion, but instead struggle with
    not trying to eat her. (no that was not meant to be a sex joke). Or you could get
    just about to the end and have some one eat her out of desperation to live.

    It just depends on how important the character is and if we should care
    or not (the reader) that a mortal is killed by one (or all three) immortals
    in the last leg of their journey to Vampire super mega original overlord.

    Granted if the 3 Vampires care about the human, then it will change things
    later on dramatically. You just have to decide on how the whole affair plays
    out, whether eaten or tempted to be eaten. Each has its rewards in how it
    affects the obvious non-mortals in affecting them one way or another.

    Also as an aside:
    Greetings, welcome, and salutations to the forum, Sir/Sirette. :superhello:
     
  3. Mikmaxs

    Mikmaxs Senior Member

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    Something very important to say right off the bat:
    Beware of try/fail and try/succeed cycles that don't effect the outcome of future events. Everything that happens should impact the story in one way or another. It doesn't have to be major, but it should have at least a tiny bit of meaning.

    It doesn't always have to be positive. In fact, it's better if they screw up sometimes, but generally you should ask 'Will this bring them closer to their goal or push them further away from it?', and if the answer is 'Neither', consider scrapping the scene. (Note that 'Closer' isn't always geographical.)


    Since it's a travelogue, consider what conflicts they could have to deal with. Are they walking/riding horseback? Make them ride through a desert with no shade that takes 12 hours to cross.

    Have vampire hunters chase them, or trap them in a cave during the day and set up camp outside and take a nap - The human can save the vampires, because they aren't expecting an attack until nightfall.

    Force them to go through a highly vampiriphobic town, because it's the only river crossing for a hundred miles and vampires can't move through flowing water.

    While they're waiting out a day to pass, have them deal with a locked-room drama. They're boarded up with a stranger who they can't or won't kill, but who WILL kill them if they discover the truth.


    These are just random spitball ideas. I don't know if they are going to fit, but I hope they're helpful.

    Good luck!
     
    Simpson17866 likes this.
  4. Simpson17866

    Simpson17866 Contributor Contributor

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    How are vampires generally expected to feel about humans in this setting (and vice versa)? Which of these general expectations does each vampire agree/disagree with (and vice versa)?
     
  5. Forinsyther

    Forinsyther Member

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    It depends on their relationships with each other and their personalities. But perhaps you could have it where the vampires do start to consider eating the human. However, they run into some trouble, something attacks them in the middle of the night when they're travelling, and it leads up to the next morning. (This could create some great suspense, as it puts the readers on the edge of their seats as the sun starts to rise. Bearing in mind you've got to make the vampires likable enough for them to worry.)

    By morning they've been forced to split up. Two vampires make it to cover, but the other vampire and human get stuck. The vampire is barely protected, so the human has to save him, and get him back to the others. This doesn't have to last for the entire journey, but it's a conflict that could last a good few chapters, and create some character development.

    It might be better if before this the vampires made her feel worthless, because she lacks the powers and strengths of an immortal. Maybe she does a lot of chores for them to try and make up for her inferiority. So when she is trying to save the vampire's life, there's a lot of self-doubt, when something goes wrong, she gets frustrated and upset with herself. She compares herself to the vampires, and only later succeeds when she realises that humans have their strengths too.
     
  6. mbear

    mbear Member

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    Typically when adding "filler" scenes, I try to find ways to show the reader the personality of the characters and how they react to situations. Like right now, in my scene, I am doing a family game night (such a boring concept), but i need this to trigger a memory with my character about her past where she was care free and very adventurous because one of the main points of the book is a tragic event in her young life basically changed who she was and her trajectory of life--- so we find her as a young adult a completely different person and the point of the book is her finding herself again. So this filler story is to show the reader what makes her ...well, her. I want the reader to root for her to get back to that care free girl. I also need to show the dynamics and spark between her and another person.
     
  7. EFF_FireFly

    EFF_FireFly New Member

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    All of the above are really good pieces of advice. I would suggest a confrontation. Meeting someone, either literally or metaphorically, that pressures the girl back to the form and personality that they expect her to have, and then the choice to submit to that pressure or fight for the happier carefree attitude.
     

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