It’s Okay to Write About Vampires

This post wasn’t easy to write with my usual devil-may-care attitude and flair for frivolity because I had to set aside my own prejudices and say something every writer needs to hear (myself included).

It’s okay to write about vampires. No seriously. Go ahead. It’s okay.

I know! Vampires are hackneyed and cliché. No writer wants to touch them after that “sparkle” incident and vampires are a concept that has been done to death (so to speak). But none of that matters. Because if you want to write vampires, you should be able to write vampires.

It goes against what you believe. That everything you create must be NEW, UNIQUE, SPECIAL! You find yourself hesitating even as your fingers are automatically typing out the word “fang” and then it happens. You start an internet search for Japanese folklore monsters no one has ever heard of.

That’s how the villain of your next story turns out to be Namazu (鯰) – a giant catfish who causes earthquakes and you’re like: “This is GENIUS!”

But even as a huge catfish ravages Tokyo, rumbling like the Blizzard machine at your local Dairy Queen, you’re left with an empty hollow feeling. Because you had a great idea for a vampire story.

People love vampires. They’re a fun mythology and there is LITERALLY a vampire for everyone. You could write about the suave vampire who hypnotizes the love of his life so that he can transform her and she can be with him for all of eternity. OR you could write the horrible blood-thirsty monster who thinks of humans as prey and just wants to drain victims of their bodily fluids. There are scary vamps, sexy vamps, gay vamps, urban vamps, Victorian vamps, and yes even the (ugh) sparkly vamps. And there’s also just enough wiggle room to add your own take on them.

Now I’m not saying you need to write about vampires. I’m just saying it’s okay if you want to. And that works for all so-called tropes in all genres. If you write cozy romances, you can have the small-town baker teach the uppity executive about life and love over a loaf or two. Fantasy? Pour a pointy cap wizard into your word soup. If you write sci-fi, it’s perfectly fine for aliens to try and take over earth. In fact, I hope they do. We’re screwing it up and boy, do we need some guidance.

And yes, one can make the argument that there are certain characters/plots/situations that have been done over and over again, but there’s a reason why they are. Sometimes, readers like a little trope with a side of stereotypes and some formulaic plot for dipping. It’s comfort food. And there’s no law that says you can’t spice up the recipe with a few secret ingredients of your own.

So write all the damn vampires you want. And if you want to write about Namazu (鯰), take it. He’s yours. But don’t blame me when a year or two from now, editors see your story and go “Ugh, not another giant catfish story.” You have been warned.