Vampire Books Fans, Fangs and Writers discussion

Hi, everybody! I decided to drop by and let you know I haven't slipped into a coffin (or closet) and fallen into an eternal slumber. I haven't been on this site much for a while, but I have been very busy writing and doing other things. I got to work on my novel during November because it was NaNoWriMo, and, more recently, have been working on it because I'm taking a skills class that as part of its homework had us choose a longterm goal to work on. Among other writing activities, I am doing emotional arcs for my main characters--something inspired by a speaker at a local writers' meeting. The idea is to spell out the book's premise, which is a short statement of its theme plus its individual twist. Mine, for instance is "Mercy for an enemy triumphs over judgment" (theme)"... even when that enemy is a murderous vampire." I've done some reworking of my teaser ideas and book cover ideas and have been working on a painting of my vampire girl, but unfortunately got no response when I called a friend who had said he would help me with the cover with his computer program. I think someone in this group offered to help with a cover; I might take up that offer, because Microsoft Publisher is woefully inefficient for the purpose. I have re-written my extended synopsis (which is a 14-page scene-by-scene description of the story, including what I can of what I haven't written yet) and will be re-ordering some of the events in their chapters. I had to renumber the chapters and reconcile this synopsis and the computer chapter files (I keep each chapter in a separate file). I also created a Contents page, including tentative titles for chapters yet to be written. It helps to have these things to see the forest without being lost in the trees--to know what my story is really about and streamline it to tell the message I want it to. My book is too long by most YA standards. I am considering cutting it into two books, but if I did that neither would be a complete story. Maybe Stephen R. Donaldson got away with that in his 2-book fantasy Mordant's Need, but he was very popular already and I don't think Mordant's Need was that popular even so. I am not sure where I would end one book and start the other. If I did divide them, I would probably call the first book "The Anti-Vampirism Society," which is the name of the series I am planning to make of it and already being publicized a bit on my blog. (Haven't written on the blog since the second interview of Carletta; still not sure what the interview of Luke will be like, and haven't thought about it much.) There comes a time in a novelist's life when she must work on her novel and most everything else be damned. I am not good at juggling that task and keeping an active public profile. The latter has been mostly limited to hanging out of Facebook in effort to overcome nightly insomnia. It doesn't work, but it gives me something to do when I feel I am in no shape to be productive. Anyway, I made a commitment for 5 weeks to rewrite 5 chapters in succession and do the periferal stuff I mentioned above to clarify the goal and motivate me with visualization of the finished product. But my skills class is giving me more homework each week; I think I need to cut down on my novel commitments to fit in my organizational goals and deal with my tiredness. This bad sleep cycle resembles vampirism more than I would like. I myself need a cure! So I hope the general category is best for this. If not, it may be moved as the mods see fit. I hope other writers will describe where they are in their processes and that we can encourage one another.

My copy of Mordant's Need has a few pages missing at the end of the first book in a very non-obvious way, so for a long time I was confused by the beginning of the second book.

Bummer! I loved that series. The strategy of the king made sense to my personal life at the time I was reading it. I felt like Donaldson had changed somehow in a big way. I got a feeling of joy more than gloom in those two books, in spite of some of its dire situations. It might have just been the mood I was in when I read it. Have you read his vampire short story? I think it was in the Reaves the Just collection. The vampire didn't suck blood but life. I got to meet him at a reading and signing at Powell's a few years ago.

I've read the Reaves the Just collection a long time ago. I'm a huge fan of Stephen Donaldson - how great that you met him!

It's a shame but I got stuck halfway into the first book of the third trilogy of Thomas Covenant. I felt the time travel aspects of the plot (which I'm only guessing at) were both obvious and wrong. I'd really like to get back into that one day.

I agree about the joy vs gloom. Mordant's Need is a fantastic adventure.

Time travel? I never got that far, so I don't know. I read the first chapter of the second book because it was on his website. I have the second book now, but in hardback (picked it up really cheap). Since I do nearly all my reading while traveling, I don't bring such tomes with me.

I picked the hardback versions too. I do most of my reading on the iPhone/iPad these days, so there's a huge pile of real books that get neglected.

Ah, the poor books. Maybe you should take them out and stroke them once in a while.

I take them out and put them by my bed, and after a few days my wife 'tidies' them back onto the shelves.

Well, that is SOME attention, at least.

I just posted the prologue to the novel I'm trying to finish to my writing section and would love some feedback.

Thank you to all of you who helped my whimsical novel, New Vampire Online, reach #24 on the urban fantasy list on Saturday!!

Hi Everyone!

Please excuse me if this is against the rules, and if it is, please delete the post!

I have written my debut novel - The Last True Blood and would love some feedback on it! I just published, already out on Amazon & Apple, will be in some other places in the next week or so hopefully.

Anyway, if you decide to do a test drive, I hope you like it!

Thanks!

Hello,
I'm Louise and I'm new to good reads. I have just self published my first book Mina Harker: The Curse of the Vampire on Amazon.

Seven years after the eventful night that Mina was almost turned into a vampire, she is now happily married to Jonathan Harker and has a lovely son called Quincy until her past comes back to haunt her.
Mina’s life is thrown into turmoil as a gypsy sorceress with a hidden agenda casts a spell from the book of the dead to bring Dracula back from his grave.
Mina’s worst nightmares are unleashed as her husband and child are brutally slaughtered and she is reborn with a bloodthirsty appetite and dark vengeance.
Seeking revenge and to be reunited with her loved ones, Mina battles against all odds and survives into the twenty first century, until a handsome stranger arrives to document Mina’s life who is not quite what he seems…
Mina Harker: The Curse of the Vampire is a compelling sequel to Dracula, which also acts as a standalone story. Bringing back the old characters and adding new ones to create an emotional, action packed modernised fantasy from Mina’s perspective with an added twist at the end.

I enjoy reading, writing and blogging. I mainly read/write horror and paranormal stories but I will try most things once.

http://louiselake.blogspot.com

Sounds entertaining. I like female vampires - if you'd like to do a guest post on my blog, get in touch. :-)

Hi everyone. I'm late to the thread but it's great to be around like-minded writers! I've written my first novel, Into the Night, which is due out this December and I'm excited to dig deeper into the Goodreads culture!

Synopsis of the book is here: http://suzannerigdon.wordpress.com/an...

Thank you!

Hi Suzanne, & welcome!
Is that more paranormal romance or urban fantasy?

Hi Francis,
Thank you!It's urban fantasy, with just a dash of romance.

Well, it looks interesting. Good luck with it!

Suzanne wrote: "Hi everyone. I'm late to the thread but it's great to be around like-minded writers! I've written my first novel, Into the Night, which is due out this December and I'm excited to dig deeper into t..."

Sounds interesting! Congrats! Sounds like something I would love to read :)

Louise wrote: "Hello,
I'm Louise and I'm new to good reads. I have just self published my first book Mina Harker: The Curse of the Vampire on Amazon.

Seven years after the eventful night that Mina was almost tur..."

Hey Louise! Just picked it up on Amazon, looks good and I can't wait to read it!

Hi, folks,
I haven't been on this thread in a while. I am especially interested in Louise's book because I like the original Dracula story. (One of my characters is a fan of it and wears a cape all the time--although when he discovers vampires are real and one has bitten his best friend, he finds they aren't so cool! He continues to believe the vampire should be killed but he stubbornly keeps wearing the cape himself.)
I don't have a lot of time to read published books now that I'm working for a publishing company. I spend a lot of time with books that haven't been published, reading submissions, proofreading books about to come out, and editing a book I represent. I like the books that I'm working on (except for the submissions that I suggest rejecting), but none are vampire stories.

I am currently stuck in a dilemma in my vampire writing: What started out to be my first novel in a series, which I thought was close to being finished in its first draft, is so long that I could cut it in half for two separate books. I was considering that--even thought of a new name for the first half, plus cover art--when in a writer's conference I got some advice from a professional who told me some of the things I'd have to do to make it two separate novels: They must be two separate stories, with some major problem solved in the first. I even asked a different person, a speaker at the conference, about it. I asked him whether the Lord of the Rings was one story or two. He said every MODERN book had to tell its own separate story. Whatever Tolkien got away with, no one can anymore--especially not a first-time author. I am having a hard time trying to make the story be two stories. I fear it doesn't want to do that. And the first adviser also said I need to have my whole series pretty well planned in advance so that it has a story arc of its own like each book in it. I'm supposed to somehow represent the person my heroine will eventually end up with pretty early in the first book, another thing that doesn't easily present itself. Even this moment I am envisioning a way to do the latter, but the whole project of making two books--or not--is something I am overwhelmed by right now. If I don't make it two books, I have to cut out so much that it won't be the same story any more. It is almost a true horror story for ME. I started this book so long ago I can't remember what year it was--at least as early as 2001. That's about 13 years. I am reading a book about the main elements of story that I thought would help me (by the author who I asked about The Lord of the Rings), but I don't know whether it will. Yet I strongly believe my story--I still see it as one story--needs to be told. It came to me in a dream that really hit me over the head. Truly, a good idea is not enough, but I have written so much on it. If any of you pray (I do), I ask you for your prayers about this. I need help.

Robin wrote: "I am currently stuck in a dilemma in my vampire writing: What started out to be my first novel in a series, which I thought was close to being finished in its first draft, is so long that I could c..."



As of now, how long is your novel? Is it a stand alone or did you plan on a series?

I do agree that every book has to tell its own separate story.

I don't know what your story is about, the characters, setting ect. however, it is possible to cut it in half. I can only try to tell you my experience.

It took me about 10 years to finally publish my novel Deamhan-from the idea to finally holding the book in my hand. It can be done. At first I planned just one novel but after several rewrites I realized that I would have to write more to tell the story. Like you, I didn't want to but in the end I accepted that fact.

I didn't change my story arc in the first novel. Instead I added details here and there, relating to it as well as leading up to another issue my characters would face in the second book, Dark Curse. This created a little cliffhanger or a somewhat lead into what was expected for the second book, if that makes sense. I didn't go into this arc like I did the first arc because I already one. But I added small details here and there and made sure they didn't hide the important details of the arc in my first novel.

I had to make sure that the issue was important to all characters and/or they had no choice but to deal with it in some way.

I had to push the introductions of a few characters to the second book, create one new character to accompany another character. I made sure that the rising action unfolding in my novel took priority.

So my suggestion is to understand the arc you have now. What is the plot and are there any underlining plots that could be used for your second book. Maybe an idea, a character's history coming back to haunt them, some kind of mystery...whatever. Only you know that because it's your manuscript.

You might have to take a few scenes out of your current manuscript. If you do, see if you can use those in your second one. You may have to move scenes around. I'm not sure.

Again, I don't know the plot or any information about your book so it's hard to tell you what you should or shouldn't do.

Just don't give up. Stick with it!!!!!!!

Hope I didn't confuse you.

My first novel is very large, and could be split easily into four large novellas, but I don't really want to do that - mainly because I finished it over ten years ago and because I like it as a single book.

Thank you for your responses!

Francis, what do you mean when you say "very large"? How thick is the spine? And is it self-published? Your book is not YA, is it? Mine is.

When I counted how many words I had, I used the computer word count and didn't subtract notes, titles, etc., so the totals here are a little high--plus I expect that I will cut some unnecessary writing. That said, the total for the book I am considering cutting in half would be about 140,000 words. That's including estimates for chapters I need that I haven't written yet or have only written parts of. As two books, each would be about 70,000. When I talked to the speaker at the writer's conference (Larry Brooks), without knowing how many words I had, said that if I couldn't make two stories out of it I might have to just have a 70,000 word manuscript and let editors help me pare it down. This was before I sat down to see how much I really have, so what I have by his estimation is apparently twice as long as a TOO-LONG story. But for Barking Rain Press, the publishing company I work for, the maximum length allowed is 100,000 words, with most being from 40,000 to 80,000, which puts my two-book idea within range and would make my one-book idea possible if I cut 20,000 words of it. Reuts, which I was hoping would be an even better bet because one of its editors told me the publisher loves vampire stories, says on its website that 50,000 plus words is an acceptable full-length novel for its YA and NA fiction. I wrote to them asking if there was a maximum. It's been a long time and they haven't written me back--nor has the editor I met at the conference when I sent her an email shortly after the conference. (This lack of responses from Reuts brings them down on my list of consideration for submission to them!)

And I did plan to write a series. The next books are a little vague in my mind yet, but I have some killer characters (in many senses of the word) already developed. But characters themselves don't equal a good story. You need good plots, and some of those plots are still weak.

Isaiyan, did your project involve increasing the length of the book to make it into two books? I got a little lost in your explanation, and I would be curious to know more. I don't see increasing length as either a possibility or a need in my case. I have a strong story for that full length that I have written and plan to write (though I'm stuck with a couple chapters in what I'll call Part 1 here, trying to figure out how to make them work and not wanting to write them). But even before the writer's conference in question, at a workshop in a different, I was told that the first book in a series should work as a stand-alone, just in case it doesn't do well enough for the publisher to continue the series. Though knowing something about the approach of Barking Rain to accepting and publishing a series, I don't think it would be much of a problem with them. To make two books, I have to change the order of some of the scene, and that's okay.

My story is about a girl whose boyfriend has been lured away by a vampire girl. My main character, Mary, seeks a cure for vampirism to rescue the boy she loves before it's too late. She and her friends also try various ways to prevent the vampire from killing people in their town in the meantime. In Part 1, they try a promised cure that doesn't work and have to deal with the consequences. As I have it envisioned now, that book would end with a sense of hope but still no answer as to what the real cure is. That is left for the second book, which also contains some subplots. Ultimately, my characters face some big, unexpected changes.

Isaiyan, your suggestions for a second book are actually relevant to what would be my third book on, if I go with the split idea.

I think I will go ahead and work with the split idea and see how I do, still keeping my original files on my computer in case I change my mind. I like the cover idea I came up with for the first book of it, although I don't have an idea for the second at present. I had been fiddling with cover ideas for a long time, but none any good except that I managed to make some nice painted portraits of my main characters. Then, soon after I had been brainstorming for a new title for the first half of my story, the perfect title came to me, followed by a cover idea. On the advice of a book designer who was at the conference, I simplified my cover idea, and I have almost finished a sketch of it that I really like. And I I think it fits better for the first part than the second.

Mind, the resolution is not set in stone, and I welcome any further suggestions or comments. Thanks again.

80000 is a good target length for a standard novel. Anything shorter than 70000 will feel short. Anything over 100000 and it will feel long - but it's not so unusual to see books heading up to the 130000 to 140000 range these days.

I suspect, though, that such a high word count for an unknown author is a little daunting, so seeing if you could split it into two could be worth it.

My first novel was 184000 words, so very very long, but it is epic high fantasy and these are often long books: Kings of Infinite Space: The Quest for Alina Meridon.

Thanks. From what I've been told, YA is usually shorter than most adult novels. I didn't know you ever wrote epic high fantasy. I thought your first was Suzy and the Monsters.

By daunting, do you mean hard for a writer to write, or hard for publishers and readers to accept? I never used to think that my length was daunting me personally; I just thought for a long time that after the first draft was finished I would be able to shorten it efficiently. It was only after I woke up and realized the immensity of the monster I'd created that I thought others might not appreciate my darling. How did your first novel do?

I spent three years writing KOIS, and then it was twelve years without writing anything very much before S&tM grabbed me.

How did it do... Well, it has got one review:
http://alinameridon.wordpress.com/201...

When I am browsing for books, a large book by an unfamiliar author troubles me. Is it large because the author doesn't know how to focus and the editor is indulgent? Will I get bored halfway through? Is the world building extensive and pointless?

Of course, with physical books, longer books are more expensive and heavier / more awkward to carry around and read at odd times.

Very true. Which is one reason I rarely read hardbacks; I do most of my reading while traveling by bus. I will check the review of your book. But it doesn't say how sales went, does it?

There, I just read your snippets of her review, and yes, they are very positive. I am intrigued by what she says about the world being so known by the author that all other fantasy/sci-fi worlds pale in comparison. What a compliment! Sounds like the book deserves more attention than it got. When you say the viewer proved that someone other than your mother read it, it looks like it didn't get out to the public.

I've never tried very hard to sell it. There have been a few hundred copies bought on free days, and a handful otherwise.

Anneque's really nice. She published a vampire story recently that I'm planning to read/review.

Cool. There are so many vampire stories out now that even if I had a lot of time to read published books I could barely scratch the surface, and it would be hard to decide which ones to choose to read. One thing rather confused me about Anneque's comments. Is your character Alina a vampire or not? Or something similar to one? I notice her skin is pure white, like that of my undead type vampires, but Suzy's is not.

Alina Meridon is a mythical city a la Atlantis. It's the place they're all looking for. Although there is a brief mention of a girl called Alina at one point.

The woman on the cover, who is also the narrator (although most of the book is actually third person with different chapters following different characters), is Hrana. She is transformed by wizardry into a new species of creature, a fierce blood-drinking one, and many of her descendants inherit some of her new characteristics. Thus she becomes the mother of the vampire race, but she is the only one with white skin - and that doesn't mean she's undead in any way.

And she isn't a lesbian, she's actually very straight by nature, but she sometimes channels a lesbian goddess...

Suzie, on the other hand, is undead, bisexual, full of rage and love, and very human in appearance, with very little in the way of extra powers.

KOIS is essentially science fiction with spiritual elements. The wizardry is really a form of technology far beyond the understanding of the people who use it - or us, for that matter. But there are elements of the divine added in. The nature of the soul divorced from body. The goddess Artemis is a character, and other gods (some ancient, some so-called) and God are key elements of cultures and history.

I wanted a vampire character, but I didn't want paranormal. Thus vampires are a living, breeding species, both intelligent and feral, and extremely dangerous. Only Hrana wasn't born a vampire, so she is very human, but she lives for thousands of years and we see a lot of history through her eyes.

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Hi everyone! It would seem I have found the rest of my people. Can I be your people? lol. My name is Em and I write New Adult Paranormal Romance. I love my vampires. I love all vampires!

Robin, I too got sucked into the void that was NaNoWriMo. It was my first year and ohmagosh, what a brain killer!

Really happy to meet you all :)

Hi E.L., & welcome!

I've never done NaNoWriMo, but I did the poetry one this year, and even that was a challenge. Fun though.

Hi Francis and thank you!! :) I changed it up and wrote a Dystopian. It started off with vampires but I nixed them and replaced with superhumans. 50k was tough to get to and on the Saturday before verification I wrote for about 8 hours continuous. Well done on taking part in the poetry one!

Thanks - if you're curious, it's all linked to here:
https://alinameridon.wordpress.com/no...

Found, followed and currently reading! :) Thanks!

We can never have too many of our people - just saying :) Welcome to our lovely world of paranormal-ity!

Thank you M.P, lovely to connect with you all :)

* envious of M.P.'s warm summer Christmas... *

Hello E.L. It is nice to meet you!

Hi Theresa, its nice to meet you too, thank you :)

I salute all who do the NaNoWriMo. I have thought about it, but have never officially done it.

E.L. wrote: "Thank you M.P, lovely to connect with you all :)" Likewise! :)

Francis wrote: "* envious of M.P.'s warm summer Christmas... *"

Haha! Well, if it makes you feel better, it has been very stormy weather here the past few days albeit in 25 - 30 degree weather ;) Oops, I think I may have just ruined that pep talk :D

Short days here with calm but cold (0 - 5 degree) weather here... :-)

Francis wrote: "Short days here with calm but cold (0 - 5 degree) weather here... :-)"

Wow - at least you'll have a white Christmas? Shorter days means longer nights, just enough time for Santa to make his way down chimneys ;)

Hmm. The weather here can't make up its mind (as usual). So far, November was much colder than December. White Christmas? It's been known to happen...(does not hold breath).