this advice is more specific than most of my videos but I wanted to present a list of questions for authors of vampire literature and fantasy writers in general to consider with Halloween coming up I'm in the spooky mood and have been developing my own ideas around vampires I plan to answer these questions in my own work and thought I'd share them for other paranormal loving storytellers vampires are one of our oldest myths but each author adds something new to the Canon whether it be resistance to sunlight sparkling skin or something more traditional the vampires created will be unique to each author even Bram Stoker was original in his day developing tropes and Concepts which would go on to become the standard with such a high volume of vampire novels available and a continued popularity surrounding the creatures it's easy to be misled into thinking a vampire novel will be easy to write it doesn't have to be rocket science but vampires like new worlds are magic systems still require a certain level of World building in fact with so much literature available this is actually more essential work will need to be done on your monsters and rules established if you want them to stand out from The Vampire scene another series before we continue I'm Riley and this is otherworldly fiction on this channel I rant about books share opinions and lore on my favorite series and offer the occasional writing advice if any of this sounds like your cup of plasma hit that subscribe button those are on Fridays there are a set of simple questions you should ask yourself as you develop your vampires whether it be their weaknesses or diets their culture or their history plus once you've gone through these questions you can apply them to other creatures if vampires aren't your jam most of these questions can be applied to werewolves fairies and so on therefore here are the questions you need to ask I recommend writing down the answers as you go question number one what are your vampires strengths and weaknesses classic weaknesses for vampires include fire decapitation and of course sunlight however authors are Reinventing the wheel all the time and you'll need to establish how your vampires function does the sun kill vampires immediately or does it only injure them does simply being near the Sun have adverse effects on vampires such as making them sleepy or queasy does sunlight have to touch a vampire directly or Khan being in a well-lit room harm them this is just the sun if the sun doesn't hurt vampires where do the Legends come from do vampires stand out on a sunny day such a sparkling when those UV rays hit them or is this just a myth spread by ignorant humans to comfort themselves you need to consider the other weaknesses of your vampire too are they hurt by old school weapons like crosses silver Stakes to the heart or even certain plants is fire required to ensure permanent death on the other side of the coin vampires have strengths do yours have super strength or speed how are their regenerative abilities are they completely indestructible or will jumping from a high enough building still shatter their legs if vampires can be injured how quickly do they heal if they lose limbs can they regrow them are there any injuries which could incapacitate your vampires for hours or even days if so how badly hurt do vampires have to be what does it take to kill them can they actually starve to death or does abstaining from blood simply weaken them are your vampires immune to the common cold are your vampires attractive easily beguiling others or are they hideous are they Charming do they smell like flowers or like rotting blood the vampires in Twilight are described as having floral sense to invite humans in conversely the vampire Ellie from Let the Right One In is described as smelling terrible as a result of not washing the blood of her victims from herself additional abilities vampires may have been could include reading Minds controlling Minds flying transforming into various animals such as wolves or bats are stealing into rooms as missed other weaknesses can include needing to be invited into the homes of their victims garlic are growing weak from a lack of blood mythology of various cultures offer other strengths and weaknesses which could be applied to your vampires in some stories certain types of trees work best for crafting Stakes while specific plants are anathema to vampires vampires may also be trapped in their coffins via the use of nails Arbor Heaven their heads placed between their legs it's up to the individual author how original or traditional their vampires should be question number two what do your vampires look like in modern stories most vampires are youthful and conventionally attractive however other stories old and new describe vampires as being hideous they may be gnarled and old assuming they look human at all some may switch between being young and pretty and old and ugly do your vampires swap their forms at will or do they need to feed on humans to prevent a reverse and aged appearance can they switch between a human form and a monster form where they more closely resemble a gargoyle or animal if if your vampire can change into an animal can they transform into any animal or are they limited to becoming a bat or a wolf furthermore do your vampires change with age well they might not age in the traditional sense are there characteristics which mark an ancient vampire from a fledgling does the texture of a vampire's skin change over time does it become glassy or powdery do they look less human losing color in their cheeks or brightness in their eyes are vampires all pale or pasty in appearance do they have red eyes or do their eyes remain the same color as when they were human are they gaunt are they all beautiful does their skin have a weird texture such as being smooth or hard as rock do they literally have fangs and if they do are the Fangs always out or can the vampires retract them at will do they have unusually long fingernails do they fail to cast a Shadow or show a reflection in the mirror also consider a vampire's age do ancient vampires tried to blend in with genes or do they wander about in waistcoats question number three are superpowers do vampires have any special abilities Beyond super strength and speed if so how do these abilities function our abilities such as telepathy are the use of magic Universal to all vampires or do individuals have their own unique powers do all vampires start with the same gifts or do they have to develop them through the centuries for example can only ancient vampires fly do ancients have gifts fledglings couldn't even imagine well weather abilities are Universal or unique to each vampire can gifts be developed further can a vampire increase the distance from which they can read a person's mind what are the limits of your vampire's powers do they have to be looking at a person to read their mind is it easier for a vampire to read the mind of somebody they know are their characters or other creatures who are immune to vampire abilities if so why are they immune question number four is can your vampires have children can your female vampires become pregnant or is it only the males who can impregnate humans are all vampires infertile can they breed with other vampires breed only with humans or not breed at all if vampires do impregnate a human can the human survive the process is the pregnancy normal or are these adverse effects for the parent if a child is only half vampire what abilities do they share are not share with either parent are all hybrids the same or are there differences in individuals are sex groups in Twilight it is implied that only male vampire human hybrids can change others well females are not venomous if vampires can't create children of their own can they change human children do these children mature but grow frustrated at remaining in the bodies of children or do they remain at the same age men mentally too generally speaking changing children has consequences in the vampire Chronicles Claudia gradually begins to hate her condition she develops the mind of an adult woman craving an adult's body and autonomy and being drawn to wearing mature Fashions and Performing tasks at an adult level in Twilight the children who are transformed remain children toddlers are especially destructive because they can't be taught to control themselves ultimately you should ask yourself how any vampire children whether born or changed function are they physically weaker than adults or can they dispatch their prey with ease did they act like the age they appear wanting to play games and draw with crayons or do they act like adults reading Advanced books and speaking of someone much older how do they survive when they can't hold down jobs or lack the same physical prowess do they have to rely on others who are or look older at what age does transformation into a vampire stop being taboo this brings me to my next question number five do vampires in your world have to follow their own laws how organized are your vampires is there an official government hidden from humans which oversees vampire abilities or those of all mythical creatures are there gangs exclusive to certain cities which make up rules are there territories vampires respect or War over or can they feed anywhere they please are there just general rules everyone knows to follow like not revealing the existence of vampires to humans can vampires have relationships are children with humans or is this forbidden if a vampire breaks any of the laws are there consequences are these laws officially upheld or are offenders punished by vigilante groups if the laws are more organized what are the specific consequences attached to each crime do all crimes end in death or their lesser punishments if there is a government what is its hierarchy is there a single leader or a group of Elders who roll over a coven is there a vampire guard are there titles within a vampire Court like vampire Kings duchesses or Dukes do they have human servants in the know are there vampire Nobles or can anyone gain power do any leaders have children or favorite followers who work with them is the government Fair or are they the antagonistic force of the book finally do vampires have their own culture if so is it dependent on their age or rank number six are there other creatures which coexist with vampires what are the creatures populate the vampire's world even if vampires are the focus of the story do they war or work with entities like werewolves Wizards or else do they all follow the same government or does each group govern itself do humans know of the existence of vampires or other creatures or are they a secret it's a popular Trope for vampires and werewolves to be enemies but if you choose to utilize this Trope you'll still need to explain why they're enemies is the hatred genetic causing vampires and werewolves to be automatically repelled by one another or as a political driven by factions old grudges or the need to rule over territory as the human gang might do are vampires allowed to mingle with others can they have children with werewolves or elves if they do are those children attacked as Abominations what powers do the hybrid children of vampires and werewolves have can a human be bitten by both a vampire and a werewolf to become a hybrid or as one trapped as one or the other if someone is bitten by more than one monster what happens is vampire venom poisonous to werewolves and vice versa are vampires immune to the Spells cast by Wizards or are all of these entities Immortal or are the vampires the only ones to claim eternal life question number seven how are vampires made and how can they be cured it's traditional for vampires and werewolves for that matter to be made through a bite but are there other ways your vampires can be changed is it enough for someone to be bitten or do they have to complete the change by drinking the blood of a vampire are there half vampires and full vampires that is is a vampire only considered a half vampire if they haven't yet made their first kill in some cases half vampires can be cured through the death of the one who's bitten them and Other Stories Once Bitten there is no going back regardless of feeding habits how was the original Vampire made were vampires made by a furious God were they the result of a vengeful witch's spell are all vampires made through a curse a bite or an untimely death can the disease be transmitted in other ways such as by accidentally swallowing vampire blood or inheriting the curse from a parent are there cures for your vampires whether it be killing the one who made them or taking a special potion are vampires made through a bite or are they just demons who happen to look like people in some stories vampires are born as a separate species and cannot change other humans they are their own entities who Survive by drinking human blood and can only bolster their numbers by mating with one another or by relying on someone like Satan to cast a spell and make more they might be the literal children of demons question number eight do vampires remain themselves in the classic stories vampires lose their souls did the vampires in your story lose their souls or are they perfectly intact if they do lose their souls what does that mean do they lose their minds becoming unfeeling monsters or do they Remain the people they were before turning in the vampire Chronicles the vampires are still very much themselves they have the same morals interests manner of speech and so on they are the same people they were while human just with the vampire's abilities on the other hand the vampires in Buffy the Vampire Slayer lose themselves though they have distinct personalities and can even form relationships they are not themselves they are demons inhabiting the bodies of humans who have lost their souls though still in a vampire body Angel Buffy's Undead boyfriend is partially cured because he regains a soul and therefore his sense of self explore what vampires are are they terrifying creatures or are they just people who now suck blood and have special powers if they retain themselves do your vampires have morals around the killing of humans do some try to abstain from killing humans or survive off of animals which brings us to question number nine what can vampires eat typically vampires drink blood it's the only source of nutrition for remaining strong however stories vary on the relationship vampires have with food can vampires still enjoy human food even if it offers them no nutritional value in some cases vampires can mix blood into human Delicacies serving blood milkshakes or plasma Cakes as needed however food could also be undesirable in the Twilight series human food is described as tasting like dirt or being sour to smell vampires can force themselves to eat it but they'll need to regurgitate it later in the Underworld series it's noted that human food could even be lethal if it doesn't cause death it can make a vampire feel like they've come down with a case of human food poisoning for for good vampires are animals in adequate alternative to humans does human blood taste better or offer more nutrition than animal blood what are the disadvantages of subsisting on animal blood are those who do so weaker or do they just forego a certain level of pleasure in their diet how do animals react to your vampires do they shy away as if from a predator taste should also be considered do humans of differing blood types taste different do individual vampires have preferences do people taste better the younger they are if vampires drink wine can they become drunk if a vampire actually absorbs alcohol or drugs from a human victim does that substance affect them as well can your vampires become drunk or high do humans with a poor diet or drugs in their system also have a different flavor can blood have varying levels of quality depending on any are all of these variables for example a vegetarian human might be less appealing to a vampire because they offer less protein or lack the same salty flavor that might sound gross but we're talking about vampires in Twilight mountain lions bears and other animals have distinct flavors from one another Edward likes Lions best while Emmett prefers Bears human blood is the most delicious causing vampires to be intoxicated when they are near it but animal blood offers equal nutrition carnivores generally taste better though not as good as humans while herbivores can be filling but taste dull your vampires might also have reactions to encountering blood do their throats burn do they feel literal thirst or do their stomach sees can they feel hunger pangs or do they just suffer from dry throats do their mouths water dismelling blood caused their fangs to descend their muscles to tense or them to hiss remember it's the little details that will bring your reader into the vampire's mind and make their world come to life in conclusion when writing vampires World building is critical it isn't everything of course characters still need to be fleshed out plots have to be original and the pacing should feel comfortable to the reader well Twilight had Rich World building it still received criticisms for its protagonist lack of character development these questions should be a starting point for creating your vampires and establishing the world's rules before moving on to the work all writers need to do creating the characters making a story outline and so on these questions can and should also be applied to any other creatures which coexist in the world alongside your vampires switch the the word vampire out of each of these questions and replace it with werewolf elf witch and so on depending on the creatures in your story and you should be good to go what kind of story are you working on are there any other questions you ask When developing your vampires or Monsters sound off in the comments and if you enjoyed this video like And subscribe thank you for watching and happy writing