Writer's Block: The Eternal Nocturnal Struggle

[author_by_night]

I'm inclined to choose werewolves, of course. Two words - Remus Lupin. ;) But vampires are kind of cool too.

I'm writing both a vampire and a werewolf, and it's interesting. Both are good, but the vampire always has that inner demon that sometimes comes out. My werewolf is a good person, but once a month he's a monster - and he will kill you.

Modern

Comments

[lady_bracknell]

I think one of the reasons we're so attracted to stories about monsters is that they're not really stories about monsters. They're stories about conflict, human darkness made manifest as something supernatural - I think everyone has a little monster inside them, desires they think they should control, and we identify with 'good' vampires and werewolves because we can imagine how it feels to have a bit of yourself that flies in the face of everything else.

I think we like that people like Remus in HP and Edward in Twilight try not to give in to their instincts (just as potentially we like the vicarious pleasure of watching characters like Dracula who do) - in a lot of ways, they're the embodiement of the indominatable nature of human spirit. I think in those two cases particularly, they're compelling stories, first and foremost, about very human struggles - how to love when you think you're unworthy, how to master your darker side, how to find a place in a world that doesn't want you

[alexiscartwheel]

I actually had a somewhat similar conversation with a friend recently. It's very interesting when writers come up with new twists on vampire mythology (such as vampirism as a disease, like akashsheiress mentioned). The vampires in the Twilight books and in the show "Moonlight" all broke the traditional rules, but in different ways. It seems like it's actually more unique now to stick to the perspective that vampires are all evil and sleep in coffins and can be fended off with crosses.

Portraying traditionally evil creatures as more human or redeemable is another way to make an old concept new and fresh again. I think it's also typical of modern storytelling conventions. Villains aren't really allowed to be evil just because; they have to have motivation.

That's all just my take on it though. I'm sure someone may have looked into it seriously before... though maybe not, since sci-fi and fantasy don't get tons of serious scholarship.

[arianablack]

See, I actually prefer vampires *because* of that constant inner demon. With werewolves, like you said, you're really in danger only once a month. They're like big dogs with really bad PMS. But vampires, you could constantly be in danger, and never even know it. They can befriend you, charm you, earn your trust, and you'll never know you were wrong about them until the moment they attack

[psychic_serpent]

I've decided not to choose, since the novel I'm finishing editing right now is werewolf-centric and one of the next projects I plan to work on (never write the sequel to a novel while you're trying to sell it!) is about vampires, including one who's struggling with not being like other vampires. (The werewolf is also trying not to hurt people.)

I do wonder how that came about - when the "monster" suddenly grew a human being's face. When the "monster" became okay.

I think that happened fairly early on, not with a vampire or werewolf but with Dr. Frankenstein, who was depicted as far more of a monster (he had the hubris to play at being God) than the "monster" he created, who was depicted as much more sympathetic and not to blame for anything he did, much like Adam and Eve before the fall. I've got a little bit of that in my werewolf book, in which I have a couple of characters discuss the origins of werewolves (in my universe). I haven't decided on all of my vampire mythology yet, for that book, but it's a bit closer to

[amberdulen]

(Hi again! Thanks for finding me. :P )

My impression is that those two monsters became sympathetic when they started being "cursed" rather than doing it to themselves via witchcraft or dealing with the devil. For vampires that would be with Dracula (not the count, but Mina) and for werewolves it would be the movie era, with Werewolf of London, and later The Wolf Man cemented that.

Personally, I'd be thrilled to see a return to the heartless, damned flesh-eating vampires from, like, six centuries ago. Before they grew style and taste and charm, back when they lived in graves for real.

(Eternal nocturnal enemies? I'd love to know when that trope started. At one point, werewolves turned INTO vampires after they died.)

(Werewolf fan all the way.)