If you were writing a vampire character, what would your rules be?

I'm a fan of the dangerous, sexy vampire. Only comes out at night, retractable fangs, drinks blood. Garlic - has an allergy, slows him down, but does not kill him. Crosses - Hates religious symbols, but they are not particularly bothersome. Must be beheaded. Sexy, rich and dangerous. (not the bland, suburban housewife "danger" in twilight, actual gritty, lower east side dangerous) Lestat or the vampires from Blade and Underworld. You don't know they exist until they kill you or turn you.

Well, I write mostly chick-lit and comedies, so I prefer to take a well known legends and make fun of them. I have done this very successfully in a short novella about vampires. If I were to write a serious vampire novel, I would probably use a few well established vampire rules and then shape the rest so that they fitted within the context of my story. The vampire would drink blood, but garlic does not necessarily ward him or her off, and he or she may not sleep in a coffin. I would steer clear of making my vampire too much like the ones in Twilight, though I do like the idea of them having day job, going to school, there being "good" and "bad" vampires etc.

But to answer your questions, I will make up a hypothetical vampire. His name is Maxim. He was born in Victorian England but has the appearance of a 24 year old. He works in an antiques store, in Hyde Park, a wealthy suburb of Adelaide, Australia.

He does not have fangs.

He drinks blood. (As well as a little red wine.)

He can indeed shape shift. He prefers mist or a bat, but can turn into a wolf if need be.

He sleeps in a bed. No coffin or soil required.

Only a cross made from pure silver can kill him.

He can indeed walk in sunlight, though not at midday. He often stalks his victims just before sunset.

My idea of what a vampire should be is....

1. Fangs, that's is a definite must.

2. Drinking blood, weather is be human or animal. These two are what the vampire Legend was based on, if you change these two, it just wouldn't hold some of the appeal, at least to me.

3. The strenght and speed, that I have always loved. It just one of the things that stand out about the stories. And the things you can make them do is limitless.

4. No coffin, that's just creepy. lol

5.The garlic and crosses, NO. But frankly the monster that most people paint them as is a little old. I like the books that make them seem more human, not monsters without souls.

6. Sunlight, I like the idea that their age determines weather they can go in the sunlight. That age makes them stronger and they can stand the light more as they age.

7. Can they be killed? I like the indestructible theme. But if they will be killed in the story, beheaded is the only way I would see it working.

People find vampire characters more realistic if you follow the rules that make them, well, a vampire.

I would say that to kill a vampire you need to stake it through the heart with an aspen wood stake. Crosses and garlic should only annoy him rather than stop him in his tracks.

Other traditional vampire rules are not being able to cross water, having no reflection and also you can distract a vampire by filling his coffin or grave with sand or seeds. The rule is that the vampire must count them all when he wakes up before he can leave the coffin.

I think that vampires should be able to transform into their traditional form, the bat, only at night. Sunlight should also affect a vampire.

In my opinion blood drinking, fangs (the vampire might be able to disguise them), a way of killing them and something to bother him should be factors. The rest is not necessarily important.

1. I will do my research so that whatever I'm writing about sounds genuine and believable 2. I will never be afraid to accept and listen to good, honest criticism 3. I will enjoy writing. If it ever becomes unenjoyable, I will take a break. 4. I will try to write everyday or a least 3 times a week 5. I will try to avoid Mary Sue characters like the plague 6. I will tell the story I want to tell to the very best of my abilities 7. I will revise and edit my work until it is something I can truly be proud of.

My personal vampire rulebook:

Does he need fangs? Yes

Must he drink blood? Yes

Can he shapeshift? Only if very powerful

Does he have to sleep in a coffin? Or lie in his native soil? No

How does he feel about garlic? Ignores it. Crosses? Ignores them.

How can he be killed? Is it enough to stake him through the heart or do you also have to behead him? Stake is enough or sunlight.

Can he walk in sunlight? See above.

I think if I were writing a story about a vampire, I would be willing to throw out all of the rules if I could come up with an intruiging, creative alternative...why not? It would set your story apart from others, not to mention give you so much more room to write and be creative with other aspects of your story when you are not bound to stereotyping. Does he need fangs? No- maybe he drains people of their energy in someother way. How can he be killed? Maybe he can't? Don't let the ideas of mythical creatures corner you in your writing. You are free to get as creative as you want...and maybe in the end you will find yourself creating an all new creature that you wont even want to label a vampire...!

the older the vamp- the stronger the powers. Young ones cant go out in sun without being smoked up. They also have to be invited in, cant do crosses, holy water, or garlic. But they dont need coffins or native soil.

Older the vamp, better the powers. Some develop telepathy, shapeshifting, etc.

Fangs yes, but they dont show when the human glamour is on. Drink blood- def. Thats the definition of vamp!

AND ABSOLUTELY NO SPARKLING!!!!!!

No he does not need fangs

He can have blood or human food/blood

Yea. A bat or fog

He sleeps upside down from anything.

He hate garlic and hates crosses

No he can not be killed unless he/she commited suicide by drinking their own blood.

Yes. He can walk in sunlight.

Pure tradition. We're losing it today. Use bats and blood and killing by sun and stake. Turn your character into such a hateful being that the only way he can be redeemed is through the soul of the other. Take fiction and make it so believable that you bask in it. Make them sleep in coffins and listen to Marilyn Manson. Think blood, gore, and horror.