How to Write a Vampire Romance Novel

Writing a vampire novel, especially in this day in age, requires a bit of finesse. Many people don't even know where to begin. Follow the steps below, and you will have yourself a very fine vampire romance.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Notebook
• Pencil or pen

1. In your notebook, create a hero and a heroine--make them about the same age. Include all descriptions of your characters, including hair color, eye color, height, weight, likes/dislikes and whatever else you think is pertinent.

2. Make one of your heroes a vampire.

3. Also in your notebook, create a mythology for your vampires. Draw upon mythologies that have already been written, such as the "Twilight Lexicon" (twilightlexicon.com) and "The Encyclopedia Mythica" (pantheon.org), but be sure to add your own twists on it.

4. Write the first chapter of your story. Put the two characters into a normal, everyday place. (If it is a young adult novel, like "Twilight" or "The Vampire Diaries," then make it a school). Make sure that your non-vampire character has no idea that the other hero is a vampire.

5. Have your two characters meet. Have one of them notice little things about the other to let your audience know there is the chance of attraction.

6. Have the two characters fall in love. Do so no sooner than chapter 5.

7. Have your non-vampire character notice that something is "off" about your vampire character. Make it something that the vampire did that maybe he/she shouldn't have. Have your non-vampire character do some research, and have them turn up the mythology you created in step 3.

8. Have your non-vampire character confront your vampire character--about being a vampire. Have them argue and have it end badly so your reader thinks they may never get back together.

9. Establish the villain. While you may have introduced the villain's character earlier in the novel, it is at this point where your reader should know that this character is definitely the villain. Have the villain be equal in every way to your vampire character. In other words, if your hero vampire has super strength, then your villain should also posess this quality.

10. Make the villain in some way be a threat to your non-vampire character so that your vampire character will have no choice but to protect him/her.

11. Have the two heroes destroy the villain (or just get rid of the villain if you're planning a sequel), and finally fall back in love with each other.

12. Have the two heroes, now in a relationship, going about their lives as if everything were normal.

13. Write "The End."

Tips & Warnings

• To create a good villain, you might want to create the character in much the same manner as you created your heroes in Step 1. To add extra depth and danger to the romance, you may also want to make the villain a love interest for your non-vampire character.
• When creating your mythology, try to make it as different from "Common Vampire Myths" as possible. Common Vampire Myths fall into the category of things you would find in Bram Stoker's "Dracula." Don't make the relationship between the two characters seem too easy. There must be bumps in the road, or it won't be believable.

Resources

• Encyclopedia Mythica
• Twilight Lexicon