Romance/Love
This week: The Romance of the Vampire Edited by: StephBee More Newsletters By This Editor
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Vampires. Dark. Brooding. Dangerous. Romantic.
Romantic?
Yep. Ever since Anne Rice took Louis and Lestat for a ride in "Interview with a Vampire," vampires have dominated paranormal romance and there's no slowing down. Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series is proof of that. So what makes vampires appealing as a romantic figure? I thought I'd explore that today.
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The vampire: A supernatural creature that is "undead." In a traditional sense, he only comes out at night, such as in Bram Stoker's "Dracula." In a non-traditional sense, he can be seen during the day, such as in Meyer's "Twilight" series. He's dangerous, evil, and oh, so tempting. But what makes the vampire appealing as a romantic lead? Here are a couple of my thoughts.
Since Stoker, the vampire has always projected a "better" looking attractiveness in the victim's mind's eye. Their eyes are special, they have hard bodies, chiseled features, broad chests or perfect curves. These physical attributes are what makes the vampire stand out initially. Just look at Edward Cullin (or Gary Oldman's Dracula) - those expressive eyes and masculine bodies. They embody a virility few men have.
Going deeper, the vampire lives in darkness. He speaks to those elements that are dangerous, thrilling and forbidden. His kiss, known as his bite, can bring death or pleasure. His bite is thrilling, yet dangerous, if he gets carried away. His love is forbidden since he's undead, but if we can't have something, don't we tempt fate for it?
The vampire is a "bad" boy. And what "good" girl doesn't dream that she's the one to get him to change? This theme is seen a lot in romance writing in general, but nobody personifies it more than the vampire.
Lastly, and perhaps the deepest issue the vampire struggles with, is his own morality. He can't die, so he struggles between doing the right and wrong things. It's a struggle we can all relate to.
FEEDBACK: What about vampires appeals to the romantic in you?
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Feedback is from my Newsletter dtd: 28 JULY 2010
Adriana Noir
This was beautiful, Steph, and inspiring. For some reason romance always seems so much more ...well...romantic, back in the earlier time periods. Thanks for the inspiration and the brief history refresher!
I had fun with it.
Fyn
Here's a link to the beginning again of an old romance that this time ended in old dreams coming true!
Lovely poem, Fyn!
My interview with Crys-not really here still resonates...
Doug Rainbow
As in so many things, it is important not to let the attachment of a label do the thinking. "Romance," "erotica," "porn," "conservative," "liberal," "straight" "gay" -- it is the substance that matters, not the label. We should try to do our own thinking, unrestricted by any label someone may attach to an issue.
Yes, I agree. We should try to do our own thinking, and if don't know something, educating ourselves is important so as to understand.
Hatsuda
I almost missed this interview, and I'd have been left without an excellent 'outside' authority to support my explanation to my wife how erotica differs from porn. As you might have guessed, I write a fair number of erotic romance stories, and include what I consider to be tasteful scenes of the characters providing sexual pleasure to each other, whenever it makes sense to the story. Bravo! And thanks!
H-
Helen McNicol
After your comments Steph, I think readers get too hung up on genre...it's the same as music and everything else these days...there are so many blurred lines and cross-over genres, why does it matter? We should read/write because we enjoy it, not get hung up on what category it falls into...people who are 'blinkers on' are missing out on too much...
I agree. We should read/write because we enjoyit. Well said.
sarahreed
I doubt you can link directly to "Two Become One"(since it's rated GC,) but it's a very sweet Romantica that retells the story of how I met my husband at college and how caring he was and still is. He always puts my needs before his. I am truly blessed to have found him.
Thank you for sharing.
If anyone has any ideas for what they'd like me to tackle in the Romance/Love newsletter, let me know. I can take a lot a small press publishing, if interested, character building, romantic plots, different romantic genres, I'm always up for looking at something different.
Your Romance/Love Newsletter Editors:
Fyn
Crys-not really here
StephBee
StephBee is a 911 Dispatcher with LAPD. Her children's book, "The Giving Meadow," was recently released by 4RV Publishing. She is currently on a blog tour to support the book. Find out the dates on her blog, http://sgcardin.blogspot.com. |
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