Writing the Paranormal Novel: Techniques and Exercises for Weaving Supernatural Elements Into Your Story. Read Free Page B

what they can and cannot do. The checklist below may help:
THE VAMPIRE CHECKLIST
    POWERS
    Extra strength
    Extra speed
    Shape-shifting
    Bat
    Wolf
    Mist
    Other:
    Enhanced senses
    Mesmerism
    Resistance to physical damage
    Flight
    Wall climbing
    Teleportation
    Leaping
    Claws
    Can create new vampires
    Self-healing
    Telepathy
    Animal control
    Weather control
    Immortal
    Inhumanly handsome/beautiful
    Other:
    WEAKNESSES
    Repelled by holy objects
    Repelled by garlic (or other strong scent)
    Must feed on blood
    How often:
    Only from a living human
    Can feed on animal blood
    Can feed on stored blood
    Effect when can't get blood:
    Can be hurt or killed by
    Dismemberment
    Decapitation
    Stake through the heart
    Silver
    Sunlight
    Fire
    Other:
    Can't cross running water
    Can't see reflection in a mirror
    Image can't be captured (photo, video, etc.)
    Comatose during the day
    Can't enter a home without being invited
    Can't enter hallowed ground
    Must rest on earth from homeland
    Inhumanly ugly
    Other:
     
    You also need to know whether these rules apply to all vampires in your world or just some of them. Perhaps older vampires have fewer weaknesses and more strengths, for example, or perhaps a vampire can overcome weaknesses temporarily, especially if he's just had a big meal.
    Vampires are a challenge to write about. Why? Readers may love reading about them, but the bookstores are already saturated with vampire novels. The difficulty lies in coming up with something new to say. Did you see that “Other” space in the Vampire Checklist? Don't leave it blank. Try going back to the original folklore for ideas. Plenty of nocturnal paranormal creatures out there have a hankering for human blood.
    Another way to be creative is to make an unlikely character into a vampire. Instead of the usual Handsome Man or Sexy Woman or Goth Kid getting the fang, go for a different type. What about a vampire accountant? Or a vampire ranch worker? Or a vampire circus clown? Lucienne Diver's vampires made a fashion-obsessed high school girl and her chess geek boyfriend into bloodsucking undead in Vamped with great success. Her vampires' powers and weaknesses don't depart too far from the established folklore, but her characters are fresh and new, and that makes all the difference.
Angels and Demons
    They come to Earth to steal our hearts or terrify our souls. Sometimes it's both at the same time. As agents of divine or infernal powers, they were taboo as protagonists for a long time, but lately they've been showing up as main characters in more and more novels.
    A demon appears in the mortal realm, oft en with some sort of terrible task, but then it discovers it wants to stay here, either because it's fallen in love or because things are much more interesting here on Earth than in Hell. Some demons are trying to escape Hell, or earn their freedom from it. Many are shape-shifters, able to take on animal shapes or any human form.
    Angels often finds themselves in the same situation, but mirror-reversed — sent down to Earth to accomplish some divine duty, only to realize that life down here is more diverting than in Heaven. Some angels have been cast out and need to earn their way back home.
    The fun of using an angel or demon comes from mixing shades of gray. Angels and demons are supposed to be creatures of pure good or pure evil. Putting them on Earth, where almost nothing is absolute, taints their purity and forces them to deal with it, an endlessly fascinating device for writers and readers alike.
    Angels and demons of folklore have an enormous variety of powers and limitations. There's simply no standard angel or demon. This means you can give them any ability you like, but it also means it's vitally important to set the limitations and stick with them.
Zombies
    Zombies are enjoying a new life, so to speak. They started off as mindless monsters under the control of an evil magician, then evolved into braineating hordes, and have recently become … good