We’ve got a very special guest today – 15 year old author Melissa Burmester who is going to offer us her take on vampires!

Please welcome Melissa!

Everyone has their own opinion on how a vampire is expected to act and look. Some people think of a vampire as a horrid creature with huge blood dripping fangs and others say they are like normal people and live among us. When writing about vampires it is important to make the character appear “human” and “real”. This will give them more appeal.

The characteristics that most vampires have are:

• 1. Vampires do not prey on just anyone they have a person they use as a “feeder” and when they get weak they always come back to them.
• 2. They do not like to feed off children and animals.
• 3. The vampires may keep some blood in the refrigerator in case their “feeder” is not available. It is usually hidden so no one can find it.
• 4. Vampires have been around for many years and tend to move around from place to place. They also have a lot of money and can get anything they want.
• 5. They are charming and look great. That makes them so appealing to us.
• 6. Not all vampires drain blood from their victims. Some have the ability through magic to drain the person of their energy and liveliness.

So how do you kill or annoy them:

• 1. Cut off their head or make them drink blood from a dead person.
• 2. Garlic will never kill them. It just makes them very angry.
• 3. The good old stake through the heart. I read that it only paralyzes them for a while and does not kill them.
• 4. They do not burn or blow up when exposed to light. It may weaken them but they always recover.

So now that you know some of the characteristics of a vampire how do you write about them:

• 1. You need to decide on the time period you want your novel to be in. Many of the novels are set in modern day or in the future. Some novels have flashbacks into the vampires past. I used this idea in my debut novel Ginger High.
• 2. Never make the vampire seem dead or depressed. The character should blend in with the population. Make them appear mysterious and alive.
• 3. It is important to surround the vampire with realistic details. This is important so the reader feels that they are able to connect with the vampire and the setting.
• 4. A horror novel should have something horrifying in it. The vampire is always considered the bad guy and the human usually wins. Everyone likes the fangs that the vampires have. Incorporate them in the story.
• 5. When naming a vampire always use a name that is appropriate for their age and character. They usually keep the name when they were alive.

I have given you a few tips on how to write about vampires. So go out and write your own bestseller. But the most important thing is that you have fun while doing it. The information that I provided was obtained from all the reading that I have done over the years. Have Fun.

About the Author:
Melissa Burmester is presently living in East Moriches, NY with her twin brother George, her parents and their cat Cosmo. Melissa has been writing about vampires and the supernatural since the age of twelve. She has written a few short stories, but “Ginger High” is her first novel. She is presently attending Westhampton Beach High School, and is in the tenth grade. She is planning a career as a writer and a teacher.
www.gingerhigh.com
http://melissa-gingerhigh.blogspot.com/
facebook.com/melissa.gingerhigh
http://twitter.com/Ginger_High