Vampires

I said I wouldn't write about writing again. I lied.

Currently, I am finishing my second book, which is a vampire story. I've touched on this a little, not giving too many details, as not to spoil the book or get anyone excited before I even have a greenlight on getting it published.

I can say, as I close in on another self-imposed deadline, that I am very happy with how it is going. It's my first attempt at writing fiction, and I've drawn inspiration from my own experiences as a teenager, as well as things that have clicked for me in the genre. If you want a taste of the vibe, watch "Fright Night", one of my favorite vampire movies.

Lately, I've been hearing a lot about Twilight, the most popular of the recent vampire books. The first movie is hitting theatres on November 21, the date of my deadline. I can't say whether or not my book will be anything like that, since I haven't read any of the Twilight series. (My sister-in-law loves it, but I've heard some haters voice their opinions as well.)

Here's the trailer for that movie:

So why November 21st for a deadline? Because Thanksgiving soon follows, as does World AIDS Day, which is on December 1st. Every year, that means a lot of traveling for me and Gwenn, then it's home for the Christmas rush. Basically, when I go to sleep on November 21, I'm going to find myself waking up on January 2, 2009. Quite possibly with a hangover.

And I don't want my new year's resolution to be to finish the book.

Am I exploiting my ties to the thinblooded community by writing a vampire book? Absolutely. Am I hoping to have this sucker published before the film versions of the Twilight series suck the life out of the genre for another decade or so?

You betcha.

Positively Yours,
Shawn