Interesting story to go with today’s episode of Life as a Teenage Vampire. I had a rather intense fan of my writing not too long ago who I discussed this story with when it was still in its infancy. You all know how I love to talk writing, and headcanon with people. It brings out the best ideas! But when things started getting deep into vampire lore, this person refused to accept that I could do things my own way, that I wouldn’t follow what to them was unequivocal fact. First of all, if you’ve never watched The Death and Return of Superman, everyone should in general, but also, there’s a particular spot in this amazing little 16 minute film (around 15:19) where they bring up vampires, and I take the advice given there to heart, as it is spectacular. Seriously, watch the whole thing, but especially that part if you're a writer. Anyway, the idea of tan vampires came up, addressed in part in this little excerpt:
Tan. Emery was naturally darker skinned, though he’d looked sickly pale up until he fed from Connor the other night. This thought successfully distracted Connor from his dreamy musings and launched him into a diatribe on vampires and white skin that lasted all the way to school.
This section in chapter 7 and the following interlude is my response to this reader who honestly made me sad when they railed against me for having a different opinion than them, because there is never only one way to do something, and as a writer, you should never, ever feel like there is. Be creative. Make something your own. And always stay true to what your story means to you. I never want the experience I had, which goes so much deeper than a disagreement on vampire lore, to discourage me from interacting with readers. I love you guys, whether you read my fanfiction, my original works, or both. Just keep in mind that sharing fiction stops being the beautiful thing that it is when we assume that our way is the only way.