I’m going to do a bit of complaining, so bear with me. It is time we move past jabs at Twilight. Specifically the “vampires don’t sparkle” one. Not because I want to defend Stephanie Myer. Far from it. It is just that the jokes have turned into cliche.

Since the release of Twilight, I have read too many stories about or containing vampires that have a little quip against Twilight. The first were funny, but now it feels like pandering to me. And what does that end up doing? In my opinion it will cheapen your vampire lore. Not to mention you inadvertently tie it to those books. This may even have the nasty side effect of taking your reader out of the story. Sure they’ll have a chuckle, but then they’re thinking about a story that isn’t your own.

Personally, I’d rather keep them focused on my world.

Consider it this way. Let your vampire stand on its own merit. Give the reader something new about that fabled monster. Wow them with your take on the concept. This is your time to shine, don’t spoil it with another writers vision.

And rest assured, readers and reviewers will make a Twilight connection for you. But hopefully, after they’re done with your book and thinking about it in retrospect.

Your vampires don’t sparkle. Got it. But I’m not interested in what they are not doing. I want to read about what they are doing. That sounds better, right? Write.