Why I Love Dracula: A Writer’s Muse

Denny's MermaidsI woke up this morning and was thinking – what should I blog about today? The view on the lake outside my window as the sun touches the treetops, or the sound of the birds singing in the early morning, their songs never as sparkly as in the first hours of a new day. Then a thought struck me and I knew exactly what I had to write about, what I was bursting to write about…

Why I love Dracula so darn much!

Note – this is not a question. It is a statement of absolute fact and here are the Top 11 Reasons Dracula is the Best Vampire Ever!

  1. The struggle between control and lack of control is epic.
  2. Passion on a stick (or fangs).
  3. Fangs (creepy, but somehow, sexy).
  4. Sex appeal (bad boy, the ultimate bad boy, maybe the first bad boy).
  5. Sidekicks (the odd man who carried around his coffin).
  6. Burning to ashes in daylight (any vampire story that lets this bit of mythology go? Well, forget about it. Just not a true Dracula-esque vampire – even Whedon kept this bit).
  7. A kiss so deep and loving – it leaves a physical wound (yeah, baby…)
  8. The hypnotic eyes (sigh)
  9. The stake through the heart that kills him (and yes, this is another part of vampire/Dracula mythology I love!)…
  10. The fact that Dracula will never die – his story always makes a comeback (click here for new CBS show this fall:)…
  11. He’s dead, but lives! (and its not a metaphor).

Today, I am being specific about Dracula and not other vampires I fell in love with over the years like Barnabas Collins, Mick St. John, Angel, Spike…none could fill Dracula’s cape in my heart and mind (except for angel and spike:)…

Okay, I’ve got to stay focused. I was talking about Dracula. I blame it on old movies and youthful sexual awakenings that I would never have described as such when I was staring at  black and white TV  late at night watching Frank Langella, Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee ( not in that order, fans)…do their vampire thing.

My love of and obsession with Dracula was his power over the minds of others. Yes, that’s what attracted me the most. Not that he was the living dead. That didn’t  work for me, even as a child. It was his ability to control others, and then his struggle when his emotions got in the way of that control. A tortured hero (trope alert!) and then some!

So today, I am saluting the vampires (actors) who have embodied Dracula on the screen (and yeah, I know Alex doesn’t belong, but he’s so pretty as Mick St. John). I just hope that Mr. Rhys Meyer’s new show will present another mesmerizing Prince of Darkness for (me:) and a new generation to enjoy.

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And in case you were wondering, yes, I was working on my vampire WIP last night:).

Have a great Tuesday, and don’t hesitate to take a moment and share  one of your pop culture obsessions, please!

9 thoughts on “Why I Love Dracula: A Writer’s Muse

  1. I love that you LOVE Dracula this much. Pure awesomeness. Pop culture obsession…Depeche Mode of course who I will be seeing live tonight 🙂 Happy girl out!

  2. You are truly a Dracula fan! 🙂 I hate to admit that I’m not even sure I’ve ever seen one. I did love a show called Kindred: The Embraced in 1996 based on vampires, which sadly only ran for eight episodes. The sexiest guy on television that year was Julian Luna. Ahhhhh. Too bad he died in real life. I would still be watching that show. You HAVE to google him. He was a vampire I would have begged to bite me. Lol.

  3. Dracula is creepy and fascinating. I published a vampire book and made him an old school gentleman with an insatiable hunger for the heroine. What’s not to love!

  4. Remember the Dracula episode of Buffy? It was actually a pretty cool episode, which was ruined at the end by the introduction to Dawn. Sigh. I still love Whedon though! Can’t wait to see the new Dracula show. Love me some JRM! 😉

  5. You know Denny, I’ve never given Dracula much thought until I read your blog. I am a better woman for it.. 🙂

  6. I love love loved Barnabas Collins way back when, in the incredible days of Dark Shadows. I also loved the early Anne Rice books of New Orleans vamps. Then I grew up and I think vampires aren’t fun anymore! I’d rather work an online checklist for hubby on his Alpha Male characteristics (a Very Fun moment on Sunday afternoon…).

  7. I loved Buffy, of course — but Vampires at their heart (ha) always turned me off because they seemed to embody unhealthy love. Yes, I know they’re sexy and all that, but a girl can aspire to be with a sexy HEALTHY guy, right? Does that make me a prude?

  8. I’m with you Denny! I love the old school vampires like Dracula. They were dark and tragic, sexy and creepy. 😉

  9. Denny, I can’t say I share the passion, but I love how much you love your vampires! I think your passion will really come across in your manuscript, too. 🙂

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