Is it possible for a story topic to get tapped out, sucked dry?  How can you tell? 

I was set to wondering about this when I got an invitation to fan another author on Facebook.  Rather than indiscriminately hit the accept button, I popped on over to the author’s page to see what all this was about. 

It was about vampires, angsty gothic vampires.  And the snarky commentary started rolling in my head.  I can tell you right now, my inner voice might not have been kind, but it was very funny.  But I will not repeat it here, because I do endeavor to overcome my flaws and be a better person a little every day. 

But it got me to thinking – why did I internally roll my eyes and think, oh here we go again?  I’ll admit to loving Anne Rice in my late teens and early 20s, talk about your angsty vampires.  So was it an age thing?  Now that I’m past 30 I can’t enjoy a guilt-ridden blood sucker?  I don’t think so… 

In the industry parlance, the topic of vampires has been “done to death.”  If you read calls for submissions there are definitely topics that are right out – vampires, werewolves, zombies – unless they are done very well.  And that just might be the key right there. 

You don’t have to be quite as sharp with your storytelling if the topic has not been done or done only infrequently.  Novelty allows the reader to forgive some writerly sins.  But if you’re trying to tap a vein that many others have already tapped before you?  You better bring your A game, buddy.  And your A game better be awesome.

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