Konrath, J.A. - DRACULAS (A Novel of Terror)

“VAMPIRE SKULL A HOAX?” Discovered by a farmer while sowing soybeans, the humanoid skull with sharp teeth is considered by many to be fake. Fueling this speculation is the farmer’s refusals to let scientists analyze the discovery, claiming it is embodies an ancient curse.”

“MILLIONAIRE BUY’S DRACULAS HEAD!” Eccentric recluse Mortimer Moorecook of Durango, Colorado, has apparently purchased the so-called Dracula skull from the Transylvanian farmer who unearthed it a week ago, for an undisclosed sum. It isn’t known what Moorecook, who made his fortune on Wall Street during the late 80s, plans to do with the skull, though many are hoping it will be turned over to scientists for study. Moorecook was recently diagnosed with lung cancer, and couldn’t be reached for comment.”

Chapter 1

Moorecook gets the skull shipped to him. He’s a collector of vampire memorabilia, and on hand is an historian who had studied vampire legends. When the box arrives, Moorecock cradles the head in his sickly hands—then bites himself in the neck with the fangs. He immediately goes into convulsions. The historian calls the paramedics, who take him to the secluded Miskatonic Hospital a few miles away.

Chapter 2

New nurse first week. Cancer ward. Hates seeing all the dying, but likes the job and needs the money for her sick mother, who’s a patient there.

Chapter 3

Husband and expectant mother hurry to hospital while she’s in labor. Twins. Could be a long labor and complications.

Chapter 4

Lumberjack hurt in accident, recovering from chainsaw injury. Twenty five stitches. He’s so tough he drove himself to the hospital, so his truck—filled with axes and chainsaws—is parked in the lot.

Chapter 5

A gung-ho good ole boy gun-crazy cop (think Kevin Kostner from Silverado) is the boyfriend of the historian. Meets her at the hospital (To propose? Has ring on him?)

Alternate POVs (including draculas), chapters end in cliffhangers. No way to get out of the hospital because they spread too fast and knew enough to shred the tires on all the vehicles outside. Vamps also destroyed phone system. Hospital has a “no cell phone” rule and blocks the use of cells with a jammer.

Dracula rules:

All of their teeth (not just canines) grow long and sharp, so big they shred through their lips and cheeks.

Claws grow. Able to see in dark. Can smell blood like sharks.

Must drink blood every hour, or they die. Any blood: animal, human, blood banks. If one of them is cut and bleeds, the others turn on him and devour him. Lick up every drop off the floor and walls. Fight over bones to get the marrow.

Without blood, they autocannibalize themselves, sucking their own blood.

An hour to mutate. No cure.

No vampire gimmicks. Crosses, sunlight, garlic, stakes—nothing kills them but fire and beheading. No turning into bats or mesmerizing victims.

These are rabid dogs with bigger teeth. They exist only to drink blood. Rudimentary, childlike thoughts, and some problem solving abilities, but no speech (can’t with teeth so big) and no humanity or sense of their former selves.

Joe

• • •

More possible scenes:

Millionaire being rescued at the end because they think he’s normal: reverse NOTLD.

Lumberjack ripping a stitch. All the draculas nearby start sniffing the air and screaming.

Lumberjack and cop in a fist fight. Deadly, because if either of them spills blood, they’ll be stampeded.

Birth scene, woman in labor, fighting off draculas who smell it happening.

Joe

• • •

Did Paul write back and say “Dude, the occasional short stories are okay, but please don’t forget that I created…REPAIRMAN JACK!!!”

Jeff

• • •

Paul’s in.

Joe

• • •

Wow. Congrats!

If the project gets stalled and you find yourselves on May 1st still ready to get going, let me know!

Jeff

• • •

May 1 might be doable for a start date if you can commit. Me, you, Blake, and Paul. Blake and I are working on an outline.

Joe

• • •

Okay, I can commit to a May 1st start date! I’m in!

Jeff

April 1, 2010

Jeff Strand says he’s in, as long as we don’t get started until May 1.

So we have our team. :)

Joe

May 7, 2010

Hey guys—

Here are the preliminary rules for DRACULAS. We have four authors: JA Konrath, F. Paul Wilson, Blake Crouch, Jeff Strand.

Everyone will be responsible for 15k words. Blake and Joe will be responsible for the set-up and the finale (though the finale will be based on everyone’s input.)

The main idea for the story is a simple one: Night of the Living Dead in a rural hospital in Durango, Colorado, with vampires.

The idea for collaboration is equally simple. There will be four sets of protagonists. Each of the writers will take them through the vampire outbreak in the hospital. The chapters will be short, and end in cliffhangers. Then, when we’re putting the book together, we’ll alternate chapters. This is an ensemble piece with multiple heroes all battling the same evil in different wings of the hospital.

Here’s what we have as far as a set-up, rules, and characters. Jeff and Paul can each decide first which character arc they’d like to write for.

Whether you want your characters to survive or not is up to you. The very finale will be a reverse Night of the Living Dead ending. Instead of killing the hero thinking he’s infected, one of the infected will be mistaken for human and removed from the hospital by rescuers, presumably to go on and infect the world.

This is a fast-paced, visceral book done in real time with a lot of action set-pieces based on deconstructing vampire myths. More on that in a moment. Here’s the set up:

Prologue, three newspaper clippings from a cheesy tabloid. Headlines:

“DRACULA’S SKULL UNEARTHED IN TRANSYLVANIA! A farmer in Romania uncovered a skull with unique properties while plowing his field near the town of BRasov. The relic, which appears to be ancient and human, has thirty two razor-sharp teeth where normal flat teeth would be.”

“VAMPIRE SKULL A HOAX?” Discovered by a Romanian farmer, the humanoid skull with sharp teeth is considered by many to be fake. Fueling this speculation is the farmer’s refusals to let scientists analyze the discovery, claiming it is embodies an ancient curse.”

“MILLIONAIRE BUY’S DRACULAS HEAD!” Eccentric recluse Mortimer Moorecook of Durango, Colorado, has apparently purchased the so called Dracula skull from the Transylvanian farmer who unearthed it a week ago, for an undisclosed sum. It isn’t known what Moorecook, who made his fortune on Wall Street during the late 80s, plans to do with the skull, though many are hoping it will be turned over to scientists for study. Moorecook was recently diagnosed with lung cancer, and couldn’t be reached for comment.”

Chapter 1

Moorecook gets the skull shipped to him. He’s a collector of vampire memorabilia, and on hand is an historian who had studied vampire legends. When the box arrives, Moorecock cradles the head in his sickly hands—then bites himself in the neck with the fangs. He immediately goes into convulsions. The historian calls the paramedics, who take him to the secluded Miskatonic Hospital a few miles away.

Shortly after being admitted, Moorecock begins to transform into a vampire. He attacks the staff, and begins the spread the infection.

Chapter 2

New nurse, her first week on the job. She’s stationed in the cancer ward, which she prefers; that way she can spend time with her mother, who is in the ward dying of cancer.