There the centuries horror has been a important genre not only for scaring people, but also the development of iconic characters and creatures. Vampires, zombies and werewolves have been the subject of hundreds and thousands of books.

Through the years, they have developed certain characteristics that have survived the ages. Vampires hate crosses, werewolves don't like silver and you always shoot a zombie in the head. As a writer, you try and craft stories involving these characters that are new and innovative. The problem is after so many books have been written about them, there's not a lot you can do.

Sure, every know and then something truly new comes along, but many times the stories are simply rehashes of something done a million times. How many of us have watched zombie movies that were all basically the same. Zombie apocalypse and people running away from them.

Many times if you want to do something new and unique, then you have to change a standard concept about these iconic creatures. For example, in “Twilight,” the vampires can live and survive in sunlight, and instead of incinerating they simply sparkle. Yeah, don't get me started on it.

In many movies, zombies have gone beyond the shambling slow corpses to fast hunters. This adds a dimension to the movies and books that wasn't previously there. Sure, you're messing with dogma, but remember that the universe of the book is one you created. Unless you are using characters from another series, the rules of the game are created by you. Don't be afraid to think outside the box.