I’ve never been afraid of getting silly. Sometimes, it can be quite therapeutic. Tonight, for example, I went online to research some information and found myself suddenly awash in news that the latest Vampire-inspired teen romance movie was premiering here in Knoxville.
It’s hard not to notice that Vampires have completely invaded pop culture these past few years. In the wake of the premiere of New Moon, you can find all sorts of talk about why vampires are a hot property again.
Sure, it’s easy to see why teens would want to be vampires. Vampires are generally portrayed as attractive, hyper-sexual beings who stay up all night, avoid daylight, and give the appearance of living like the wealthy elite even 
when they really sleep in someone’s basement. In some ways Vampires are teenagers– or at least they resemble most of the stereotypes about teenagers cranked up to 11.
But, you know what? I remember being a teenager. The days I felt attractive and hyper-sexual were far outnumbered by the days I felt like sulking and contemplating pillaging small farm towns. So, I found myself considering what might be a good counter-balance to the Vampire craze and how could I cash in on it? Vikings, my friend. Vikings. There just isn’t a whole bunch of young adult literature based on Vikings right now (old Thor comics notwithstanding). It’s a market ripe with opportunity.
So, I tossed the idea out on my Twitter feed that Vikings would be a good replacement trend for vampires in 2010. Soon enough, I was able to get a few friends, acquaintances, and a stranger or two to join the conversation and, lo and behold, a new movement was born. Or at least a new hashtag was: #vikingsarethenewvampires.
In reality, what I was most impressed with was the spirit of fun and silliness that everyone adopted almost immediately. It’s good sometimes to let loose
and have a little silly fun.
But, if you one day read a tween-oriented book about a pretty young Saxon girl who falls in love with a sensitive teen Viking boy and how they are kept apart by the hot but evil Roman leader who wants the Saxon girl for himself, then you should know someone totally stole our story idea.
(Kudos, by the way, to Suzy Trotta who suggested the name Volhalla as the ideal name for a Viking story set in East Tennessee.)
About Shane Rhyne
I wear many hats in my personal and professional life. I am a public relations professional, writer, and social media advocate. I blog about topics of interest to me professionally and personally. Connect with me on Google+
At work this week, we launched a new version of the 
Nancy Scola of 
