The Normal in Paranormal

I think it is no surprise to anyone that I love paranormal books. I love tv shows with paranormal elements, movies, video games... wallpaper. ;)

Anything paranormal (or supernatural), I'm there.

Take the TV show Supernatural, which starts its 12th season soon-- and has no plans on stopping.

Buffy-- 7 years and a comic book series

Angel-- 5 years

The X-Files-- Still going strong

The Vampire Diaries-- On Season 8

Thinking about the longevity of shows that deal with supernatural elements made me stop and question WHY?

Why do shows, books, and movies like this become so popular? What is the long term appeal (and no it isn't only because of the stars and the network)?
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1) Paranormal stories are very human.
 I cried when I finished writing Reckless Sunday night. It wasn't because I was overly deadline tired or because I wrote an incredibly sad scene, it was because the characters-- even the supernatural ones-- are very human.

 What do I mean by that? I mean they deal with their inner struggles in a very human way.

 In paranormal stories, we get to be literal when it comes to 'fighting your inner demons'. In the Heartless series, Gracen Sullivan, in fact, DOES fight her inner demons; a fight that bleeds through the entire series until the big climax in Reckless.

 Using angels and demons is a way to make sense of the human emotions we have to deal with every day. Those emotions aren't always easy to voice, however when you put them in a supernatural world or story, they become easier to detach from and deal with.

 
2) The stakes are high.
 You kill someone on Law & Order, those folks are more than likely going to stay dead (unless it is a very special episode). The guys on the Big Bang Theory don't face life and death situations every day (well... they may think they might, but they don't ;) ).

In the paranormal universe, the stakes are incredibly high-- because more often times than not, death is on the line (did anyone else think of The Princess Bride there? No? Okay...)

In paranormal stories, death is always looming, even if it isn't in the forefront. In The Afterlife of Lizzie Monroe, no one knows why Lizzie is still alive, and they (and she) are terrified that she will become most sincerely dead if they don't figure out how to save her.
           
Those are some pretty high stakes.
           
Sam and Dean from Supernatural are always facing death. Heck, Dean even has a showdown with "The Horseman" (I won't give spoilers in case you haven't seen it.)

Death is not amused.

Buffy had death hanging over her head every time she went on patrol (or slept with her vampire boyfriend)
           
Throw the Salvatore brothers outside without their rings, and see what happens.
           
We care because we know, in a matter of seconds, our favorite characters can be ripped away from us. It is an incredibly scary and addicting feeling.
 
           
3)We have to face our fears.
When the kids in Stephen King's IT wanted to run from the monster, they couldn't. They had to face their fears, be brave, and fight until it was over-- one way or another.

In Heartless, Gracen is terrified that the voices in her head are real-- and she's even more terrified that they aren't. In order to move on with her life, she has to face her fears.
           
Fear, and overcoming it, is a theme in lots of genres, but especially in paranormal. Why? It is easier to be afraid in supernatural books: ghosts, vampire, demons, werewolves, clowns...
           
Fears are technically all the same. They make your body react the same way. One person might react to a ghost the same way another might feel facing a big test. Your pulse gets faster; your chest hurts; your fight or flight response kicks in... you want nothing more to be gone from that situation.
           
And that is exactly why paranormal stories are important. We might not exactly see Buffy facing her test anxiety, but we can see her face a powerful vampire who is determined to destroy the world on the biggest test day of the year.
 
           
Paranormal stories are universally important to not only scare us but to make us find ways to deal with the scariness in our own lives.
           
The very human part of supernatural stories is what makes us keep coming back for more. Will the girl defeat the monster? Will *I* be able to keep my inner demons from winning tonight?
           
What about you? Why do you love paranormal stories? I'd love to chat with you about it. Leave a comment and tell me what other ways paranormal stories are incredibly human.
           
Until next time,
 Kelly