Vampire story - foreshadow or not?

The news report stuff is a device that's been done to undeath.

Put yourself in the protag's skin, imagine daily life and what would that person logically take notice of day to day. Who pays attention to local news? For many it's just background noise while prepping supper or breakfast.

The reader will know there's vampire stuff afoot and that you'll get around to it, just don't take too long to get there.

It's a good idea to start your story as late as possible and get to the action ASAP.

In other words: What Would Joss Whedon Do?

Print that question out and tape it over your desk. That's what I have over mine.

Gillhoughly said:

The news report stuff is a device that's been done to undeath.

Put yourself in the protag's skin, imagine daily life and what would that person logically take notice of day to day. Who pays attention to local news? For many it's just background noise while prepping supper or breakfast.

The reader will know there's vampire stuff afoot and that you'll get around to it, just don't take too long to get there.

It's a good idea to start your story as late as possible and get to the action ASAP.

In other words: What Would Joss Whedon Do?

Print that question out and tape it over your desk. That's what I have over mine.

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I agree with all of this, especially the bolded. Good Luck!

yes on the fore shadowing

I think fore shadowing should be there, but maybe not so obvious. Maybe a rash of mysterious disappearances of people or pets or both? So we know something spooky is happening, but we don't know exactly what or why.

Why not have her frustrated by having to sit through the green light until yet another funeral procession travels past? The third one in the work week.

Mark Moore said:

a vampire won't show up until pretty well into the first story. Up until that point, there's nothing supernatural and no horror.

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i'm not quite understanding how the story will be structured. I mean, I think I would be pretty miffed if I picked up a vampire book, and nothing supernatural (or horror-y) happened until well into the first story (how far is that, anyway, like, halfway through the first story? Or last few paragraphs of first story?).

Your OP is making me think that you start with a lot of backstory. There doesn't need to be action or much supernatural stuff, but I think there needs to be *something* that happens soon. I don't want to read pages about the characters' normal lives. I want to be there the day their world turns upside down, or slightly before it.

It would be like trying to politely listen to an older relative's story while inside my head, I'm screaming "Get to the point, already!"

I think there can be some foreshadowing, but it doesn't have to be the news cast. It can be your protagonist walking by a vampire biting his victim, and thinking it's something else. It can be your protagonist walking by a vampire in a grocery and have the vampire freak out or react when they go near the garlic cloves/seed/powder/etc. There are a lot of things you can do. I hope I helped.