Tips on writing Spike so that he's a believable and cannon character.

    Spike is a very complex vampire. He's more human than the other vampires around Sunnydale, more passionate about certain things, and ultimately does love Buffy Summers. Here are a few things that I think people should take into consideration when writing Spike.

    1. Use the accent, don't abuse it.

         Yes Spike is British. Yes, he says things like "bloody hell," "bollocks," "bleedin'," and more. But he doesn't say them in between every other word or every three seconds. When it's appropriate, yes -- use the British slang, but don't have him say "bloody hell" at the end or in the middle of every sentence. My advice to people who are really unsure of how to write his accent is -- DON'T. Don't write the dialect in Spike's words, just let people imagine it. As long as you get the general message across, you should be fine.

    2. Know his lingo.

        Spike uses nicknames for people and terms for certain things in Sunnydale. Use them but don't overuse them.

• Willow: Red, the Witch

• Tara: Glinda (a lot of writers use that)  

• Xander: Whelp, Harris, Bricklayer

• Dawn: Nibblet, Little Bit, Bit, Dawnie

• Buffy: Pet, Love, Slayer, Goldilocks, Kitten (Some authors use that)

• Giles: Watcher, Rupert

• Anya: Demon-Girl

• Drusilla: Ducks, Kitten, pet, baby

• Angel: Poof, Peaches, Angelus

• Vampires/Demons: Nasties

    3. Know what he wears

        If you're describing Spike in the setting of your story, make it sound believable. This means -- don't have him wearing a "forest green turtleneck with dark gray cargo pants" without there being a reason for it. Usually, Spike is seen in a very few different type of outfits.

• Spike in the present timeline wears black jeans, a black short-sleeved shirt, Doc Martins (also black) and is also sometimes seen with a dark red, long sleeved shirt, and his black leather duster. He sometimes changes things around a bit, like his shirt, but usually sticks with an all-black look.

• Spike in the 1970s was seen in a full punk gear -- black vest with clothes pins all over, and old, work in jeans. His hair was really bleached back then and spiked as well and he wore plenty of eye liner and black nail polish -- usually chipped for some reason. After killing Nikki, he donned the black leather jacket. It is safe to assume that anytime from the 1970s on, he wore clothes and dressed similarly to the look in season 2 and on.

• William wore tweed outfits, something like the ones Giles wore in the earlier days of Buffy. The tweed outfit he is seen in the most is the brown tweed (Restless, Tabula Rasa).

    4. Layers

        Spike is a vampire with layers. At first, especially when others, like Xander, are around, he's going to act like a tough guy...possibly standoffish, harsh, sarcastic, joking, etc. However, underneath that, he's softer and more compassionate (as seen in Hells Bells). However, Spike is also very rash and impulsive. When someone does something to him, he sets out and tries to get revenge no matter the cost (Fool For Love).

    5. Know his Habits/Likes

        When Spike isn't patrolling with Buffy, in her basement like in season 7, or in his crypt throughout seasons 4 to 6, what is he doing? Well, you have to figure that out for your story, but you have to have it be something that Spike would be seen doing.

• Drinking

• Smoking (Under Buffy's tree at night...smoking in "No smoking" areas like the hospital, lighting one in the middle of a conversation)

• Eating (Blooming onions, buffalo wings, hot chocolate)

• Watching TV (Passions, Dawson's Creek)

• Playing Kitten Poker in season 6

• Music (Sex Pistols, Clash, Ramones)

    6. Pre-soul or post-soul?

        If you're writing Spike in season 7, he will be different from the Spike in season 6. Although the changes in Spike weren't as drastic as they were with Angel/Angelus, Spike with a soul is less of a fighter and worries more about what he has done to Buffy. He is less sarcastic now and doesn't strike back with witty comebacks as often. The soul provides him with feeling actual guilt now, but it doesn't control him and overpower his usual senses. Spike works with his soul to prove to Buffy that he is a good man and earn redemption in her eyes -- that's all he cares about.

    7. In the end...

        It all comes down to Buffy. Buffy Summers motivates Spike to do almost anything. Spike kept his promise to protect Dawn, even after Buffy died, and tried to help Buffy when she first came back from the dead. It was only when he realized that Buffy only wanted him since he wasn't one of her close friends who would judge her, that he became darker, leading up to the attempted rape. He left and got his soul for her, and then he placed his faith in her that she would rescue him in "Showtime." It's all about Buffy.

Disagree with something I said? Did I miss anything? Want me to add something? Let me know!

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