creative writing describing a zombie

How to Write Great (Awful) Zombies

By Melanie Karsak

It’s October, my favorite month of the year. Without fail, I always get in the mood to write something spooky this time of year. Over the summer, I completed the fifth and final book in The Harvesting Series. The Harvesting series begins with an outbreak that leads to a zombie apocalypse. Once mankind is mostly dead, the survivors learn that we weren’t as alone as we thought we were. The fey, vampires, and other supernatural creatures and powers always existed in our world, we just didn’t know it. Writing five books in a zombie series pushed me to constantly innovate and look for new ways to write scary creatures. Just how many ways are there to describe a zombie? In the end, I found the best was to go back to basics. Hit the readers right in the senses:

1) Zombies smell like…

I spent a lot of time considering how a zombie might smell. From the harrowing bouquet of the rotted corpse to the whiff of an entire horde of the decaying undead, zombies stink. When writing zombies, you will get your readers into the scene more completely if you can help them envision what it would be like face-to-face with breath that smells like the “soup” at the bottom of a trash can. On The Walking Dead , characters can grimace and cover their mouths. Our characters should do that too, but describing the scents of rancid, pussy sores, molding clothing, and maggot-filled chunks of bloody flesh can bring your zombies to…life? Zombies should smell so bad you can taste it. Speaking of…

2) Zombies taste like…

Okay, no one is going to go around and taste a zombie, but you should get the reader’s taste buds thinking. My favorite taste description is of the bloody saliva my zombies drool all over everything. Imagine that sharp salty and metallic taste of blood in your mouth. Imagine the wash of stomach acid that will burn up your esophagus and into your mouth when you see one of my stinking zombies. Image a scent so putrid you can taste it. Yes, zombies taste bad too.

3) I hear zombies…

The groan of the undead, the sound of them dragging their body parts down the street behind them, the spitty hiss they make as their decayed teeth, yellowed and full of pulpy bits of bloody flesh, snap as they try to bite you, all make up the beautiful chorus that is the zombie apocalypse. Zombies moan like no other monster. Their terrible hunger evokes painful sounding moans as they hiss and snap at their meal: you. The zombie really makes a music all its own.

4) Zombies feel like…

Imagine a rotted corpse had just lunged at you. You try to push it away find only pulpy, decayed flesh. Your fingers sink into the meat. The skin peals back like the casing of a sausage to reveal rotted sinew and tissue now softer than mud. The decaying flesh slips off the still-solid skeleton underneath until your down to the very bone. Zombies feel gross. Describing how zombies feel is best imagined as that feeling you get when you reach into a bag, box, or cupboard only to find something wet, soft, and suspect—where it shouldn’t be. If you have kids, you’ve experienced this for sure. You’re immediately repulsed by the unknown. Add in some great taste and smell descriptions, and you have a perfect recipe for the grotesque.

5) Zombie look like…

Describing how a zombie looks is where writers can take the most liberties. Are your zombies fast or slow? Do they decay or do they not? It’s pretty standard fare to have zombies in tattered clothes, from I am Legend ’s thinking and hairless undead to 28 Days Later’s fast zombies, a bad wardrobe is the norm. Zombies can have red eyes, black eyes, white or decayed-looking eyes, or more. You zombies might be able to communicate or even seem more human than undead. Playing with just what your special brand of zombie will look like, and making is as scary as possible, is what makes writing zombies entertaining.

Evoking the senses when trying to scare the reader is really fun—and maybe a little evil—way to pull the reader into the moment and get their hearts racing. The best way to imagine what will be scary to the reader, what will repulse and frighten them, is to question what you find repulsive and frightening. Play on common human fears. Manipulate the fears of the dark, unknown sounds, and all manner of deeply held unconscious worries.

Of course, I didn’t write a zombie dressed as a clown spitting out spiders while giving a speech, but if I did, he definitely would have smelled like rancid meat, his entrails falling out of a fresh wound as he tried to claw off some poor innocent’s face with his yellowed fingernails, pressing those boney fingers into their flesh. I didn’t write that scene…yet.

The Harvesting

More about Melanie Karsak

9 responses to “How to Write Great (Awful) Zombies”

It was good and helpful

Exceptional detail given here. Two thumbs up! I feel inspired for my own “zombie book”.

Thank you so much this will really help with my creative writing in class. Thanks again.

What does it mean to ‘write like Zombies’?

Your suggestions certainly are helpful for writers of fiction. What would you do differently in a zombie/western screenplay?

I love this article thank you!

Your article was amazing so inspiring thank you!

I find this very helpful and inspiring for my creative writing. Thank you.

This was very helpful with my story! I felt it was bland before, but after some revising with these tips in mind, I like it a lot more!

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20+ Best Words to Describe Zombie, Adjectives for Zombie

In the eerie realm of horror, one creature has captured the imagination of storytellers and audiences alike: the zombie. In simple terms, a zombie is an undead being, a reanimated corpse devoid of life’s essence, existing only to roam the earth in a relentless pursuit of flesh and brains. These undead creatures have inspired a plethora of descriptive words that evoke spine-chilling fear and fascination. From “grotesque” to “shambling,” and “ravenous” to “unyielding,” this blog post will explore the chilling lexicon used to depict these nightmarish beings that haunt our darkest dreams.

Table of Contents

Adjectives for Zombie

Here are the 20 Most Popular adjectives for zombie:

Adjectives for Zombie Walk

• Bone-chilling

Adjectives for Zombie Behavior

• Unpredictable

Adjectives for Zombie Appearance

• Hollow-eyed
• Bloodstained

Words to Describe Zombie with Meanings

• Decaying : Showing signs of decomposition or rot.
• Lurching : Moving with awkward, unsteady motions.
• Cursed : Plagued by a malevolent supernatural force.
• Soulless : Lacking a living spirit or essence.
• Horrific : Extremely frightening or shocking.
• Malevolent : Having an evil or harmful intent.
• Rancid : Emitting a strong, unpleasant odor.
• Clammy : Damp and unpleasantly cool to touch.
• Grim : Gloomy and foreboding in appearance.
• Gruesome : Repulsively horrifying or gruesome.
• Diabolical : Wicked and devilish in nature.
• Infected : Contaminated with a harmful agent or disease.
• Undying : Unfaltering, unable to be killed permanently.
• Wretched : Extremely miserable or unhappy.
• Sinister : Suggesting evil or danger; ominous.
• Hollow : Empty or lacking emotions or substance.
• Abominable : Deserving of strong dislike or hatred.
• Desolate : Deserted and devoid of life or hope.
• Deathly : Pertaining to or resembling death.
• Dismal : Depressing or dreary in nature.

Example Sentences for Zombie Adjectives

• The decaying corpse sent shivers down spines.
• The zombie was lurching toward its prey.
• The cursed town was haunted by zombies.
• The abandoned house was filled with soulless beings.
• The horror movie had a horrific ending.
• The malevolent creature lurked in the shadows.
• The room reeked of rancid flesh.
• Her hands were cold and clammy .
• The setting sun cast a grim light on the graveyard.
• The haunted mansion was filled with gruesome sights.
• The diabolical plan threatened the city’s safety.
• The survivors avoided contact with the infected .
• The undying zombie continued its pursuit relentlessly.
• The beggar’s appearance was wretched and pitiful.
• The abandoned asylum had a sinister atmosphere.
• The old tree had a hollow interior.
• The abominable creature terrorized the villagers.
• The desolate landscape was devoid of life.
• The moon cast a deathly glow over the cemetery.
• The weather forecast predicted a dismal day ahead.

Explore More Words:

Words to Describe Character

Words to Describe Horror

Words to Describe Halloween

How to describe zombie writing?

Zombie writing often entails vividly depicting the decaying, relentless, and eerie nature of the undead, evoking a chilling sense of horror and fear.

What are zombies known for?

Zombies are known for being reanimated corpses, devoid of life, and driven by an insatiable hunger for human flesh and brains.

How are zombies killed?

Zombies can be killed through methods such as destroying the brain, severing their heads, or completely incapacitating their bodies.

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About the author.

Hi, I'm USMI, engdic.org's Author & Lifestyle Linguist. My decade-long journey in language and lifestyle curation fuels my passion for weaving words into everyday life. Join me in exploring the dynamic interplay between English and our diverse lifestyles. Dive into my latest insights, where language enriches every aspect of living.

DescribingWord.Com

A to Z Collection of Describing Words

Top 30 Adjectives for Zombie (Negative & Positive Words)

Zombies have intrigued and frightened us for years. Whether in movies or books, they have both terrifying and fascinating traits. Let’s dive into the words that best describe these undead beings!

Table of Contents

Description of Zombie

A zombie is a mythical creature, often portrayed as a reanimated corpse or a mindless human being, frequently seen in horror and fantasy-themed works.

Adjectives to Describe a Zombie

Here are 30 most common adjectives to describe zombie;

• Cannibalistic
• Bloodthirsty

Positive Adjectives to Describe a Zombie

• Fascinating
• Mesmerizing

Negative Adjectives to Describe a Zombie

Adjectives for Character

Adjectives for Leader

Adjectives for Disney

Adjectives for Vampire

Adjectives for Zombie With Meanings and Example Sentences

1. decomposed.

Meaning: Rotted; decayed.

Sentence: The decomposed zombie emerged from the grave.

2. Relentless

Meaning: Continuous; unstoppable.

Sentence: The relentless pursuit of the zombie terrified her.

Meaning: Horrifying; shocking.

Sentence: His face turned ghastly upon seeing the zombie.

4. Fascinating

Meaning: Extremely interesting.

Sentence: Despite its danger, the zombie lore is fascinating .

5. Ravenous

Meaning: Extremely hungry.

Sentence: The ravenous zombie hunted for its next meal.

6. Mysterious

Meaning: Hard to explain or understand.

Sentence: The origins of the zombie remained mysterious .

7. Mesmerizing

Meaning: Holding attention; spellbinding.

Sentence: The zombie’s gaze was eerily mesmerizing .

8. Infected

Meaning: Contaminated with disease.

Sentence: The infected person soon turned into a zombie.

Meaning: Severely damaged.

Sentence: His mangled form hinted at a zombie attack.

10. Intriguing

Meaning: Arousing curiosity.

Sentence: She found the zombie’s behavior very intriguing .

Other Words to Describe a Zombie

Words to describe a zombie walk, words to describe a zombie apocalypse.

• Cataclysmic
• End-of-world
• Overwhelming
• Annihilating

Powerful Words to Describe a Zombie

• Unstoppable
• Fear-inducing
• Unforgettable
• Omnipresent
• Overpowering

How to Describe Zombie in writing?

When describing a zombie in writing, focus on its physical appearance, movement, and behavior. Use vivid adjectives and verbs to convey its undead nature, relentless drive, and the fear it instills. Highlight the contrast between its former human form and its current decomposed state. Dive deep into sensory descriptions—how it sounds, smells, and even feels. Remember, the key is to evoke emotion in your readers, whether it’s fear, intrigue, or fascination.

Last updated on December 19th, 2023 at 06:40 pm

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Zombie Writing Prompts and Story Ideas

Zombies are a beloved trope in literature and media, and it doesn’t seem like the craze will be dying off any time soon. However, in such a diverse genre, it’s not always easy to come up with ideas on your own. Zombies are only part of the equation, after all. 

If you know you want to write about zombies, but you need a little direction, here are some short prompts, settings, and story ideas to help you get started. 

Short Zombie Writing Prompts for Warming Up

Zombies are a lot of fun to write about, but if you don’t want to write an entire novel, try just writing a single scene instead. It can exist as part of a larger story, but you don’t have to write everything that precedes it. Give readers enough context to understand the characters and the situation, but get creative with how you reveal information over time. That way, you can practice writing about different zombie-related situations without the pressure of making it a complete narrative. Besides, if you end up liking what you write, you can always flesh out (haha) the story later and add more to it!

Here’s a list of zombie writing prompts you can use to warm up, practice, or just have a little fun:

• A desperate character decides to loot a shady gas station they normally wouldn’t approach. Most places have already been ransacked, and this is the only option left. 
• Your characters have a bit of downtime repairing and cleaning up their current shelter. What sorts of things do they talk about? How long have they been there?
• Two characters are driving through a zombie wasteland when their car breaks down. One has to repair the car while the other has to defend against the oncoming horde. 
• One character in a group of survivors is secretly infected. As their health slowly declines, they get more desperate to blame their symptoms on other things (ie: the colder weather, allergies). At what point do the other survivors realize the truth?
• A pair of siblings reunite for the first time in forever—in the middle of a zombie siege. Is this tearful reunion shortly followed by tragedy, or do the two successfully escape with their lives?
• Zombies are little more than a vague rumor, and you aren’t sure what to believe. The media has a habit of exaggerating the truth, after all… But when you accidentally hit a zombie with your car, you have no choice but to accept the gruesome truth. 
• The zombie apocalypse has been going on for some time, and one character has managed to survive inside their own home. Most people abandoned the city, and there aren’t even many zombies around, so they have gotten away with fortifying their home very little. However, when a looter breaks in and injures them, they regret not taking the time to build up their defenses more. 
• Your characters have nothing to lose, and a lot of high-powered weapons. When they are cornered by an immense hoard of zombies, they decide to take as many down with them as they can. What ensues can only be described as a zombie-slaying massacre, and the characters leave carnage in their wake before they finally succumb to the zombies. 
• A single father of three has to break the news to his children: he was bitten and is going to turn.
• Describe a character slowly succumbing to the disease in first-person. Is it painful? At what point does their consciousness fade? Does it fade completely, or do they remain somewhat aware of what their body does after turning? 
• Your protagonist has been living off-the-grid for years, with almost no connection to the outside world. During a rare visit to town, they finally learn about the state of the world.

Setting Ideas for Zombie Apocalypse Stories

If you’re already writing a zombie story, then you probably know that the setting plays a huge part in the storytelling. You need to keep putting your protagonists in interesting and exciting places to encounter zombies to set scenes apart from each other, but it can be hard to keep coming up with new ideas. So, I’ve come up with a brief list of setting ideas that you can use to spice up your characters’ zombie encounters!

Your characters could encounter zombies in a:

• Swamp 
• Cruise ship
• Graveyard 
• Lecture hall
• Hiking trail
• Subway station 
• Furniture store
• Wax museum 
• Train graveyard
• Mountain lodge
• Sports stadium
• Nuclear power plant
• Movie theater

Zombie Story Plot Ideas

If you’re looking for plot ideas for an entire novel, comic, roleplay, or another kind of story, then I’ve got some ideas for you. Unlike the prompts above, these will give you ideas to base an entire narrative around.

• Write a story from the perspective of the person who caused it. Are they a poor scientist trying to find a cure for another disease? A team of infectious disease specialists hired for biological warfare? What was their motivation in the beginning, and what are they going to do about the outbreak now that it is out of control? 
• Your main character finds a safe camp, completely walled off from zombies. They have food, water, and shelter in place, as well as a complex security system and a simple form of government. They say their medics have discovered a mix of drugs that combats the virus in early stages and can even prevent infection from spreading immediately, but this is all a ruse in order to control and manipulate people. How do the protagonists find out the truth, and what do they do about it? The people are safe from infection behind the shelter’s walls, but there is no such thing as freedom here. 
• Lately, rumors of a perfect camp have been spreading around the wasteland. With nothing left to lose, your protagonist sets off to find it, asking everyone they can for information. Finally, after months of searching, they manage to find the formidable walls of the last major safe place in the nation. When they approach the gates, however, they are told that the shelter is no longer accepting new residents, and if the protagonist does not leave, the shelter will open fire. What happens next? 
• There’s a cure for the disease, and you’re a recovering zombie. What’s that like? Will you ever return to normal, or will you live with symptoms forever? Is this story a psychological horror, a comedy, or something else? 
• The zombie disease only affects children. Some kids manage to make it to adulthood without getting sick, but the population isn’t sustainable, and the disease becomes more widespread each year. Humanity is slowly dying off. Your main character has a young child they are trying to protect from getting sick, but not only do they have to battle zombies, they have to resist a government that wants to confiscate the child to ensure they reach adulthood. As a bonus, all the zombies in this world are miniature because they’re all children, so that adds another layer of horror into the mix.
• Your protagonist is determined to find a cure… by any means necessary. They slowly descend into madness as the cure proves impossible to create, and they begin desperately experimenting on other human beings by infecting them with the disease. 
• Zombies have been a problem for years, and your protagonists are part of an elite zombie cleanup team. The outbreaks are always kept under control and quickly contained… until recently. Now everyone expects your protagonists to control the growing horde, and they’re in over their heads. 
• You’ve been bitten. You know it, your group knows it, and no one is trying to hide it. You know that you’re going to die, and you have accepted it. However, your group would be defenseless without you, so you must escort them to a new safe place before you turn completely—and you’re running out of time.
• A group of astronauts on a space station brings in a mysterious space rock from outside. Everyone forgets about it pretty quickly—especially since people start getting sick soon after. Thanks to the infected people’s tendency of biting at their doctors, the alien sickness spreads rapidly and soon gets out of control. Now, the astronauts must survive an alien zombie outbreak, trapped in a space station orbiting hundreds of miles above the Earth. 
• Zombie fighting is now the most popular form of entertainment for post-apocalyptic America. Two zombies are drenched in fresh blood and locked in a cage together to tear each other apart. People gamble on the fights, and it all seems like a good way for people to overcome their resentment towards the zombies while having fun in the process. Your protagonist has been going to these fights since they first started, and they love it. However, they stumble upon a dark secret: one zombie owner has been kidnapping strong humans and turning them into zombies to win more fights, and ultimately make more money. 

How Writing About Zombies can Make You a Better Writer

Writing about zombies is a great way of refining some really good skills as a writer. That sounds ridiculous, so let me explain. Zombie stories commonly contain a lot of similar themes, techniques, and storytelling strategies. To write one effectively, you need to be good at utilizing suspense, surprising your readers, and exploring the duality of each individual character. You will have to press your characters to do bad things, to manipulate each other, and to act in unsavory ways, and this can help break you out of the habit of writing perfect Mary Sues. 

In addition to that, zombie stories often blend many different genres, like horror, action, and even romance or comedy. You need to be able to write high-energy fight scenes, while also being able to properly write suspense and tension. You’ll need to convey sadness, fear, loss, and death, and you need to show tenderness and love between surviving characters. Zombie stories are a great way of probing human conscience and exploring the complex emotions of humans when pushed to their limits. 

Although that sounds difficult, a lot of this comes naturally to writers tackling a zombie plot. We’ve all seen zombies in movies, books, comics, and video games, and we subconsciously understand that that’s what the genre requires. Then, after writing about zombies, you’ll get better at applying those techniques in other things you write.

And really, zombies are fun to write about, so relax and just enjoy the carnage. 

143+ Unique Zombie Story Ideas [Prompts for Creative Writers]

Are you looking for some inspiration for your next zombie story, screenplay, or comic book?

Well, you’re in the right place! As a full-time genre writer and independent filmmaker , I’ve written a ton of monsters , including zombies. They’ve been so much fun to write!

I promise you’ll love creating your zombie story as much as I have! And, to help you out, here are some great writing prompts for unique zombie characters and zombie story ideas for your next zombie fiction story!

What Are Good Zombie Story Ideas?

Let’s get right into all the best story ideas!

Traditional Survival Horror

These zombie writing prompts will capture the essence of the genre, focusing on survival amid a classic zombie apocalypse. Key elements include scavenging for supplies, seeking safe havens, and the constant threat of the undead.

Last Light in the City : Amidst an urban apocalypse, a group of survivors must navigate through a city overrun by zombies to reach a rumored safe haven.

The Warehouse : A group of survivors finds refuge in a massive warehouse filled with supplies but must devise clever traps and defenses against waves of zombies.

Radio Silence : A lone radio operator broadcasts messages of hope and guidance to survivors while defending his station from the undead.

The Last Hospital : Medical professionals in the last functioning hospital must balance their duty to patients and their own survival as zombies close in.

Highway to Hell : A convoy of survivors travels on deserted highways, scavenging for supplies, and fighting off zombie hordes along the way.

The Farmhouse Standoff : A family barricades themselves in their farmhouse, using their knowledge of the land to fend off relentless zombie attacks.

The Underground : Survivors living in subway tunnels face not only the threat of zombies but also rival survivor groups vying for control of the underground.

Mountain Refuge : A group of hikers retreats to a remote mountain cabin during a zombie outbreak, battling harsh weather, isolation, and the undead.

The Shopping Mall Siege : Survivors holed up in a shopping mall must defend their fortress of supplies from a massive zombie horde.

The Lighthouse : A lighthouse keeper uses his isolated island lighthouse to guide survivors at sea, while keeping the undead at bay.

School’s Out Forever : Teachers and students fortify their school against zombies after their town is overrun.

Zombie Zoo : The staff of a city zoo struggles to keep the animals alive while fending off zombies that have breached the gates.

The Library : A group of survivors in a public library uses their collective knowledge to outsmart zombies and search for a cure.

The Stadium : A sports stadium becomes a safe haven for survivors, but with limited resources, they must venture out into zombie-infested city for supplies.

The Sewers : When the city above is overrun by zombies, a band of survivors must navigate the labyrinthine sewers below to escape.

RELATED: Read my apocalypse story ideas here !

Comedy and Parody

These story ideas take a lighter approach to the zombie genre, infusing humor and satire into the grim apocalypse. They include slapstick humor, satirical takes on society, and quirky characters facing off against zombies.

Zombie Mall Shoppers : A group of retail workers must survive the Black Friday shopping frenzy – except this year, the shoppers are zombies.

Dawn of the Undead Dentist : A dentist discovers that flossing and brushing can actually kill zombies, leading to hilarious and bizarre encounters.

The Zombie Gourmet : A renowned chef is forced to adapt his cooking skills to a world where brains are the main ingredient.

Zombie Prom : A high school prom takes a turn when a zombie outbreak occurs, leading to a night of dance-offs, love triangles, and brain-eating hilarity.

Zombie Retirement Home : In an elderly care home, a group of lively senior citizens are more than ready to take on the zombie apocalypse.

Zombies in Vegas : What happens when a group of bachelor party goers wake up from a night in Las Vegas to find a zombie apocalypse? Chaos, humor, and a lot of lost bets.

Zombies on a Cruise : The luxury cruise turns into a floating buffet for zombies, where the crew and passengers have to use the ship’s resources creatively to survive.

Zombie Love Story : A hopeless romantic falls in love with a zombie, leading to a series of comedic and awkward situations.

Zombies vs. Aliens : When aliens invade during a zombie apocalypse, both the zombies and the survivors are too confused about who should be attacking whom.

Zombie Weight Loss Program : A fitness influencer capitalizes on the zombie apocalypse by promoting a new weight loss program – running from zombies.

Zombie Reality TV : A reality show continues filming during a zombie apocalypse, leading to absurdly comical and deadly challenges.

Zombies at the Zoo : A group of zookeepers use their knowledge of animals to fend off a horde of zombies that have taken over the zoo.

Zombie Office Politics : An office worker realizes that his colleagues have turned into zombies – but strangely, office life goes on almost as normal.

Zombie Road Trip : A family on a cross-country road trip must navigate kitschy tourist traps, roadside diners, and hordes of zombies.

Zombies in Space : Astronauts aboard the International Space Station watch the zombie apocalypse unfold from space and struggle with the fact that they might be the last humans left.

RELATED: If you’re writing a zombie story or movie and haven’t found a name for your zombie yet, click here to see my list of zombie name ideas !

Romantic Zombies

These plot ideas feature love in the time of zombies, blending elements of romance and horror. You’ll find star-crossed lovers (one being a zombie or both battling the undead) exploring themes of love transcending the horror of zombification.

Zombie Love Letter : An old love letter is found by a survivor, leading him to search for his lost love amidst the apocalypse.

From Zombies With Love : Two zombies, retaining their memories and emotions, fall in love and struggle to protect each other from the living who see them as threats.

The Zombie Bride : On her wedding day, a bride turns into a zombie, and her groom goes to great lengths to find a cure to save her.

Zombie Prom : High school sweethearts must navigate their prom night when their classmates start turning into zombies.

Love Bites : A woman falls for a man who, unbeknownst to her, is slowly turning into a zombie. As she uncovers his secret, they both fight for their love and survival.

The Forbidden Kiss : A human and a sentient zombie share a forbidden love, challenging the prejudices of both humans and zombies.

Zombie Honeymoon : A newlywed couple’s honeymoon turns into a fight for survival when their tropical paradise is overrun by zombies.

Undying Love : After losing his lover to a zombie bite, a man discovers she has retained her consciousness after turning and vows to stay by her side.

Zombie Love Triangle : A woman must choose between her human ex-boyfriend and her new love interest, who happens to be a sentient zombie.

Zombified Romeo and Juliet : A retelling of the classic tale, where two lovers from rival families must confront their prejudices and the zombie outbreak.

Love in the Lab : Two scientists working on a cure for the zombie virus find love amidst the chaos and desperation of their work.

Zombie Serenade : A musician uses his songs to communicate with his zombie girlfriend, leading to touching and humorous situations.

Love on the Run : Two strangers meet during a zombie outbreak and fall in love while trying to escape the city.

The Last Dance : A couple trapped in their school during a zombie outbreak decide to have one last dance before trying to escape.

Zombie Heart : A man discovers his heart donor was a sentient zombie and begins to experience emotions and memories of the zombie’s past love life.

Zombie Heist

These zombie stories combine the thrill of heist plots with the peril of a zombie apocalypse. Elements of these stories will likely include a team with special skills, a seemingly impossible mission amidst zombies, and high-stakes tension.

The Living Vault : A team of thieves attempt to break into a vault rumored to contain a cure for the zombie virus.

Undead Casino Heist : In the ruins of Las Vegas, a band of survivors plan to rob a casino vault filled with supplies.

Zombie Jailbreak : A group of convicts plan a daring escape from a zombie-infested prison.

Last Train to Survival : A team must infiltrate a moving train filled with zombies to retrieve a vaccine.

Bunker Heist : A group of survivors attempts to break into a government bunker rumored to be filled with food, weapons, and medicine.

The Diamond Dead : A band of thieves plan a risky heist on a diamond store in a zombie-ridden city.

The Zombie Bank Job : A group plans to rob a bank vault in a zombie-infested city, hoping it contains resources for survival.

Art of the Apocalypse : A team of survivors aim to steal priceless works of art from a zombie-infested museum, hoping to sell them for survival supplies.

Operation Z : A special ops team is dispatched to retrieve a top-secret weapon from a military base overrun by zombies.

The Last Heist : In a world overrun by zombies, a retiring thief plans one last heist to secure enough supplies for his family’s survival.

Zombie Gold Rush : A group of survivors hears rumors of a gold mine untouched by the zombie apocalypse and plans a daring heist.

The Undead Heist Club : A group of high school friends plans a heist on their zombie-infested school to retrieve left-behind supplies.

Breaking into the Dead Zone : A team of daredevils plans a heist in the city’s dead zone to retrieve a cache of weapons.

The Silent Heist : A deaf thief and her crew plan a heist on a zombie-infested mansion rumored to be full of valuable antiques.

The Biohazard Job : A group of survivors hears about a biotech lab that holds the cure for the zombie virus and plans an audacious heist to steal it.

Military and Tactical

These zombie writing prompts focus on military operations during a zombie outbreak, highlighting strategy and firepower. They will include special forces, tactical missions against zombies, and insights into military protocols and weaponry.

Operation Dead Zone : A Special Forces team is dispatched into a quarantine zone to retrieve a scientist who may hold the cure to the zombie virus.

Zombie Siege : A military base is surrounded by zombies, and the soldiers must use their training and tactics to survive.

The Zombie Protocol : After a failed mission, a soldier discovers a top-secret military protocol designed to combat a zombie apocalypse.

Undead Warfare : A squad of soldiers is trapped behind enemy lines in a country overrun by zombies and must fight their way back home.

The Last Stand : A platoon makes a heroic stand against an overwhelming horde of zombies to protect a refugee camp.

Operation Z : A drone operator discovers an impending zombie attack on a remote military outpost and must warn them before it’s too late.

The Biohazard Unit : An elite military unit specializes in combating biohazard threats, including zombies.

The Undead Navy : A naval ship becomes the last refuge for humanity amidst a global zombie outbreak.

Airborne Apocalypse : A paratrooper squad is dropped into a zombie-infested city to rescue important political figures.

The Zombie Sniper : A sniper uses her skills to protect a group of survivors from a horde of zombies.

Black Ops Zombies : A covert ops team is tasked with infiltrating a zombie-infested enemy base to retrieve valuable intel.

Zombie Marines : A group of marines stranded on a remote island must battle zombies and find a way to communicate with the outside world.

The Zombie War : In a world conquered by zombies, a ragtag group of soldiers forms a resistance movement.

Desert Zombies : A military convoy crossing a desert encounters an unexpected enemy – zombies.

The Zombie Draft : Due to a shortage of soldiers, the government starts drafting civilians into the military to fight against the zombie apocalypse.

Psychological Thriller

These zombie stories look into the human psyche, exploring the mental toll of surviving in a world overrun by zombies. You’ll be writing about mind games, the blur between reality and hallucination, and the psychological depth of characters struggling to maintain their sanity.

Mind of the Undead : A survivor starts to empathize with the zombies, blurring the line between humanity and monstrosity.

Sanity’s Last Stand : In a world overrun by zombies, a group of survivors grapples with their sanity as they debate whether to hold on or let go.

Isolation : A lone survivor in a zombie apocalypse starts to question their reality, unsure if the zombies are real or figments of their imagination.

Fragmented Reality : After a head injury, a survivor starts seeing zombies even when there are none around, leading to paranoia and mistrust among his group.

The Zombie Therapist : A psychologist uses her skills to help survivors cope with the mental trauma of a zombie apocalypse.

Undead Dreams : A survivor can’t distinguish between dreams and reality, causing panic and chaos within a safe house.

The Zombie Mirage : Stranded in a desert, survivors start hallucinating about zombies, leading to devastating consequences.

Echoes of the Past : Haunted by their past actions, survivors are tormented by guilt-induced visions of zombified loved ones.

The Madhouse : A group of survivors finds refuge in an abandoned mental asylum, only to be haunted by the former patients turned zombies.

Zombie Phobia : A man with a severe phobia of zombies must confront his fear to protect his family during a zombie outbreak.

Survivor’s Guilt : The last member of a squad struggles with survivor’s guilt and PTSD, seeing his fallen comrades as zombies.

The Reality Game : A reality TV show producer exploits the zombie apocalypse to create a twisted new show, manipulating survivors’ fears for ratings.

The Walking Shadows : A survivor starts seeing ‘shadow zombies’ due to severe sleep deprivation.

The Descent : A safe haven slowly becomes a madhouse as cabin fever sets in and survivors start turning on each other, suspecting infiltration by zombies.

Paranoia : A group of survivors turns on one of their own, believing him to be infected, leading to a tragic series of events.

Historical and Period Zombies

These zombie story ideas have zombie outbreaks in historical or specific period contexts, and they blend history with horror. You’ll be writing about authentic historical settings, period-specific challenges, and the juxtaposition of zombies with historical events or figures.

Revolution of the Dead : During the French Revolution, a zombie plague adds a terrifying twist to the Reign of Terror.

The Black Death Reimagined : The Bubonic Plague in the 14th century was actually a zombie outbreak, and survivors must navigate medieval Europe’s challenges to survive.

Civil War of the Undead : During the American Civil War, fallen soldiers rise as zombies, forcing the North and South to unite against the undead.

The Z Pharaohs : Ancient Egypt is hit by a zombie plague during the reign of a powerful Pharaoh, turning pyramid builders into undead monsters.

Victorian Zombies : In Victorian London, a zombie outbreak lurks beneath the city’s foggy streets, threatening to interrupt the Industrial Revolution.

The Samurai and the Dead : In Feudal Japan, a Samurai warrior must use his skills to fend off a zombie infestation.

Dead Men Tell Tales : Pirates in the Golden Age of Piracy face off against zombified shipmates and island natives.

The Undead Renaissance : Leonardo da Vinci invents contraptions not only for the betterment of humanity but also to combat a zombie outbreak.

Stonehenge Apocalypse : Druids in ancient Britain must use their knowledge and magic to stop a zombie outbreak during the construction of Stonehenge.

Zombies of the Wild West : A sheriff in a small Western town faces his biggest challenge yet – a horde of undead cowboys.

The Gladiator Graveyard : In Ancient Rome, fallen gladiators rise from the dead, turning the Colosseum into an arena of horror.

The Aztec Curse : An Aztec curse turns the sacrificed into zombies, threatening to wipe out the Mesoamerican civilization.

The Plague of Independence : The American Revolution takes a horrific turn when British soldiers use a zombie virus as a biological weapon.

The Silk Road Horror : Merchants and travelers on the ancient Silk Road must combat a zombie outbreak spread by a mysterious artifact.

Cold War of the Dead : At the height of the Cold War, a zombie outbreak forces NATO and the Warsaw Pact to put aside differences and unite against the common undead enemy.

Sci-Fi and Experimental Zombies

These zombie writing prompts introduce elements of science fiction, offering a fresh twist on zombie origins and characteristics. You might write about genetic engineering, alien viruses, futuristic technology, and exploring the science behind the undead.

Alien Outbreak : An alien virus brought back from a Mars expedition turns humans into zombies, forcing astronauts and scientists to work together to stop the spread.

The Bio-Engineered Apocalypse : A genetically engineered super-soldier serum goes wrong, turning its subjects into aggressive, intelligent zombies.

Nano-Zombies : Nanotechnology meant to improve human health malfunctions, turning those implanted into high-tech zombies.

Post-Apocalyptic AI : In a world destroyed by nuclear war, an AI reanimates the dead to rebuild society, leading to a new breed of cybernetic zombies.

Zombie Singularity : As humanity merges with technology, a computer virus jumps to humans, turning them into zombie-like drones connected to a malevolent AI.

The Quantum Dead : A quantum physics experiment gone wrong opens a portal to a parallel universe, unleashing a zombie virus into our world.

Zombies in Space : A space mining crew on an asteroid unwittingly unleash an ancient alien pathogen, turning them into space zombies.

The Martian Dead : Colonists on Mars face a zombie outbreak after disturbing an ancient microbial lifeform.

Time Traveling Virus : A scientist from the future travels back in time to prevent a zombie apocalypse, only to accidentally introduce the virus earlier in history.

Radioactive Reanimation : After a nuclear meltdown, radiation leaks cause the dead in nearby cemeteries to rise as radioactive zombies.

The Genetic Pandora’s Box : Scientists attempting to unlock the secret to immortality accidentally create a zombie virus that rapidly spreads through the population.

Zombie Robots : Advanced robots designed to mimic humans malfunction and start acting like zombies, creating panic in a futuristic society.

The Zombie Meteor : A meteorite crash lands on Earth, carrying an alien virus that turns people into zombies.

Dystopian Dead : In a dystopian future where resources are scarce and the rich live in luxury, a zombie outbreak becomes the ultimate leveler.

The Cloning Disaster : An attempt to solve overpopulation by cloning humans goes awry when the clones turn out to be flesh-eating zombies.

Cross-Genre Blend

These zombie stories merge zombies with other genres like fantasy, western, or noir. They incorporate elements like magic, cowboys, or detectives into the zombie world.

Zombie Noir : In a post-apocalyptic city, a hard-boiled detective investigates a series of murders, only to discover that zombies are the culprits.

Cowboy Zombies : In the Wild West, a group of cowboys must protect their town from an incoming horde of zombies, stirred up by a nefarious outlaw’s black magic.

Fantasy Zombies : A powerful necromancer raises an army of zombies to overthrow a kingdom, and it’s up to a ragtag group of adventurers to stop him.

Steampunk Zombies : In a Victorian-era city powered by steam and gears, a mad scientist’s creation of mechanized zombies threatens to bring about an apocalypse.

Zombies in Space : On a distant space station, crew members must fight off an unexpected zombie outbreak caused by an alien virus.

Time-Traveling Zombies : A time traveler accidentally brings a zombie back to the present, sparking an outbreak that he must now stop.

Zombie Pirates : A cursed treasure turns a crew of pirates into undead horrors, terrorizing the Caribbean until a brave heroine steps up to stop them.

Zombie Romance : Two lovers separated by a zombie apocalypse must navigate through hordes of the undead to find each other again.

Cyberpunk Zombies : In a futuristic dystopia, rogue AI turns the city’s citizens into cybernetic zombies, forcing a group of hackers to save humanity.

Zombie Superheroes : A zombie virus infects a city’s superhero population, leaving ordinary citizens to fend off their former protectors.

Zombie Comedy : A group of friends wake up from a wild party to find their town overrun by zombies, leading to hilarious and terrifying antics.

Zombie Heist : A group of thieves plan a heist amid a zombie apocalypse, using the chaos as a cover for their daring robbery.

Zombie Musical : In a world where music soothes the undead, a band of musicians use their talents to survive in a zombie-infested city.

Zombie Western : In a post-apocalyptic future resembling the old west, a lone cowboy faces off against hordes of the undead.

Zombie Fairy Tale : In a twisted version of a classic fairy tale, a princess must save her kingdom from a wicked witch’s zombie curse.

Post-Apocalyptic

These zombie apocalypse stories focus on rebuilding civilization after a zombie apocalypse. They explore themes of hope and renewal, and you’ll be writing about community building, the rise of new societies, and the challenges of creating a new world.

Eden After Undeath : A group of survivors discover an untouched paradise amidst the ruins. Can they keep their Eden safe from the outside world?

Rise of New Athens : A community of intellectuals tries to rebuild civilization based on ancient Greek principles. But can philosophy and science thrive in a world overrun by zombies?

The Last Library : In a world where knowledge is power, a band of survivors protect a library – the last bastion of human knowledge.

Zombie Renaissance : Artists and musicians create a vibrant cultural movement amidst the post-apocalyptic ruins, bringing hope and beauty back into the world.

The Wall : A fortified city thrives amidst the apocalypse. But when the walls start cracking, the society within must face its greatest challenge.

From the Ashes : After the zombies decay, survivors must deal with a new threat – rival factions fighting over resources in the newly safe world.

The Second Chance : A group of prisoners released after the apocalypse use their skills to build a thriving community, challenging notions of morality and redemption.

The New Frontier : A group of pioneers set out to reclaim and repopulate abandoned cities, facing the challenges of nature reclaiming urban spaces.

Democracy of the Dead : As communities grow, so do conflicts. A town attempts to establish a democratic government, navigating the complexities of politics in a post-apocalyptic world.

Children of the Apocalypse : Born after the outbreak, a generation of children must learn to rebuild the world from the stories and relics of the past.

Post-Apocalyptic Agriculture : The struggle to cultivate crops and develop sustainable food sources becomes a vital task for a group of farming enthusiasts.

The Radio Tower : A group of survivors turns a radio tower into a beacon of hope, broadcasting messages of survival and assistance.

The Wandering School : A mobile community of teachers and students travels from place to place, sharing knowledge and skills essential for rebuilding society.

New Currency : In a world where money has lost its value, a group of survivors must devise a new form of currency and establish an economy.

Reclaiming the Skies : A team of engineers works on restoring old planes, hoping to reconnect isolated communities and establish trade routes.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it – my best ideas for a good zombie story. I hope you’ve found a great idea for your next creative work!

As always, please leave a comment below if you have any other interesting ideas to share. And please, stay creative!

Common Questions (FAQs)

What makes a good zombie character.

Zombies with a twist catch attention. Maybe you could write about a zombie who remembers bits of its past or has a peculiar trait. Just try to add depth to an otherwise ‘normal’ zombie!

Can I mix genres in my zombie story?

Absolutely! Combining genres like romance, comedy, or mystery with zombies can create fresh tales. Feel free to experiment!

How do I build suspense in a zombie story?

Hide information and place characters in risky situations to keep readers on edge. Use dark, eerie settings to enhance the mood (as noted in this article ).

Filmmaker, Author, Actor and Story Consultant

Neil Chase is an award-winning, produced screenwriter, independent filmmaker, professional actor, and author of the horror-western novel Iron Dogs. His latest feature film is an apocalyptic thriller called Spin The Wheel.

Neil has been featured on Celtx, No Film School, Script Revolution, Raindance, The Write Practice, Lifewire, and MSN.com, and his work has won awards from Script Summit, ScreamFest, FilmQuest and Cinequest (among others).

Neil believes that all writers have the potential to create great work. His passion is helping writers find their voice and develop their skills so that they can create stories that are entertaining and meaningful. If you’re ready to take your writing to the next level, he's here to help!

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Dissecting Zombies in Fiction Writing

In this post, we explore the history and technique of using zombies in fiction. We dissect zombies in fiction writing.

Zombie stories are a fan favourite, and a writer’s playground.

While not always popular, zombie tales rise from the grave every so often. Western zombie stories shot to public attention from the 1800s. Many blended genre forms exist now, including romance, horror, and action.

Here’s where zombie stories come from, and which techniques can help you to craft a great zombie tale.

Dissecting Zombies in Fiction Writing  

A grand zombie history.

Proposed theories about the origin of zombies point to Haitian voodoo, which tells of corpses brought back by priests – usually to serve, or do evil deeds.

Tales of corpses brought to life exist in other legends, including South African and Brazilian myths. Like vampires, early zombie legends contained the common element of fear.

Early zombie stories travelled with victims of the slave trade, and the story would spread and evolve.

In English, the word ‘zombi’ was used in poet Robert Southey’s ‘ A History Of Brazil ‘ between 1810 to 1819. The next popular, credited early use appeared in ‘The Magic Island’ by WB Seabrook in 1929.

Imagination was sparked, and many writers would use the basic idea of reanimated or drugged ‘zombies’ from here.

Film would follow. ‘White Zombie’ released in 1932 was one of the first big zombie features . ‘Night Of The Living Dead’ from 1968 brought zombies back again.

Modern zombie tales would move further away from bewitched, cursed people zombies. Instead, post-1930s zombie tales often use a viral, bacterial, or chemical cause.

Zombies In Fiction Writing  

Zombies defined.

According to the Merriam-Webster definition, a zombie is: ‘a will-less and speechless human (as in voodoo belief and in fictional stories) held to have died and been supernaturally reanimated’

We know, though, that the zombie story can be more than supernatural .

Zombie stories have taken a turn for the biological or viral in the 21 st century: most modern zombie stories make little mention of faith or supernatural origins.

Fear is different.

Readers are more likely to fear unstoppable viruses, isolation, and survival. Thus, the story has evolved to become more effective.

What Causes Fiction’s Zombies?

A zombie can be created by three things:

• Being bewitched or drugged,
• Being bitten (by a zombie),
• A virus, bacteria, or chemical.

Other causes exist, but if authors steer too far away from the accepted myth, you will end up with something that is not necessarily a zombie story at all.  

If you had describe a square badly, a reader can’t possibly draw what you have described. It’s too far away from what a square is, right?  

Treat stories with myths (including zombies and vampires) like how you would describe a square. Describe with creativity, but make sure the reader still knows what you meant.

Zombie Characteristics

Let’s talk about the things zombies are (and are not).

Zombies are always human, and either (1) brought back to life, or (2) degenerated by a virus or disease. A zombie-bite can sometimes turn another person ill, or infect them with the cause.

These simple threads run through almost all zombie stories.

More optional elements are out there.

Zombies are slow, though might be fast. Sometimes, they can be fixed, but in other stories their heads have to be destroyed.

Once you’ve got the base of a ‘zombie tale’, you can play with the secondary elements and get away with it.

When Is A Zombie Not?

Zombie tale drafts can miss the point far enough to stop being a zombie story, too. Edit if you have done this to your plot or story.

Zombies are human: the moment they are not, then they are no longer a traditional zombie. Zombies are undead, but separated by their traits from other undead myths like vampires .

One more example: sure, you could set a zombie tale in space, but the moment zombies are aliens from another planet you have crossed into another genre. Not a zombie tale anymore now, is it?

Matheson’s ‘ I I Am Legend ‘ sits between genres, and is more often called a vampire or apocalyptic story.

Traditional Zombie Stories

Zombie fiction can take several turns, and become a sub-genre of zombie story. Survival, horror, and apocalyptic or dystopian themes are common through zombie fiction.

‘ Home Delivery (collected in Nightmares & Dreamscapes) ‘ by Stephen King is a good example, using fear, survival, and isolation in the zombie story.

‘ Cell ‘ is a return to the zombie genre for King, but used cellphone towers as plot device.

Modern Zombie Fiction

Modern zombie fiction is more willing to incorporate freedom in the genre. Sometimes, stories don’t have to be horror (or survival horror) at all.

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion and ‘A Girls’ Guide To Dating Zombies’ by Lynn Messina made zombies romantic.

Pride + Prejudice + Zombies introduced zombies for effect in a known classic work.

All kept the ‘zombie’ element, but played around with the rest.

The Last Word  

In this post, Writers Write explored what makes zombie fiction different from other, popular undead stories.

By Alex J. Coyne.  Alex is a writer, proofreader, and regular card player. His features about cards, bridge, and card playing have appeared in Great Bridge Links, Gifts for Card Players, Bridge Canada Magazine, and Caribbean Compass. Get in touch at  alexcoyneofficial.com .

If you enjoyed this, read other posts by Alex:

• Dirty Journalism: How Journalists Can Keep Research Legal
• How Writers Can Research Settings Remotely
• The Use Of Real People As Characters In Fiction
• 8 Proofreading Tricks (That Save Valuable Time)
• 7 Techniques Of The Faustian Story
• Famous Rejection Letters & Their Lessons For Other Writers
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• The Art Of Writing Fiction With Fewer Settings

Top Tip : Find out more about our  workbooks  and  online courses  in our  shop .

• Alex J. Coyne , Featured Post , Genre

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50 Zombie Writing Prompts to scary up stories

November 21, 2023 by Richard Leave a Comment

Undead Inspiration: 50 Zombie Writing Prompts to Scare Up Stories

Few horror creations have embedded themselves into popular culture quite like zombies – the ravenous, shambling undead that relentlessly crave brains. Zombies have shuffled their way into movies, TV shows, books, video games, and endless creative works, taking over imaginations worldwide.

Part of what makes zombies so compelling is that they can represent different themes and tap into deep societal fears – of contagions, mob mentality, the loss of our humanity and free will. They emerge from the unknown – maybe science experiments gone wrong, occult practices summoning the dead, or biblical plagues.

Zombies stories throw characters into high-stakes survival situations where ingenuity, courage, and luck are constantly tested in the struggle against the undead threat. The scenarios force difficult choices, community-building, heroism but also sacrifices in an unforgiving apocalypse landscape. There seems to be no end to creative angles and mashups the undead can shamble into.

So if you’re looking to write a zombie story, I’ve created a list of 50 zombie apocalypse writing prompts covering a wide range terrifying and thought-provoking scenarios. Let the zombie story ideas and survival tales come ripping straight out of your brain and onto the page! Click below to check out the prompts and let me know which ones capture your imagination or inspire a tale you’d read! Also check out other writing prompts on our site .

50 Zombie Writing Prompts to Scare Up Stories

50 zombie writing prompts:

• After a zombie virus outbreak, a group of survivors barricade themselves in a mall and try to fight off hordes of the undead to survive.
• A researcher desperately tries to develop a cure as the zombie infection spreads exponentially, threatening to overwhelm the city within days.
• A man wakes from a coma to find himself seemingly alone in a hospital that shows signs of being hastily evacuated – then discovers it’s swarming with zombies.
• Soldiers battle swarms of intelligent zombies that retain the military training and lethal skills they had when human.
• A teenager faces her zombified parents not knowing if she can pull the trigger to stop them.
• Rival groups of survivors clash over scarce resources after establishing strongholds, struggling to rebuild society amidst the relentless undead threat.
• A widow traverses the zombie wasteland with her infected husband in tow desperately searching for a sanctuary rumored to be developing a cure.
• A jilted groom rampages through his wedding after a zombie virus outbreak turns guests and family undead.
• A blind man discovers his spare senses make him uniquely attuned to detect and hunt zombies roaming the city ruins.
• After zombies overrun earth’s last sanctuary bunker, scientists desperately try escaping into space but realize too late one astronaut was bitten.
• Distraught survivors gather for counseling struggling with losing everything to the apocalypse only to learn the therapist was bitten days ago.
• Fearing zombies breaking into their doomsday bunker, a prepared survivalist insists a newcomer slave quarantine outside for weeks, exposing divisions within the shelter.
• A guilt-ridden scientist tries to rescue his family from the zombie army created inadvertently after his experiments were sabotaged.
• After zombies topple the government, resistance fighters discover the undead’s hive mind intelligence rapidly evolving without conscience or restraint.
• A man arrested for his wife’s suspicious death wakes imprisoned as the zombie outbreak begins, battling undead while handcuffed as he tries to prove his innocence.
• Contestants half way through an isolated reality TV series shoot emerge from wilderness exile to discover an apocalypse overran civilization in their absence.
• A lone survivor is ambushed and bitten by zombies but discovers he’s immune, fueling him with determination to reach the rumored refuge developing a cure.
• Bold survivors drag Racing cars out the abandoned speedway to battle undead gladiator style, buying precious distraction time for others harvesting supplies from once overwhelmed towns.
• An Emergency Room doctor watches helplessly as zombie bite victims rapidly turn while hospital chaos erupts into an ordeal separating him from his trapped family.
• A widowed grandmother protects her bedridden husband’s reanimated zombie unable to accept losing him, keeping him secretly isolated and bound within their home.
• Solitary scouts maintaining vital radio relays across vast distances risk the horror of being stranded far from shelter after zombie swarms ambush communication towers.
• Fragile alliances between rival apocalypse cults fracture, plunging survivors into sectarian warfare as fanatics try purifying decimated populations they each consider damned.
• From remote farm country untouched since the outbreak began, groups risk everything following faint emergency radio transmissions toward promised airlifts off the mainland.
• After satellites confirm the zombie infection went global, an ISS astronaut helplessly watches the Earth burn below then investigates strange garbled transmissions about secret survival stations established off planet.
• A Special Forces team infiltrates a zombie hive cresting the wreckage of an overrun asylum to capture specimens and fallen intelligence critical for developing defenses and weaponry able to overwhelm exponentially growing undead numbers.
• An ordinary high school inexplicably becomes both haven and hell for lost students and staff fleeing zombies while trapped without communication amidst deteriorating siege conditions and crumbling campus defenses.
• A lone wolf special ops veteran works to extricate their apocalypse hardened but traumatized child squad from capture by an opportunistic warlord building zombie army conscripts from brain washed orphaned survivors.
• Fueled by revenge after loved ones are infected, resistance fighters brutally combat collaborating cults worshiping the undead, sparking an unholy civil war amongst remaining battered human holdouts.
• Preserved cryogenically waiting decades for a cure, an infected couple awaken in a seemingly deserted complex, banding with others to restore power and access the abandoned world outside to verify if humanity survived.
• Bereaved survivors overwhelmed with trauma and loss after relentless horrors find therapy adopting orphaned refugee children, forcing meaning in mentoring the next generation.
• A serial killer languishing on death row becomes an unexpected asset able to exploit understanding of evil during initial zombie outbreaks allowing government agencies critical insight when negotiating fragile truces.
• Facing dwindling odds of evacuating the zombie wasted red zone, a weary medic wrestles with should they stay attempting to stabilize the quarantine line or flee carrying vital research before the city is aimlessly nuked.
• Beneath a remote monastery converted into an apocalypse bunker, descending catacombs reveal mysterious glowing relics worshipped by forgotten gods and dark cults suggesting zombies were prophesied punishments upon a sinful world awaiting this foretold cleansing.
• Fanatical preppers vindicated establishing isolated redoubts amidst global zombie outbreaks warily debate rescues as infamous raiders and infiltration risks until dwindling supplies ultimately force confronting harsh survival realities alone.
• After civilization collapses when initial ineffective directives worsen outbreaks exponentially, rogue generals launch unauthorized nuclear strikes against overrun strategic zones, fracturing command continuity and communications vital for global response efforts.
• A jaded CDC doctor races to perfect an experimental vaccine derived from an anomalous immune survivor’s blood as zombies close in on her surviving team’s clandestine mobile laboratory’s location, threatening to end essential research.
• Desperate enclaves transmit repeating emergency broadcasts, each falling silent one by one as relentless zombies overwhelm isolated havens and scattered listeners debate seeking opportunities for sanctuary or making final stands.
• Facing terminal cancer treatment delays after zombies devastate infrastructure, a father struggles crossing the wasteland seeking scattered rumors of rogue biochemists concocting bootleg pharmaceuticals from abandoned labs to self administer life saving makeshift chemotherapy.
• Grieving survivors adopt orphaned children rescued from devastated areas, discovering youth traumatized witnessing zombie slaying prove unexpectedly better adjusted forming new post apocalyptic families from the remnants of broken ones.
• Trapped aboard an international space station watching helplessly as governments collapse worldwide, diverse astronauts of rival nations uncomfortably cooperate awaiting plans for recovery missions or permanent exile drifting above an overrun home world.
• Underground coal miners surprised unscathed emerging after exhausting emergency supplies for shelter discover the zombie infection strangely bypasses populations isolated from open air contamination suggesting fungus or chemtrails as the vector.
• Vigilante auxiliary units raid overwhelmed infection zones striving to rescue critical personnel in danger being overrun before vital knowledge, expertise and infrastructure guarding civilization’s last sanctuaries is lost amidst the chaos.
• Driven by survivor’s guilt after loved ones perish early in outbreaks, a remorseful scientist works ruthlessly perfecting weaponized contagions to genocidally eradicate zombie threats despite moral outcry over his drastic bio attacks from others.
• Responding to ashes from funeral pyres darkening skies, opportunistic apocalyptic cults herald zombies as harbingers of end times, flourishing conversions from lost souls seeking answers even as rational enclaves actively work to restore sanity amidst turmoil.
• Surviving celebrities band together as influential social media influencers using fame advantageously uniting scattered fans into communities for protection, their star power strange currency in a ruined landscape.
• An intrepid documentarian follows an eccentric billionaire covertly funding illegal experiments ritualistically sacrificing zombie specimens attempting to reanimate the dead seeking immortality, eternal youth or resurrecting loved ones.
• A clumsy oaf bumbling through outbreaks realizes his inexplicable invulnerability is a latent mutant superpower allowing him to heroically save others when boldly walking through hordes unscathed.
• An intrepid journalist investigates hidden Pentagon bioweapons experiments as the initial source of unprecedented ‘wildfire mutations’ rapidly accelerating zombie virus transmission and resilience worldwide.
• Under siege and without communications for months, isolated survivors in an apocalyptic red zone emerge changed by their ordeals, having turned feral forming violent tribal communities centered around defending scarce local resources from outsiders.
• An obsessive scientist frenetically works in secret to weaponize the zombie virus aiming to perfect infectious control mechanisms for deploying swarms as unquestioningly loyal minions trainable seeking brains through precise directives encoded into post hypnotic triggers.

I hope these 50 Zombie Writing prompts will get you writing. If you want to share your work or comments or concerns please leave them in the comments below.

Related posts:

• 50 Poetry Prompts Every Writer Should Try
• Daily horror writing prompts 
• 50 Fantastic Science Fiction Writing Prompts
• 31 Creepy Writing Prompts for Every Day of October
• 50 Christmas Fiction Writing Prompts

About Richard

Richard Everywriter (pen name) has worked for literary magazines and literary websites for the last 25 years. He holds degrees in Writing, Journalism, Technology and Education. Richard has headed many writing workshops and courses, and he has taught writing and literature for the last 20 years.  

In writing and publishing he has worked with independent, small, medium and large publishers for years connecting publishers to authors. He has also worked as a journalist and editor in both magazine, newspaper and trade publications as well as in the medical publishing industry.   Follow him on Twitter, and check out our Submissions page .

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25 Zombie Writing Prompts, Book Titles and Story Ideas for Writers

What do you get when you mix a love of zombies with a love of writing? You get 25 zombie writing prompts, titles and story ideas for writers! In this blog post, we will give you some great ideas for your next zombie novel .

Or maybe you fancy entering a short story competition and need a creative jolt; I've got you covered!

Whether you are just starting out as a writer or looking to add a new spin to your latest work, these ideas will help get you started.

So, put on your thinking cap, and let's get started!

25 Zombie Book Titles and Story Ideas for Writers

Pssst, would you believe me if I told you that this AI novel writing software called Jasper AI helped me develop these titles and novel ideas??

- Zombie Apocalypse Survival Guide: How to Survive

- Surviving the Zombie Kingdom

- The Day of the Walking Dead

- 100 Ways to Kill a Zombie

- The Zombie Encyclopedia

- How to Train Your Zombie

- The Zombie Games: A Novel

- The Day The Earth Died

- Before Exodus

- The Zombie War Chronicles

- Year One: A Zombie Tale

- Dead City Blues

- The Walking Plague

- Briandead

- Quarantine: The Loners

- ZomBees: A Novel

- I Thought I Killed You

- The Reanimated

- The Scavengers

- The Last War: A Zombie Story

- End Times: A Zombie Novel

- The Final Crusade:A Zombie Saga

- Dying to be Alive: A Zombie Memoir

- Kill Me If You Can!

Zombie Apocalypse Survival Guide: How to Survive

This book is your complete guide to dealing with a zombie apocalypse! Here you'll find loads of ideas on survival, from the most basic skills (how to break into a store) to secret weapons.

This indispensable resource is as bursting with practical advice as it is crammed jammed packed full of awesome illustrations! For any war against the undead, this is your number one guide!

Surviving the Zombie Kingdom

The Zombie Kingdom series is perfect for readers who love a good mix of action, adventure, and comedy. In these books, you'll follow the story of Alice as she tries to survive in a world that has been overrun by zombies. With plenty of twists and turns, this series is perfect for anyone who loves a good zombie story!

The Day of the Walking Dead

This book is a gripping tale of a group of survivors in a world overrun by zombies. They must band together to find food and supplies, while fighting off the hordes of the undead. The entire story happens in a day but covers different people in different parts of the country.

100 Ways to Kill a Zombie

When the zombie apocalypse hits, one man will be prepared. He's read every book, seen every movie, and played every video game about zombies. He knows how to kill them, how to avoid them, and how to survive. But there's one problem: he's bored of all of it.

The Zombie Encyclopedia

The Zombie Encyclopedia is a comedic thriller novel about an unassuming college professor who, after being bitten by his neighbor's zombie cat, must figure out how to survive in the zombie-infested world he now lives in.

How to Train Your Zombie

In this novel, you'll follow the story of Mark as he tries to train his zombie wife to be a normal human again. He'll have to deal with her rotting flesh, the constant hunger for brains, and uncontrollable anger (something he has been dealing with way before she turned). But even if he can't turn her back into the woman he loves, maybe he can at least make her into a tolerable roommate.

The Zombie Games: A Novel

In the world of The Zombie Games, zombies are real and they're dangerous. But that hasn't stopped a group of teenagers from signing up for the ultimate reality TV show: a battle to the death against the undead. With millions of dollars on the line, these teens will have to use all their cunning, strength, and luck to survive.

The Day The Earth Died

It started out like any other day. The sun rose in the east, casting a warm glow over the Earth. The birds began to sing, and the flowers began to bloom. But then, something went wrong. The sun disappeared behind a thick curtain of clouds, and the birds fell silent.

The flowers withered and died, leaving only withered husks behind. A cold wind began to blow, and darkness fell over the land. The Earth was dying, and no one knew why. For days, the world was shrouded in darkness and cold.

Then, on the fifth day, the sun rose again, and the world returned to normal. But something had changed. The birds no longer sang, and the flowers no longer bloomed...

Before Exodus

A series of biblical events began to unfold, zombies began to appear. At first, they were thought to be the walking dead, returned to life by dark magic. But it soon became clear that they were something else entirely.

They were savage, mindless creatures, driven by a hunger for human flesh. The people of Israel were terrified of them, and with good reason. These zombies were a force to be reckoned with, and they seemed to be spreading everywhere.

The situation was dire, and it looked like the end was near. But then, something miraculous happened. 

The Zombie War Chronicles

The world has been overrun by zombies. But one man, a former soldier, has found a way to survive. He's holed up in an abandoned building, surrounded by supplies and weapons. But when he meets a group of survivors, he'll have to decide whether to help them or continue on alone.

The soldier knows that the chances of survival are greater if he remains alone. But he also knows that the only way to truly survive is to find others and band together. The question is, which is more important: his survival or the survival of the human race?

Year One: A Zombie Tale

Thomas awoke to the sound of something scratching at his door. Groggily he got up, wondering who could be making such a racket at this hour. As he approached the door, the scratching became more insistent, and he could hear a faint moan coming from the other side. Heart pounding, he slowly reached for the handle, his hand shaking slightly. He took a deep breath and pulled the door open.

Standing before him was a Zombie, its skin pale and its eyes sunken in its skull. It reached out for him with rotting hands, moaning hungrily. Without thinking, Thomas...

Dead City Blues

Dead City Blues is a creative spin on the traditional zombie apocalypse story. Set in a world where the undead have taken over, the story follows a group of survivors as they struggle to hold on to their humanity.

What sets Dead City Blues apart from other zombie stories is its focus on the power of music. In a world where the dead roam the earth, the survivors find solace in song. Music helps them to remember who they are and what they're fighting for. It's an emotional and powerful story that will stay with you long after the last page is turned.

I Thought I Killed You

The story of a teenager, Tanisha, who has a recurring vivid nightmare. In her dreams, she is being chased by zombies. Her dreams used to end at the same part every night, until one day. Each night she spends longer and longer in the dream state until, eventually, she's unable to wake up out of it. She knows she is still dreaming but until she figures out how to wake up, she is forced to keep running, fighting, and even scavenging for food. Each day the dream feels even more realistic as her senses awaken, but she doesn't.

Briandead (Yup, not Braindead)

Brian's loss almost tore his family apart. His mother and father were on the brink of a divorce, and his sister had run away from home. The only thing that was keeping them together was Brian. But then, one fateful night, he was killed in a car accident.

Or so they thought.

A few days after the funeral, Brian's mother went into his room to get some of his things, and she found him there, alive...ish.

Quarantine: The Loners

The virus was spreading like wildfire. It was only a matter of time before it reached our shores. The government had issued a red alert, that the infected would turn into zombies, wreaking havoc on the living. In a last-ditch effort to save the human race, scientists developed a vaccine. Everybody got the jab... well, almost everybody.

ZomBees: A Novel

A single bee flew into the air, its wings a blur as it zoomed around the garden. It was soon joined by others, and soon the air was filled with the sound of their buzzing. The bees seemed to be in a frenzy, darting about wildly. But something was not right. The bees were not gathering nectar or pollen. They were not going about their usual business. Instead, they were attacking anything that moved...

I hope you enjoyed those as much as I enjoyed writing them and imagining the scenarios! Now I'm a bit upset that some of these aren't already books or movies I could tuck into! What about you? What's your favourite zombie story? Let me know in the comments below! And, as always, keep writing! xo.

Thank you for reading! (:

About The Author

Arielle Phoenix

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Free Character Writing Prompts #16: Zombies

Grrr Arghh! Check out these 10 character writing prompts about zombies. After many years as a very defined character type, the zombie is making a comeback. When zombies first took over the cinema they were primarily mindless hordes that would stop at nothing to infect humans with their teeth and fingernails. Zombies made a brief turn in the 1993 movie My Boyfriend's Back as a comedic figure that maintained their minds and souls and were simply decaying and falling to pieces. A recent change in movies like 28 Days Later and video games like Dead Island have changed zombies to blisteringly fast animals that tear apart humans, spilling blood with enhanced speed. If we are to create a zombie film or story, let's have fun with the way these zombies are portrayed and how they came to be the undead way they are today.  Free Character Writing Prompts #16: Zombies

1. When he heard about the nationwide zombie attack, he knew that he would be attacked and infected. He was short, slow and he had little in the way of quick thinking. Long-term thinking, however, was his specialty as a neurological researcher. In a deep, underground lab, he submitted to be the guinea pig in a process that would literally block the virus from infecting parts of the brain with a microscopic protective coating. The process worked and when the facility was taken over, he was one of five people who had the hunger for blood but the ability to control it. How will he survive as a cognizant zombie in a world of brainless assailants?

2. He was a lover, not an eater. When he pushed his way out of the grave, he was afraid that he would attack and kill the ones he loved like he'd seen in the movies. He was surprised to find that all his mental facilities were still intact. Sure, he had to hunt down a deer or bear every so often to keep himself semi-alive, but that was more than worth it to be with his wife and children. His wife was hesitant at first and considering running away, but her husband was just as sweet as the day they'd met. He worked hard at a new job that was willing to hire the undead and they were able to keep the family together. How long will he be able to maintain this undead lifestyle before people begin to notice his eccentricities?

3. She had been the top of her class during her junior year of high school and she was gunning for valedictorian when a zombie attack began. She knew that it was inevitable that most people in the world would be infected, so she planned to go out on her own terms. She created a looping video tape for herself to try to make her remember her humanity and she hid deep within the school basement. After securing herself and starting the tape, she infected herself with zombie blood. For the first few months, she was a zombie like the rest of them, undead and craving blood. She had left herself some food close by and while it wasn't what her infected mind craved, it sustained her. Eventually, the video began to reach the zombie her and she started to remember who she was and regain her power to speak. Using her newfound reasoning, she used a cryptic message in the video to free herself. What ends up happening to this enlightened zombie?

4. Life was always a wild adventure for her and she was one of the most carefree girls you'd ever meet. She and her friends had gone well beyond a fenced in boundary of a U.S. Army facility when they heard the shockwave. A blast of green mist rushed past them and turned her into patient zero. She had a strong goal now, to attack anybody who did not resemble her and the zombie brigade drove off into town. They had a bit of their wits about them but knew that the only way they could survive was by infecting others. They started with small towns and slowly gathered up a convoy of zombies, driving across the country infecting everybody possible. She was the leader and though she couldn't speak, her howl got the troops in line when they were unfocused. Does her convoy succeed at taking over the country or will the humans prevail?

5. During his living days, he had a mental disability that confined him to a wheelchair and made it impossible for him to truly express his thoughts. When he was attacked and turned into a zombie, it didn't have the same effect on him as the others. He still had a hunger for blood, but while the others could no longer speak or reason, he was able to express himself and control his impulses. He determined correctly that if he could create his brain condition in others, the world might be salvageable. He found a friend who had the same situation and the two of them embarked on a scientific journey to change the chromosomes of the world. Though he couldn't talk when he was alive, he always appreciated the help that was given to him. He felt that it was time to give back. Is he successful with his plan to save the world or are they doomed?

6. When the living contained all of the undead in a single fenced-in area, they at first tried to cure the zombies, especially the biggest of them all who had endured quite a mutation. He was over seven-feet tall with muscles that could lift up a bus if needed. After cures were unsuccessful, the living tried to napalm the zombies to death, but it only turned them into angry, running fireballs and the largest one of all was the first to break through the fence. He picked up humans, tore into them and then tossed them over 20 feet away. He destroyed secondary barricades and angrily screamed to strike fear into the heart of the living. The other zombies soon rallied behind him and the path that he cleared. Will the humans be able to stop this huge, mutated zombie or will he alone begin the extinction process?

7. She was a complete pushover secretary when she was living, but when she was infected with a corrupting zombie virus, she gained a confidence she'd never felt before. She looked the same on the outside, but on the inside she craved the blood of all who'd wronged her in life, which took the form of everybody in her company. She locked down all the security systems and prepared for the hunt. She remembered who wronged her the most and she wanted to save them for last. When she was still breathing, she was a great observer of people and this allowed her to thwart most of their counterattacks. The first few kills were easy, but those higher up in the company knew that working together was their only hope. She destroyed the light system and the backup generator and now there was only silent waiting and hoping. What will happen during this frightening night in the building?

8. Her and her sorority sisters were the best of friends before the zombie attack. Now that she was infected during a routine day of sunbathing, she was both one of the most beautiful and hideous zombies on campus. She ran around terrorizing those who would have previously checked her out and turned away. Now, they ran as fast and as far as they could. A part of her didn't understand why this attention had changed so much and she felt slightly ashamed. This made her zombie self even angrier and she began to find weapons along the way and coat them with her blood. She didn't realize that this would make infecting her victims all the easier. Now some of her sisters are the only ones who can stop her. Will their best friend end up being the end of them all?

9. He was a zombie alright. He looked in the mirror and saw the slightly pale skin and the bloody mark from where he had been attacked. He washed it off and put a bandage on it. While most of the other zombies appeared to be ready to kill at sight, he felt no different at all. Maybe his mother was right when she said that he was special. He looked out the window and saw the streets overrun with zombie attacks. He wondered if there was something he could do as a sort of spy. He called the Federal Bureau of Investigation and told them his story. An average ticket taker at the local multiplex would now head up an operation to destroy all zombies. He snuck around undetected and though the other zombies thought it was strange that he was constantly on a cell phone, they could see he was infected and left him alone. How successful will his mission be and will he encounter any more like him?

10. When nearly all of humanity was overrun by zombies, she was their final hope. As one of the first zombies, she was one of the most pure samples of the virus, which was most able to be manipulated. Her mind was altered with a computer that changed her primary target. She would infect zombies with a new virus, one that restored their humanity. They experimented and found that most zombies were no match for her and they returned to human form within a few hours. She was the true anti-zombie and since the facility was overrun before more could be made, it was her versus a world worth of zombies. She smiled after infected each fortunate victim like a feral cavewoman and deep down she wondered what would happen if she was successful. Does the anti-zombie succeed? Describe some of her battles against the hordes she will encounter.  Did you enjoy these character writing prompts?  Buy the full book of 1,000 Character Writing Prompts on Amazon!   Done with Character Writing Prompts about Zombies? Go back to Creative Writing Prompts.  

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Top tips for writing zombies: Charlie Higson

I feel a bit of a fraud giving tips on how to write about zombies, as the "monsters" in my books (the Enemy series) are not really zombies at all. Technically they're sickos - diseased adults who are so badly infected by a mysterious disease that they behave like classic, text book, cannibal zombies. ie they are mindless killing machines who only want to rip your guts out and eat them. Since the only people in the books not affected by the disease are kids younger than 15, it's basically kids v zombies (or, as I say, sickos).

The main thing that makes my sickos not zombies is that they haven't died and come back to life. You'd think this was the main ingredient of a zombie story, but nowadays the term "zombie" covers a wide range of monsters. I think any mass of sick humans who have turned psychotic can be lumped under the zombie banner. So we can talk about 28 Days Later as a zombie film even though the director, Danny Boyle, calls his monsters The Infected. And what about I Am Legend? In the original book they're vampires. I'm not exactly sure what they're meant to be in the recent film, and it's a shame that they were CGI as it looks like Will Smith is being attacked by cartoon characters. Not good. The whole point of zombies, and what makes them really scary, is that they're people.

So what I'm saying is that my tips here can cover any stories in which zombie-style humans attack other humans, whether we call them zombies, sickos, the infected, crazies or just nutters. To be honest, my tips here can cover any horror story at all, really. The rules are just the same.

1. Please don't die…

The most important thing is that the reader has to care about the non-zombie characters in your story. You don't necessarily have to like them all, but you have to get to know them and care about what happens to them. If the reader can identify with the people they are reading about, then they will be much more scared for them if they are put in danger. So you need to work hard at creating some memorable and likeable characters. As I say, you can also throw in some unlikable ones to spice up the mix and make the sympathetic ones even more likable in contrast. Your characters can change, the likable ones don't all have to be heroes, and you can have an unlikable one step up and save the day. But they have to feel real. That way when they get chased around, when they get cornered, when the zombies are getting closer, ready to rip their guts out, and you can smell the rotting meat on their breath, with any luck your reader will be sweating and shaking and praying that their favourites don't get hurt. Then it's up to you, you are in control, you can choose to let your characters live or die, whatever feels dramatically right. If we don't get to know the characters, if we don't care about them, then the story will just be a lot of splatter and gore, which will be fun for a couple of pages and then become incredibly boring. You might as well be reading about the dummies they hack to pieces on Deadliest Warrior (my boys' favourite TV show). It has to hurt. As I said above, this rule applies to any horror writing, hell, it applies to all writing, full stop.

2. I'm not just a zombie, you know, I'm a person too…

The same rule applies to creating your monsters. One of the problems with writing about zombies is that they're quite limited and what they do is quite repetitive. You can write one really good zombie attack, after that it's hard to keep things interesting and varied, and frightening (It's the same with any monster, really. Like sharks. Jaws was a great film. Jaws 2,3,4 and 5 were increasingly rubbish). Zombies only do one thing - they rise from the dead and slowly and surely advance... You can't reason with them, you can't argue with them, they're not scared of anything, they will just keep coming until they get hold of you and then… It's gut-munching time! If you're not careful, once you've had this happen once or twice you'll be running out of ways to keep it frightening. So if there's any way you can make your zombies more interesting it really helps. Make your zombies characters, not just a faceless mass (although faceless masses can be very effective when used properly). It's difficult to give zombies character because they are, by their nature, pretty brainless, but one thing you can do is make them look different to each other. You can have a lot of fun with this - you can have a zombie bride, a zombie construction worker, a zombie policeman or soldier, a cheerleader, an emo… Give the reader something to remember them by. And give your lead zombies names. I have several sickos in my books who I hope are memorable – like St George, the sicko king, who killed his own son, Pez, a zombie with no lower jaw, The Green Man, who is a sicko covered in green mould, and Bluetooth, a sicko with a Bluetooth headset stuck in his ear. It makes it much more fun and satisfying when you kill them, as well, if we know who they are.

3. Love hurts…

The scariest and most distressing scenes in zombie stories are when someone we know and love comes back from the dead. It might be a character's best friend, their mother, their child, their boyfriend… It's bad enough that they're died, it's even worse that they've come back to life as a rotting animated corpse, but the worst thing of all is that they now want to kill you… and eat you. That's pretty heavy stuff and taps into our childhood nightmares. So you need to include at least one bit in your story when something like this happens. The hero in your story is then faced with a dilemma and will have to ask the question – What do I do to this person I love? Do I smash their brains out? Do I try to run? Do I let them eat me? What…? Help…! Dear God, help me…

4. I hate your guts…

Zombie stories, like all the best horror stories, are about death and decay and disease and how horrible the insides of our bodies are. We don't want to think about all the yucky stuff squashed in there, our blood, our hearts, our livers and kidneys and lungs, most of all we don't want to think about our intestines… But zombie stories force us to think about these things, to confront our fears, in, I hope, an entertaining and thought-provoking way. Zombie stories remind us that we are all, in the end, just meat. You wouldn't feel you'd got your money's worth if you watched a zombie film and at some point we didn't see someone's guts being pulled out. There's something really, really revolting about intestines. They're slimy and pale and bluish and they're full of…. Well, we all know what they're full of. You have to give your reader what they want. Gore. And lots of it.

5. It's not really about zombies you know…

The best zombie stories are not really about the walking dead at all. The best zombie stories use zombies as a metaphor. Zombies are human, after all. Put a load of zombies in a shopping mall and you've got a satire on our mindless consumer society, put them in the houses of parliament and you've got a satire on politics and politicians, set the army on them and you've got a satire on war and the military, put them in the church and you've got a satire on the followers of organised religion. Over the years zombie films have been about a lot of things - the Vietnam war, racism, communism, vegetarianism, AIDS… Zombie stories can be a good way to write about something else important that interests you (My own books are about children's fear of adults and also ask questions about the best way to set up and run a civilised society). Just make sure you put a lot of spilled guts in there as well.

Charlie Higson is the author of the Young Bond series which has now sold over a million copies in the UK and has been translated into 24 different languages. His latest series, The Enemy, is a zombie horror tale comprising of The Enemy, The Dead, The Fear and The Sacrifice. Find out more at www.the-enemy.co.uk

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112+ ‘Zombie apocalypse’ Writing Prompts

Zombie Matriarch

Envision a zombie apocalypse ruled by a nurturing but potent “Mother” zombie.

Zombie Monarchy

Explore the possibility of a royal monarchy, complete with a king, queen, and court, within a zombie apocalypse.

The Solitary Walker

Sketch a monologue from the viewpoint of a zombie, trying to recollect fragments of forgotten human life.

Chronicles of Survival

Write a series of journal entries from the perspective of a survivalist in a zombie apocalypse.

Z-Day Confessionals

Craft a monologue spoken by a character who has a harrowing secret connected to the zombie apocalypse.

Forgotten Knowledge

Create a character who uses forgotten or overlooked skills to survive after the apocalypse.

Fractured Bonds

Write about a character whose relationships undergo drastic changes due to the zombie apocalypse.

The Unlikely Hero

Write about a character that is an unlikely survivor in a zombie apocalypse.

Heavenly Battleground

Consider a world where religious texts predicted the zombie apocalypse and provided ways to combat them.

Divine Wrath or Injustice

Suppose that people believe a zombie apocalypse is a divine punishment or a test of their faith.

Sacred Survival

Write a piece where a religious leader takes charge to guide and protect their community during a zombie apocalypse.

Apex Predators

Write about humans evolving a new set of skills to hunt and kill the zombies, now that they are the apex predators.

Survival Adaptation

Write a story about a group of survivors who develop unique physical mutations to survive a zombie apocalypse.

Love Among the Ruins

Detail a romantic relationship that blooms amidst a zombie apocalypse.

The Betrayed Leader

Write about a leader who is a secret zombie sympathizer during a zombie apocalypse.

Zombie Utopia

Imagine that the zombie apocalypse led not to a dismal dystopia, but to a surprising utopia.

Collapse Chronicles

Illustrate what life is like after the fall of civilization, focusing on day-to-day survival and emotions.

Collapse of Order

Write about the initial and rapid disintegration of societal structures during the zombie apocalypse.

Survivor Morality

Craft a story that explores the moral choices and ethical dilemmas in a zombie apocalypse.

Breaking Down the Apocalypse

Write an intricate analysis of the different stages and patterns of a zombie apocalypse.

Deciphering the Unseen Society

Craft a story about a hidden civilization of survivors in a zombie apocalypse.

Disintegration of Morals

Delve into the transformation of a character who, in order to survive, has to abandon their moral principles.

Living with Fear

Write about a character who battles constant fear in a world dominated by zombies.

Preserving Humanity

In the midst of a zombie apocalypse, write about a group of survivors who make efforts to preserve art, culture, and traditions.

Survivor’s Guilt

In a world overtaken by zombies, write about a character who survived while their loved ones didn’t.

Curing the Apocalypse

Write a narrative about a potential cure being found after years of survival.

Civilization Rebuilt

Write about how humanity rebuilds civilization in the wake of the zombie apocalypse.

Scarcity and Survival

Tell the story of scarcity and resource management in a long-term zombie apocalypse.

The New Normal

Imagine living in a post-zombie world that has settled into a new routine.

School in Apocalypse

Describe how education, learning, and school might be transformed in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies.

The Forgotten Playtime

Consider how the onset of a zombie apocalypse might abruptly push a young child into premature adulthood.

A Refuge in Imagination

Imagine how children in the midst of a zombie apocalypse might create an imaginative, almost fantastical world as a coping mechanism.

Surviving in a Child’s World

Describe how a child would use their unique combination of innocence, imagination, and resourcefulness to survive in a zombie apocalypse.

Haunted by Choices

Your protagonist is forced to make a life-altering decision that causes others’ deaths.

Mission: Bunkered Down

Write about the challenge of securing your home or a safe place during the first 24-hours.

Chaos in the Supermarket

Describe your experiences trying to gather supplies in a supermarket during the first few hours of a zombie apocalypse.

Zombie Survival Sanctuary

Write about the creation and defense of a safe zone during a zombie apocalypse.

Energy Crisis

Consider the scarcity of fuel or electricity to power vital resources.

Stockpile’s Creek

Describe a scenario where the community’s food reserve gets stolen or destroyed.

Vehicle Survival

Describe surviving a zombie apocalypse solely using a vehicle for shelter and transport.

Ruined Routes

Ride through a highway devastated in the wake of the zombie apocalypse.

New Horizons

You find yourself needing to relocate your group to safer grounds in a zombie apocalypse.

Last Bastions of Knowledge

Imagine you are tasked with preserving knowledge in a Zombie Apocalypse. What books do you save and why?

Post-Apocalyptic Culture

How would a zombie apocalypse shape culture and traditions? Write about a post-apocalyptic holiday or festival celebrating survival.

Hard Choices

Given limited resources in a zombie apocalypse, write about how you’d decide who gets what.

Forgotten Bunkers

In the final stages of the apocalypse, your group stumbles upon an abandoned, reinforced bunker.

Evolution of Fear

Write about a main character who starts off disregarding the zombie threat, but soon comes to face the gruesome reality.

Fairytale Reimagined Apocalypse

Rewrite a classic fairytale with a twist: it takes place during a zombie apocalypse.

Rise of the Zombie Gods

Write a tale where Greek, Roman, Egyptian or any other gods are believed to be the cause of the zombie apocalypse.

Folklore Origins of the End

In a routine archaeological expedition, an ancient artifact said to hold a powerful curse is accidentally activated, triggering the zombie apocalypse.

Apocalyptic Prophecies

Write a story where a zombie apocalypse was foretold in ancient prophecies.

Mythical Creatures Meet Zombies

Imagine a world where mythical creatures like unicorns, dragons and mermaids exist and suddenly a zombie apocalypse hits.

Brotherhood Betrayed

Write about two close soldiers separated through different paths during the zombie apocalypse, only to end up as enemies.

Aftermath Fracturing

Write about the conflict of interest between different military factions over resources and the survival strategy amidst the zombie apocalypse.

Monochrome Dreams

Describe a world that has lost its color to the ongoing apocalypse and how it affects the last person alive.

Alone with the Dead

Document the daily life of a survivor living in complete solitude during a zombie apocalypse.

Love in the Time of Zombies

Narrate a Forbidden love story, blooming from contradictions, during an ongoing zombie apocalypse.

Golden Hearts in a Deadly World

Write from the perspective of heroic people who are battling not just for survival, but for the preservation of humanity.

Sanctuary Secrets

Uncover the deep secrets that led to the inception of zombie progression, hence paving the way for a zombie-free future.

Survival of the Strongest

Write about life five years into the zombie apocalypse, where physical strength matters less and mental acuity reigns supreme.

Journaling Joys

Write about keeping a journal during a zombie apocalypse and how it becomes a surprisingly humorous way to cope.

Apocalypse Love Story

A love story that blossoms between two survivors who bicker and fight, but also keep each other alive.

The Child of the Apocalypse

Channel a child’s perspective who knows nothing of the world before the zombie apocalypse. How do they see and navigate this desolated world?

Collapse of Morality in Chaos

Describe how the onslaught of zombies completely upends societal norms, particularly regarding morality and ethics.

Twisted Preserve

Pen down a scenario where a safe haven turns out to be a gruesome human experiment lab.

Last Humanity

Design a narrative where a character must kill their loved one who’s turned into a zombie.

The Transformation

Describe the process of a person turning into a zombie, focusing on the macabre details.

Eerie Silence

Write about the unsettling calmness in the first hours before the zombie apocalypse erupts.

Apocalypse Diaries

Write diary entries of multiple characters chronicling their experiences during the zombie apocalypse.

Zombie Code of Conduct

Create a set of rules or code of conduct that a group abides by during the zombie apocalypse.

Divided We Fall

Write about a group that seems harmonious but harbors stark differences of opinion on surviving the zombie apocalypse.

Fragments of Past Unfolded

Pen down the story of a group confronting their darkest secrets amidst a zombie apocalypse.

Leadership in Extremity

Write about a character becoming the unlikely leader in a group during a zombie apocalypse.

Pyramids and the Undead

Set a zombie apocalypse in ancient Egypt, where the consternation meets cultural mores of the afterlife.

Fear in the Fjords

In this prompt, write about a zombie apocalypse occurring in the remote villages of Norway.

Buddhist Apocalypse

Write about a zombie outbreak in a Tibetan Buddhist Monastery.

Zombies in the Outback

Imagine a zombie apocalypse taking place in the Australian outback, considering the cultural, natural, and geographic elements of the region.

Starcrossed Survivors

Explore a Romeo and Juliet-style love story between two members from rival survivor groups during a zombie apocalypse.

Love in Whispered Transmissions

Write a story that revolves around two people who fall in love over a ham radio during a zombie apocalypse.

Survivors’ Waltz

Write about two people meeting in the midst of a zombie apocalypse who slowly form a romantic bond.

Sanctuary City

Imagine a city rebuilt by survivors becoming the beacon of hope for humanity.

New Constitution

Write about the drafting of a new constitution following the zombie apocalypse.

Pen a character who is wholly unprepared and ill-equipped for the zombie apocalypse, yet becomes a surprising asset to the group.

The Selfish Survivor

Describe a character so focused on personal survival, they commit morally questionable acts.

The Reluctant Leader

Create a character who is reluctantly pushed into a leadership role in a zombie apocalypse.

Rebirth of Hope

A character finds a newborn baby amidst a zombie apocalypse.

Sanctuary in Ruins

Amidst a zombie apocalypse, a group of survivors has created a safe haven, but it’s now under threat.

Humanity’s Last Hope

Imagine a world with a zombie apocalypse, where one character holds the secret to saving humanity.

Write about a character who is the only one to survive an attack in a zombie apocalypse.

Reality Mirror

Pen a story where people still enforce societal norms and prejudices even in the face of Armageddon.

Spirit of Survival

Concoct a tale wherein a group of survivors form a utopian society amidst chaos, and how it reflects on the inherent tenacity of human spirit.

Echoes of the Past

Write about a character who compares the societal collapse in the zombie apocalypse with historical events.

Salvaging Humanity

Write a story where the protagonist, amidst the zombie apocalypse, discovers the true meaning of being human.

Ancient Curse

Weave a story about an ancient curse that mysteriously triggers a zombie apocalypse in the modern world.

Mysterious Origins

Narrate the zombie apocalypse’s beginning, starting with a strange, isolated event in a small town.

Pandemic Escalation

Script the transformation of a worldwide disease into a zombie apocalypse.

Laboratory Error

Write about a deadly strain that was accidentally released during a routine study in a laboratory.

Heroes in Youth

Develop a child character who becomes a hero of the zombie apocalypse.

A Hero’s Sacrifice

Create a character who must make sacrifices to protect others from the zombie apocalypse, and explore the resulting internal conflict.

Baring Emotional Scars

Detail a character who seems physically strong and capable, but is wrestling with emotional traumas that stand in their way.

Write that Scene

May your writing spirit live on forever

How to Write a Zombie Scene

Note: Think about what portion of the zombie apocalypse you want to cover. Do you want to write about the start of it or once it’s already in progress, or once people are starting to find a cure, or once they are rebuilding society?

• What caused zombies to appear?  

» A . Could be the apocalypse, a cure to a disease that turned the minds into a deadly weapon.Someone injected people with a substance or mother nature herself.

I. If it’s a disease that’s turning people into zombies, maybe have a group of immune people.         II. Did people get forced to get the substance? Were there people who hid? Describe how the substance first began changing the humans. What was the first signs?      Example 1:

It happened as suspected. Dr. John Luke had wrote about it several years ago, today was the anniversary of his published work. Some believed him to be a freak, suggesting that there would ever be wild humans running around like zombies. Though I was the first to agree with him considering I was his science partner. And since day one of the authorities locking him up in the insane asylum, I’ve always known him to be more of a sound mind than anyone currently alive. Today, now that there is actually a break out of those exact same humans he predicted, I can prove he and I have been right and that the supposed injection cure to Ruponalines disease does in fact create this mayhem. Today North America, tomorrow the world! Luckily I have yet to catch the disease or receive the vaccine.

Nearly a year ago I witnessed a child being pinned down to his front lawn, getting forced to receive the "cure". Madness I tell you. Had nightmares for the following days afterward. They claim because the boy had been constantly blinking, night sweats and coughs for the past few days he must have Ruponalines disease and needs help. This was only the beginning. Since then, anyone with signs of the common cold or are blinking more than 10 times in an hour, will receive the vaccine. It’s no joke. Many cops have gone undercover on buses, trains, grocery stores to seek out those who have those signs. And in a blink of an eye they have a needle in their shoulder, receiving the "cure".

Suggest YOUR Scene Idea

Write a(n): Resurrection Scene      Funeral Scene      Sword Fight Scene  

» B. When did this epidemic begin and did anyone try to nip it in the bud before it got out of hand? Is it still contained? ?

I.  The army will be one of the first lines of defense. After the National/Home Guard and before all of them will be First Responders like EMTs and firemen and the police. First someone could be dying from the virus then when they turn into a zombie, attack someone else which would attract the attention of the law enforcement and paramedics. THEN when the ERs are overflowing with attack victims, people will start dying by the bucket loads and a new wave of zombies will develop and turn to attack everyone else in the ER and the Hospital.

By the time the Army gets involved it will be out of control and all they will be doing is adding to the legion of zombies .

     II.  If it’s still contained, how much time is left before it gets worse. What is the main character’s plan to escape this chaos? Who is joining them?     III.  If it’s inescapable then state what the characters do to prepare for the worse. In terms of soul or spiritual. Do they pray, meditate, chant, remain quiet without speaking until a zombie comes, sing, scream, work out, etc?     

Before they took Dr. Luke away he had started to work on a cure of his own. One I back 90%. Not yet 100. The reason lies within our test mice. A few of them began dying after it was given to them. Not the results I or Mr. Luke is looking for. Otherwise, we could simply take a bat and bash these zombies brains out like a sport. So, I need to finish this cure but I don’t have much time. Five million people have turned into this wild human zombie thing and it’s multiplying by the bucket loads. What we need is a cure but fast. And one to make them civilized humans again, not dead. But what?

I only have three months to figure this out before the authorities bring out the big weapons that would destroy the entire world including the people who weren’t affected by this disease. Such as myself. And from what I can tell, the only way to do that is to….. rescue Dr. Luke, bring him back to our lab and continue his cure!

• What resources does the main character have to protect themselves and defeat the zombies?

» A. Can they use makeshift weapons? Do they already have weapons prepared? Were they expecting this to happen? What happens if they run out or someone needs to borrow their stuff?

I. Describe to the reader how these weapons were made or show them how the character creates more. Are they sturdy or fall apart easily. What are they made with?      II.  If they were expecting this to happen then you can show the reader the room of the character and all the books, posters and magazines about zombies or the Apocalypse. You can also use dialogue that makes the character seem like they have a degree in zombiology.      III.  If they run out or someone wants to borrow their most prized possessions, then how does the character react? How easy or hard would it be for them to go out and get the material needed? Or do they have to wing it and hope for the best?     

The insane asylum is ten miles away from the lab. I only have one weapon and it’s a bat. Hey… hey, hey, hey! Don’t judge, I’m a scientist not a soldier. I’m trained to experiment not protect. However, luckily I play baseball every weekend and my wife says I have a mighty fine swing. It’s not impossible for me to make it there but highly unlikely.

Sadly, I don’t know the first clue about zombies other than their brains are were it’s at. Except I value life way too much. After seeing our test mice die how am I to deal with batting someone’s brains out? Especially if it’s someone I know. The first five miles I know nearly everyone that lives here and works here. By name. Most of them have turned zombies and left the city. Others have stayed near to feed and I haven’t been out these doors in months. Damn. Bring on the tears.

Let’s see how long I could survive or tolerate doing this. I wouldn’t be surprised if I don’t even get past Marygo Street which is only a block from the lab. Welp, here goes nothing.

» B.  Have they been practicing? Are they able to take down a few? How much hope do they have to survive the zombie attacks? Can their family survive too, and how many “fighters” or knowledgeable people are there in the group?

I. A great way to demonstrate how skilled the character is, is by having them practice on targets. What techniques and move do they have? DO people rely on them to tell them what to do next? How much faith do they have in themselves? Have they taken down a few zombies already and kept some body parts as souvenirs. .      II.  Someone might have to leave or something. Especially if there isn’t enough food and water. OR, if the character is the only one that knows how to fight or knows anything about zombies for that matter. Teaching can take a while and is risking in situations like these. So splitting up the family might have to happen and whoever gets the short end of the stick is out of luck!    Example 4:

Leaving out the lab’s front door was scary but the thought of my pregnant wife being safe in the basement downstairs comforted me. If for some reason I didn’t make it she had everything she needed and more for at least five years. Dr. Luke and I have been preparing just in case and we were right to do so.

• Where does this scene take place and what maze will this scene go through?

» A. What city, state, country, planet does this take place in and what are the rules for killing half-dead people?Where are the boundaries and where can they go and not go. Can they go out after 5 pm? Or is that when all hell breaks loose? How many citizens are left where they’re at? What does the area look like in terms of cars, homes, weather?

I. If the authorities are not around and everyone is doing whatever they want, then there will be crime and violence outside of just the zombie scene. Add in some sights and descriptions about what the characters might see of this when traveling to their destination.

     II.  Is the character and their family alone? How do they gain the trust of more people? What is a sign or gesture that allows them to know they can be trusted. How do they measure who they want on their team? By strength, agility? looks?      III.  Sun can be scorching with no more air conditioner. Thunder, lightening and rain can cause the characters to not see the zombies coming. Or risk injury and incidents. Snow, storms, etc. Cars can be scattered around the city, homes can be destroyed or broken into.    Example 5:

All I saw were weeds, fires, cars broken into, crashed, and lifeless bodies in the middle of the street. It happened to be seven at night, too. Never had I thought this day would come. Only an hour before rush hour where zombies would come out to feed on what is left of their victims as if they were chicken! Whatever brains was left they’d try to digest it. How sad. The town of Olirgana has went to dirt. I am unsure of how this will get better but all I could do is look to the future. Such as the past, not even the present day has a glimpse of hope.

I past a few houses before I noticed a woman shaking her head and moving her arms around. At first I thought she was a zombie until this one part of my mind remembered that was a sign. I just forgot what it mean…. "Argh!" a man around the age of 32, big belly and no shirt on, yelled. He had whacked a zombie behind me. "Uh, thanks man," I said, alarmed. "You need to watch it with those puny little arms you have there," he said wiping off the zombie guts from his face. "That bat isn’t going to help you much. These creatures are strong and ruthless. You need armour." I forgot what the man continued to say as I was looking over at the woman who continued to shake her head and moving her arms around like a nut job. "Isn’t she pretty?," the man said. "She’s our look out." "Look out?" I raised an eyebrow. "Our?" "Follow me," the man said as he made his was to a house only a block from my lab.

Sprinkles of rain began to fall just as we were making way through the front door. Several people were seated in a circle, all holding hands as if they were meditating or praying. The man gave a hearty laugh. "Group, this is…" "Paul, "I said, wondering what was so funny. "Ah, another one," a young male said who was making his way from the kitchen with a home cooked meal in his hands. What is this? I thought. These people are acting like it’s no big deal. "Sit, sit." The man told me after he pulled up a chair so I could sit with the group. I still wondered why he didn’t put on a shirt. It was 34 degrees outside for Christ sake!

» B . A maze is formed when people leave their items and things scattered after running in fear. Cars are all over the roads. Weeds are growing 8 feet tall. Glass, bodies and belongings are spread all across the land. Does the main character know the maze by heart? Have they tread it multiple times? DO the zombies know their way around the maze or can they not get past a certain point? How about the people? Is there a wall built to keep both zombies and people out/away?

I.  Have they created a map of the city and all its exits? Do they refarain from going in a certain directions because they know or can predict what might happen if they do? Do they have to closer their eyes and count to ten before passing a certain car because they know a zombie might pop out of nowhere? Do they throw things that may gain the attention of zombies in order to distract them while the character escapes or goes another way.      II. Is there an exit for the people? Are the zombies catching on to the tricks and maneuvers of the character? Do the zombies come up with tricks of their own to capture their lunch?!      Example 6:

"Alrighty, now, listen up." The man with no shirt spoke to the group. "We have a map of this city, the next and then the next after that. But afterward we’re screwed." He spread open the map and threw it on the ground in the middle of the group. "Each blue ‘X’ represents where zombies usually stay before rush hour. If we pace ourselves correctly, we can get to the end of the next city safely before those demons all start coming out to feed."

"Ah," I thought to myself. I understood why I didn’t recognized any of these people. It was because they are nomads. Technically. "Where are you guys headed?" I asked. Realizing that maybe no one I knew from my lab to the end of the block was alive. The man laughed again. "We’re off to the promise land." His eyes widened. "The promise land?" "He’s talking about the underground tunnel of Richardson City," the woman who I saw earlier waving her arms around had walked into the house. Her hair was wet, so were her clothes and she stared right at me. Not one blink or hint of shyness. "I see," is all I said back. "Yea." She came to stand next to the group but didn’t sit down. "It’s the most safest place there is in our state. Nearly 8,000 refugees have gone there for help. And they have plenty of room for us. "Just like Dr. Luke said in his book," she continued, "Either find safety high or very low. But never on usual land." I gleamed at the mention of Dr. Luke. "You’ve read Dr. Luke’s work?" I’ve said, sitting straight up in my chair. "We all did," the man without a shirt said. "Several times, actually we’re about to have a meeting about it now. That’s why were are sitting like this. Everyday we review what is written in the book so it’s fresh in our minds. Ever since, we haven’t lost anyone in our group." I looked around the circle. "How many were first in the group?" "100," the woman replied. I looked around the room again only to see 20 people not including myself. I gulped. "This is why we need to move quickly. Otherwise, we’re done for."

"I know Dr. Luke personally. He was my partner in the science division for the city project." Everyone’s eyes turned toward me. Some leaning in, ready to hear more. "We were actually told to figure out how to multiple the vaccine for Ruponalines disease but refused. The only way to do that would be to use chemicals that can damage the DNA of humans. Though the authorities didn’t care. They figured it out on their own only to cause exactly what Dr. Luke predicted in his book. We immediately tried finding a cure for what was to come, but it isn’t finished. I need to help Dr. Luke escape from the insane asylum so he can help me finish it. Without him there will be no future."

"Ignoramus!" the man with no shirt jumped from his chair and shouted. Everyone moved back in fear. "Do you take us as fools? How do we know you’re telling the truth?"

I shook my head in disbelief, and took out a picture I carried around with me everywhere. It was of me and Dr. Luke cutting open the ribbon when the lab first was built and opened.

"Oh," he said, grabbing the picture and sitting back down. The picture was past around the circle.

"So?" the woman said. "You’re in charge now." "Hey," the belly man with no shirt said. "Shut up, Jerry." She looked back at me. "What is your plan to get over the 200 foot wall your city made after the outburst?" I lowered my head and thought for a moment. "Hmmm, easy. With help from the zombies themselves."

• What is sacrificed and what is gained? Note: Be sure to let the readers get to know the characters to like them and care enough about them BEFORE their lives are put on the line.

» A. Lives, belongings, health, and such can be sacrificed to protect the overall people. What has the character lost and what will the character lose in the future? Presently, they lost security, peace and freedom.

I. Maybe some of the survivors go insane and are paranoid that everyone’s after them and starts to turn on innocent people. Maybe one finds out their loved one dies and goes on a rampage for revenge.      II. Usual flow of a zombie survival: -Zombie apocalypse -Walking corpses everywhere -Group join together -Traveling toward a ‘safe-zone’ all the way across the country -Along the way, the people slowly whither away and die -Finally they reach the safe zone -It’s either actually there, in which case they celebrate, or it’s not, in which case they die       

» B. What have they gained? Knowledge, anger, muscles, alliances? They’ll need to find weapons and shelter, food and clothing. Civilization is a foreign word to them now.

I. Add some other elements in too. Maybe some romance between the survivors.

     Example 7:

"But before I can go anywhere I need to go back and get my wife." "There’s no time," Jerry said. "Rush hour is in 10 minutes, no joke." The woman looked over at me with great concern. "Is she in the lab?" she asked. I nodded. "In the basement. She’s pregnant." There were gasps heard around the group circle. "I will go with you," she said. "To get her here safely." I smiled. "Thank you…" "Ashley," she said and nodded. "I’ll come too," Jerry said in a hurry.

As we headed back to the science lab I saw the door open wide. "What the hell!" I shouted, running over in great sorrow. Inside fifteen zombies had greeted me, making strange noises and ready to attack. Though Jerry and Ashley brought along their own weapons and helped me to bash a few brains out. One got too close to biting my hand but Ashley stopped that in time. "Thank you," I shouted. "You’re welcome always, stop saying thank you it’s getting old, and go find your wife!!" She panted while continuing to kick butt alongside Jerry. He made it seem so easy. Knocking two zombie heads together with his bare hands; guts flying around in midair.

"Angela?" I said frantically as I raced down the basement steps. "ANGELA!!!!" I fell to my knees and barely a few feet from my wife’s lifeless body. Blood coming out of her neck and stomach where my unborn child was.

"Oh no," Ashely said, walking down the steps to comfort me. She pulled me away from the scene as tears fell from my eyes and I yelled in pain. Thunder sounded outside and the rain poured down the house harder than ever as Jerry made way to collect my love’s body.

I must have black out because the next thing I knew I was in blankets in the same house where the group stayed. I looked around to see twenty people sleeping very close together.

"It’s okay, it’s okay," Ashley said, rubbing my arm. She could tell I was afraid and disoriented. I kept looking around, unsure of what to think.

"Where’s my wife?" "She’s wrapped up in lots of wrappings. We put her in the back for now and we planned to wait for you to wake up so we can bury her." "No," I said, hoping it was a nightmare. "I don’t believe you!" A few people moaned and woke up. Ashley said nothing and went back to sleep. She was well aware she couldn’t convince me to calm down. Clearly she had to console a few people on her nomad journey through and probably was tired of doing so. Wouldn’t be surprised if she lost someone herself.

I got up to locate my wife. I sat there, crying with her in my arms and rubbing her belly. I could see the feet of my unborn baby sticking out the side of a tear where the zombies ate her flesh. I sat there until morning like that. Only got an hour of sleep.

As rush hour died down, I could hear the sound of the zombies going back into the caves until tonight so they can feed again.

I kept rocking my love back and forth in my arms as I sang her favorite tune. "Paul," someone said. I turned to see it was Ashley. "I really don’t want to be the one to say this, but… it’s time to bury them." I continued to look Ashley in the eyes, satisfied that she said them and not just her. I nodded and got up. Jerry came in to pick the lifeless body up from the ground and carry her to an already made grave outside.

15 of the 20 people gathered around the grave as five had weapons and were on the look out for zombies.

I gave a speech and her body was lowered with ropes. One tied around each of her legs and the other around her hands.

"Wait!" I shouted, requesting them to lift her body. "Don’t do this, Paul," Ashley said as if she read my mind. "My wife will be the bait," I said in a low voice. A few people asked me to say it again. I refused. "HE SAID HE’LL USE HIS WIFE AS ZOMBIE BAIT FOR RUSH HOUR SO WE CAN GET OVER THE WALL!" Jerry said. "I didn’t say all that." "But you meant it," Jerry said with a hearty laugh as if he found the whole thing funny. I want to punch the sucker in the…. "I’m not letting you," Ashley said, gesturing for the people to lower my wife’s body in the grave. "Yes, you are." I demanded, this time with a louder voice. Everyone stopped what they were doing and listened to what I had to say next. "You and I both know what will happen if we bury her. Within 24 hours if her brain and most of her body is still intact, her and possibly my baby will wake from their grave, turn into a zombie and become wild humans. I refuse to let that happen because they will probably die again anyway. Not on my watch. In order for them to never awake I must–"

"Have the zombies finish her off during rush hour," Ashley interrupted.

"Exactly," I said with tears in my eyes. "My plan was to use the zombies to get over the 200 foot wall, but we need them to come to us first. They will smell my wife’s dead flesh from miles away. They will come to feed. And when they do, we will be ready. I just don’t want to watch it so I’ll turn my head away."

Ashley smiled at me and winked. "I think that’s a great idea. You’re very brave." "Aren’t I brave," Jerry said, feeling needy. Everyone laughed. Me not so much. I didn’t even say thank you to Ashley. I’m learning that’s a phrase that can be quickly worn out during a zombie apocalypse.

• In what condition does both the zombie and the main character stand, especially after a battle?

» A. What do they have to look forward to and what will they dread next?

I.   Is it all over or did they only clear their city of all attacks? Do they use a zombie to experiment on, to create better weapons or know the reason why they are like that?      II. Is there any last minute surprises, twists and turns? Does the zombie get smarter? Come out of no where and attack? Is it a false peace and serenity?      III.  What does the reader and protagonist dread? How can the characters look forward to the next day if they can’t even sleep without knowing there are more still out there. Do they feel like they’ve won or lost? Are they aware that the battle has only begun?

I, nor anyone else anticipated the night where rush hour came promptly at 8 o’clock. Everyone in the group headed to the wall which was five miles away. We had a long trip ahead of us so we started early, taking only a few breaks.

I continued to look ahead with Jerry and Ashley by my side, refusing to look back at the people who carried my wife and unborn child. I needed to remain strong. I knew if I looked back the thought of her being eaten would render me motionless, making me useless to the group.

We made it to the wall 30 minutes before rush hour. We waited, weapon in hand, my wife in front as bait but I never looked at her, and sat there in dead silence. No one knew who would make it out alive or die in the process but it wasn’t our main concern. Our main concern was making sure my plan worked. And if it did, we can collect as many zombie bodies as possibly to create a human ladder to get over the wall. Only time would tell.

They came at us full force minutes before rush hour. Snarling and moaning. We had our weapons ready, my bat in my hands firm. We ran after them, beating, bashing, shooting, you name it. We did it. What seemed like thousands of zombies the twenty of us attacked with full force and we were winning. The adrenaline prevented us from tiring and the dream of us getting over the wall was at the forefront of our mind.

Haha, yes! we had successfully finished them all in under two hours. We wiped the guts off our bodies to congratulated and hugged one another as we soon piled each zombie body on top of the other. We succeeded. One by one we climbed up, listening to the ooze and gooze of the bodies underneath our feet.

As I looked back at my wife, who lay on the ground untouched by the zombies again, I smiled, knowing I finally was able to protect her somehow. But then, I saw a twitch. Then a head move from out of her stomach. "Oh shit!" I shouted, grabbing onto a zombie arm to climb faster up the mountain of humans. "Lauren!?" I said. My unborn child had bit through my wife’s stomach to birth herself. She crawled wildly over to me. I held out my arms subconsciously as if hoping she was full human.

A loud noise sounded. My zombie baby, Lauren flew back. I turned to see Ashley with a bat and shaking her head. "You need to hurry before your wife wakes up," she said.

I turned back to see Lauren bounce back up at if nothing happened, snarl and crawl over toward me. I was in a daze. Though Jerry climbed down the mountain of zombies and arrived next to me. He picked me up and started climbing with me in one arm and the other arm grabbing onto zombie limbs.

The other twenty people were already over the wall and slid down using a few ropes we brought. In fifteen minutes I made it too. Although if it wasn’t for Jerry and Ashley I would have reunited with my family. For good.

** !You might have to scroll down with your mouse!

It happened as suspected. Dr. John Luke had wrote about it several years ago, today was the anniversary of his published work. Some believed him to be a freak, suggesting that there would ever be wild humans running around like zombies. Though I was the first to agree with him considering I was his science partner. And since day one of the authorities locking him up in the insane asylum, I’ve always known him to be more of a sound mind than anyone currently alive. Today, now that there is actually a break out of those exact same humans he predicted, I can prove he and I have been right and that the supposed injection cure to Ruponalines disease does in fact create this mayhem. Today North America, tomorrow the world! Luckily I have yet to catch the disease or receive the vaccine. Nearly a year ago I witnessed a child being pinned down to his front lawn, getting forced to receive the “cure”. Madness I tell you. Had nightmares for the following days afterward. They claim because the boy had been constantly blinking, night sweats and coughs for the past few days he must have Ruponalines disease and needs help. This was only the beginning. Since then, anyone with signs of the common cold or are blinking more than 10 times in an hour, will receive the vaccine. It’s no joke. Many cops have gone undercover on buses, trains, grocery stores to seek out those who have those signs. And in a blink of an eye they have a needle in their shoulder, receiving the “cure”. Before they took Dr. Luke away he had started to work on a cure of his own. One I back 90%. Not yet 100. The reason lies within our test mice. A few of them began dying after it was given to them. Not the results I or Mr. Luke is looking for. Otherwise, we could simply take a bat and bash these zombies brains out like a sport. So, I need to finish this cure but I don’t have much time. Five million people have turned into this wild human zombie thing and it’s multiplying by the bucket loads. What we need is a cure but fast. And one to make them civilized humans again, not dead. But what? I only have three months to figure this out before the authorities bring out the big weapons that would destroy the entire world including the people who weren’t affected by this disease. Such as myself. And from what I can tell, the only way to do that is to….. rescue Dr. Luke, bring him back to our lab and continue his cure! The insane asylum is ten miles away from the lab. I only have one weapon and it’s a bat. Hey… hey, hey, hey! Don’t judge, I’m a scientist not a soldier. I’m trained to experiment not protect. However, luckily I play baseball every weekend and my wife says I have a mighty fine swing. It’s not impossible for me to make it there but highly unlikely. Sadly, I don’t know the first clue about zombies other than their brains are were it’s at. Except I value life way too much. After seeing our test mice die how am I to deal with batting someone’s brains out? Especially if it’s someone I know. The first five miles I know nearly everyone that lives here and works here. By name. Most of them have turned zombies and left the city. Others have stayed near to feed and I haven’t been out these doors in months. Damn. Bring on the tears. Let’s see how long I could survive or tolerate doing this. I wouldn’t be surprised if I don’t even get past Marygo Street which is only a block from the lab. Welp, here goes nothing.

Leaving out the lab’s front door was scary but the thought of my pregnant wife being safe in the basement downstairs comforted me. If for some reason I didn’t make it she had everything she needed and more for at least five years. Dr. Luke and I have been preparing just in case and we were right to do so. All I saw were weeds, fires, cars broken into, crashed, and lifeless bodies in the middle of the street. It happened to be seven at night, too. Never had I thought this day would come. Only an hour before rush hour where zombies would come out to feed on what is left of their victims as if they were chicken! Whatever brains was left they’d try to digest it. How sad. The town of Olirgana has went to dirt. I am unsure of how this will get better but all I could do is look to the future. Such as the past, not even the present day has a glimpse of hope. I past a few houses before I noticed a woman shaking her head and moving her arms around. At first I thought she was a zombie until this one part of my mind remembered that was a sign. I just forgot what it mean…. “Argh!” a man around the age of 32, big belly and no shirt on, yelled. He had whacked a zombie behind me. “Uh, thanks man,” I said, alarmed. “You need to watch it with those puny little arms you have there,” he said wiping off the zombie guts from his face. “That bat isn’t going to help you much. These creatures are strong and ruthless. You need armour.” I forgot what the man continued to say as I was looking over at the woman who continued to shake her head and moving her arms around like a nut job. “Isn’t she pretty?” the man said. “She’s our look out.” “Look out?” I raised an eyebrow. “Our?” “Follow me,” the man said as he made his was to a house only a block from my lab. Sprinkles of rain began to fall just as we were making way through the front door. Several people were seated in a circle, all holding hands as if they were meditating or praying. The man gave a hearty laugh. “Group, this is…” “Paul, “I said, wondering what was so funny. “Ah, another one,” a young male said who was making his way from the kitchen with a home cooked meal in his hands. What is this? I thought. These people are acting like it’s no big deal. “Sit, sit.” The man told me after he pulled up a chair so I could sit with the group. I still wondered why he didn’t put on a shirt. It was 34 degrees outside for Christ sake!

“Alrighty, now, listen up.” The man with no shirt spoke to the group. “We have a map of this city, the next and then the next after that. But afterward we’re screwed.” He spread open the map and threw it on the ground in the middle of the group. “Each blue ‘X’ represents where zombies usually stay before rush hour. If we pace ourselves correctly, we can get to the end of the next city safely before those demons all start coming out to feed.”

“Ah,” I thought to myself. I understood why I didn’t recognized any of these people. It was because they are nomads. Technically. “Where are you guys headed?” I asked. Realizing that maybe no one I knew from my lab to the end of the block was alive. The man laughed again. “We’re off to the promise land.” His eyes widened. “The promise land?” “He’s talking about the underground tunnel of Richardson City,” the woman who I saw earlier waving her arms around had walked into the house. Her hair was wet, so were her clothes and she stared right at me. Not one blink or hint of shyness. “I see,” is all I said back. “Yea.” She came to stand next to the group but didn’t sit down. “It’s the most safest place there is in our state. Nearly 8,000 refugees have gone there for help. And they have plenty of room for us. “Just like Dr. Luke said in his book,” she continued, “Either find safety high or very low. But never on usual land.” I gleamed at the mention of Dr. Luke. “You’ve read Dr. Luke’s work?” I’ve said, sitting straight up in my chair. “We all did,” the man without a shirt said. “Several times, actually we’re about to have a meeting about it now. That’s why were are sitting like this. Everyday we review what is written in the book so it’s fresh in our minds. Ever since, we haven’t lost anyone in our group.” I looked around the circle. “How many were first in the group?” “100,” the woman replied. I looked around the room again only to see 20 people not including myself. I gulped. “This is why we need to move quickly. Otherwise, we’re done for.” “I know Dr. Luke personally. He was my partner in the science division for the city project.” Everyone’s eyes turned toward me. Some leaning in, ready to hear more. “We were actually told to figure out how to multiple the vaccine for Ruponalines disease but refused. The only way to do that would be to use chemicals that can damage the DNA of humans. Though the authorities didn’t care. They figured it out on their own only to cause exactly what Dr. Luke predicted in his book. We immediately tried finding a cure for what was to come, but it isn’t finished. I need to help Dr. Luke escape from the insane asylum so he can help me finish it. Without him there will be no future.”

“Ignoramus!” the man with no shirt jumped from his chair and shouted. Everyone moved back in fear. “Do you take us as fools? How do we know you’re telling the truth?”

“Oh,” he said, grabbing the picture and sitting back down. The picture was past around the circle.

“So?” the woman said. “You’re in charge now.” “Hey,” the belly man with no shirt said. “Shut up, Jerry.” She looked back at me. “What is your plan to get over the 200 foot wall your city made after the outburst?” I lowered my head and thought for a moment. “Hmmm, easy. With help from the zombies themselves.”

“But before I can go anywhere I need to go back and get my wife.” “There’s no time,” Jerry said. “Rush hour is in 10 minutes, no joke.” The woman looked over at me with great concern. “Is she in the lab?” she asked. I nodded. “In the basement. She’s pregnant.” There were gasps heard around the group circle. “I will go with you,” she said. “To get her here safely.” I smiled. “Thank you…” “Ashley,” she said and nodded. “I’ll come too,” Jerry said in a hurry.

As we headed back to the science lab I saw the door open wide. “What the hell!” I shouted, running over in great sorrow. Inside fifteen zombies had greeted me, making strange noises and ready to attack. Though Jerry and Ashley brought along their own weapons and helped me to bash a few brains out. One got too close to biting my hand but Ashley stopped that in time. “Thank you,” I shouted. “You’re welcome always, stop saying thank you it’s getting old, and go find your wife!!” She panted while continuing to kick butt alongside Jerry. He made it seem so easy. Knocking two zombie heads together with his bare hands; guts flying around in midair.

“Angela?” I said frantically as I raced down the basement steps. “ANGELA!!!!” I fell to my knees and barely a few feet from my wife’s lifeless body. Blood coming out of her neck and stomach where my unborn child was.

“Oh no,” Ashely said, walking down the steps to comfort me. She pulled me away from the scene as tears fell from my eyes and I yelled in pain. Thunder sounded outside and the rain poured down the house harder than ever as Jerry made way to collect my love’s body.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Ashley said, rubbing my arm. She could tell I was afraid and disoriented. I kept looking around, unsure of what to think.

“Where’s my wife?” “She’s wrapped up in lots of wrappings. We put her in the back for now and we planned to wait for you to wake up so we can bury her.” “No,” I said, hoping it was a nightmare. “I don’t believe you!” A few people moaned and woke up. Ashley said nothing and went back to sleep. She was well aware she couldn’t convince me to calm down. Clearly she had to console a few people on her nomad journey through and probably was tired of doing so. Wouldn’t be surprised if she lost someone herself.

I got up to locate my wife. I sat there, crying with her in my arms and rubbing her belly. I could see the feet of my unborn baby sticking out the side of a tear where the zombies ate her flesh. I sat there until morning like that. Only got an hour of sleep. As rush hour died down, I could hear the sound of the zombies going back into the caves until tonight so they can feed again.

I kept rocking my love back and forth in my arms as I sang her favorite tune. “Paul,” someone said. I turned to see it was Ashley. “I really don’t want to be the one to say this, but… it’s time to bury them.” I continued to look Ashley in the eyes, satisfied that she said them and not just her. I nodded and got up. Jerry came in to pick the lifeless body up from the ground and carry her to an already made grave outside.

“Wait!” I shouted, requesting them to lift her body. “Don’t do this, Paul,” Ashley said as if she read my mind. “My wife will be the bait,” I said in a low voice. A few people asked me to say it again. I refused. “HE SAID HE’LL USE HIS WIFE AS ZOMBIE BAIT FOR RUSH HOUR SO WE CAN GET OVER THE WALL!” Jerry said. “I didn’t say all that.” “But you meant it,” Jerry said with a hearty laugh as if he found the whole thing funny. I want to punch the sucker in the…. “I’m not letting you,” Ashley said, gesturing for the people to lower my wife’s body in the grave. “Yes, you are.” I demanded, this time with a louder voice. Everyone stopped what they were doing and listened to what I had to say next. “You and I both know what will happen if we bury her. Within 24 hours if her brain and most of her body is still intact, her and possibly my baby will wake from their grave, turn into a zombie and become wild humans. I refuse to let that happen because they will probably die again anyway. Not on my watch. In order for them to never awake I must–”

“Have the zombies finish her off during rush hour,” Ashley interrupted.

“Exactly,” I said with tears in my eyes. “My plan was to use the zombies to get over the 200 foot wall, but we need them to come to us first. They will smell my wife’s dead flesh from miles away. They will come to feed. And when they do, we will be ready. I just don’t want to watch it so I’ll turn my head away.”

Ashley smiled at me and winked. “I think that’s a great idea. You’re very brave.” “Aren’t I brave,” Jerry said, feeling needy. Everyone laughed. Me not so much. I didn’t even say thank you to Ashley. I’m learning that’s a phrase that can be quickly worn out during a zombie apocalypse.

I, nor anyone else anticipated the night where rush hour came promptly at 7 o’clock. Everyone in the group headed to the wall which was five miles away. We had a long trip ahead of us so we started early, taking only a few breaks.

We made it to the wall 30 minutes before rush hour. We waited, weapon in hand, my wife in front as bait but I never looked at her, and sat there in dead silence. No one knew who would make it out alive or die in the process but it wasn’t our main concern. Our main concern was making sure my plan worked. And if it did, we can collect as many zombie bodies as possibly to create a human ladder to get over the wall. Only time would tell. They came at us full force minutes before rush hour. Snarling and moaning. We had our weapons ready, my bat in my hands firm. We ran after them, beating, bashing, shooting, you name it. We did it. What seemed like thousands of zombies the twenty of us attacked with full force and we were winning. The adrenaline prevented us from tiring and the dream of us getting over the wall was at the forefront of our mind.

As I looked back at my wife, who lay on the ground untouched by the zombies again, I smiled, knowing I finally was able to protect her somehow. But then, I saw a twitch. Then a head move from out of her stomach. “Oh shit!” I shouted, grabbing onto a zombie arm to climb faster up the mountain of humans. “Lauren!?” I said. My unborn child had bit through my wife’s stomach to birth herself. She crawled wildly over to me. I held out my arms subconsciously as if hoping she was full human.

A loud noise sounded. My zombie baby, Lauren flew back. I turned to see Ashley with a bat and shaking her head. “You need to hurry before your wife wakes up,” she said.

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Zombies - quotes and descriptions to inspire creative writing

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Zombie detector 101 - they don't care about the destruction of the planet. Show them a pod of whales being murdered and not a tear is shed. Tell them that the oceans are being killed for money, that creation depends on us protecting the oceans, and they won't refuse to eat fish. Tell them that it is full of plastics and pollutants and they will add more hot sauce. Tell them that over half of the plastic garbage is related to commercial fishing, that it is highly dangerous to marine life, and they just stare. These are the zombies and the plague of emotional indifference is the virus. Tell them that slavery is used to make fish cheaper, people who are tortured for years and often murdered at sea, that the fishing observers get murdered too and the zombies just ask for more mayo. The best we humans can do is make the right choices easier than the wrong ones and pray they begin to recover their heart beat and heal their putrified and nasty brains.

The reason the zombie wanted to consume the brain, was in some ill conceived attempt to regain the mental functioning it had lost.

It is challenging to think of a state more lonely than that of the zombies, for they have decayed into a state that may only detect hunger and seek to sate it.

The zombies were cold, so cold, and with almost no beating heart.

The zombie had no awareness that its prey was living, only that it wanted to consume.

Did you think I was your dinner? Did you see yourself as the wolf? Hah! You are a zombie with decaying claws, rancid fur and ragged ears. My brain will stay inside my skull, thank you very much, it is you dear wolf I will cook on a spit and squeeze your brain to mush.

When the zombie apocalypse began the islands defended themselves and stood the best chance of staying alive; the big land masses were a mess with the virus mutating as it ran through such large populations. The navy patrolled those islands, those arks of humanity, with the fighter jets in the skies. No-one got in or out once it began - it was either a "total shut-out" or everyone would get infected.

Our zombie defence strategy was somewhat "Russian doll," with our areas colour coded.

When the zombie virus broke out I think we could have won, but the financiers got to bickering and simple steps to save lives were missed. It they'd picked love over money, the outcome would have looked so much better.

Dear Zombies of the Ecological Apocalypse, Earth, Circa 2020, The following is a message for you from High Command. Take note of the words that programme your brains for they contain a great number of "short-circuits" via words that are spelled differently but sound the same. These words programme you as a social virus, an unseen dream or unheard song, yet it changes you at your core. Take for example with the English meat eaters, the "lamp chop with mint sauce." You are here commanded by the Sinister Force to "chop" the "lamb" who attacks the "source of the mint." To your language, "mint" translates as "money" and "lamb" is an agent of the divine spirit who does work for the High Command. Until you gain awareness of these deep triggers and take action upon them, we cannot assist your kind because you do not meet the full criteria of a sentient and sane life-form. Should you cross that barrier, we will come. Until then, try not to "eat" the brains of those who are smarter than you - just thank them and do some thinking for yourself. Kind Regards ("re-guards" because you are dangerous as zombies), The Messenger Fleet of the High Command

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How to Write a Unique, Original, and More Interesting Zombie Story

by Brandon Cornett | August 10, 2022

Most popular articles for January 2024:

• Post-apocalyptic scenarios and story ideas
• Zombie apocalypse story ideas
• How to write a good science fiction novel

How can you create a unique zombie story or book, when so much has “been done” already? How do you write a more interesting zombie apocalypse story, something fresh and original that people haven’t seen a dozen times before? How can you break new ground or forge a new path in such a crowded subgenre?

In other words: How can you refresh the dead?

Let me start by saying, it can be done. You can write a unique zombie book that offers a fresh take on the undead. You just have to think outside the box. And in this context, “the box” refers to the standard zombie plot we’ve seen countless times over the years.

You’ll have to do the heavy lifting for yourself. It’s your story or novel, after all. But I’m happy to offer a few tips on how to write a unique, original and more interesting zombie apocalypse story.

Writing a Unique Zombie Story

A while back, I wrote a blog post offering some zombie story ideas and prompts . That article has since attracted thousands of readers and a slew of comments. I had no idea how many people were looking for that kind of content, so I figured it was worth revisiting.

One question seemed to rise to the top. A lot of speculative fiction writers want to know how to write a unique and more interesting zombie book — the kind of novel that hasn’t been done to death.

So let’s start with the good news. I believe there is plenty of room to innovate within the zombie genre. That’s because a lot of these novels deliver the same basic plot and premise.

I call it the “standard formula,” and it usually goes something like this:

• Outbreak: A virus or other biological agent causes the dead to rise.
• Apocalypse: The outbreak spreads, bringing civilization to its knees.
• Struggle: Characters struggle to survive against the growing zombie horde.
• Resolution: The main character and the world are forever changed.

Deviating from this “standard formula” is a great place to start. If you want to create a unique zombie plot for your novel, you have to go beyond the basic people-struggling-to-survive model.

That doesn’t mean your characters shouldn’t struggle to survive in a world populated by the undead. That’s part of the fun of zombie fiction — and readers expect it. It just means you have to bring something else to the table as well, if you want to make your story more interesting.

Bottom line: Feel free to use the “standard formula” presented above. But try to do it in a way that offers something unique and original for your readers.

Here are some tips for doing just that…

1. Create a different kind of “zombie” creature.

In the classic zombie story, a virus or other transmissible pathogen is usually what causes the outbreak. This “agent” gets spread through the saliva (as when the zombie bites an uninfected person), and sometimes through other methods as well.

But that’s all been done before. So if you want to write a fresh, unique and original zombie book, you might want to start with the creatures themselves.

In the novel The Girl With All the Gifts , a mysterious fungal infection turns humans into zombie-like savages. They’re not true zombies in the classical sense, because they’re not undead. If you shoot one of them, they die. End of story. But they attack and bite the uninfected in true zombie-like fashion.

In the film 28 Days Later , a virus turns humans into wild, savage, animal-like creatures. Here again, we’re not dealing with zombies in the technical or scientific sense (despite what writer Alex Garland says ). But the mindless savagery of “the infected” allows this film to reside within the zombie genre.

The point is this: you can deviate from the traditional literary and mythological definition of a zombie, and still end up with a “zombie” style novel. Your can create unique creatures unlike anything people have seen before, and your book will probably be more intriguing as a result.

Need some inspiration? Here are some things we haven’t seen before:

• Sightless zombies that hunt by sound (borrowing from A Quiet Place )
• Zombies that start out catatonic but erupt into violence on the next full moon
• Zombies that coordinate their efforts through a “hive mind” like an insect colony
• “Zombies” created through genetic cloning and used as biological weapons

For more on this, check out my list of 21 types of zombies in fiction . It covers some of the classic versions, while offering some fresh an original concepts as well. Sometimes you have to think outside the coffin!

2. Choose a unique or exotic setting for your story.

One way to write a unique and original zombie novel is by setting the story in an interesting place.

Definition: In fiction, setting is the time and place (or the “when” and “where”) that the story takes place. Setting can change from one chapter to the next, or remain the same throughout the story.

A unique or exotic setting can make a zombie book more interesting in several ways:

• It takes the reader to a place they’re probably not familiar with, piquing their curiosity.
• It allows you to create challenges for your characters (isolation, limited resources, etc.).
• It sets your story apart from all of the other zombie books out there.

And remember, this is fiction … as in not real. So your story setting doesn’t necessarily have to be a real place. Your zombie novel could take place in some mythological setting, or in a location straight from your own imagination.

Or it could be a well-known (but still exotic) location like Mars, the pyramids of Giza, the Titanic, an isolated arctic research station … you get the idea.

3. Create a mix of interesting characters.

Your protagonist is the most important character in your zombie novel. That’s literally what the word protagonist means. It comes from the Greek, with prōtos meaning “first in importance,” and agōnistēs meaning “actor” or “character.”

But most zombie apocalypse novels (and novels in general) have more than one character. They usually feature secondary characters, sometimes including a love interest, along with an antagonist who challenges the main character.

Want to give your readers a fresh, unique take on the zombie novel? Start with your characters!

Try to develop characters with interesting backstories and differing worldviews. Find a way to bring them together, and then crank up the tension. See how they interact in a world plagued by flesh-eaters.

Example: Imagine a zombie novel that involved a former nun, an arms dealer, and a social media influencer — forced together by circumstances. Or maybe a story where a grieving mother, a hermit, and a seventeen-year-old juvenile delinquent have to rely on one another.

4. Blend genres in a new and interesting way.

Zombies can fit into their own genre , or they can be blended with other literary genres. This is worth exploring, if you’re setting out to write an original zombie novel.

A zombie western? A science fiction zombie story? An epic fantasy that incorporates a race of undead creatures? Why not?

If you explore the idea of blending genres, you’ll find that there’s plenty of room for innovation. Plenty of ways to take something old and make it new again.

Consider the following examples:

• Science fiction: What if a zombie outbreak occurred on a generation ship ? What would that look like? How could you explore this, from a storytelling standpoint?
• Alternate history: A zombie outbreak occurs during the American Civil War, causing North and South to join forces against a common threat.
• Fairy tale: Why not explore one of the classic fairy tales to see if you can put a fun (or scary) spin on it? Snow White and the Seven Zombies?
• Medical Thriller: In a race against time, two CIA operatives must track down a mad scientist before he can release his zombie plague on an unsuspecting populace.

5. Provide Cultural and Societal Commentary

The zombie apocalypse genre has long been a playground for gore, survival tactics, and heart-pounding action. But if you dig a little deeper, you’ll find that there’s also a great opportunity to address real-world issues.

By using the zombie apocalypse as a kind of mirror to reflect real-world issues, writers can craft meaningful stories that resonate more deeply with readers. For example, you could explore themes of inequality, homelessness, environmental degradation, racism, or political division — all through the lens of apocalyptic survival.

This could give your story more depth and relevance, while inviting readers to ponder the parallels between fiction and reality. The end result? A more original and more interesting zombie apocalypse story.

The bottom line to all of this: A creative, imaginative person could write a unique zombie novel unlike anything people have read before. You just have to take a step back and look at what’s been done before — and what hasn’t. Think about how you can explore the unexplored.

Good luck, and happy writing!

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