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5 Tips For Writing Zombie Stories
Zombies stories don’t have to be as shallow as the graves the undead rise from
We all love zombie stories. Right? Of course you do. In this article, I will look at 5 ways to make your zombie apocalypse stories stand out from the crowd.
1. Think about what zombies truly represent
The biggest mistake I see new writers make with zombies is that they think the horror comes solely from gore. They focus purely on the flesh-ripping, brain-guzzling, intestine-pulling, and blood-spewing aspects of zombies. Gore does not equal horror, and it certainly doesn’t equal terror or dread. Sure, it helps set the tone, but it’s not the most important thing.
When I watch movies that focus on gore and disgusting imagery, I am bored. Try watching a zombie movie from The Asylum or Uwe Boll and you’ll see what I mean. Zombies are mindless flesh-ripping monsters to be sure, but that’s not all they are. You have to dig deeper and think about why they are so scary, and what they truly represent.
Zombies usually represent loss of self and individuality (particularly scary to American audiences who were raised to fear communism). They also tap into our fear of disease, disfigurement, violation, and death. They can also be an allegory…
