Why The Walking Dead Should be Required Watching for Aspiring Writers

Once upon a time I was a horror movie aficionado. I will
spare you a list of all the horror movies I have watched, but suffice it to say
it includes everything from Attack of the
Killer Tomatoes to When A Stranger
Calls and all the Hellraiser
movies.

I don’t have the same appetite for it anymore. In fact,
these days I can’t watch much of it. I blame the children. Goddamnit if they
haven’t ruined my unbridled enjoyment of senseless carnage. (If you’re
considering having some kids yourself, don’t say I didn’t warn you.)

But I still love The Walking Dead. And I mean, I LOVE it.
Watching it is one of he highlights of my week.  

Do I think it is a perfect show? No. Would I have some notes
were I—by some grace of God—invited into that writing room? Sure. Because
that’s the nature of writing: everyone has a unique viewpoint. However, I am
confident that the writers of The Walking Dead are too busy beating back the
throngs of fans circling their homes and/or swimming in their piles of money to
care what I think—which is precisely as it should be.

And there can be no doubt that what the Walking Dead does—it
does so freaking well.  The 14.6 million
people who watched the premiere agree with me. Here’s my (completely spoiler
free) list of the things I love about TWD as a writer, and a fan.

·     
It knows
who it is, and what story it is trying to tell.  TWD is about the “after” aftermath of the
Zombie apocalypse. We know little of the mechanics of what happened right
after, though the story would seem to beg for the details to be filled in. But
TWD doesn’t care about the story it is expected to tell. It focuses instead—as
we all should—on the story it is.

·     
It’s
stress relieving. Let’s face it, there is nothing like watching somebody
else in the throws of a zombie apocalypse to make you less stressed about your
own life.

·     
It has
the courage to flaunt narrative conventions. TWD will have random episodes
told mostly in flashbacks, or black and white. It will devote an entire hour
and a half to a seeming non-sequitur involving one character. You may not
always like these forays into far left field, but as a viewer you always feel
vaguely unsettled. In a show about zombies who might eat you at any second,
cultivating this unrelenting sense of unease is utter genius.    

·     
It’s ego
boosting. You are free for a whole hour every week to argue how much better/stronger/braver
you would be were you embroiled in whatever zombie related emergency the
characters are currently trapped in. Can anyone definitively prove you WOULDN’T
do better? No, they cannot. So, guess what, you win.

·     
It knows
when you might be getting bored, because it made you that way on purpose. This
is precisely the moment when TWD tends to do something totally unexpected. Are
these things sometimes a little too
unexpected. Maybe. Do they succeed, once again, in making you feel as
blindsided as the characters? You betcha.

·     
It will help
your relationships. If you are having any actual conflict with your
spouse/partner/friend/sibling you can watch TWD and instead fight about who
would act what way if you were in a zombie-related emergency. For instance, my
husband is a “waiter.” I am a “runner.” We have had extended arguments about
who’s method would get us killed first. You and I both know who’s right, don’t
we? I’m not getting gobbled up trapped in a corner of some goddamn shack. They
will have to catch me first.  

·     
It’s
willing to make you mad. TWD will kill people you love. And make you deal
with it.

·     
It’s
willing to abandon things that aren’t working and just move on. TWD kills its darlings—characters,
plot-lines, story-arcs—right in front of you. While looking you right in the
eye.

·     
It doles
out the characters you love the most sparingly. Nothing fans the flames of
a crush more than limited access.

·     
It’s all
about the people. Yeah, there are zombies, but really they are just
context. TWD is ultimately a character-driven drama about what draws people
together, and what can tear them so hopelessly apart. And that is something we all—writers
or not—can relate to.  

           

On a final note, for those of you who watch the show, which
TWD character would you like to get trapped with? For me it’s Daryl who I
believe has the perfect balance of strength, heroism and nihilism to be willing
to allow me to live instead of himself. My second choice would be Michonne, who
I think has the best technical skills and a true sense of loyalty. Plus her
arms are AWESOME.

My husband picked Daryl first too, but Rick was a clear
second for him. I mean, Rick? Seriously? If you’re looking to save a town, you
call Rick. He’s got that broad strategy, save many over saving one. Blah, blah, blah. I mean that’s all fine
and well unless I’m the one.

I love my husband and all, but I swear sometimes, his zombie
judgment seriously makes me question everything.