Just looking for advice.

[John]

*Please delete if not allowed*

Hello, everyone. I've grown up loving anything to do with zombies, I have always wanted to write a Z-novel.I used to site down and write, and then read what I have written, and get discouraged. I feel as though I over describe the surrounding, or whats going on, and think that its going to bore the reader, and just scrap it. Any suggestions on how to get past this and just write?

Any other suggestions would be welcomed.

Thanks in advance.

[Thia]

Hi John! Maybe set a page limit before you start re-reading and just write stream of consciousness instead of trying to perfect as you go? I actually enjoy a slower build and a slower reveal. The “outbreak” part is always my favorite and I kind of hate it when the writer just flies through that and gets to the “other humans are really the most dangerous… blah blah blah” snore! No! It’s definitely the flesh eating monsters ;) I guess I’m the wrong person to offer advice. You can’t build the tension and the characters too much for me. That’s the best bit!

[John]

Thank you replying, Thia. That’s actually great advice, because I don’t think I’ve ever written from BEFORE the outbreak, it’s always been AFTER, so they’re no real character building. Come to think of it, I’ve never really sat down and brainstormed, I’ve always just jumped right into it. I’m the same, when it comes to books. I like that ‘calm before that storm’.

[Thia]

I think there are different camps re character development vs action etc. It probably depends on who your target audience is. I LOVED WWZ and Day by Day Armageddon - obviously both are heavy on getting to know a specific character and the outbreak days for them. My other favorite is the Mountain Man series which started long after the outbreak BUT my favorite of those books is of course the first prequel. I’ll read anything Tufo writes because I love his characters and their friendships so much even though at this point the plots are beyond ridiculous.
I think a lot of writers try to come up with an exciting story or a new take on zombies… for my $.02 I don’t even care what the story is as long as I get enough character development so that I’m invested in them and care if they live or die, I could go the rest of my life without ever having another awkward sex scene shoved in the middle of my horror/ adventure story, or reading the “everyone is a bad guy angle”, and if you can’t write women just don’t. I don’t need women in the story at all but if you put them in then PLEASE don’t make them either copies of men (ie Michelle Rodriguez in everything), I’ll bail out on a harem/ rape story in 2 seconds flat, and they have to have something to do besides scream “my chiiiiiildrennnn!!!”
I know :) I’m picky. But I read a LOT of crap.
All that said I’d just start writing whatever YOU know. Maybe don’t even reread it until you get to know you characters and get a basic story out? There’s a reason I’m a reader and not a writer. Seems really hard!!!