Zombie Apocalypse Story Ideas and Writing Prompts

Do you need some zombie apocalypse novel ideas to fuel your next writing project? Maybe some zombie horror story ideas for your next collection of short fiction?

You’ve come to the right place. This blog post is the first in a series that will offer story ideas and writing prompts for speculative fiction writers. In this post, we’ll zero in on the pre- and post-apocalyptic zombie genre in particular.

(Want more? This article is part of an ongoing series for writers. Elsewhere on my blog, you’ll find a list of zombie-related fiction writing tips along with a few strategies for starting a novel.)

Writing Prompts for Fiction Writers

So, what’s the big idea here? Why would one writer create a list of zombie apocalypse story ideas for other writers to use in their own work?

Here’s my thinking. For as long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed coming up with novel and movie ideas. I imagine people get tired of hearing me say things like: “You know what would make a great movie? Imagine a woman wakes up one day on an island in the middle of nowhere…”

But an individual writer can only produce so many actual stories and novels. And for me, the number of story ideas that crowd my mind far exceed my capacity to develop them.

I have a special fondness for the zombie genre in particular. There’s still room for innovation within this genre … room for fresh ideas and new directions. It just takes a little imagination. To that end, I’m thrilled to share zombie writing prompts with other writers who work in the genre.

So there you go. And here we go, walking bravely into the world of the undead. I submit to you: seven zombie apocalypse horror story ideas…

7 Post-Apocalyptic Zombie Story Ideas

Full disclaimer: To the best of my knowledge, the zombie horror story ideas listed below haven’t been done before in novel or story format. But I could be wrong. I haven’t read everything. If you want to use one of these zombie plot ideas for your own work, you might do some research to see if something like it already exists.

Or skip the due diligence and charge forward in your own fashion, with your own fresh perspective. Make it your own. I leave that up to you.

1. Turn your protagonist into a “reluctant guardian.”

I’ve always been intrigued by this idea, from a fiction-writing standpoint. One of these days I might actually use it. But if you want to tackle it first, be my guest. Just let me know when the novel comes out. I’ll buy it!

The idea here is to make your main character a reluctant or hesitant guardian. Here’s what I mean…

Let’s say a man is fleeing from a neighborhood that’s overrun by zombies. He has lived alone for years, a confirmed bachelor. He never had kids and never wanted them. He’s uncomfortable around children.

But while speeding out of his zombie-infested neighborhood, he sees a little girl standing on a street corner, crying. She’s alone and terrified. She couldn’t be more than seven or eight years old.

The man sees the girl in a blur as he speeds down the road in his truck. He slams on the brakes.

Where are the parents? he wonders. Why is she all alone like that?

He hesitates. He grips the steering wheel and peers into the rearview mirror.

“Don’t do it,” says a voice in his head. “Just keep driving.”

With a string of curses, he shifts into reverse and backs up the truck. He scrambles out, scoops up the little girl (who is now kicking and screaming), and puts her into the passenger seat. The engine revs. The tires squeal. They speed away, just as the zombies reach the truck.

So what do we have here? What makes this an interesting zombie novel idea or story starter?

For one thing, we have a character who is miles outside of his comfort zone. Trying to survive a zombie outbreak is bad enough. But now he has a little girl to look after, as well. That complicates things. A lot. And complication creates dramatic tension. It keeps readers turning the pages.

Try it different ways. Flip the gender, using a female protagonist instead. Or maybe a childless couple. Maybe they find two children instead of one, a brother and sister. There’s a lot of potential there, from a novel-writing perspective.

2. Tell it from the zombie’s point of view.

Here’s an idea for your next zombie apocalypse novel or short story. Try telling it from the Z’s point of view. Bear with me now…

Maybe the protagonist has partial immunity from the zombie contagion. Maybe she “turns,” but not all the way. Maybe your main character can think but not speak. In this way, readers could get to know her through interiority and inner thoughts. They could get inside her head. And thus the story (and the character) moves forward.

Maybe at some point she rebounds from the virus, like a person overcoming a serious flu, and returns to something resembling normalcy. Maybe this reversal happens when she is walking among a horde of zombies, and suddenly they look at her not as one of their own kind — but as food.

3. Foreshadow the outbreak and start a countdown.

What if the zombie outbreak was going to be initiated by terrorists or some other rogue group? What if they planned it to coincide with some major event, like New Year’s Eve in Times Square, or the Super Bowl?

Or the presidential inauguration ceremony?

If the reader knew this from the start of the story (perhaps from the prologue or first chapter), they’d be hooked from the get-go. They’d bite their nails and wait for the shit to hit the fan.

The subsequent chapters would essentially serve as a kind of countdown to the outbreak. You could generate a lot of dramatic tension by exploring a zombie novel idea like this, building your characters along the way.

4. Blend the military science fiction and zombie genres.

Do you like military science fiction? Military tech and weaponry? Main characters with in-depth combat training and skills? This could be another fresh idea for your zombie horror story, novel, or screenplay.

Max Brooks explored this angle in his book, World War Z (which is totally different from the Brad Pitt movie version, by the way). But there’s still plenty of room to develop new ideas for a post-apocalyptic zombie novel from a military perspective. Lots of uncharted territory. I imagine it would be thrilling for the author and readers alike.

[Side note: Be sure to check out my list of sci-fi horror story ideas. It features a genre crossover table to get your creative wheels turning.]

5. Follow new recruits through a boot camp experience.

Another twist on the military zombie approach would be to follow a group of recruits as they undergo boot camp training. Think Full Metal Jacket, only instead of preparing for the Vietnam War, these recruits are getting the skills they’ll need to fight the zombie horde.

There’s a lot of room for character development with this novel idea, and plenty of conflict potential. You could focus on one main character / POV, or get inside the heads of several recruits.

(This one really gets my wheels turning. If I were to take on one of these zombie horror ideas as a story starter, this would probably be the one. So don’t be surprised if it disappears from this list in the near future.)

6. Place your characters in a fortified location.

Combine the zombie genre with an ancient fortified location, and you have an undead version of siege warfare. Add in some interesting and believable characters, and you’ve got all the makings of a great zombie novel.

In some stories, the setting can function almost like a character. It can have its own history, its own quirks that make it unique. And there are some truly interesting locations in the world, without even delving into the realm of fantasy.

Imagine, for instance, a group of tourists are visiting the Mehrangarh Fort in India, when a zombie plague strikes. Enlarge the picture on the right and let your imagination soar.

There’s just something about a group of people — strangers, especially — fortifying themselves in a stronghold against an existential threat. It’s storytelling at its best. Pure survival. This kind of zombie novel idea practically writes itself.

The one downside would be narrative stagnation. If your characters spend too much time in one place, the story might stall. Or not. In the hands of the right author, this might not be an issue at all. It’s just something to be aware of.

Want some inspiration? Look at The Shining (the novel version). The characters in that story, the Torrance family, spend nearly all of their time at the Overlook Hotel. But the single-location factor doesn’t undermine the story at all. It strengthens it. The isolation, the howling wind outside, the restless sprits within. They make Stephen King’s horror novel all the more chilling — literally and figuratively.

It doesn’t have to be an ancient fortress. You could place your characters into any number of interesting places, where they could fortify depending on the situation. An airport or museum. A hospital. A shopping mall (nod to Dawn of the Dead). Chernobyl. The Catacombs of Paris. These are just a few examples, a few story and plot ideas to get your wheels turning.

Let your imagination roam. Close your eyes and put your finger on a map. Use a setting no one else has used for a post-apocalyptic zombie novel. Starting with a cool setting energizes the writing process. It forces you to research, to learn something new. It makes you more invested in the story.

Add some interesting characters and the dramatic tension that comes from zombie outbreak survival, and you’re off to the races.

7. Give your novel a historical backdrop.

Novel idea #7 is to give your zombie story a historical backdrop. Maybe the outbreak occurs during the Elizabethan era in England, or during the Vietnam War, or in ancient Egypt or Rome.

By setting your zombie novel during a tumultuous and unique time in history, you’re drawing the reader in from the start. The story becomes more engaging. Now, sprinkle in some great characters, unleash the undead horde, and you’ve got yourself a page-turner.

8. Use the Zombie Story Idea Matrix

Need more ideas for a zombie story or novel? How about 1,728 of them?

Instructions: Choose one element from each of the three columns below. Not all combinations will make sense. But some could yield intriguing story concepts or writing prompts. With 1,728 possible combinations, you’re bound to find something interesting inside the matrix.

Inciting Incident	Zombie Type	World Element
Microbe from space	Mindless shamblers	Mega-cities under domes
Lab leak	Runners	Floating cities
Environmental disaster	Mutated zombies	Post-apocalyptic desert
Cursed artifact	Sentient zombies	Underground society
AI-controlled nanobots	Hive mind	Space station survivors
Pharmaceutical experiment	Parasite-controlled	Flooded cities
Ritual gone wrong	Cyber-zombies	Quarantined zones
Animal-borne virus	Ghostly zombies	Virtual reality refuge
Time traveler’s mistake	Plant-infested zombies	Climate-changed Earth
Solar flare	Sound-sensitive zombies	Frozen wasteland
Bio-warfare	Shape-shifters	Abandoned space colony
Genetic modification	Dream zombies	Eternal darkness

Leave a Comment, Add to the List

Do you have some original ideas for a post-apocalyptic zombie horror novel? Maybe some writing prompts to share with other writers? Leave a comment below, and I’ll gladly add them to the list. Include your name and website if you’d like credit.