A while back, I wrote an article that offered zombie story ideas for writers of horror and speculative fiction. It’s now the most popular article on this blog, in terms of traffic and readership. I didn’t expect that, but it’s fun to watch.
That article also generated quite a few questions and comments from readers. And one question in particular rises to the top: How do you actually start a zombie apocalypse story or novel?
So here you go, a fresh batch of story starters for speculative fiction writers.
Want more? This article is part of an ongoing series for writers. Elsewhere on the site, you’ll find a list of zombie-related story ideas along with a few strategies for writing good fiction.
Starting Your Story Before or After the Outbreak
As a writer, you have endless ways to start your zombie story. Most of these stories fall into the horror genre, and some dabble with science fiction or even fantasy. As a result, it’s the writer who makes the rules and sets the stage. And there are countless ways to do that.
One of the first things you need to consider is your timeline. You have to figure out when your zombie story starts, relative to the outbreak itself.
You basically have three starter options:
- Pre-apocalypse — You could start your story before the zombie outbreak takes place. Your characters are going through their normal, everyday routines. But terror lurks ahead, just around the bend.
- Mid-apocalypse — You could also start your story as the outbreak is unfolding … in the middle of the “action,” so to speak. This method is rare, and we’ll talk about the reasons why in a moment.
- Post-apocalypse — Last, but not least, you can start a zombie novel or story after the outbreak. The reader is thrust into a world where civilization has already collapsed.
Most zombie stories start with either the “pre” or “post” apocalyptic model above. Those are generally the best options from a structural and pacing standpoint.
The middle of the three options — starting your story as the outbreak is unfolding — can be done, but it’s more challenging. You might pull it off with a short story. But for a novel, that option could create structural problems. It’s hard to increase tension and build to a climax when you start off with “fireworks.”
So let’s zoom in on the first and third options. Let’s talk about the pre– and post-apocalyptic methods for starting a zombie story.
Pre-Apocalypse: Everything Is Awesome
The pre-apocalyptic zombie story starts before the outbreak. That is, it starts in normal times, a time when the average person would laugh at the mere suggestion of a zombie apocalypse.
Of course, things don’t stay normal for long.
By starting your zombie story before things go south, you’re giving the reader a chance to know your characters. We get to see what their lives are like in normal times. Then, later on in the story, we can see how they adapt to tough times. We can see how your characters change. And change is a key aspect of any story.
Post-Apocalypse: Everything Is Awful
You can also start a zombie story after the outbreak has occurred. In this case, the novel starts in a post-civilization kind of world.
There are pros and cons to this approach. Aren’t there always?
The main advantage is that it makes the story more gripping from page one. When we first meet the protagonist — which should happen within the first few pages, ideally — he or she is already in danger.
The main disadvantage to starting a zombie story after the outbreak is that we miss some of the character’s transformation. When civilization crumbles, it puts people under tremendous stress. It challenges them in ways they’ve never been challenged before. And that’s gold, from a character-development standpoint. You sacrifice some of it when you start the story after the zombie outbreak.
Of course, you can still put your characters through challenging situations. It’s a post-apocalyptic world, after all. But as readers, we don’t get to see how they adapt when the world turns upside down. Something to consider.
If you want to read a zombie novel where the story begins post-outbreak, check out Alden Bell’s The Reapers Are the Angels. It’s a classic example of a story that starts “after the fall,” with a young female protagonist you won’t soon forget. You can thank me later.
Introducing Your Main Character
Every good story needs a central character, and zombie fiction is no exception. In literary terms, this person is known as the protagonist. It’s the main character, the one we root for when reading the story.
It’s usually best to introduce your main character as soon as possible. This helps to anchor us in the world you’ve created. It also gives us someone to follow and — hopefully — care about.
How you introduce your character will depend on the kind of story you’re telling.
If your zombie story begins before the outbreak, you might show your protagonist at work or at home, going about her ordinary life. Take your time. Let us get to know her. Reveal some depth.
If your story begins after the apocalypse — in a “new” world of your own creation — you might introduce your character in a way that reveals the dangers of that world. Maybe we meet the protagonist as he is rounding up food, looking after his children, or performing some other survival-related function.
These are just suggestions. There’s no playbook here. No rules. How and where you introduce your character is up to you. Just know that it’s usually best for the reader to “meet” the protagonist early on, ideally within the first few pages.
Bonus: 10 Unique Ways to Start a Zombie Novel / Story
We’ve covered some important topics. We talked about the pros and cons of pre– versus post-apocalyptic starting points. We talked about the need to introduce your character early on, so readers can get rooted within your story.
Now let’s shift gears and look at some actual story starters. Here are some ideas and strategies you might use to create a unique and original zombie novel. At the very least, they’ll get your wheels turning:
- The story begins 100 years after a zombie apocalypse, when people live in small clans within walled cities.
- The story starts two days before New Year’s Eve. The reader knows a rogue group plans to release a zombie-like virus in Times Square during the big celebration. Let the countdown begin…
- The story starts with dozens of zombies locked in a secure research facility, undergoing experimentation. A computer malfunction causes the locks to fail.
- The story starts with a protagonist surviving a zombie attack. As it turns out, she is immune to the contagion due to a rare condition. Suddenly, she becomes the most valuable human on the planet.
- The story begins with a zombie outbreak during the president’s State of the Union address. The White House goes into lockdown. But it’s too late. The enemy is inside the building.
- The story starts with five high school students serving after-school detention. A “disturbance” is reported nearby, and the school goes into a lockdown. The students think it’s an active-shooter scenario. But it’s something much worse.
- The story begins with a sci-fi horror angle. A man travels back through time to stop the plague from happening. Little does he know someone else is time-traveling to make sure it does happen.
- The story starts in the late 16th Century, when a group of English settlers arrive on Roanoke Island, off the coast of what is now North Carolina. We find out what really happened to the lost colony.
- The story begins with a reality TV host attending a Haitian voodoo ritual meant to awaken the dead. He plans to debunk the ritual as a bunch of hollow mysticism, until it works…
- A cruise ship plies the deep, dark waters of the North Atlantic, traveling from England to America. The same route the Titanic followed. But this ship has bigger problems than icebergs. Several of the passengers have fallen ill with a mysterious contagion…
Send me your thoughts! Are you a fan of the undead genre? Do you have a unique idea for how to start a zombie story or novel? Leave it in the comments below, and I’ll add it to the list. Include your name and website if you’d like credit.
