If you’re going to write a zombie or post-apocalyptic novel (as opposed to a short story), I recommend using one of the traditional structures. This is especially important for new and inexperienced writers.
The novel structures listed below have been around for centuries, because they work. They will help you stay on track when writing your first draft, while helping the reader along as well.
My advice is to think about the kind of story you want to tell—and how you want to tell it—and then choose the structure that best supports your writing goals.
You could also take a hybrid approach by combining more than one of these methods. Some of them overlap nicely. You have options on top of options.
Here are seven different ways you could structure a zombie novel:
1. Linear / Chronological Structure
Note: I’ve listed this structure first because it’s the most common method in use today, and often the best choice for beginning writers. The remainder of this list is presented in alphabetical order.
With the linear or chronological novel structure, the story’s events unfold in the order in which they occur. The story begins at the beginning and ends at the end, with no jumping around in time.
In a zombie novel, for example, you could begin the story with everything being okay and then slowly ratchet up the tension. This gives readers a chance to become invested in the characters, before things fall apart.
Linear chronological novels often use a three-act structure, which dates back to Ancient Greece.
Act 1 – Setup: The main characters, setting, and initial situation are introduced. The reader gains a sense of the story’s world and the characters’ goals, desires, and conflicts. It ends with a turning point or “inciting incident” that propels the story forward and sets the plot in motion.
Act 2 – Confrontation or Rising Action: The main character faces a series of challenges and conflicts as they pursue their objective. Tension and stakes increase, leading to a midpoint or second turning point that either (A) shifts the story’s direction or (B) introduces a major twist. The character’s journey becomes more and more complex, forcing them to adapt and evolve.
Act 3 – Resolution: This portion of the novel includes the pre-climax, climax, and conclusion. It’s where the story’s conflicts come to a head. The protagonist confronts the main antagonist, leading to the climax (the most intense and pivotal moment). Following the climax, the story concludes with a resolution to show the outcome of the characters’ struggle.
2. Countdown Structure
As you might have guessed, the countdown structure is when you structure your novel around the countdown to a specific event. This structure can create additional suspense and tension within a zombie apocalypse scenario.
Example 1: Set up a situation where the survivors have a limited supply of resources, such as food, water, and ammunition. Use countdown markers to signify the depletion of these resources, making the characters’ survival more precarious with each passing day.
Example 2: Incorporate countdowns to frame rescue or evacuation attempts. The survivors could be trying to signal for help, awaiting a rescue team, or racing against a deadline to escape a city before it’s bombed or quarantined.
In both of these examples, the countdown structure makes the zombie novel more suspenseful because the clock is ticking. It elevates the tension and gives readers more reason to keep turning the pages.
3. Epistolary Format
We touched on the epistolary format in the previous section, when talking about short story structures. This model can also be used for novel-length works.
In an epistolary novel, the story is told through a series of letters, diary entries, or other documents. You can use it to create a sense of intimacy and immediacy within an apocalyptic novel.
With this format, readers feel like they’re receiving the characters’ thoughts and feelings directly, instead of having them filtered through the author’s voice.
In the context of a zombie novel, the epistolary structure could be used to tell the story from the POV of a survivor writing letters or diary entries. This allows the reader to see the apocalypse through the survivor’s eyes, in a more intimate manner.
Example 1: Have the main character(s) keep a journal, documenting their experiences, emotions, and observations as the zombie apocalypse unfolds.
Example 2: Use email exchanges between characters to reveal their interactions, plans, and fears as the apocalyptic event is unfolding. This is a modern twist on the epistolary structure. (FYI: The beginning of Justin Cronin’s novel The Passage uses this format with chilling results.)
Example 3: If the story takes place on a ship, a military base, or another contained environment, you could use log entries to track events and developments.
4. Flashback
Flashback is a literary device that allows authors to tell a story out of chronological order. You can use this novel structure to jump back in time, revealing events that happened before the story’s main timeline.
For example, you could start a zombie apocalypse novel with the main character in the midst of an outbreak. You could then employ flashbacks to show how the character got into that mess.
A word of caution, though. It’s generally best to use flashbacks sparingly, so they don’t disrupt the overall flow of the narrative. If you use too many of them, your zombie novel might become confusing and difficult to follow.
And make sure the flashbacks serve a purpose. You might use them to develop your characters, to reveal crucial information, or to foreshadow future events. Just use them for something.
5. Frame Narrative
The frame narrative is another model that could be applied to either a zombie short story or a novel. We discussed it in the previous section.
In a novel, a frame narrative tells one story within the context of a larger story. The “outer” story usually portrays present-day events, while the “inner” story might be a flashback tale told by one of the characters.
In other words, it’s a story within a story, similar to the movie Titanic.
In a zombie novel, the frame narrative structure could be used to tell the story of a survivor of the apocalypse who is recounting events that happened in the past. The outer story could be set in the present day, and the inner story could be set during the apocalypse.
Example: You might frame the novel as a fictional documentary being created in the aftermath. The embedded stories could be recreated through dramatizations, interviews, and archival footage.
6. Hero’s Journey
The “hero’s journey” story structure has been used throughout many different cultures and genres. It basically works like a cyclical narrative, following the hero’s journey from the ordinary world to the extraordinary world—and back again. (Think of The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.)
In a zombie novel, you could use the hero’s journey model by having your main character venture into zombie-infested lands in search of a cure or some other valuable item. The protagonist would encounter all sorts of challenges along the way, each one more harrowing than the last.
Eventually, the character would make it back home or to safety, thus completing the hero’s journey and closing the narrative cycle.
7. In Media Res
In medias res is a Latin phrase that means “in the middle of things.” With this type of novel structure, the story starts right in the middle of the action, without any background information or buildup.
It also brings an element of mystery into the story, since the reader has to piece things together as they go along. The reader is dropped right into the thick of it.
(Side note: A lot of short stories begin in media res, because there’s not enough space for an introduction or rising tension. Short stories usually begin just before the climax.)
A novel example: The story could start with a character running through a city overrun by zombies. The character is scared and confused, and the reader would be right there with them. In subsequent chapters, you could use flashbacks or other clues to bring the reader up to speed.
Another example: Open with the characters barricaded inside a hospital room while zombies attempt to break in. This setup would create an intense and claustrophobic atmosphere, keeping the reader engaged. Subsequent chapters could explore how they ended up in the hospital and what led to the outbreak.
These are not the only ways to build a zombie apocalypse novel or short story. Other structures and formats exist as well. You have a lot of paths to choose from. But when you’re first starting out, it might help to stick with a traditional structure.