The End of a Novel In Sight

I figure I’m about two weeks away from finishing my zombie novel. Of course, I’ll proofread it a bunch, and hopefully get another set of eyes on it. Then I need a cover and title. Plenty of work left. Still, it’s always fun to review the road to this point.

I restarted this one I think three times. I was mostly done once, then I realized I got the setting completely wrong. My wife told me to finish it anyway, but I just couldn’t fix the setting error.

My zombie novel takes place twenty years in the future after the dead first begin to walk. I thought this would be an interesting setting, as most zombie stuff I read takes place near “Day One”. I liked the challenge of moving it into the future, as not only are the zombies a constant threat, but so is day to day survival. There is no electricity, no running water, no grocery store.

On my one great “nearly done” attempt, the main setting was a baseball stadium. I was thinking Baltimore’s Camden Yards when I was writing it. For anyone familiar with Camden Yards, the entire stadium has a fence surrounding the thing, perfect for keeping those zombies at bay 🙂 But after I went to a game one year, I realized Camden Yards didn’t exactly offer the “oh wow it’s tough to survive” feel I was going for. If I have to sleep in Camden Yards when the zombies come, I’ll survive. The place has plenty of closed in spaces to sleep, protection from the elements, etc. After I saw this, I pretty much had to start over, as I just couldn’t use that setting. I moved the main setting to an old high school, and it’s worked out much better.

I think my main female character, Samantha (Sam for short), is probably the best female character I’ve ever created. Sam is a product of a life growing up alone, constantly trying to survive while avoiding beating eaten. She is tough, with a “me first” attitude, and she never once falls into the “damsel in distress” category. Nearing the end of the novel, I’m pleasantly surprised with how she turned out.

The final hook of the story, which hopefully most people will like, is the unique abilities of the main character Aaron. I always have to have someone odd or special in my novels, and Aaron is no different. Through reasons that you’ll have to read to see (haha), Aaron can move with the zombies with no difficulty. They don’t attack him at all, like other humans. This gives Aaron a different outlook, as he hasn’t had the same experiences of survival that other people have been forced to go through.

I’m still working on that cover and title, but I think fans of zombie fiction will enjoy the ride. I actually have the first few chapters online, although they’ve been edited since then. If you want to get a feel, check it out.