Angela Scott
  • Home
  • About Me

Got Zombies? (New added tab above. Check it out)

1/28/2011

1 Comment

 
Picture
Whenever I’m asked about what my current work in progress is about, I get slightly embarrassed. This is how a typical conversation tends to go:

Them: So whatcha writing now?

Me (cheeks flush red): Ummm . . . A zombie western romance for young adults.

Them: What?

Me: Yeah, a zombie . . . western . . . romance.

Them: That sounds . . . different. (Their way of saying, “You’re strange.”)

Me: (trying to make myself sound less strange): It’s really more of a romance set in the wild, wild west really, with only a sprinkling of zombies, not a lot, but enough. It’s actually quite fun to write.

Them: Sounds . . . fun. (Their way of saying, “You’re even more strange than before.”)

Me: I write other stuff too. More contemporary stuff, not just zombies. My other three books are more contemporary actually, like Lesley Kagen and Elizabeth Flock. That kind of stuff.

Them: Oh, tell me about those. (Now I’m back to just “strange” and not “strange-strange” and that makes me happy).

I need to learn to own my strangeness. Just embrace it and go with it. It is what it is, and the truly bizarre thing about zombie novels (something I didn’t know about until well after I started writing one) is that their HOT. People like their zombies. They do. (I bet you do too. Go on, admit it). From costumes, to movies, to the new show called “The Walking Dead” on AMC, to shirts and clothing—zombies are EVERYWHERE. Well, not literally everywhere. Their not real—duh? But you know what I mean.

So I shouldn’t be embarrassed. I mean in the hierarchy of paranormal creatures and writing, it goes something like this:

1)      Vampires (super big genre, but slowly losing momentum. How much more can we take, really?)

2)      Zombies (I’m biased here. I think their much cooler than the following. But like I said, I’m biased)

3)      Witches/Ghosts

4)      Aliens

5)      Monsters/Goblins

6)      Wicked clowns (clowns suck)

In an article in The Writer magazine, October 2010 issue, it says that zombies are the next BIG thing. Who knew? Not me. Not when I started. Jonathan Maberry goes on to say, “Nowdays, zombies offer greater storytelling potential than vampires . . . in recent years the vampires themselves have become the story. They are beautiful, tragic figures, and much of the writing is about them. Not so with the living dead. Except in a handful of zombie tales, the walking dead do not possess intellect or personality, and therefore all the writer has to do is establish that they are the threat. Once that’s done, the story can focus on the humans who are caught up in that threat.” He also says, " They allow the fiction writer to create and sustain suspense. They are a constant and pervasive threat. Blood and gore, however, is not absolutely required." 

That’s what I do. It’s not about the zombies. It’s about the people (the alive people). AND, I'm not a horror writer. so there's not a ton of blood and gore in my novel. It's actually quite tame as far as zombies go. The article even goes on to say that you don’t have to like zombies to write about zombies—their talking about me, folks.

So YES! I’m writing a zombie book and I like it. Think what you will (but I'd much rather you think kindly please).

Who knows, maybe it will be this zombie book of mine that will break down the door to publication and not my more contemporary works.

Now wouldn’t that be funny . . . Angela Scott, Zombie Writer Extraordinaire (I added the extraordinaire because I wanted to). Oh, and don't forget to check out my cool "Got Zombies?" tab above.

1 Comment
Diana
1/28/2011 01:27:44 am

Sounds really interesting. I'd love to read it. Good luck!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    NEWSLETTER

    Now Available!
    It's HERE! Get your copy today!

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    My Books

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Click for more info about Mallory Rock, Cover Designer
    Picture
    Click for more info about Megan Harris, Editor
    POPULAR BLOG POSTS

    Write under a pen name? What are you hiding from?

    The Jekyll and Hyde Aspect of Editing

    What kinds of WEIRD stuff have you researched for your WIP?

    Wow. Some book reviewers can be NASTY! Check it out

    Do you view other writers as friends or foes? (Conquering the green-eyed monster)

    3 reasons most writers give up & 3 reasons why YOU shouldn't

    My Twitter Pet Peeves

    How can I promote my book without ticking off the masses?

    10 Ways to promote your book and get surefire results!

    FUN LINKS
    ZOMG SO COOL


    DUDE I WANT THAT

    ALL THINGS ZOMBIE

    ZOMBIE CHRISTMAS

    Fun Stuff

    Picture
    Pixel of Ink
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    If you're ready for a zombie apocalypse, then you're ready for any emergency. emergency.cdc.gov
    Picture

    My BLOG Awards 

Photos used under Creative Commons from Jonathan Rolande, Leslie Richards, Su--May, mugwumpian, Say_No_To_Turtles, pedrosimoes7, tiannaspicer, comedy_nose, Lord Jim, corcell_usa, keepitsurreal, Dushan and Miae, Martin Pettitt, Chill Mimi, THX0477, Svenstorm, Grzegorz Łobiński, tsakshaug, Richard Elzey, epSos.de, ▓▒░ TORLEY ░▒▓, Asim Bijarani, Eddie~S, paul-simpson.org, ilovememphis, Sweet Dreamz Design, HockeyholicAZ
  • Home
  • About Me