Angela Scott
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There are 4 kinds of zombies apocalypse survivors. Which one are you?

1/16/2012

27 Comments

 
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Most people know that for the past year or so I have been writing about zombies. I'm actually in the process of writing the sequel to WANTED: Dead or Undead and I just recently started writing another YA zombie novel that has nothing to do with the zombie west at all (Yes, zombies have permeated all aspects of my life. Why? Heck, I'm still trying to figure that one out myself--40 yr old mother of three, who lives in UTAH, of all places, writes about zombies. Whodda thunk?)

Anyway, last night I dreamt I was smack dab in the middle of a full-blown zombie apocalypse. I mean, I write about zombies, it's bound to happen. But this dream scared the crap out of me. I don't like horror and I  don't do well with nightmares. I woke with tears in my eyes--TEARS IN MY EYES. I was that shaken by the dream. Yep, I'm a wimp, and YES, I write about zombies. So what the heck, right?

But, that dream did show me one thing--I'm NOT cut out to be a survivor. Not at all.

There are FOUR kinds of survivors. Most movies and books only show you two kinds, sometimes three, but you never hear about the fourth kind. So I'm here today to shed some light on the fourth kind, the kind where I fit in.

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Type One Apocalyptic Survivor: The Leader
The first type of apocalyptic survivor is the well-prepared, natural born leader. This is the person who takes charge, puts a plan together, and seems to think ten steps ahead. If this person has an arsenal, then all the better for the rest of the group. BUT, even if he doesn't have all the tools, he'll find a way to get them. He will do his damnedest to keep every single person under his charge safe. They are the ones who will make the tough decisions. Thanks goodness for them.

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Wanna Be Leader: Dangerous
_In every group, there is a leader. One leader is plenty. If you have two or more of this kind of person in your group (think LOST, think The Walking Dead, think Survivor) you will find a lot of contention and confusion.

Everyone needs a leader. Just one. No more. Anymore than one and the group will fracture. So beware, two or more leaders could mean trouble.

The second type of survivor is the follower. Being a follower isn't bad. This is the kind of person who will listen to the leader, do any task given them and do it well, and will want what is best for the entire group. They trust in the leader, because let's face it, they don't want that job. They don't want to call the shots and they don't want to be held to blame should something horrific occurs.

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Second Type of Apocalyptic Survivor: The Follower
It's not they aren't smart, because often times they are quite brilliant. But they feel more comfortable following someone else's orders. They might not be the bravest of souls, but they have a huge heart and will do everything in their ability to ensure the safety of everyone in the group. The majority of any survivor type group will fall into this category. Good people. Kind people. People you trust. They will cook for you. They will clean for you. They will hug you when you feel like giving up. They make great listeners. They will learn to shoot, wield a sword or machete, and risk their lives for you. You need a whole bunch of these kind of folks to keep the group going and ensure the human race has a fighting chance.

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Third Type of Apocalyptic Survivor: Zombie Bait
The third type of apocalyptic survivor is those who sadly fall into the zombie bait category. They survived the initial outbreak but most likely won't last long. Every group will have a couple of these--children, old people, injured, fatties. This group will really cause problems for the rest. They can't defend themselves, so the rest will have to not only ensure their own survival, but the survival of this particular kind of survivor. It will be hard. This group will be the first to fall victim above any others. It will be up to the group to keep them safe--drag their out of shape friends up the hill, carry children on their shoulders, or hide the ill and elderly from potential danger. These people tend to know they are putting the rest of the group in danger--slowing them down or putting them in risk, but they want to survive. They don't want to die and thankfully, the follower group have big hearts and will do everything they can to keep the third kind of survivors safe.

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The Fourth Kind of Apocalyptic Survivor: People like Me
The fourth kind of apocalyptic survivor are people like me: If the zombies don't kill them within the first 24 hours after an outbreak, the other survivors will do it. Even the well-tempered, big hearted type two survivor (the followers) will be at their wits end with this kind of person.

Type four tends to be a crier. They cry. They whine. It's pretty much all they do. They are TERRIFIED and in the heat of a zombie battle will freeze in place, wet themselves, or end up shooting their own foot by accident. They have no business being a survivor at all. They can't hack it. They have no survivor instincts, no training. They have very little, if anything, to contribute to the group as a whole.

Yep, I'm totally a number four kind of survivor. Now, if any of my children survive an outbreak, I do think I could easily become a type two kind of survivor--for their sakes. (In my dream to save my daughter, I did smack many a zombie in the head with a huge tree branch. But the rest of the dream I sucked). On my own, though, I'm not cut out for it. I don't own a gun. I have no 72 hr kits. I will pee myself in the midst of zombie horde bearing down on me. I will annoy the other survivors. I have no doubt that my whole group will go to bed and when I wake in the morning, they will have left my whiny butt behind. I didn't get that far in the dream (I woke up) but I get the feeling that this scene was brewing in the minds of the others.

But, on the bright side, I do think I would make a pretty fierce zombie should it come down to that. Yeah, I'd totally make a much better zombie than a survivor any day. How about you?

So, what kind of a survivor would you make? Type 1, 2, 3, or 4. I'd love to know.

27 Comments
Veronica Scott link
1/16/2012 10:35:54 am

Definitely a 2. Good breakdown!

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Angela Scott link
1/16/2012 11:41:34 pm

Awesome. I'm hanging out with you until you get annoyed by me. So we have a 2 and a couple of 3 and 4's. We're still in need of a 1. Okay, Veronica, if no one steps up to be the leader, I nominate you.

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Steve marlin
2/25/2014 02:20:55 am

well i'm a 1 I even have made my own survival guide and it works quite well!

DEB
1/16/2012 10:46:46 am

I took a zombie survival test online once, and I think the result was I'd die in a matter of days. So I'd like to think I'm a 2 but probably I'd turn out as a 3 or 4.

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Angela Scott link
1/16/2012 11:42:32 pm

I bet you're 2 :)

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Diana link
1/16/2012 11:25:19 am

hmmm...I'm not sure who I'd be. I'd like to think I'd be strong and side by side the leader breaking necks and notching my zombie belt, but then I think about my kids and I would quickly become like you. As long as the zombies in my apocalypse scenario are the slow walking kind I'm good.

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Angela Scott link
1/16/2012 11:43:42 pm

You're a 2. You're tough, I know you. And if we were together in the end, you'd force me to be a 2, too. But I could see you slapping me.

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MrsReaderPants link
1/16/2012 09:31:49 pm

This is awesome! I'm putting a link on my library webpage--my middle schoolers are absolutely ZOMBIE-OBSESSED!

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Angela Scott link
1/16/2012 11:40:21 pm

I'm ZOMBIE-OBSESSED, too! AND, I love middle schoolers (I actually have one of my own). A link on a library page would make my day. I will make sure to keep this blog middle school friendly :)

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Erin
1/16/2012 10:09:18 pm

I'd like to say that I'm pretty awesome and would probably be a 2 as I don't have the drive to be a 1. But let's face it, reality being what it is, I'm a 4. Hubby fantastic has often told me that he'd probably shoot me in the Apocalypse (he says it's out of love because he wouldn't want to see me eaten, but i know the truth).

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Angela Scott link
1/16/2012 11:45:56 pm

I made my hubby promise to shoot me in any event where the world has come to a horrific kind of end. He said gladly :) (He knows I will whine. His best chance of survival is to get rid of me).

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Laura Bickle link
1/17/2012 01:33:07 am

Oh, yeah...I'm a follower all the way. No way would I want the responsibility for deciding where to go. But I can build a decent fire, am not squeamish, forage reasonably well, and keep up with the group. So, hopefully I'd be useful enough that the leader-types would keep me around...

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Peter Johnstone link
1/21/2012 06:12:52 am

I'm a leader. If you want to live, Follow me, do what i say and keep quiet.

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Bonnie Rae link
1/26/2012 04:36:23 am

Number 1. Having been in the military and worked in law enforcement I would naturally go into all out survival mode. Regardless of when or how, everything I'd been trained in would just come right back, like being brainwashed. But I guess being brainwashed to survive is a good thing.

And yet I am terrified to fly on planes. I think it's because I am not in control of the situation...I like being in control.

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Justin Holliman
2/11/2012 11:16:51 am

It seems to me that you're missing a type. type 5 the ruthless survivor, this is the survivor that would use others as bait. this type would kill others for their supplies. Its not that this type is cowardly, its just that this type is completely self centered and selfish. Other than that I completely agree with you assessment.

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Sam Travalian link
2/17/2012 09:44:02 am

Pretty certain I'm a 2, but as much as I'd like to think I'm the 1's right-hand go to helper, I'm concerned I may actually wimp out and follow the type 4 into a wobbly-lower-lip, gibbering, sobbing 'want my Mummy' place.

Better off bitten early then, I guess.

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Bookish Brunette link
2/20/2012 02:58:23 pm

BAHAHAHA! This post oozed of so much EPIC!!! I love it! I believe I could be either... I'd be a fierce zombie or a fierce survivor... LOL

But I couldn't do a 'group' thing. I'd be the chick that ended up going all BrunetteCRAZY on everyone... I work better alone I think. :D

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Uva Be Dolezal link
2/28/2012 09:44:10 am

I'd be a 1. if I could be, and if things didn't work out, I'd be a crying 4 or a screaming and running 3.

I think that the monsters that are most popular relate to the most prevalent or in this case maligned problem in our collective subconscious, esp. as relates to nightmares. Zombies being the hoards that are blindly following the status quo, trampling, eating or being eaten rather than being self aware. Vampires in contrast are about greed, i.e. the wealthy sucking the very life out of the working poor.

I mention this, not because you don't already know this, but because I was most impressed by your emotional response to yourself crying because of your dream.

here's to better dreams :)

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Liam
11/11/2012 12:09:38 am

I had a zombie apocalypse dream once. I had only lead pipe and a broken Uzi and an old car and I killed no zombies(except in a car, I ran them over) and I had fun, I also take a lot of zombie tests, my usual score being 80% likely to live, one it said I'd live 10-15 years, and in another one I was ranked leader! But I'm not responsible, so I can't be a leader, and I'd kill or injure (preferably the latter) and steal their supplies, so, Bandit/Raider even though no on this list.

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Liam
11/11/2012 12:21:09 am

Don't think of me as psyco, but, I actually wouldn't mind zday happening. I made loads of notes about it on my iPhone and have a zombie apocalypse survival app and go on zombiepedia constantly. I do not think the dead will rise, but I do believe some kind of virus will turn living people into zombie-like creatures, and there actually is a zombie virus called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which is the mad cow disease for humans. It doesn't spread quickly, but what if a country makes a super virus of it as a bio weapon?
P.S. the number one reason for this disease is illegal bath salts.

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?
12/20/2012 09:31:57 am

u left out the lone wolf survivor
Psychopaths
the different types of followers like i doubt every follower will be all supportive of take the groups survival 1st most will think about their survival and their family's/loved 1's 1st.
then u forgot to mention the different types of group of survivors not will all will be as u described like:
Bandits, raiders ect:

Dont mean mean to b a critic :P

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Kaylin
1/27/2013 03:48:36 am

I would definitely be a 1. I would probably lead or be a lone wolf. If there were any fatties in my group I would keep them around till the zombies surrounded us. Adults are gone I'm not letting them join. (I'm only 11) Adults would be the reason everyone gets killed, and we would lose amo faster if there were adults.

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Amanda
7/12/2013 09:47:56 am

1

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Sarah
9/20/2013 11:24:58 am

haha, I did several tests (and had a dream about this) I might have medical problems, but I've fought tooth and nail for my life and I'm not giving it up to a bunch of brainless undead. I'm a 1. I feel proud of this ^^ I did a test for how long I'd survive a zombie apocalypse and my diagnosis was four years. I say I dun good ^^

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norah
1/28/2014 06:48:06 am

Don't really know what I'd be,I have first aid training and am a mma and boxing fighter,I've always been told I lead people well,I am very literate and stubborn person,I am easily adaptable,and I do my best work under pressure,what do you think?

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Mojave
7/6/2014 07:28:56 pm

Well I believe I would start at type 2, but I usually long, and go for the leader role. I can bear responsibility, and like to communicate problems. My focus is mostly on improving myself. That's why I would be the first one. Only problem though is to convince hard-head survivors to follow my lead. People who have low stand up and/or are small in height are considered weak, and as such are not followed upon direction. I am not a tall person after all...

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Ryuk
11/15/2014 09:05:06 am

What about the dangerous psychopathic survivors? The ones who don't care about other peoples lives and only their own? Most are very intelligent and can cause real problems for other survivors.

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