Alright so I'm outlining a story - between work, the novel, and school - called 'A Smith Family Apocalypse' which would basically follow your average suburban family as they bounce around between the larger events of a long-scale (200 days?) zombie apocalypse sort of scenario. So I'm looking for the archetypes you would encounter in this kind world; not so much the characters like 'obligatory black guy that dies right away' or 'snotty guy with glasses' but more like the things you would expect to see in a broader context.
There would the communes, where people would move into old warehouses for defense.
There would obviously be the rogue military squads on the move, without communication.
The family itself
requisite 'evil scientist' working in a bomb shelter somewhere running crazy environmental trials to try and understand 'the virus' (if there is one)
and I'd like to follow the Patient Zero zombie as it shambles across the world.
aaaaaannnnd....that's all I've got at the moment. Ideas?
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"I'd advise you not to shoot my messengers. THEY'VE been advised to shoot back."
75,027 / 50,000
Nov 21, 2008 - 13 27
The only other one I can think of is the 'Last man on earth', the guy that's been in his safe zone since day one and has gone a little nutty from not seeing any other living beings.
50,082 / 50,000
Nov 21, 2008 - 18 51
Perhaps you'd want to include the lone-wolf anti-hero who's out there trying to keep human values alive while being utterly capable of the worst depradations of the rogue para-military groups. He would end up helping the suburbanites but never quite able to be 'of them'. Sort of Mad Max meets Strider....
----------NaNo 2008: She Takes Her Meals Amid the Graves
64,744 / 50,000
Nov 21, 2008 - 20 30
"Zombie Activists" - people who believe that the destruction of the undead is a waste, and ways should be found to prevent it.
"The Religous Cult" - Extreme religous cult that believe their salvation will come from their god(s).
"Zombie Lovers" - You know... those emo kids who want to hang with the zombies.
I guess you could come up with almost anything...
----------NaNo 08 - Heirlooms
Gun Shots - 23
Kisses - 14
Times I've wanted to see my MC naked - Priceless
50,082 / 50,000
Nov 22, 2008 - 09 44
Yeah but the activists would come after the initial wave when the world-is-ending crisis state is over; they'd be advocating for zombie-powered plants and such (go green...ish gray).
----------Maybe there should be a president of the other party who wins the subsequent election by running on an anti-zombie platform. "My opponent SAYS he would combat the hordes of the risen undead when necessary...but did you know during day 148 of the attack he hid for six hours in a GARBAGE CAN? At this time in our nation's history, we need a fighter, not a hider."
I like the idea of the religious cult, but only because that lets me have a gun-wielding priest. But he'd be like an old touchy-feely baptist pastor who plays guitar, and his congregation would be gun-wielding little old bible ladies XD
And of course the Zombie Lovers would like the zombie aesthetic but not its repercussions. In the post-attack country they would have flash-mob parties where everyone dresses up dead. Or they'd play 'infection' in highschool with notes and crap ("everybody who gets infected is GAY!")
"I'd advise you not to shoot my messengers. THEY'VE been advised to shoot back."
50,967 / 50,000
Nov 23, 2008 - 21 08
Hmmm.... Well, at the moment I can only think of the archetypes that I'm working with in MY zombie story, so here goes:
We have the plucky, comic relief sidekick that comes to life in my tale as a snarky coffee cart girl.
We've got the good-hearted, but semi-clumsy and thus likeable everyman protagonist.
And then there's always the endearing, plucky female protagonist.
My story is set in a workplace, so I've been using certain work stereotypes. Like, every office has the guy who's really inappropriate, the tough boss, etc.
I think that your idea sounds really interesting. I'm sure it will be awesome.
75,027 / 50,000
Nov 24, 2008 - 14 38
I thought of another one (and added it to my novel): The Zombie Cultists. They worship the zombie as their gods and want to be like them. They don't wash, let their clothes fall apart, and spend their time shambling around. If you want them to actually eat flesh that's cool too but mine just eat vegetable broth so they can be all skinny and have their flesh look like it's contracted and dead.
7,666 / 50,000
Nov 29, 2008 - 20 45
Why don't they just get infected for real? Do they not think themselves worthy? Too far from the outbreak? (I'm probably over-thinking this. . .)