General Apocalpse Archetypes

Well, it's refreshing to know, now that I did make it through this challenge, that most of the archetypes that you mentioned are there. I drew from the things that have held my interest academically. The "end of the world" as we know it would seem to require some type of "realism," as you noted.

My novel deals with such a reality resulting from the *ahem* archtype setting of human caused; however, given that I am deeply involved in environmental issues (even to the extent of environmental conflict resolution), I chose climate change. Rather similar to that which took place in "Day After Tomorrow." BTW . . . when one uses a reference such as a movie, or even another book, what are the limitations on plagiarism???

I also think that there needs to be some historical background to any apocolyptic event that leads to the "rebuilding" of the world which we destroyed. I certainly attempted to incorporate many of these issues into my novel. Admittedly, when I wrapped things up last night, my arms were dragging, my brain became totally fried at the end, and my fingers didn't feel as though they could hit the propre keys any longer!!! LOL Yet it was all worth it!

We often forget history; even though many of us here draw upon it in one way or another. So, it would seem to me that it's an important element in the writing of any apocolyptic novel. At least, I sure hope so or there's going to be much, much more editing with my novel than I thought!!! *grin*

Congratulations to all those who did make it; it was one of the best challenges that I've ever taken on and I am sublimely please with myself for having made it!

Cheers,

Celtic_Lady

I did a post apocolyptic story, but it was really more like the backdrop of my story and not the story itself. I didn't explain too much in my first draft other than references of the end of the Age of Technology...but in my mind the decrease in the population had to do with disease...the population dieing out and society breaking down because there is just no one around to run things (no electricity, no running trains or planes), people having to farm, use manpower, etc....sort of like a regression or going back to a more organic way of life or think Little House on the Prairie with less people. I did this because I didn't want a toxic world, but I wanted the post-ap., and I wanted a decreased population with some danger.

I don't know how well it worked, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it...till I revise it of course.

My novel is sort of a during the apocalypse story, but still falls into the genre. The twist on it that I had is that all the good people get wiped out and all that's left are the murderers and bad people and whatnot. So aside from the criminal element establishing a militaristic rule there is little attempt to rebuild anything.

What I found to be difficult about writing in this setting was that you have to think about everything and whether it would still be there or still matter with no electricity or money or government or plumbing. The other difficult thing is that you have to think about it being dark inside everywhere so you have to always remember to establish some type of light source or your characters would be bumbling about crashing into things.

Exactly!!!

I had a book during the apocalypse (via genetic werewolves), and I wondered how low it would take for the water, gas, and electrcity to stop working, once the people maning them were dead.....anybody know?