Zombies are dead. Actually, they’re undead, but many people consider this subgenre of horror fiction over. These tips for writing zombie fiction may help you follow your muse down the path of apocalyptic monster tales without boring the readers.

First of all, nothing says you have to avoid certain genres or tropes just because a lot of other people wrote using them in the past. Yes, there are tons of zombie stories out there. They have been around for decades and have showed up in a huge variety of incarnations from aggressive, speedy monsters to shambling masses of relatively easily killed zerglings.

Two schools of thought exist when it comes to writing something that many people have already done. You either have to spin the trope and do something completely new or lean into the expected but focus on something else. These tips for writing zombie fiction all fall into these two categories.

Create a New Type of Zombies

Good luck. Like I mentioned above, these reanimated corpses have already shown up in books and movies with a huge variety of characteristics. You do not want to fall into the “sparkly vampire” problem, however. If you can come up with something unique that does not become a joke, more power to you. Sometimes subtle changes are enough to make an intriguing difference.

Make the World Different

Zombies in space? Undead hordes in the wild west? Walking corpses in fantasyland? When the threat is recognizable and basically the same, you have to make something else different to grab a reader’s attention. The days of relying on shock value of a corpse walking around and trying to eat people’s brains are long gone.

Focus on the Other Characters

People did not watch “The Walking Dead” for so many seasons because the zombies were interesting in some way. They watched to see what Rick and Carl would do or who would show up next to cause drama. Every book no matter what the genre or conflict needs compelling characters that create a sense of empathy in the reader. Stretch outside the ordinary to keep things interesting.

Lean Into Your Story Purpose

Are you more interested in the interplay of human emotions and relationships within a group trying to survive, or do you want blood and gore on every page? The purpose of your story limits your audience but gives them more of what they want. Just make sure you use an appropriate book cover and market to your target readers effectively. Someone who wants to see rotting flesh and ripped out jugulars may not appreciate a romantic subplot between two survivors traveling the countryside.