Zombie Cliche Lookout: The Story Contracts
Today’s cliche isn’t unique to the zombie genre. In fact, it’s a mainstay in fiction, especially where stories become long form. At the beginning of a big story, things tend to be relatively compact. The reader is introduced to the protagonist, or the small group of protagonists, and the thrust of the plot begins. However, as things get bigger and more complicated, the story spreads out. More characters are added, and the characters we already know start to get separated and begin weaving their own threads in the giant loom of the story.
And then we cross some sort of event horizon, where the plot begins to draw things back together. Side stories are resolved, secondary and tertiary characters are sent packing (or are eaten by zombies), and people start to come back together. Why? Because we’re coming up on the end, and it’s almost time for that big last stand.
About this Episode:
I wasn’t so sure I wanted to write the above cliche. After all, I’ve been working on this silly little comic since my son was a newborn. He’s in third grade now. I’ve got a hell of a lot of time invested here, and have had a hell of a lot of fun putting this together. Do I really want to end it? Well, yes and no. I could probably keep the story going indefinitely, but it would get awfully boring. I don’t want to do something I’m not passionate about, and you guys deserve better.
Discussion Question: Side Stories & Characters
Once again we’re building on the above. We’re back to the core group of the comic, or what’s left of them anyway. That means we’ve left a fair few people behind. Of those who aren’t in this room, which character or plot point are you going to miss the most?
Typo alert: ” things tend to be relative compact” relative–>relatively 😀
Only one typo for today, Dave! Good job you’re keeping on top of the typos at least! 😀
Not bad! Thanks.
As for who’s not there now, the most obvious choice would be Brent. Although he’s a relatively new character his fate is to die whilst someone keeps an eye on him to prevent him from becoming a zombie after his death. I guess I’ll miss the guy even if he was leaning towards trying to get footage for a story for Inez to put together. 😀
We might be seeing Brent before the end.
As for what to do next, follow your heart. We’ve all enjoyed this tale and will be eager to see what you put forth next. 🙂
I think the words of my Composition 150 teacher, Tom Pryor, will say it best, “No work of Art is ever truly finished; we simple come to a point where we say, ‘I shall not work on this anymore’ and walk away….”
We’ll all be happy to see what you walk towards. 😀
I’ve been thinking about getting into blacksmithing.
Wait… The comic is coming to an end D:
But where will I make my semi witty quips now, huh? D:
Maybe this comic will become some lasting legacy of the zombie genre, with people visiting from far and wide who would like nothing more than to read your freshly minted quips?
What? Are we ever gonna see clark or barb again. Or find out what happened to vicky and the kids? What the F***. We better! How soon will it end? Is this the last episode? Lol!
Fudge. Just remembered that clark left barb. Dang. We’ll never see them again. 🙁
Yes, Clark and Barb separated. We may see one of them again; I haven’t decided yet. Vicky and the kids? I think that’s going to remain a mystery.
For what it’s worth, it’s an intentional mystery. In a zombie outbreak, people will simply disappear, and those who remain won’t have the means or opportunity to track them down.
So you’re saying it’s too hard to tell the final death throes of Vicky and the kids, is that it? It might seem difficult, but the hardest thing to do is to give a character or group of characters a proper send-off, burial, or whatever fate you had in mind for them!. 😀
I would expect that at the very least, they’ll reappear in some other character’s storyline as zombies, maybe with some note found in one of their pockets detailing a diary of insanity as they went mad or insane. I mean Vicky, of course, I’m not sure the kids can read or write yet. 😀
No, it’s not that at all. I don’t mind showing them killed. It’s just not what I was trying to say with their story arc. They’re supposed to by the sympathetic mystery. Something we want closure on, but just can’t have.
A lot of zombie movies do this visually with the big message board full of missing persons. They’re trying to show how impossible it would be to track someone down without civilized society’s help. I wanted to do the same thing, but with characters we actually know.
I’m really disappointed. You always point out that humans are the real threat, the real monsters in the zombie apocalypse. And it sounds like you’re ending the story before we even get to see a good villian that lasts a good while and battles our group. I always thought that’d be really cool. 🙁 This (the group coming back together) really seems like the end of the first arc of this story. A story with at least 2 more arcs to come. They now know how to survive, and fight zombies. Now it’s time to have them find out just how dangerous and evil humans can be. Then after that, they can build a community and the zeds will rot away. Boom! A new beginning. The end!
Well, the story isn’t over quite yet. Keep reading, and I may be able to satisfy some of the things you’re looking for.
What happened to Joy and Michael? Did they leave already?
Yep, they left and took Inez with them.