A Question about The Walking Dead{in General not just the game} and Writing

[CapnJay]

So I was wondering in the Walking Dead does anyone know how the Zombie Virus/Curse/Spell came to be yet? I wonder this because I have an idea for a novel that involves an impossible occurence but not sure if i should make it Magic Science or just leave it unexplained and focus on the story aspects.

[Lachi]

Leave it unexplained unless you find a reasonable and believable solution for walking corpses.

[CapnJay]

Well i mean my story isn't about zombies it's an unrelated issue but i was wondering if kirkman went the style of "This is why the zombies are here, this is how people are coping" or "There are Zombies and this is how people are coping"

[Lachi]

The survivors don't know what was causing it initially. The radio and TV is dead so no news is available.

[CapnJay]

Originally Posted by Lachi

The survivors don't know what was causing it initially. The radio and TV is dead so no news is available.

So do the people staring at the tv screens and reading the comic books know what caused it? When Writing you have to consider the readers.

[docma]

This is probably going to be a useful link for you: http://walkingdead.wikia.com

AFAIK, neither the books nor the TV show get into the cause much. It's similar to Romero's movies - the dead rise, the few people remaining are too busy surviving to figure out why and the writers don't explain it in order to immerse their readers/viewers better into the human side of the story (IMO).

The TV series reveals that all the living are 'infected' - it's told to Rick by a CDC scientist at the end of the first season and Rick tells everyone else at the end of the second. Not sure if that's also in the books or not - don't think they ever went to the CDC. Note that 'infected' is just the interpretation the group puts on Rick's knowledge.

[Jake]

That rule applies across the Walking Dead -- everyone Is a carrier so everyone is doomed to turn no matter what the cause of death, unless their brain is destroyed.

As to what caused the outbreak, nobody knows.

[WabbitTwaks]

Cap, I think you should at least have a reason set in your mind for the event. It is one of the essentials of writing fiction, imho. You must have the why. If for no other reason than to help you make sure you do not contradict yourself during the story. Eventually, the readers begin to want some kind of answer to the burning question of, "Why did this happen?" Whether you give them one or not is entirely up to you, of course.

I do not know if the real reason behind the zombiepocolypse is revealed by Kirkman in the books yet (I am only up to issue twenty-something), but I have no doubt he has a reason already decided upon.

I do know that the fact discovered by Rick in the TV show, as docma states, is discovered by Rick in the books but in a completely different manner.

[Lachi]

Like I said first, the most important thing is that the story is reasonable and believable to most of your readers. That does include the cause obviously.
If you cannot make up a reasonable cause for the situation then leave it open. Most readers like to question what is going on.

And like WabbitTwaks said, you as a writer should know what has happened to make sure that the humans and in this case the zombies behave logically within the situation. For example if the outbreak is caused by a virus, does it harm animals as well, how long is the Incubation period, is it epidemic or pandemic, and so on.
Basically you need to make up rules if your story does not play in our past.

[Lachi]

Originally Posted by Jake

That rule applies across the Walking Dead -- everyone Is a carrier so everyone is doomed to turn no matter what the cause of death, unless their brain is destroyed.

Really? So why did we have to let the poor Irene die? She did not look that injured to me.
I understand that the characters in the game do not know how it works at that point. But should we as gamers, comic readers or tv watchers know this? You might want to put a spoiler tag on that.

[Jake]

If you're bit you die, if you die you turn. That's the same in every zombie story. Irene was bit.

[toothiersnow]

also dont forget that some 'zombie' films/books are actually infection films/books, almost the same outcome but with a more science based approach (usually some form of rage virus for the most part) could be another approach for you, a basis in science means you can explain it vaguely and leave it as that.

[Epic Kiwi]

A wizard did it.

[CapnJay]

hmm So I need to figure out a Reason my character goes through what he or she does. and then decide if i tell the fans ... huh

[Isaak971]

Originally Posted by docma

This is probably going to be a useful link for you: http://walkingdead.wikia.com

AFAIK, neither the books nor the TV show get into the cause much. It's similar to Romero's movies - the dead rise, the few people remaining are too busy surviving to figure out why and the writers don't explain it in order to immerse their readers/viewers better into the human side of the story (IMO).

The TV series reveals that all the living are 'infected' - it's told to Rick by a CDC scientist at the end of the first season and Rick tells everyone else at the end of the second. Not sure if that's also in the books or not - don't think they ever went to the CDC. Note that 'infected' is just the interpretation the group puts on Rick's knowledge.

*****DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU WANT THE T.V. SERIES AND COMICS RUINED!!!!


In the comics, rick goes back to shawns grave and digs him out to find he's alive after a run in withsome who had no bite marks. So the comic and the TV series are nearly 100% different, just the locations are the same (so far). They use the comics as a...guide-line, adding and removing key characters how they see fit instead of making people get so attached after 5 seasons then offing the person, they seem to prolong others and end them, and just make certain people none existant at all or show up/leave when ever.

In the TV series daryl and merl exist, and T-dog. They aren't in the comics. I doubt they will also make rick lose his hand to the gov. and merl has been in jail, and will end up being one of the cons they find at the prison. Since he was left for dead, he will probably be replacing the physco convict killer that mercs the little girls (who already left in the first season)....it's kind of weird how they did it, but it's slightly refreshing, aside from the way too much talking, unless they got that done so they could make the third season mostly about getting the prison and fighting woodsbury.

As for how it happened, use your imagination, it could have been made by communist in satist labs or terrorists, it doesn't take much to weaponize rabies and turn it into something super hard-core like this. People have been weaponizing diseases and viruses for years, anthrax, small pox, the black plague. You name it, we've probably did it. Or you can consider god got bored and wanted to be entertained! =p

[Lachi]

Originally Posted by CapnJay

hmm So I need to figure out a Reason my character goes through what he or she does. and then decide if i tell the fans ... huh

You don't need a reason if you don't tell the readers. But you need rules or guidelines for yourself.

[WabbitTwaks]

Originally Posted by Lachi

You don't need a reason if you don't tell the readers. But you need rules or guidelines for yourself.

Which is what a reason will help you... reason... out. hehe

[John Schutze]

Originally Posted by Jake

That rule applies across the Walking Dead -- everyone Is a carrier so everyone is doomed to turn no matter what the cause of death, unless their brain is destroyed.

As to what caused the outbreak, nobody knows.

And Kirkman said: we aren't worried to explain what did it. So, don't wait for it.

[Sunago]

All you need to figure out is how it affects the people and places around the characters.

In some zombie movies for instance, animals were completely ignored while in others they were attacked as well but just didn't turn in zombie animals, or they turned as well after a bite in others.

In some it's a virus that's transferable by "only" the bite, while in others it's airborn but it dies out after a few hours and then spreads out through the biting and in some it stays airborn and everyone is infected.

In some it takes a while to turn, in others it's immediate upon death.

What you need to do is figure out HOW something works and then stick to it. Figure out what makes sense in your world and what doesn't. How it began is less important than how it affects everything else now that it has started.

[Absulute]

The cause?