How can Zombies make you more creative? #OnlyPossibilities

Writing, blogging, vlogging, social media is about building community, giving, attracting like-minded people, creating something memorable, building lists and sometimes it’s about making money. I like the idea of passing on knowledge and giving people something to think about.  I decided to explore the idea of “if there are no fixed answers to the problem, then what are the other possibilities?” This engages the mind to think wider and deeper about a concept or idea that is being offered to the audience. I’ve only just purchased the book WORLD WAR Z An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks. The book is written as a series of oral interviews about the global war against zombies. I’m looking forward to reading it now I’ve seen the movie.

How can zombies make you more creative? They can’t. But the concept you build around them can and this is not confined to zombies. Any subject can be made more creative is you decide to explore the idea of “if there are no fixed answers to the problem, then what are the other possibilities?” This engages the mind to think wider and deeper about a concept or idea that is being offered to the audience. I’ve only just purchased the book WORLD WAR Z An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks. The book is written as a series of oral interviews about the global war against zombies. I’m looking forward to reading it now I’ve seen the movie.

So I decided to explore the idea of “if there are no fixed answers to the problem then what are the other possibilities?” This idea is relevant to writers today.  Thinking wider and deeper to create new concepts and ideas is a way to become more creative. Believe it or not when I purchased the book WORLD WAR Z An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it. The book is written as a series of oral interviews about the global war against zombies.

 

In many zombie movies it’s all about the head shot and the story gets lost in the action.  Well, that’s not so bad if you like a bit of brain oozing spectacular action. But it does get old, tired and boring. Bringing in some science and the mystery of Mother Nature was a great idea.  Real questions with no fixed answers leaves the audience in a state of suspense. We are all looking for the answers to something, right? How do I make a success of my life? How can I make more money? What makes a great writer?

What stops us from being a success? Realistically nothing, the horrific truth is most people feel like they are just one in a sea of zombies going to work every day, paying the bill and not getting anywhere fast.  Okay, so success doesn’t happen on a mega mass scale to everyone but we do have lots of opportunities and gurus showing us solutions to answer those questions.

So, if writers and creatives look at exploiting the blogging idea of “no fixed answers, only possibilities” and then aggrandize this idea and spread their innovative thinking they will find they get a variety of states or facts they can deliver to an audience.  Remembering that every audience or client are different. Like the old saying goes variety is the spice of life.

Let’s look at a subject of zombies. 

Adding an analogy in World War Z about strengths and weaknesses ” Mother Nature is a serial killer” Now you have viewers wanting to believe in some kind of possible answer, right? We are posed with the realisation that plagues have the potential to kill thousands of people.  I’m asking you to strip away the spectacular action scenes and overly good character of Gerry (Brad Pitt), great father, awesome husband, fantastic investigator, and all-round kickass zombie-killer and explore the underling essence of the story being the infection of human beings.

Like every good writer knows, it’s the human factor that pulls us into the events and encourages us to search even when all hope to find the answers seem futile. This is a concept that touches on reality. We would as human beings, if a plague was to happen and we had no fixed answers, be undoubtedly searching for possible ways to survive.

The steps to write something different, more creative, outside the box?

  1. Find the subject
  2. Research the subject solutions
  3. Ask the questions “Are there fixed answers? What are the other possibilities?
  4. Look at blending answers with possibilities
  5. Write or build your creative concept

The world has a growing market of young highly informed individuals who want to be taken to new places and not just be visually stimulated but mentally stimulated too. Yeah, we all love the action scenes, the suspense, and emotional ties, but when you pull that all away there is a sense of possible reality.

Not accepting the confines of what is the norm but asking all of us to think more deeply about a topic to help provide a variety of opportunities to write about.

I’ll leave you with a quote from Susan Gale.

“Sometimes you don’t realize your own strength until you come face to face with your greatest weakness.” – Susan Gale

 

Until next time, be brave and bold in your chosen field of creativity. And never be afraid to explore new techniques.

 

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Comments

  1. Was a lot better than I expected it to be, however, the script tears it down from being amazing. Good review Vacen.

    • Yes, it was better than I expected also. And I do agree with you about the script. 🙂

  2. I just finished the book. Author did a good job thinking about the history, geography and politics of different countries and how things would play out. Author doesn’t go much into the cause of zombie plague, but this clearly plays on recent news and fears like SARS, swine flue.

    • I’m almost finished the book. Yes, I agree the knowledge Brooks brings to the story is brilliantly spread through the whole book. This history, the government and military roles and responses to the plague. Very well thought out indeed. 🙂