World War Z: Tales of the Zombie War Contest

I know I’m not the only one to have envisioned myself and my friends during the Zombie Apocalypse. Don’t pretend you haven’t! And now is the time for you to get rewarded for all that fantasizing.

I am happy to announce the beginning of World War Z: Tales of the Zombie War Lit Contest!

This contest is based on the fantastic novel by Max Brooks, World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War. For those unfamiliar, this book is a speculative, documentary-style novel where the author interviews numerous people from all over the world, 10 years after the Zombie War that almost annihilated humanity. Its perspectives include doctors from China where the outbreak began; mercenaries who were hired to protect the rich from being eaten; veterans from the biggest battles of the war; and scientists and government officials whose efforts help re-establish humans as the dominant species on the planet. His novel was meant to give a “human perspective” to the statistics and cold facts of the terrible happening.

And now, DA, we want you to give us the same perspective. We want you to write your own, post-happening interview of how YOU survived the war! Think of it as an extra story in the book; what would the interviewer ask you? How did you, at your age and location, survive the panic? What did you contribute, if anything, to the rebuilding of humanity? And how did surviving the closest thing to an apocalypse Earth has ever seen change you as a person?

For this contest, you will need to place yourself in an alternate reality: Imagine you are your exact age, in your very home with all your past years exactly how you’ve lived them. Now imagine zombies banging down your front door. With who you are, where you live and what you know, tell us how you survived nearly a decade of global chaos.

For further info and inspiration on World War Z:
[link]
[link]
[link] - This resource is invaluable in understanding the book if you don’t have time to read it. Think of it as a “Cliffs Notes”.
[link] – Includes an excerpt from the novel.
WWZ: Contest Legend -This is my personally submitted “Legend” of terms exclusive to WWZ that may help and inspire your own works.
World War Z: Cage the Beast -This is my story (not up for prize) that I made as an example of what we are looking for. Hope it helps!



GENERAL RULES:
Contest begins Monday, July 13, 2009. All entries must be submitted to DA after this date.
Contest ends Friday, September 9, 2009.
Entries must be submitted before or on this date to qualify.
Entry must be made specifically for this contest, and must, in the Artist’s Comments, include a link to the contest rules (either in News or my journal).
Entry must be titled “WWZ: (Writer’s title)” or “World War Z: (Writer’s title)” so we know just by looking at it that it’s an entry. For example, my own story is “World War Z: Cage the Beast”.
Entries must be in Literature > Prose > Horror and in English only. Sorry poets, but this structure just wouldn’t translate. And sorry to non-English entries, but I have not learned other languages fluently enough yet.
One entry per writer, though you are allowed to switch out your entry for a new one as long as it abides by all contest rules and is within the contest time limits. Just note me if this is the case.
Donators may participate and be considered in the running; Judges may participate, but only as examples and for fun. Any work for this theme submitted by Judges will, of course, not be considered for prize.
If you would like to be Donor, please contact me via note!
We will also be including a Readers’ Vote to help decide our winner.
If you have any questions whatsoever, feel free to note me anytime!


ENTRY RULES

Entries will be judged on the following factors:
A) How well the writer executed the story style of post-event interview.
B) The entertainment factor of the story.
C) The believability factors of the story. (For example, if someone submits their story as a 17 year old HS student from Nowhere, Nebraska, and in the story he somehow becomes captain of the Special Forces, and pilots a Stealth bomber to China to help fight the hoards there, we'd have to call BS on that. However, if he writes about how he holes up in his local high school, ends up having to kill his infected family and then lives out the war heading North for the snow line, that would work.)

5,000 Word Limit, please. If you simply must go over, please note me anytime and we will discuss it. This is not a goal however; your entry is totally fine being shorter.
If your entry includes a lot of blood/gore/erotica, please be sure to flag it Mature Warning only, so that it is able to be read by any of our judges/readers who may be underage.
Your entry must be in the same format as that of Max Brooks’ World War Z; specifically, while the story is about you, it is a retelling, as if you were being interviewed years after the event occurred. You must show a clear presence of an interviewer asking questions, though the number and manner of questions is up to you. Remember, you will be judged on how “real” your story seems; are the judges able to believe this is an on-record interview of you 10 years after the Zombie War, or is it more of a horror novel trying to be an essay?
Reading World War Z is not necessary, but it will definitely assist your writing.
Works will not be penalized/rewarded for either following or breaking the strict timeline rules of World War Z. I realize not everyone has time to read the book AND write a story. So long as you follow the basic writing structure and very basic timeline (Outbreak, Panic, Survival, Total War, Retaking the World), that is fine.
Remember, we are judging your ability to tell a good story in the specified format, not your knowledge of military tactics, survivalist techniques, etc. The facts do not need to be flawless. Just make sure they’re not ridiculous. (IE: A teenager living in rural Kansas somehow learns how to fly a Stealth bomber and, with the army’s permission, wipes out the vast zombie swarms in the Great Plains.)


JUDGES:
(Subject to edit; please check my journal for the most up-to-date list)
=fallenidle
~gelal
=Scarlettletters
~SadisticIceCream
*XxCindersxX

PRIZES:
Please check My Journal for Prizes, as they are subject to additions at a great pace!


Get your zombie on, bitches!!