******Afterthoughts Part Two******

12/18/24 - Chapter 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10

Wow, its not even five in the morning yet and I am wide awake. And I’m not really sure why I’m up so early. It has been a while since I got up this early to write. So, lets see how this afterthoughts plays out with early morning Buck Brain.

So Chapter 4 is pretty action packed. And zombie moose is both way too funny and terrifying of an enemy. And since the story takes place way north of Maine, I figured having some moose attack would be fun. I am still sad that Kevin Smith never did make his “Moose Jaws” movie. I was thinking of that rumored masterpiece when writing this. And I enjoy how fast pace and intense this chapter gets.

Also, cannot help but see more video-game-isms in this story. Those shadowy bug bullets Xapper creates with the obsidian is such a video game thing. It’s like a power up in a First Person Shooter. And its so overpowered that I had to limit Xapper’s wishes with obsidian. Xapper needs to struggle to become the hero of the story.

If Xapper magically gets superpowers that makes the zombie fights a cake walk then there is no drama or intrigue. The fact he had access to wish granting then it all is taken away is another horror, if you think about it. Gaining such a luxury during a harsh times only for it to be taken away is cruel and demoralizing.

I think Xapper uses the obsidian again but it is rare when Nar-Goathgeir actually grants him a wish.

Now, the whole thing with “Why doesn’t he call for backup?” had to be addressed. Xapper tries to call his daughter or help on his smartphone and cannot reach anyone. He concludes that it was his own ineptitude with technology that is to blame. And he did try the radio on the base but little does Xapper know that the same supernatural force that is creating the zombies is also screwing with technology.

Could you imagine what the zombie apocalypse would look like with smartphones and social media? I have a feeling no one would believe the zombies are real the first few days. But then influencers try to get notice with zombie selfies and how-to guides to survive and I got a bad taste in my mouth just thinking about it.

I’m not a fan of all that, which is why I nixed the power in Redmoose.

And yeah, that name. Redmoose just came to me and I needed a name for the county and town Xapper was in. So, I invented one. Redmoose, as far as I can tell, is not a real place. But this harkens to Lovecracft’s own inventing of towns and locations. Even Stephen King invents his own location. But yeah, Redmoose is hard not to laugh at. I don’t see myself using this town again for any future stories.

I just had moose on the brain and really wanted a chapter with zombie moose. And I invented a town name with moose in it because of that fixation. And the plural of moose is moose which is confusing as all hell. I’ve yet to see a moose in real life but I’ve heard they are really terrifying when their on a rampage. I suppose any animal that’s usually docile going hulk would be terrifying.

Chapter 5 is one of those flashback scenes that come up once in a while. I like doing flashbacks to develop a character. I originally was only going to do one chapter with a flashback to Valiant’s graduation. But this is a horror story and dreams often are messy and wild. Having Xapper dream up what he wanted Valiant’s graduation to be like shows that he cares about her but is also hiding from the truth.

Valiant is a loner who only focused on her studies.

There is no action, no real horror, not even any comedy in this chapter. It is pure character development which might be a bit jarring after four straight chapters of crazy zombie fighting and eating. Honestly though, I was eventually going to add some drama and stakes to Xapper’s character. And we needed a break from the usual zombie battles.

And yes, I wear my Lovecraft influence on my sleeve. Miskatonic University, Arkham, I think I will mention Innsmouth in later chapters. And to have Valiant be a student of researching old books just waves all kinds of red flags, especially if anyone is familiar with evil old books from Lovecraft’s stories.

And St. George is not a real university. I looked up old universities and St. Andrews in Scotland looked like an interesting university for Valiant to attend. But, after combing through the university’s website, I found very little on Palaeography and Codicology. It’s been a while since I last looked at the curriculum and course offer, which are plentiful and many are way over my head.

But at the end of the day, I did not want to name a university, so like Lovecraft, I invented one. And since Valiant is from the UK, I kept her at least on the same island. Truth be told, it has been a very long time since I was on a college campus and I’d likely feel like Xapper if I were to visit my old stomping grounds. Out of place.

Not much else to say about chapter 5, it's pretty much a moment to chill and learn more about Xapper.

In chapter 6 we get the real story about what happened between Xapper and Valiant when he came to see her on graduation day. And we get a hit that Valiant is transgender. The shaving is one hint I left that might be too obvious and bury the lead a little sooner then I would like. But then Valiant makes the comment on some girls she has dated being “curious” which could be interpreted as bi-curious relationship. But in fact it is because Valiant is transgender which some college cis girls might be curious about.

Now, I do know one transgender woman and a transgender man. But besides having friends who are transgender, I know little about the people and culture. I thought about doing some deep research but just adding a transgender subplot with Valiant is enough for a goofy action/horror/comedy story called Zombie Xapper.

And I really cannot explain why of all things, in a Horror Comedy, I decided to add a transgender character. I guess I like the challenge of trying to write a believable relationship between an old school but well meaning father and his super smart but socially awkward transgender daughter. I say socially awkward but Valiant is still smooth enough to win over a few girls. Still, I think I did okay in writing Valiant’s character throughout the story.

Transgender topics are interesting and rich with potentially unique character development and narratives. But I am only dipping my toes for now into this topic. I need more time and research before I feel comfortable writing a genuine narrative with a transgender character in the lead. Which is likely why Valiant only appears in flashbacks and the story focuses on Xapper’s own feelings and experiences being a father of a transgender child.

Honestly, having Valiant be transgender just felt right to do. And showing that Xapper is a caring father regardless of his child’s gender only highlights that he is a decent guy in a crappy situation. Which to me makes the horror even more palatable and raw. If Xapper was a jerk to those around him, especially his daughter, then the reader would enjoy his suffering. But that was not the route I wanted to take with Xapper.

And getting off this serious stuff, the origin of Redmoose is revealed. And I forget what chapter he appears in, but mutated Mad Marco the Red Moose does eventually appear as a quick boss fight. And speaking of the mutation thing, I am not sure if that comes up again. I take it as one of those things Xeak says to mess with Xapper, which is often.

Chapter 7! Wow, I cannot believe I did a fourth chapter and it’s only half past eight.

I’m on a roll, I’m on fire—no, never again. That portapotty scene made my butt clench. I wrote this chapter long before what happened during Thanksgiving 2024 and yeah, it’s funny but damn does hindsight hurt.

Anyway, I don’t know why I added in the whole “eat hot and spicy stuff makes hot and spicy obsidian which attracts more zombies!” That feels like another video game thing and I would not be surprised if something like it exists in a zombie video game.

I guess I wanted to end the chapter with Xapper being surrounded by zombies. I could have had a nose or done some magic with Xeak but nope. Flaming portapotty. This is a comedy after all and what comedy is not complete without a little toilet humor? Nice and spicy toilet humor, ha!

Now, on to Little Defiant. The addition of her was another thing that was on a whim. The concept behind her and her monster companion, Plasmee, is a bit long winded but here goes. Plasmee is based on a creature in the Half-Life Game “Opposing Force” which is this lizard like alien thing that shoots out balls of acid that melt enemies.

Little Defiant’s name comes from a little comic book geek reference I am doing. Valiant, Defiant, and Broadway were all indie comic book publishers started by the former Marvel Editor Jim Shooter. And I thought it would be cute to name the three girls that make up Xapper’s party after those publishers, which I am a fan and collector of.

And Plasmee’s name comes from the main line comic story from Defiant called “Warriors of Plasm.” I further add more Jim Shooter references by naming Xapper’s daughter Valiant Shooter, Little Defiant’s real name is Jamie which is a feminine version of Jim, and later we learn that Broadway’s real name is Pauline Creddrick and “Paul Creddrick” is a pseudonym Jim Shooter used.

And Jim Shooter has nothing to do with zombies or anything with this story. I just added all this referencing for fun and to give a bit of a shout out to a man who did not know when to quit. Seriously, look up Jim Shooter and his history with the comic book industry, its fascinating stuff.

Looking back at my commentary for chapter 6, I said that Xapper is a decent guy. And he is but even decent guys have a breaking point. Little Defiant showing up out of the blue and interrupting his moose meal did not do Xapper any favors. That scene where she chases him away is too hilarious though. It feels like something out of a road trip movie.

And onward to chapter 8 . . .

So, chapter 8 shows just how insane Xapper’s situation is. The poor guy keeps finding himself caught in this endless cycle of killing and eating zombies. But soon Little Defiant and Plasmee come to his rescue. And its a good thing too because Xapper ate so much that he literally crushed the elephant rifle under him after he collapsed.

That elephant gun was going to be for something. But if you had not guessed from how the opening pages play out in chapter 8, there was a big gap of time between this chapter’s first draft and chapter seven. I really don’t want to look up how long of a gap but it does feel like a recap narrative in the first two pages. Sometimes gaps happen during a writing project and it shows in the narrative. Gaps are unavoidable and especially with how many gaps I had between writing sessions and how long they were . . . yeah, it sucks.

But, five whole chapters in a morning proofread. That feels good. That feels awesome. I thought I would not get to the halfway point of Zombie Xapper until a couple days from now but here we are! This jump ahead is surprising but a welcomed development. I like being ahead of schedule (ha, schedule, like I have one, Lolz). But anyway, more on chapter 8!

So, I introduced Professor Waxington because Valiant needed a mentor and a companion. And I hinted to the goings on that the Professor and Valiant are facing in Arkham. Disappearances are always hair raising but for them to be happening in a place like Arkham means some serious shit is going down. Maybe we will see more of that in the future? 🤔

I forgot that Xapper invited the Professor to meet with him in person some time. Which she does, as revealed in a later chapter, and Xapper tells her off. And he hates her guts because he is an overprotective father. Xapper knows nothing about the Professor and that is what puts him on edge. And since Valiant does not talk about her relationship with the Professor with her father that just adds to Xapper’s concern. I love this kind of drama. It can be annoying to deal with if it's heavy handed and goes on for too long. But I think Xapper is just irritated with the Professor enough to make it enduring.

Oh, and off that topic, pooping so much that you make a pile and have to scoot away to make another. “That is one big pile of shit” is a quote that will remain with me till the day I die. And I did not add it in because it did not seem appropriate for the moment. There is Little Defiant right there watching Xapper and that’s enough laughs for that scene.

And I forgot it only took a couple of chapters after meeting Xapper for Little Defiant and Plasmee to join him. This story moves quicker then I remember. I even hint to Broadway as the mysterious person held up in the watchtower watching them from afar. Threw a sniper scope, dun-dun-duuuun!

So before I continue today, I should get some breakfast since it's half past nine now.

Chapter 9 is next . . .

Wow, I managed to get to chapter 9 on the same day? Sweet! Let’s do this!

Well, we had a boss fight with Mad Marco’s appearance. That fight was going to last longer but I wanted to get to Broadway’s introduction. And we already had the zombie bear boss fight and the flaming portapotty endless wave of zombies. I wanted to get to the drama and not keep all the good stuff in Xapper’s flashbacks.

And Xeak lying about Broadway’s whereabouts is just way too delicious. The evil doll exists to only torment Xapper. The only thing that takes precedence over pestering and mocking Xapper would be Xeak’s loyalty to the Goddess of the Necrophage.

Oh and I originally was not going to reveal what Nar-Goathgeir looked like but I thought “Why not?” I’m interested in seeing what some talented artists can do with the information I provide. She’s planet-size, kind of regal looking but also really nasty to look at. She is like a queen bee only her brood are the necrophage. It was a lot of fun describing an indescribable cosmic being.

Call of Cthulhu is a classic but the narrator says the statue of Cthulhu was “indescribable” then proceeds to describe it. I guess he really meant that the feeling of looking at it, the fear and disgust of seeing a sculpture of some alien god is enough to warrant the “indescribable” comment. It's been a little while since I last read that classic. Maybe I should mix things up and listen to some HPL Historical Society audio readings of some classic weird fiction.

Not much else to say about chapter 9 and now my laptop needs charging. I’m on a roll and want to keep going so let's see if I can plug it in at my dresser . . . And yes! I found an outlet I can reach and it is charging! Sweet! I can still work on writing and my laptop will still be ticking for me.

On to chapter 10 . . .

And just wow . . . 😮

Wow, what the heck?! When did this silly story about a man eating zombies suddenly get so serious? Broadway’s tragic backstory hits hard. Imagine being responsible for a disaster that destroys the whole town you live in, possibly the whole world, and everyone you love is dead? And at the root of it all was Broadway’s fears of her parents finding out her secret.

And again I bring in the transgender subplot with Broadway having a transgender girlfriend. It is gut wrenching how she is unwilling to let Autumn go even after her girlfriend is turned into a zombie. And then we get into Xapper’s whole complex with being overprotective to Valiant which he projects on any transgender woman that reminds him of his daughter.

This, to me, is the most serious, tragic, and dramatic chapter in the whole story. Adding in the flashback with Doctor Waxington meeting Xapper and trying to make peace and him outright rejecting her is just . . . damn. Just damn. After proofreading several chapters today before this one, I can safely say that this chapter does stand out. Whether or not it enriches the story and characters or feels way too out of place and jarring will be up to the readership.

Oh and I will address this now, I made the error of calling Waxington a professor a few paragraphs ago when I established in the story she is a doctor. I could make the changes but this is my afterthought and I want them to be as genuine as possible, warts and all.

Which is why I will say this: Since this chapter is so serious, I really have little to say about it right now. I have been proofreading all day and maybe my energy is spent. But this kind of chapter is sometimes necessary to have, even in a story as ridiculous as Zombie Xapper.

I’m a fan of anime and the shonen subgenre is notorious for being goofy and light hearted in the first few episodes. And once you fall in love and laugh with the characters, serious tragedy strikes or someone in the group is killed off or they face tough life choices. It is as if a funny clown comes out of nowhere, makes you laugh with a group of people you get to know, then turns into the Joker and starts putting you and the group through a living hell.

I’m not that serious of an author so I don’t foresee blog stories getting super serious often. Especially after they have been established as fun comedies or irreverent slices of life. Zombie Xapper though had been a story concept that has been with me for years and years and I wanted to flex all of the writing muscles I can with it. It is weird that I set out to write a Horror Comedy and I wrote a chapter that completely removes the comedy from the horror.

Here is hoping chapter 11 and onward have some laughs still. Wow, chapter 1 is still fresh in my mind and is such a riot of laughs then ten chapters is this serious plot development happens. It’s like, how did we get here? And I have no answer for that. There was no outline or real plan for Zombie Xapper. Like many of my stories, it just happened once I put my hands on the keyboard.

Well, my laptop is all charged but I want to save the battery for the next day. And honestly, I could use a break. This has been an awesome Wednesday of writing. And OMG so much has been written here in the author’s afterthoughts. So good!

******END OF PART TWO******