You’re thinking about—or already are—writing post-apocalyptic fiction, and you want to get a gist of what it’s about.
What is post-apocalyptic fiction?
Officially, post-apocalyptic fiction is a subgenre of science fiction or dystopia. The earth-like world or population has collapsed (usually after a traumatic event). Post-apocalyptic fiction is set in the aftermath of an apocalypse. On the other hand, apocalyptic fiction is set during the collapse (apocalypse).
We can create a distinction for this using the well-known zombie apocalypse trope. World War Z, for example, is set while the apocalypse is happening, which makes it an apocalypse story. The Walking Dead is set after the apocalypse has occurred—the zombies are now already there, which makes it a post-apocalypse story.
The World
When writing post-apocalyptic fiction, it’s important to show what has happened to the world. What did the world and/or society look like before? What happened, and how did this shape the world your readers meet? A million things could have happened, and you’re playing god. In post-apocalyptic fiction, the world usually plays a prominent role in the overall plot. Answer these questions before you start writing your story:
- What did the world look like before?
- What happened?
- How/why did this happen/what caused this?
- Why does it matter?
- What happened in the aftermath of the apocalypse (up to the start of your story)?
The Plot
As I said, when writing post-apocalyptic fiction, the plot is usually very world-driven. You don’t write a post-apocalyptic story to then do nothing with the aftermath of the apocalypse; that makes no sense. There should be high stakes. Readers want a chance for redemption, a solution to the (current) problem—otherwise, why would they read it? Ask yourself the following questions:
- Is there something to do about the apocalypse or the world? A way to “solve” it or find some sort of redemption?
- What is the “solution”? What are the ways to better the world?
- Why does the apocalypse matter to the plot?
The Characters
Then, arguably the most important part: your characters. Your readers will experience the world and story through them, so you have to make sure there’s a reason why. Why these characters? It should bring depth to the story—an extra layer of importance. How do these characters raise the stakes? Besides the standard character brainstorm, set-up, and arc-creation, ponder on the following questions:
- Why is your character still alive/How did they survive the apocalypse?
- How did/does the apocalypse influence your character? What are/were the consequences for them?
- Why do they care?
- What can your characters do about the apocalypse?
- How do they raise the stakes?
Types of apocalypses
Some frequently used apocalypse tropes are a pandemic, the zombie apocalypse, environmental disasters, an alien (or other-worldly) invasion, or the end of the world (but this is usually not used in a post-apocalyptic story).
I wrote a post-apocalyptic romance story!
My debut novel, Battle Heat, is a post-apocalyptic romance story in the army. If you love dark stories AND romance, this might be a book you’ll like. You can find more information here.
Major Dr. Hunter Jameson joins the ranks of the infamous General Nikolai Zaregova’s mission 3B on a quest to save the world from dangerous mutants. Read this Forbidden Romance story, BATTLE HEAT, today.
I hope you got some inspiration for writing post-apocalyptic fiction.
Lots of Love,
Britt
