User blog:General Khor/Wake the Dead Behind the Scenes

Hello everyone, this is General Khor. Now that Wake the Dead has come to an end, I'm gonna share some behind the scenes info about the series, courtesy of Emi Moore, also known as MooreScribes. This is not my official review, that will come in the mid year review blog.

Chapter 1

 * Shannon was supposed to be a new colony member rescued from the research station and the one who checked us for bites, but then they decided to have US be the one to rescue her.
 * The reason everyone in the Tower has a name is because they want us to feel like we're part of the community, since we've been living there for 20 years.
 * The reason they decided to cast ILB Jocelyn as Cassidy is that she only appeared in that one scene (you know, the teaser for the cancelled IL3), and she looked like she was built for the apocalypse.

Chapter 2

 * Originally there was going to be a lore document that implied during the early outbreak a child turned and ate their parents, but they decided to cut it, probably because it was too much for their taste.
 * They originally planned to have Brynn burn down Eli's cottage, and they only changed it to the final gunshot because it was "too chaotic", so they say.

Chapter 3

 * Did you know that the testers at PB named the colony "Fart City"? LOL!

Chapter 4

 * According to Emi, Angel is the most challenging of the LIs for them to write as they are "the opposite of chaotic". But Angel adds an important dynamic to the team, which is thinking outside the box, and also she's got some of the funniest lines in the book.
 * We aren't really a newbie, in fact we have extensive combat training, particularly with the crossbow, but also with melee weapons. But then again, the reasons they have us act like a newbie: A, this is supposed to be a horror story, not an action story, so if we're already a zombie killing badass, then we know the MC is gonna come out on top, so you can see where this is going. And B, the exposition sounds really dumb if the MC is supposed to already know whatever is being said. It makes it very difficult to convey important information to players.
 * The fight in the mall was supposed to have us racing through different shops throwing stuffed animals and goth clothing at the drones as we escape, but then they decided: this is a horror story, it's supposed to be filled with nightmare fuel, not funny moments!
 * The reason ice skates were called foot knives? Emi was scared of them.

Chapter 5

 * You know how zombies are supposed to be slow and lumbering? Well, flip that, turn its mouth sideways, and you get the scout.

Chapter 6

 * Writing about Sunflower Creek was challenging because "so much of them is so idyllic", so they decided to go hard on their pacifism to the extent it's "a tad ridiculous" in the zompocalypse, this coupled with their hypocritical behavoiur added tension to the chapter, all in all it was full of narrative potential.
 * Did you know that Knuckles is named after book lead Kathleen's cat Nux?
 * And it turns out that May is one of the team's favourite characters.

Chapter 7

 * Turns out this chapter is heavily inspired by Mad Max: Fury Road.
 * While Troy didn't get shot in the original draft, the reason they made it happen is to show how outgunned the team was compared to the Raiders (and also because Emi likes to make characters they like suffer).
 * Anyone missed Cassidy after two chapters? Well, the team sure did, which is why they had her fill the lore doc with sarcastic remarks.

Chapter 8

 * Falling off a high rise frame not scary enough? Surround the poor chap/damsel (that is the MC) with zombies waiting to help him/her down and help themselves to their meal!
 * Turns out someone did their research on flesh-dissolving chemicals that can be stored safely in a jug for decades.
 * Who to save? A truly sadistic choice, right? Guess what, the team was laughing maniacally when they came up with it. Yikes!
 * Why the choice between two different fences? Well, as Emi put it, in no sane world would you not build a fence. The benefits and drawbacks of each type make it interesting though.

Chapter 9

 * Trent. It might not be obvious from the start because he's a great actor, but as Emi put it, he's 100% playing both us and the Tower guards. He never intends to let anyone make it out alive. Whether that impacts what we do with him, well... that's up to us.

Chapter 10

 * Nothing much happening in this chapter: we've earned a break, we get to have our first kiss, and we get to meet one of Emi's favourite characters at the end of the chapter (guess who).

Chapter 11

 * That's right, it's Sledge. Wow, it seems Emi kind of likes dangerous characters who are trying to kill you.
 * Then there's Hatchet, who holds a special place in their heart because they had recently figured out they were nonbinary when they started writing them.
 * How does one fight off the zombie parasite? Well, as they put it, our immune systems are made to fight so even when the odds are bad, they're never zero.

Chapter 12

 * The point of taking away our arsenal is because they want to see us rely on pure instinct to survive.
 * Wow, it seems Emi really loves the Raiders. The thing is, every group we meet has lifestyles with advantages and disadvantages. While the Raiders don't care about the weak to the point that they're outright cruel, once we prove our strength, they have our back 100% no matter what happened in the past. They're a tight knit group that works incredibly well together, which is what makes them so formidable.

Chapter 13

 * Should we shoot Eli? If we do, he understands why but feels hurt and can't logic his way out of his emotions, while if we don't, he wrestles with the guilt of hurting us while also being grateful to be alive. The point is, people are complicated, so they can have moments to be contradictory.
 * The paranoia about the Raiders betraying us? It makes sense, even though they're genuinely on our side now. But once again, it's ultimately the zombies we have to worry about.
 * With the negotiations discussion, they tried to think of a way for us to make allies give concessions and agree with each other, but ultimately, each ally has very little they agree on, so keeping them all pacified made more sense.
 * Dirk. The thing about him is, he cared about our sis a lot and gave up so much for her, only to lose her, so he's clearly trying to avoid his grief and it isn't working well.
 * They also made sure that each LI premium scene had emotional substance. Every character in this story has felt some kind of trauma that they frankly just don't have time to deal with, so they deserve a moment to open up.
 * And as for why we can tell Sledge what Dirk said and not the others, it's because sometimes it's easier to talk to someone who will just listen rather than someone who will try to help.

Chapter 14

 * The thing that makes each big fight scene unique is that each has a separate goal other than just surviving. Chapter 5? Getting rid of the scout. Chapter 9? Dealing with the Tower guards. Here, it's trying to find May.
 * Here is also where we see the tradeoff for sparing or killing Angel's parents: Mack's life or our relationship with Angel.

Chapter 15

 * The siren zombie, hands down the spookiest to Emi. The idea that they look human enough that we let them get close and then... uh oh!
 * It turns out we're in northern California, and yet Emi spent half the book thinking we're in Utah...

Chapter 16

 * Here is where they finally reveal the concept for the zombies. Anyone get the insectoid vibes? That's because the zombies are based heavily around bees, that's why they're called drones, they live in a hive, and they have a queen who decides what each member of her colony will be. Bees also make extensive use of pheromones, which is why these zombies are so reliant on smell.
 * Then there's Shannon. Why would she even want to go into the hive even though we gave her PTSD? Well, going in without the one person who knows the most about zombies seems foolish, don't you think?

Chapter 17

 * This is where the Raiders prove us wrong and quash all doubts about them. This goes to show that at the end of the day, their people, their family, are the ones who they will do anything for, even if they think they're in the wrong.
 * Has anyone seen the May story? As Emi puts it, it's one of the cutest and silliest things they've ever written. Making Sledge a dragon? Well, she would murder the MC if she found out.

Chapter 18

 * Dirk's reasoning for betraying us is supposed to be based on our relationship dynamic, but the specifics is where it gets fun.
 * Also, it turns out the part where Dirk throws all our hard choices into our face is based on the end of Season 1 of The Walking Dead. Why Dirk? Well, he's been with our group from the beginning and has strong opinions about everything, which makes him a great choice for judging us. And it's not just our hard choices that determines how he treats us really.
 * Why was Blackstock defeated so easily? Well, in the beginning he was clearly a huge threat, but that was mostly because he had the resources. With resources of our own, we're able to match him, a big change from our helplessness in Chapter 1.

Chapter 19

 * This is it, the final battle. It's meant to be, as Emi puts it, a wild romp through the whole colony, weaving through it as the zombies get closer and closer to the lodge, and make sure everyone's experience felt unique depending on how they built their colony.

Chapter 20

 * Having us team up with our sis is something Emi has been looking forward to from the start, and Brynn coming back to her senses is pretty much comic relief after all the intensity. Of course it wasn't meant to last. The reason they have us leave Brynn behind voluntarily this time? That's character growth for you. And of course, her sacrifice hits twice as hard after just getting her back.
 * In the end, yes, the MC and LIs are the only ones to (definitely) make it to the end, because they wanted to end on a hopeful message. You're going to lose people along the way, that's life, but you find new ones too. It didn't feel right to rip them away.
 * As for the bonus scene... well, whether it made sense or not depends on you.
 * And finally, anyone see the name "Psycho" in the last sneak peek? Guess what, the testers named the MC "Psycho Killer" and the sister "Tragedy". LOL!

Conclusion
So that's a wrap, everyone! At least we now know how the story came to be the way it is. I have so many opinions about this book, but I'll be going through them in my mid year review blog. That's all for today, until then, this is General Khor. The end, and thank you for reading.