Storytelling, TVSZ and what I learned this week by being a zombie.

This past week on Headless 2013 we've been discussing storytelling,the arc of stories and Kurt Vonnegut's idea that stories have a shape. Well, I loved both the infographic and the video of Kurt Vonnegut discussing the shapes of stories. I had never thought of it that way but as soon as you do, you can completely see it. It is said that the gift of genius is the ability to see what others don't and then be able to explain it. Lovely to see it in action. What a great sense of humour Kurt Vonnegut had. The infographic helped solidify my understanding and was very helpful.

Now over the weekend, I succumbed to the lure of #TvsZ. Twitter vs. Zombies 3.0 is the brain child of Jesse Stommel and Pete Rorabaugh from Hybrid Pedagogy. The game is played by members of different university classes or online education groups such as OOE13. I'd played before and was very happy to play again. What's not to like about a story/game that unfolds and changes every 12 hours with new rules? As always, I started as human (I think the organizers are afraid of letting me start as Patient Zero-everyone would be a zombie by the end of the day. I am a very dedicated zombie.) and was turned within the first two to three hours of the game. Once again I became a zombie. But this time I had a #zombiegirlfriend  @barbiez2013. Now @barbiez2013 was a Twitter newbie, didn't have a blog and was, at the beginning, upset about being turned into a zombie (she was zombified before me.) We started direct messaging each other and we became a team, deciding on a target and pursuing them until we were successful. She quickly began understanding the nuances of twitter (much faster than I had) and within the game time period started a blog, uploaded video and pictures (a very similar learning curve of my own experience with TvsZ 2.0.) Together we turned Mariana Funes. Now Mariana struggled mightily with the whole idea of being a zombie, and she decided she was going to be a compassionate zombie, similar to the zombie character of Warm Bodies (new to me). She quickly got over that, but the idea she presented, that of a zombie who was able to absorb memories, stayed with me. And I began to write my blog posts as if zombies were driven not just by hunger, but by the desire to know people. To really understand their fellow human at the point of their demise. And lo and behold, a story emerged. Even though my blog posts were designed as #overrun attempts to destroy human #safezones while a zombie, a story emerged of a creature who lived not only for flesh but the sweetness and addiction to the memories of others. So when you destroy a zombie, do the dead finally, utterly die?

So what type of story curve is my human/zombie/human/zombie narrative that is found on Twitter and my blog and others during TvsZ? I started human, but was a happy killer as a zombie, I was reluctantly converted to a superhuman because of the wrench of leaving my zombie horde (we all feed together) and then in mid post let my inner zombie out again. I am wondering is this curve a Cinderella story? Or because of its ambiguity is it a Which Way is Up story line? I waver between the two but lean more to the Which Way is Up camp.

Now this time around, what did I gain from playing TvsZ? Well for one thing, I have finally wrestled Windows 8 into submission (enough that I should be able to participate fully in Headless DS106 I hope, though I am having issues with Soundcloud for some reason.) I have Movie Maker on my computer now, I can take photos with the webcam and I latched onto AudioBoo to make sounds to share on Twitter. It also was a great vehicle for promoting writing, both on Twitter and on my blog. I was very surprised at how attached I became to my alter zombie ego as a writer. And as always, I gain immeasurably from the interaction with others. I've gained some new friends, been delighted by the creativity of others and played a great game of hide and go seek/tag.

And when Twitter vs. Zombies 4.0 comes out? I'll be there!

Superhuman! My return from the dead, maybe.

I've been rendered a human again,  a gift of love from @JLVala. It's been odd to return to my human form, especially since I was a zombie almost from the beginning of the plague. As a zombie, I was a ruthless killer, hunting down unsuspecting prey, trapping them, relentlessly stalking humans. I was at the whim of my all consuming hunger. And it is all consuming. It is surprisingly hard to let go of that drive to eat, maim and hunt.

To be honest, I still feel disconcerted by my rapid transformation from zombie to human. I still have the memories of that time, and they are disconcerting. Sometimes I wonder if the antidote really worked? Am I fully human again? I see the writing of my fellow humans as they flee in terror and secretly, am I cheering on the zombies? And yet, how can that be? Before I was turned by @barbiez2013, I was a regular everyday person, went to work, cooked, walked the dog, regular.

Now as I gaze upon my husband I wonder how his heart and brains would taste, what would it be like to KNOW what he really thinks. And I know this is wrong but there is still a portion of me that is NOT disgusted by this. But already my zombie memories are fading and perhaps in time, I may be able to recover my sense of self.

Yet I know that because I am superhuman now, that because I am able to walk among the dead with immunity that my home is really the last, best, safest place to store the last dregs of humanity as I leave my safe haven to fight the zombie hordes. Come to my house where you can be safe for a little while. I'll provide the food:

And a deck with a view:

Don't fear me, just because I still have the sweet taste of flesh seared into my brain, that I want to twine my hands around your neck and pull your head close to mine and suck your brains out of your nose. Think of this as my love song to you, to release you from your pain and share your life story. And I now carry so many life stories.....

I crave, I hunger, I want to bless you with my kiss of death and the bliss of warm human flesh. I go to feed because it is what I do. I cannot resist the lure any longer. Come to my house, where you'll be safe.....

Out of gas

Let me sing you a lullaby as we lull you to sleep.

Life is short and painful
but death is long and deep.
In life, friends are fleeting,
in death they're the ones you eat.
Slip the chains of your mortality,
Enter the depths of calm,
Being undead is so moving,
you'll wonder why you waited so long.

much love and kisses

Rhonda

It is lonely where you are.

You are alone.

No human can rescue you.

But we offer love and companionship, friendship and food sharing.

Embrace the zombie horde.

We love you, we will cherish you, we will savour you.

Come into the light so we might welcome you.

On Behalf of @barbiez2013 (who needs to start a blog for the good of humanity!)

WHY RLJESSEN'S "I SURVIVED ZOMBIES ON FRIDAY THE 13TH" IS ZOMBIEST, BLONDIST, ELITIST AND, ULTIMATELY, ANTI-AMERICAN

(POSTERS NOTE:  I am posting this on behalf of my girl @barbiez2013 because she can't figure out how to use this "computer dolly thingy" -- her words, not mine.)

As I sat and read @rljessen's bloggy thingy, tears welled up in my once almond shaped eye.  (I'm down one eye -- I think it's somewhere in Piedmont Park, reward for safe return.) 

@rljessen makes it clear that she is not only anti-Zombie, which can be excused as necessary for survival, but she is also an elitist who regards blondes, and other non-academics, as worthless.  This stance ultimately makes her dangerous to all of us as Americans, whether Zombie or human.

Her prejudice is illustrated by the following:

1.  She makes the ridiculous suggestion that ALL Zombies are headless.  This is totally untrue!!!  I, and all my Zombie girlfriends (including, but not limited to, @karenatsharon and @ATLSockMonkey), still have heads that are very intact, thank you very much.  Sure an eye has been lost here and there.  An ear perhaps  . . . but heads are all accounted for.

Don't think we don't recognize this thinly veiled attempt to associate headlessness with terror and fear from childhood.  We all read "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."  You are quite simply pandering to baser instincts and should be ashamed.  Just because I don't have a PhD, doesn't mean I can't read, Ms. Jessen, or Dr. Jessen.  Whatever!

2.  Your suggestion that your fellow professors have lost their value because they are now Zombie is equally insensitive.  Have you been playing this game? Have you even been watching?  Have you seen how we have banded together?  #girlpower  How family bonds have traveled through to the undead lifestyle? @allistelling and @ATLSockMonkey.

Maybe you haven't been reading, but you should.  You should read before you speak -- especially when you have young, innocent, yummy brain-filled, warm blooded, yummy, young, nubile, yummy   . . .  students who look up to you.

3.  I'm too emotional to speak about your comments relating to my zombie, sister-girl @karenatsharon.  Suffice to say, she continues to live a full and vital life and is valued by her new Zombie family.  In fact, she is standing up for me at my wedding tonight.

4.  You encourage cowardice.  How can you feed into such Zombie stereotypes?  You know,  we are not in a 1940s horror movie!

Are we watching?  Yes.  As you sleep in your beds at night?  Maybe.  While you cook dinner for your yummy little human children?  Perahps.  That's all beside the point.  I haven't eaten you yet, have I?  Not yet . . .

All of these points clearly demonstrate that you have no regard for anyone that is different from you, whether they be blonde, or Zombie, or non-professor types.  Your continued use of this vibrant forum to attempt to turn humans (both American AND even Canadian I am now told) against Zombies is just plain wrong, Madame.  Left unchecked, who knows what you can do.

Consider yourself checked AND #overrun.

Sincerely,

Ms.  Millicent Udeceased a/k/a @barbiez2013

You can run but you can't hide...

I don't think it is right that I am being made to feel like I am the Big Bad Wolf chasing down the Three Little Pigs.

A zombie girl has got to eat.

And I love chocolate. So please eat lot's of chocolate. And then you'll be a lovely sweet treat. Look @barbiez2013 loves chocolate too!

So come out, come out, come out

Wherever you are!

#zombiesloveyou

#areyoucoatedinchocolate?

Eating educators for Supper

My dear friends,
How sad that you mourn my passing to the undead. I feel your pain and would love to alleviate it. And I will. I realize you have fled to a #safezone in a feeble attempt to hide from the growing zombie horde but you will be assimilated. Yes, you will experience a brief moment of pain, but the joy of consuming the flesh , memories and experiences of others actually enhances the zombie bond.

Here in the land of the zombies I have witnessed true love, love for each other and for the love of human flesh. Our needs are simple. We need to feed.

While Pete Rorabaugh fled from @barbiez2013 now they work as willing partners. Where Brendan once fled from us in horror he now willing embraces the task. We work as a team, we provide for each other, we share our kill. JR Dingwall and Christina Hendricks now happily hunt together.

We even sing to each other to give each other solace and understanding.

And even though you deride us for our never ending hunger for brains, are you not constantly working on improving yours? And if not to give it to us, what is the purpose? Your hard work should be rewarded. Bigger brains means better food for us! So you'll not have studied in vain.

We will love you. We will cherish your sweet flesh. To us you are precious and tasty, as sweet as the first succulent strawberries of spring. Just a little bigger (and a little bloodier.)

Welcome to the Zombie Horde.

We love you.