S.G. Browne

So as we come to the end of another year, which always ends with me turning a year older and wondering what the hell happened to all that time I said I was going to use to get things done.  To spend more time doing the things that matter.

Like writing.  And reading.  And cleaning my bathroom.

Writers excel at procrastinating.  At postponing.  At finding distractions and excuses that keep them from being more productive.

We answer e-mails.  Update websites.  Read reviews.

We surf the Internet.  Play Scrabble on Facebook.  Tweet.

We discover Zombies vs Plants.  Spend an afternoon playing Madden NFL.  Watch an entire season of Entourage.

Or maybe that’s just me.

So as 2010 comes to an end and 2011 is just around the proverbial corner, I offer up the following New Year’s Resolutions.  Think of them as the Ten Commandments for writers, only without Moses and the Burning Bush:

1. You shall have no Facebook before writing
2. You shall not make any false promises of word counts
3. You will not take your editor’s name in vain
4. You shall remember the writing process and keep it holy
5. Honor your protagonist and plot
6. You shall not kill the narrative with unnecessary exposition
7. You shall not commit Twittery
8. You shall not steal another writer’s ideas
9. You shall not bear false witness against your dénouement
10. You shall not covet other writers’ successes

I hope these commandments serve you well in 2011.

Happy New Year!

So on Zombie Talk Thursdays on Twitter (#zombietalk), the question posed today was:What songs would you listen to while battling the zombie hordes?

Naturally, since Breathers is written from the viewpoint of the aforementioned and often-maligned zombie hordes, it’s not second nature for me to think about what songs would be appropriate for dispatching of the undead.  But I came up with the following playlist, along with a brief description of why I included each song:

“Down With the Sickness” by Richard Cheese
Both this cover version and the original version by Disturbed appear in the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. I like this one because it would a nice, surreal, lounge music feel to the mayhem.

“The Man Comes Around” by Johnny Cash
Also on the soundtrack to the remake of Dawn of the Dead, this is a prophetic song for a zombie apocalypse.

“Comanche” by The Revels
From the Pulp Fiction soundtrack, this is the song that plays when Bruce Willis take his samurai sword to Zed and his pawn shop pervert pal. Enough said.

“Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” by AC/DC
The opening guitar riff is enough to put me in the mood to pick up an axe and start swinging.

“Dead Man’s Party” by Oingo Boingo
Just to add a little irony to the playlist.

“Brain Stew” by Green Day
Mostly I love the title, but the steady bass beat and the scratchy, dissonant sounds at the end are the perfect aural accompaniment to using a chainsaw.

“Subtract You” by Zebrahead
While the title is appropriate for dispatching the undead, the song itself is fun and playful. And who doesn’t want to have fun when you’re killing zombies?

“No More Mr. Nice Guy” by Alice Cooper
Another well-titled addition to the playlist. After all, you can’t be George Baily and kick some zombie butt.

“Surrender” by Cheap Trick
Like “Subtract You,” this title has the attitude that you’re not backing down. Plus it’s got that uptempo beat that makes getting splattered brains and blood not such a big deal.

And finally, for those lovers committed to battling the zombies together:

“Never Tear Us Apart” by INXS

What are some of the songs in your zombie battle playlist?

You can follow me on Twitter @s_g_browne.  Or follow Andy on Twitter @AndytheZombie.