The Saga of Dale and the Zombies

This is the story of two communities (not to be confused with a somewhat popular story about two cities). The first is a fictional one that I created for a Vocal challenge. The second is a very real one; a community of incredibly talented creators and readers who helped turn my fictional one into an adventure that I will never forget.

How it Started

When Vocal created the Microfiction Magic Challenge*, I was intrigued, but not entirely sure how I wanted to approach it. Though I hadn't realized microfiction was a thing, I was comfortable with the concept. Tell a complete story in 50 to 100 words. No less, no more. It's not as simple as it sounds, which is why it's called a challenge, right?

As many of you may know, I like stories with a twist. I also have a warped sense of humor and dad jokes/puns are something of a specialty. So, I put together a little zombie tale. (My kids and I watched all the old zombie movies when they were still kids.)

Now, I know, not everyone is a fan of zombie movies and stories. I decided to make the whole story line a little less fear-inducing (pronounced "creepy"), which would also fit well with the pun that popped into my warped brain. I don't recall the entire thought process; my brain just goes wandering about on its own.

Anyway, here's the one that accidentally started all the fun:

Why and How it Continued

Just a cute little adventure with a side of dad humor right? I published it and went back to work. Notifications started popping up, and I was happy that the friends in my circle on Vocal were enjoying it. When I took a minute to read through the first batch of comments, the proverbial feces hit the proverbial rotary air mover. I was literally laughing out loud.

If you know anyone looking for comic genius, please give them a list of the names I'm about to drop in these stories. From the moment I read the first pun in the comments, this was no longer about the challenge. It was about having fun. I rolled up my imaginary sleeves and started to submit my interpretations of the marvelous lines my creative friends quipped.

I've included a link to the creator who left the comment that “punspired” each one in the stories. As you're reading these, I encourage you to take advantage of those links. Their stories will enlighten, entertain, educate and inspire you. Here's the second story and the first inspired by a comment, in this case from Roy Stevens:

So, I had my protagonist, a basic plot line and a wealth of golden phrases to work with. My brain was getting plenty of exercise and my very patient wife, Pam and I were both laughing to the point of tears at the comments. (Did I mention you should be reading the comments, too?) Next up was a story inspired by a comment from Jason, a.k.a. Jbaz:

If you paid attention to the subtitle on the last one, you may have suspected that I was going to end the series there. I had created a trilogy, and that's enough for any good zombie mini-series, right? Well, as Fate would have it, Mark Gagnon left a comment on that episode that I couldn't resist. I also couldn't resist putting an extra spin on it, hence the subtitle:

Okay, let's have a little sidebar. First, I sincerely hope you're reading the comments on these. At this point, the momentum of this thing was being driven by the support there. Not only were there more clever ideas at every turn, but the expressions of enjoyment and encouragement were bowling me over. I was just having fun here, but so were my friends and they were letting me know. This is what the Vocal community is about. Oh, and second, I now had two protagonists.

Alrighty, let's move on to the next story, inspired by a comment from RM Stockton, with a whole set of extra puns inspired again by Mark Gagnon.

Uh-oh, my original protagonist was in trouble!

I wasn't worried at this point. After all, he was a zombie. It's not like he needed any of what he'd just lost. However, I was now suffering from something I dubbed “Dalebrain”. I was constantly thinking about the next story. Not just while I was working, but during all my waking hours. I was becoming a zombie. Nevertheless, I would push on and thanks once more to Roy Stevens, the next episode would have what the series had been lacking: a theme song. Play it in the background while you read, and see if you don't agree. I also borrowed a couple of extra puns from Mark Gagnon on this one and had forgotten to thank him. That oversight has been corrected as of now:

Alright, that had to be it, right? Not so fast! I still had one protagonist left, and the original one was still a zombie, though somewhat handicapped. For the next one, I went back through past comments and found one that took my Dalebrain on a whole new ride. Thanks, Randy Wayne Jellison-Knock for the comment early-on that helped me wrap up(?) this series with a dad joke AND a song!

Why We're Here

That brings us to why you're here, reading this post. I was content to leave things as they were, until another friend, Judey Kalchik suggested a pillar post, to give readers a place to find out how this series developed, along with a link to each episode. I need to thank her for an idea that I hope has created a more immersive experience for you as you work your way through this.

In closing, I want to stress again that this fun little series belongs to ALL of the amazing creators that contributed to it, not only with ingenious ideas, but the incredible show of support and encouragement it took to keep it going. I am beyond blessed to have had your help in bringing it to life, maintaining its energy, and having a great time along the way. Y'ALL ROCK! Finally, thanks to Vocal for providing a platform for such amazing creators and myself to play!

* Curious about the Microfiction Magic Challenge? Find out about it here: