Writer in Residence

When I posted yesterday, little did I suspect what would ensue. I thought, “I’ll just post this, and maybe a few people will send in some entries tomorrow or something.” And so I did. I posted and went back to my normal activities—building a ship in a bottle, eating potato chips, practicing handstands—that kind of thing.

 

Not fifteen minutes after I posted, there was an entry.

 

And then there was another.

 

And then there was another. And another. And another.

 

Two things became very clear to me within the first hour . . . I had to make Zombie Idol longer, and I had to make it bigger.

 

To wit! The first step is that ZOMBIE IDOL IS NOW EXTENDED INTO MULTIPLE ROUNDS!

 

Round one: this week on insideddog . . . deadline, end of day, February 14^th. The first five semi-finalists will go up to voting on the 15^th. The prize for winning this round is the final copy of Suite Scarlett.

 

Round two: next week on my blog . . . all entries submitted between February 16 and February 21^st, with the next semi-final on February 22^nd.

 

This all leads up to the crowning of the ULTIMATE ZOMBIE on Monday, February 25^th.

 

Prizes for the second round and the ULTIMATE ZOMBIE are still being worked on.

 

In terms of making Zombie Idol BIGGER . . . I have assembled a stellar team of CELEBRITY JUDGES who will evaluate and choose the five zombies that make it into each round. Get ready to be shocked.

 

MEET YOUR CELEBRITY JUDGES

 

MEG CABOT

 

 

 

Known to the world as the creator of The Princess Diaries, The Mediator series, the 1-800-Where-R-You series, All American Girl, Ready Or Not, Avalon High, Teen Idol, Jinx, the Queen of Babble series, the Heather Wells series . . .  look, let’s face it, what HASN’T Meg Cabot written? Meg spends almost all of her time writing—but don’t think she isn’t on the lookout for zombies. Because she is, all the time. She lives in deepest Florida, where the line between life and death gets very blurry. This judge is 90% royal, so be classy. Cats welcome. Fidgety, hairless dogs, not so much.

 

 

JOHN GREEN

 

 

 

Printz Award winner, co-founder of Brotherhood2.0, and King of Nerdfighters, John Green is no stranger to zombies. You know him as the author of Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines. While many people choose to ward off our undead companions with bats and sticks, John prefers to engage them in a battle of wits . . . one that usually ends in his favor, albeit with a lot of running and screaming. You’ll have to be on your toes to gain the favor of this judge. Be funny, be brave, and be awesome. Obscure illnesses, breakups, and math problems welcome.

 

JUSTINE LARBALESTIER

 

Though Justine Larbalestier usually concerns herself with the ways of magic . . . as in her multi-award-winning Magic or Madness trilogy, or her upcoming How to Ditch Your Fairy . . . her heart truly belongs to zombies. Even her husband, Scott Westerfeld, takes second fiddle to our shambling friends. To impress this judge, avoid scenes with too much chocolate. Go for sports, fashion, and tropical fruits. Good detail is essential. Bonus points if the book is Australian, Mangosteenian, or Quokkarian.

 

E. LOCKHART

 

E. Lockhart comes to us from Team Unicorn. While she loves the ways of these unspeakable coneheaded horses, she also has the good sense to appreciate the joy every zombie brings to a home. The author of Dramarama, The Boy Book, The Boyfriend List, Fly on the Wall, and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks has clearly demonstrated that she knows what lurks in the minds of men. It’s just as likely that she knows what those thoughts taste like as they are being consumed. Betrayal, tiny porcelain frogs, secrets, and show tunes all attract this judge’s attention.

 

And me.

 

 Hello!

 

You know the drill with me. Shiny things. No jellyfish. All books welcome.

 

Keep sending them in! They go to Maureen@maureenjohnsonbooks.com, subject line ZOMBIE INSIDE!

 

Live the dream! Be the ZOMBIE IDOL!

 

 

 

Only one will be chosen. Will it be YOU?