Clunky title…and it’s about writing (since there’s no writing circle!)

I started writing a story maybe 4 or 5 years back. Zombie story (I don’t even like zombies though, don’t ask me why I started it)

I’ll give away part of the premise - the outbreak got as bad as it did because people just ignored health warnings from the CDC, and the remaining people , unsure if it was airborne or not, had to wear masks.

….sound familiar? Yeah so anyway I figured it wasn’t worth it after 2020 because now it would just seem like a commentary instead of actual fiction.

But a few weeks back I decided what the heck, let me brush it off, and I really got into writing it.

….and then last night I watched the first episode of “the Last of Us”

…. so yeah my zombies were fungus-based too!

BUT.

Here’s where I wonder if it’s still worth it….zombie stories are always so stupid and macho. My story was really primarily about women rebuilding society (male protag though ugh)….

And I’ve been reading some Ursula leGuin lately and rethinking what it means to be a story (action! More action! Bigger action!)….

I’m just wondering if this would be something someone might enjoy reading…or if it’s something where if you want that kind of story, you want the normal sequence?

And what’s worse I feel like this keeps happening. I had a story that was similar to game of thrones (asoiaf) nowhere near as detailed (or misogynistic)…. And then I pivoted that into …. Avatar the last airbender, from the sounds of it.

I can’t be alone- any writers feel like this? That others are doing their ideas better? Or if not better, fearing you’d be seen as a knock off?

I’m still plugging at my zombie story for practice or when I get blocked on my “other” story (my last original one, it seems)…but I swear if I see this other story somewhere I might lose it….