How many times have you heard this story done? After an outbreak of a mysterious virus, over 80% of the human population dies and are reanimated as zombies. Somehow, the virus spreads within a few weeks, and all that is really left are our ragtag group of survivors. Like most stories, you think that somehow these people will make it through despite the odds against them. After all, no story ends without some satisfaction for the characters, even if some of them don't make it. However, instead for 300 plus pages we are forced to watch every single character die horrible deaths, leaving our main character as the last man standing. Right when you think they will make it though, either a zombie bites them or they lose the will to live, ending the story with their death. If you have heard this tale at least three or four times, congratulations, because you just spotted one of the most irritating clichés out there.
The element of surprise is an impossible hurtle to overcome in all stories if in every one, the characters just die again and again. No one is going to want to read a story about some zombie outbreak that kills all of humanity for the thousandth time. The violence may attract some interest, but every time, the reader will still leave disappointed or even angry. It is even worse when the characters are complex, making it feel like you witnessed your own friends dying. If you want to write a story about a zombie outbreak, that is fine. However, don't end it with the lifeless corpses winning every single time.
What we need is a story about surviving the unthinkable, with a zombie outbreak serving as a hurtle the characters must overcome to metaphorically and literally escape death. In this case, a story of hope would be the perfect idea. Seeing your characters die for nothing isn't.