Surviving the Monster Apocalypse: An Interview With The Last Kids on Earth Author Max Brallier

First—thank you! Hmm…. humor…oh man, it’s tough to say! I’m always trying to write for the kid version of me — and the kid version of me tended to need or want humor in a story. I didn’t read a lot of super-serious, intense stuff. And I mean, there are some books that are just complete joke-filled, laugh-riots (I can’t believe I just said “laugh-riot”—geez) and others that are incredibly serious and where humor just wouldn’t fit. I think what’s most important, I guess, is that humor we present to kids and share with kids isn’t pandering and that we trust young readers to get the jokes. I love dumb humor and dumb jokes—but I don’t like when it’s dumbed down. 
Did anything about the characters or story surprise you as you were writing, or do you pretty much have the story figured out before you start?

It’s been surprise, surprise, surprise—every step of the way. When I started, I had no idea what was going to happen beyond the end of the first book. And then in the second book, I felt like I gave myself a bigger playground for the kids find adventure in; but I still didn’t know where those adventures would lead. But after Book 3, I finally said, “Okay, I need to really think about where this might all be going, how these characters are going to change and grow, how their stories will end.” And I still don’t have it totally figured out—but I’m trying! I do really, really believe that you can tell a better, stronger story when you mostly know where it’s going. And then, along the way, you still get surprised. I’ve been surprised and delighted many times—while also being forever scared and intimidated by the challenge of trying to shape this thing.
The Survival Guide is so fun! What’s your favorite activity from there? (I personally liked drawing my own warrior wardrobe!) 
I love the “draw your own warrior wardrobe” one, too! My favorites are the ones where the reader is prompted to create something of their own—but that something is still set within the Last Kids world. Whether it’s a or a story or an idea or a title or a book cover—whatever. I just think it’s so cool to kind of set up the pins for the readers and then let them knock ‘em down the way they see fit.
Do you think you would be able to survive the monster apocalypse? 

You would think so! But still—no. I’m so bad at so many things—whenever I watch or read anything end-of-the-world I think, “Man, I can’t even change a tire—I would get destroyed so quickly.” The only way I’d be able to survive a monster apocalypse would be to hook up with some sort of awesome warrior and follow them and hang out with them, in exchange for writing their story. I’d be like a Bard—is that a thing?
That sounds promising…Do you have a favorite book in The Last Kids on Earth series? Or is that like picking a favorite child? 
Oh boy. My favorite and my least favorite are the same: the first book. I’m proud of it—I really am. But man oh man, writing that book was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I wrote the whole manuscript, finished it, realized I kinda hated it, and I went back and started from scratch and wrote the entire book again. It was, like, a 2 or 3 year process. So when I think back about those other versions of the book and how close I came to publishing this thing that I did not like, I wanna barf. But when I see the book now, and when I see kids reading it and smiling and laughing—that’s the best!
What’s next for you, Jack, and the rest of these awesome zombie-fighting characters? 
More awesome zombie-fighting. Bigger monsters. More epic bigness, if that makes sense. The story is really moving now—big stuff is happening, the characters are changing, and things are getting more intense—but the humor and fun is still there!
The Last Kids on Earth and the Midnight Blade, book 5 in the series is coming in September 2019! You can pre-order it now.