For me, the most important aspect about Zombie fiction is the outbreak. But it is quite often over looked or questionably proposed.
How much time would you invest in a story that explains origin and outbreak, before you are thrown into the carnage of the z-poc?
I do not like being pulled thru time when reading (or even watching) a story, via flash back scenarios. But I also understand the need for pacing.
Lets say the average novel is 250 pages, with 25 chapters, 10 pages a chapter (all for easy math). How many chapters would you be willing to read, before you would need the undead to start ripping apart the world?
Does the causes (how it became a global event, why the military fails) of a zombie outbreak matter to you?
Are creature mechanic's (how a zombie can still move, how it hunts, etc) matter?
Which is more important to you as a reader, Character Development or Story Progression?
Does being pulled thru time bother you, or okay as long as the time shifts are apparent and not confusing?
Thank you for any comments you are willing to share, as they will help me write a better story.