How should my zombie virus start?

I think, besides being bitten,

People should be more open to getting the virus.

If you want into be more believable, like you say,

make the situation more difficult to survive in.

For example, cuts, scratches, or any open wounds

could be a vulnerable target for the virus to strike.

I would think it would be interesting if the characters chosen

were not prepared or well-supplied for this outbreak.

You see that most stories, the characters have a safe house,

firearms, enough food and equipment; I mean, they're basically well off.

But as much as people think they're prepared for anything,

they shouldn't be; let alone a zombie apocalyptic.

(Sorry, this isn't Black Ops!)

I think the movement of the zombies

should depend on what type of virus you create.

If the virus is meant to slowly kill the victims; make them move slowly.

If the virus is meant to make their action uncontrollable; make them move weird and what not.

It up to how you decide to develop them!

With all this in mind,

I suggest you look into more zombie stories

besides The Walking Day or World War Z.

The more you educate yourself on the trends,

the more authentic you can try and be with your own!

Good Luck! :)

Make the virus mutate, just like in real life. Have the virus be airborne at the start; to easier explain how it spread so fast. And then virus changes to spread through biting. And have the zombies be slow and shuffling at the start. And then later on, you can have them change into fast zombies to switch up the action and add another level of danger to the story.

New book coming out might give you ideas

Under a Graveyard Sky

by John Ringo

realistically, the virus would start with a CME killing portions of people. they would become infected. the virus would have to be transferred by contact to bodily fluids. they would also be fast but not agile, as the brain would only be part dead and so he part to preserve strength would have gone to hell.