Zack Dow

Proud to announce that I have finished the 75th entry in Prehistoric Wild: Life in the Mesozoic. Called “The Ancient Colossus,” this one takes place in the Maastricht Formation of Late Cretaceous Netherlands, 73 million years ago. It follows a male Mosasaurus named Johann as he patrols and defends his coastal domain, facing rival challengers and the relentless demands of life in the ancient seas. This is a story I’ve had in mind for a long time. In fact, it’s one of the oldest ideas I’ve ever had for this anthology. I always knew Mosasaurus had to play a major role in Prehistoric Wild, and this concept felt like the most fitting and unique way to bring it to life. But that’s all I’ll say without spoiling anything. Let’s just say the ending might hit harder than expected… and I’m very eager to hear what y’all think of it. https://www.wattpad.com/1619812936-prehistoric-wild-life-in-the-mesozoic-the-ancient
          
          With this release, only 9 stories remain in the Prehistoric Wild: Life in the Mesozoic saga. The next entry will be titled “Rule of the Raptor,” set in the Cedar Mountain Formation of Early Cretaceous Utah, 140 million years ago. Stay tuned for its release.

Word of advice: Don't start doing the payments for an awards book until you've checked that your story fits one of the categories.

Hey everyone, quick note. I've been getting a lot of comments lately from people offering to turn my work into a “comic adaptation” and asking to connect on Discord. These messages are very generic and often identical, which strongly suggests they're scams. Just to be clear: I'm not interested in these kinds of offers, and I won't be responding to them. Any accounts leaving comments like this will be blocked. If you're a writer on here, I'd recommend being cautious about messages like these as they're likely not legitimate. Thanks to everyone who's been genuinely supporting my work.

Proud to announce that I have finished the 74th entry in Prehistoric Wild: Life in the Mesozoic. Titled ‘When Destinies Collide,’ this one takes place in the Kota Formation of Early Jurassic India, 194 million years ago. It follows a mother Indotherium named Zohana as she guides her young to safety through a devastating flood, relying on the unwitting aid of towering Barapasaurus. This is both an important story for the anthology and one I’ve wanted to write for quite some time. Not only does it mark the chronologically first appearance of mammals, but also of true sauropods, rather than just their sauropodomorph ancestors. The premise began fairly simply, centered around the flood itself, but as I developed it further, I started thinking more about what this moment represents for both mammals and dinosaurs. That led me to refine the story’s direction to better reflect that shared turning point. In the end, I’m feeling really great about how it turned out, and I’m very eager to hear what y’all think of it. https://www.wattpad.com/1616774328-prehistoric-wild-life-in-the-mesozoic-when
          
          With this release, only 10 stories remain in the Prehistoric Wild: Life in the Mesozoic saga. The next entry will be titled ‘The Ancient Colossus,’ set in the Maastricht Formation of Late Cretaceous Netherlands, 73 million years ago. Stay tuned for its release.

Happy to announce that I've added an exciting new element to Prehistoric Wild: Life in the Mesozoic: arc dividers. Basically, these will help in organizing the anthology based on the periods of the Mesozoic: Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous. The exception to this is the Cretaceous which is split by its early and late stages. I would have kept the Cretaceous as its own arc, but given how long it is and how much it takes up within the collection, I figured having the early and late Cretaceous as seperate arcs would be better for orginizational purposes. Can't wait to hear what y'all think!

New awards book! Definately be sure to check it out https://www.wattpad.com/1607804219-march-madness-mini-awards-open-payments

Update to Friday's announcment. In it, I said that the next story will be one I call "Escape the Flood." After recent brainstorming and pre-writing plot development, I had decided to change the name to "When Destinies Collide." Just figured I'd let y'all know ahead of time to avoid any potential confusion.

Proud to announce that I have finished the 73rd entry in Prehistoric Wild: Life in the Mesozoic. Called ‘The Tides of Change,’ this one takes place in the Westbury Formation of Late Triassic England, 206 million years ago. It follows a male Camelotia named Arthur whose life is suddenly upheaved by a massive tsunami. This is a story I’ve been excited to write for quite a while, going all the way back to when I was still researching potential ideas for the anthology as a whole. At the time, I was searching for Late Triassic European story concepts centered on early sauropodomorphs, which I felt were somewhat lacking. During that process, I came across the Westbury Formation and quickly developed the tsunami idea while researching how tectonic activity may have shaped the region. Add in inspiration from the recent discovery of the giant ichthyosaur Ichthyotitan, and the result became what is potentially my favorite land-and-sea hybrid story I’ve written so far. Overall, it’s a unique and impactful story for Prehistoric Wild as a whole, and I’m very eager to hear what y’all think of it. https://www.wattpad.com/1613692435-prehistoric-wild-life-in-the-mesozoic-the-tides-of
          
          Next story will be one I call "Escape from the Flood," set in the Kota Formation of Early Jurassic India, 194 million years ago. Stay tuned for when that one ends up being released.

Recently, I saw a discussion about tragic and soul-crushing Wattpad stories. And so, I wanted to ask, what would you say are the saddest stories in Prehistoric Wild you’ve read thus far? I have a few of my personal pics, but I wanted to see what ya’ll think, currently.

Proud to announce that I have finished the 72nd entry in Prehistoric Wild: Life in the Mesozoic. Called "Edge of the Northern Summer," this one takes place in the Fleming Fjord Formation of Late Triassic Greenland, 202 million years ago. It follows a female Arcticodactylus named Nivi as she navigates the hazards of nesting in a polar environment on the brink of change. This is a story I’ve had in mind for quite a while, and one of the most important I’ve worked on in recent memory. Although I still have earlier-set stories planned, this entry serves as the chronological finale to the Triassic arc in Prehistoric Wild. For a time, I wasn’t sure I could do it justice. But the more research I did on the region, especially regarding how polar day and night cycles would have shaped the ecosystem, the more inspired I became while writing this chronological climax. Add in the bat-like torpor behavior I chose to depict in Arcticodactylus, and it became a story I was pleasantly surprised to have so much fun writing. I’m very excited to hear what y’all think of it. https://www.wattpad.com/1610742889-prehistoric-wild-life-in-the-mesozoic-edge-of-the
          
          Next story will be one I call "The Tides of Change," set in the Westbury Formation of Late Triassic England, 206 million years ago. Stay tuned for when that one ends up being released.