So, let me guess– you just started a new book, right? And you’re stumped. You have no idea how much an AK47 goes for nowadays. I get ya, cousin. Tough world we live in. A writer’s gotta know, but them NSA hounds are after ya 24/7. I know, cousin, I know. If there was only a way to find out all of this rather edgy information without getting yourself in trouble…
You’re in luck, cousin. I have just the thing for ya.
I got your back, cousin. Just head over to Havocscope.
((PS: In case you’re wondering, Havocscope is a database full of information regarding the criminal underworld. The information you will find there has been taken from newspapers and police reports. It’s perfectly legal, no need to worry about the NSA hounds, cousin ;p))
Here’s an extensive questionnaire that I created a few years ago (and finally put up somewhere besides scribbled down in a tattered notebook). I suggest answering every question, even the ones that seem tedious or don’t pertain to your story. For example, even if you never mention your character’s favorite color, you can still add that detail to the way they dress, the choices they make when buying something, etc. Even the smallest detail can add A LOT to your story. And while it may seem silly to answer eye and lip shapes, those are details that not only help you and the reader imagine the character, but it helps you as a writer to use synonymous words throughout to give yourself a clear image and to keep from being repetitive. I highly recommend filling out the nervous tics and subconscious movements (like your character tugs at their ear, or brushes at the back of their neck when talking for example) because it makes your character very human and it’s something I personally think more books/stories need in their characters. I might be missing some things and sorry if it’s too small, but here’s a link for a pdf you can download: [X]
It may seem like a lot to answer but I feel that knowing the answers to these questions really helps build a realistic character and they’re great to use on secondary characters, too. I hope that this helps others in the way that it has helped me. Happy writing!
PS: Friendly reminder that I am not a professional writer. These are just things I have picked up through years of writing, reading, editors, and teachers/classes.
(Special thank you to my friend, Katie amoralteething for helping me with anything I missed.)
So, pretty frequently writers screw up when they write about injuries. People are clonked over the head, pass out for hours, and wake up with just a headache… Eragon breaks his wrist and it’s just fine within days… Wounds heal with nary a scar, ever…
I’m aiming to fix that.
Here are over 100 links covering just about every facet of traumatic injuries (physical, psychological, long-term), focusing mainly on burns, concussions, fractures, and lacerations. Now you can beat up your characters properly!
Wound assessment: A huge amount of information, including what the color of the flesh indicates, different kinds of things that ooze from a wound, and so much more.
Location pain chart: Originally intended for tattoo pain, but pretty accurate for cuts
General note: Deeper=more serious. Elevate wounded limb so that gravity draws blood towards heart. Scalp wounds also bleed a lot but tend to be superficial. If it’s dirty, risk infection. If it hits the digestive system and you don’t die immediately, infection’ll probably kill you. Don’t forget the possibility of tetanus! If a wound is positioned such that movement would cause the wound to gape open (i.e. horizontally across the knee) it’s harder to keep it closed and may take longer for it to heal.
General notes: If it’s a compound fracture (bone poking through) good luck fixing it on your own. If the bone is in multiple pieces, surgery is necessary to fix it–probably can’t reduce (“set”) it from the outside. Older people heal more slowly. It’s possible for bones to “heal” crooked and cause long-term problems and joint pain. Consider damage to nearby nerves, muscle, and blood vessels.
General notes: If you pass out, even for a few seconds, it’s serious. If you have multiple concussions over a lifetime, they will be progressively more serious. Symptoms can linger for a long time.
Dislocations: Symptoms 1, 2; treatment. General notes: Repeated dislocations of same joint may lead to permanent tissue damage and may cause or be symptomatic of weakened ligaments. Docs recommend against trying to reduce (put back) dislocated joint on your own, though information about how to do it is easily found online.
The way I build worlds is by collecting cool stuff from the history, myth and people around me. I blend these details with my own imagination, and create my own cultures.
Normally there are a few particular cultures that interest me at a given time. I read whatever I can find about them, their environment, their traditions and their myths. The interesting details filter into the new world I’m creating (example: at one time, Venetian widows could only remarry on the stroke of midnight).
In the long term, there is nothing more inspiring and challenging than visiting foreign cultures yourself (especially if you can get far beyond your comfort zone to do it). This is the truest way to experience culture, and I really believe it shows in your writing.
But reading (non-fiction, myth/legend/fairytales, as well as the classics like Dune and Lord of the Rings) and watching documentaries/films can get you a long way toward filling up on your inspiration tank.
It’s important to remember: Culture in fiction isn’t a rod to get a point across. At its best, it is something beautiful, otherworldly, amusing, and sobering. The more layers and contradictions your culture has, the more real it will be.
Some questions you might ask yourself are:
What is the most important ideal to this culture as a whole? What would other countries say is the stereotype? (Brutally simplistic examples: America = freedom, French = romance) BONUS: How is this ideal positive, and how is it negative?
How did this culture come into being? How has it changed between then and the start of the novel?
How does the culture influence my protagonist? In what ways is the culture antagonistic? In what ways is it beautiful?
What are three detailed, specific things about this culture that I love? What are three that I hate?
What are exterior influences on the culture? Who’s living next door? What are relationships like between nations?
What does your culture look like to a native, and what does it look like to an outsider? (Place a native from your novel in an intensely cultural part of your world (for instance, a market place). Describe the scene. Then place a foreign character in the same setting, and describe it again.)
What is one yearly ceremony or celebration that is important to the culture (and your main character)?
What is one specific action/ritual/habit this culture has (and why)? How would they react to someone who breaks it? (Example: The Pashtun don’t throw away bread crumbs, they put them outside so the birds can eat them. If you brush off your shirt over a trashcan, they will take the trashcan and try to sweep the crumbs onto the ground outside.)
What things are you passionate about? (Example: books, dancing, music) What things do you not understand, or wish you understood? (Example: child marriages, rednecks, monasteries, the “brotherhood of soldiers” trope) Writing about these things will help fuel your diligence, but will also force you into a sort of seeking—and when you’re seeking, your culture will become more vivid.
Change the background colour of the pages to a mint green shade.
It is said that green is a calming colour, however, the main reason why I like this, is because I can write for a much longer period of time now, as a white background I used before made my eyes dry and exhausted after just a few hours of working.
It is basically much more soft and careful to the eyes. I can’t precisely explain why that is. I think it’s that by making a pinch softer contrast of the text and the background, your eyes does not get exposed to as much light.
Just make sure to not make the background too dark, or else your eyes will get exhausted do to over-fixating the lack of contrast between text and background.
And maybe you find a nice pastel/light background shade that fits you; give it a try.
Different things work out and fits for different people. And I just felt like sharing this.
Here’s the shade numbers I used to get my preferred colour:
Thanks for reading.
DUDE
You just solved a very real problem for me! Thanks!
For those who might not know where to find this: It’s in the Page Layout tab.
Excellent writing reference for all my writer friends ;]
MAY JESUS BLESS YOU YAS THIS MEANS A LOT TO ME THAN YOU THINK
But you’re supposed to use “said” because it fades into the background or just drop the dialogue tag completely if you’ve established the voices. Adverbs aren’t enough to really paint a picture with words.
(ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ✧ 