(Characters who say “we’re not that rich” while standing in a kitchen with two islands)
⊹ Rich characters are not all the same kind of rich. There’s old money, new money, fake-rich, influencer-rich, political-family rich, celebrity-child rich, “my dad owns half the town” rich, “my family has buildings named after them” rich, and “we are in debt but the house still has a gate” rich. The type matters. Old money is often quieter, colder, more coded. New money may be louder, shinier, more defensive. A trust fund kid and a child of a famous actor are both privileged, but the pressure around them is very different.
⊹ They don’t always know what things cost, and that can be funny or ugly. A rich character might casually suggest ordering food when everyone else is counting money. They might think a “cheap trip” means only one hotel room per person. They might say “just get a new one” about something another character saved months to buy. Don’t make them cartoon evil every time. Sometimes they’re not cruel, just completely untrained in normal consequences.
⊹ Privilege can look like confidence, but it can also look like cluelessness. Some rich kids walk into rooms like every door has already decided to open for them. They email professors casually. They talk to adults like equals. They negotiate without sweating. They assume problems can be solved because, historically, their problems have been solved. That doesn’t mean they’re brave. Sometimes it means they have never had to imagine the floor disappearing. NEVER!
⊹ A rich kid may have everything and still feel like their life was already assigned before they arrived. The right school, the right friends, the right internship, the right partner, the right public image. They may not be allowed to fail privately because every mistake becomes embarrassing for the family. Poor characters often fight for access. Rich characters often fight for selfhood. Different cage, but still a cage.
⋆˙⟡ Write the staff situation carefully. I mean IF there are housekeepers, drivers, nannies, assistants, guards, cooks, gardeners, tutors, PLEASE REMEMBER those people ARE NOT FURNITURE! They know everything. They see the family without performance. A rich child might be closer to the nanny than the parent. A driver might know every secret because rich people forget workers can hear. That dynamic can be warm, exploitative, complicated, loyal, resentful, or all of it at once.
⊹ A nepo baby may be talented and still protected. This is the annoying part, but it’s true. The character might actually be good at acting, music, business, politics, whatever. The point is not “they have no talent.” The point is they got more chances to prove it. More safety when they failed. Better teachers. Better rooms. Better introductions. A more interesting nepo baby knows they are good and still wonders how much of their success belongs to them.
⊹ They may be weirdly lonely. Money can buy privacy, but it can also create distance. People may want access, status, favors, invitations, jobs, proximity. A rich character might never know whether someone likes them or likes the life around them. Their birthday party is full, but somehow nobody knows they hate being alone after everyone leaves.
⊹ Their “normal” is not normal, and you can use that. Maybe they grew up with security cameras, charity galas, boarding school, ski trips, private doctors, family lawyers, summer houses, tutors, and adults who called them “sir” when they were twelve. They may be totally calm in luxury but panic in ordinary situations. They can handle a formal dinner with ambassadors but not a laundromat. That contrast is PURE GOLD!
⊹ Class guilt is not the same as class awareness!! A rich character can feel guilty and still benefit from everything. They can say “I hate rich people” while living off rich people money. They can donate, volunteer, dress down, date someone broke, reject the family business, and still not fully understand what it means to have no safety net. Mens: guilt can be sincere and useless at the same time.
⊹ Their friendships can be transactional without anyone saying it. Who gets invited to the lake house? Who gets introduced to the producer? Who gets their internship through whose father? Who disappears when the family loses money?
⊹ Give them specific habits, not just designer names. They know which fork to use. They pack like hotels will have everything. They don’t check prices on menus. They know how to speak to lawyers. They call adults by first names because they grew up around powerful people. They own luggage that looks more emotionally stable than most characters. Specific behavior sells the class background better than writing “Gucci” every five seconds.
⊹ Let them be funny without making them dumb (Please.) Rich characters can be unintentionally hilarious because their survival skills are so uneven. They might know five languages and not know how to unclog a sink. They might discuss inheritance law calmly but be defeated by public transport. They might say something insane like “we only had the small yacht that summer” and genuinely not hear it. Comedy works best when they are smart in one world and helpless in another.
⊹ Losing money should feel like identity collapse. If the family fortune disappears, it is not just “now they are poor.” It’s shame, secrecy, social exile, changed friendships, sold houses, unpaid staff, parents panicking, old friends pretending not to notice, and the character realizing how much of their personality was built on always having a backup plan.
⊹ The best arc is usually NOT “rich person learns poor people exist.”
Please no. Better arcs: they learn that guilt is not repair. They choose a life not assigned to them. They stop using money as emotional duct tape. They realize kindness without power-sharing is still comfortable for them. They lose the fantasy that being miserable makes their privilege disappear. They become less charming and more honest.
Hi, sorry to bother and sorry if this is too much, but I was wondering if you had anything to help write a character dying of an infected gunshot wound? Love ur acc btw 💓
Writing Notes: Infected Gunshot Wound
It will take some time for a gunshot wound to heal.
The length of time depends on the person's health and how serious the wound is.
The bullet may have broken a bone or caused a lot of damage to muscles, organs, or nerves.
The bullet may also have been left in the body because getting it out would have caused the person more harm.
Some signs of infection:
Redness or swelling around the wound
A lot of blood or pus coming from the wound
Foul odor
Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or as directed by provider
It's normal to feel some stress and anxiety after a traumatic event like a gunshot wound. You may write about your character feeling anxious, angry, or depressed or having trouble sleeping or focusing. The following may also occur.
Wound continues to bleed even after putting direct pressure on it
For chest, back, or abdomen wounds:
Shortness of breath
Painful breathing
Back or abdomen pain that gets worse
Weakness
Dizziness or fainting
Redness, swelling, or fluid leaking from your wound that gets worse
Pain that gets worse
Symptoms that don’t get better, or get worse
New symptoms
Signs of Wound Infection
Pus: Medical professionals manage healthy drainage with regular dressings. But cloudy, yellowish drainage or purulent discharge with a pungent or foul odor accompanied with swelling and elevated pain is a sign of an infected wound.
Pimple: When a pimple-like crust forms on an injury, it indicates an infection. This pimple increases in size over time.
Soft Scab: While it is normal to have slightly pink or reddish skin around the injury, a scab that constantly increases in size over time could indicate an infection.
Red Area: In the initial stages, wounds appear red due to the natural healing process. But if the red area around the injured site continues to increase even after 4-5 days of an injury, it is a telltale sign of an infected wound.
Red Streak: If a red streak starts forming from the injured site towards the heart, it could be lymphangitis (inflammation of the lymphatic system). This underlying infection requires immediate medical attention.
More Pain: Normally, the pain subsides a few days after an injury or wound. Long-lasting or elevated pain even after a few days is a symptom of an infected site.
More Swelling: Similar to redness around the wound, swelling in the affected area indicates that the body’s immune system is working. But if the swelling continues even after 3-5 days, with no signs of it reducing, it indicates an infection.
Swollen Node: Generally, swollen lymph nodes indicate that a body’s immune system is fighting an illness. But the formation of a large and tender node near the injured site could be a sign of an infected wound.
Fever: After an injury or surgery, it is normal for a patient to run a low-grade fever. However, persistent high-grade fever coupled with decreased appetite and body ache is a sign of infection.
An intermediate velocity (muzzle velocity 350-650 meters per second or 1,200-2,000 feet per second) and a high velocity (muzzle velocity >600 meters per second or >2,000 feet per second) gun shot wounds are more likely to have a high risk of infection.
It has been found that gunshot wounds to the abdomen with associated colonic injuries had a worse outcome with an increased risk of developing wound infections.
Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infection. A serious, life-threatening condition. It needs treatment right away to keep it from destroying skin, muscle, and other soft tissues.
The word necrotizing comes from the Greek word "nekros."
It means "corpse" or "dead."
A necrotizing infection causes patches of tissue to die.
These infections are the result of bacteria invading the skin or the tissues under the skin. If untreated, they can cause death in hours.
Fortunately, such infections are very rare. They can quickly spread from the original infection site. So it's important to know the symptoms.
The most common symptoms of a necrotizing soft tissue infection:
Pain that hurts more than you think it should, based on the size of the wound or sore
A wound with a fever (higher than 100.4°F or 38°C) and a rapid heartbeat. This is usually more than 100 beats a minute.
Pain that extends past the edge of the wound or visible infection
Pain, warmth, skin redness, or swelling at a wound, especially if the redness is spreading rapidly and if areas are turning bluish or black
Skin blisters, sometimes with a "crackling" sensation under the skin
Pain from a skin wound that also has signs of a more severe infection, such as chills and fever
Grayish, smelly liquid draining from the wound
A small sore or pus-filled bump that is unusually painful to the touch
An area around the sore that is hot to the touch
A hard time thinking clearly, especially along with one of the other symptoms noted
A lot of sweating, especially with one of the other symptoms noted
Areas of skin at or near a wound that feel numb
A sore that is getting worse quickly, especially if you:
Are obese
Have diabetes
Have a weak immune system from using a steroid regularly
Are on chemotherapy for cancer
Are on dialysis
Have peripheral artery disease
Drink a lot of alcohol
Have poorly controlled HIV/AIDS
People with some of these symptoms are surprised to learn that they have a necrotizing soft tissue infection.
That's because it may not seem to be very severe at first.
But these infections can get worse quickly if they are not aggressively treated.
Here's another reference that includes some mechanisms at work with gunshots. And more information on wounds.
Thanks for this request, this was quite interesting for me to look up—no apologies needed! And thank you for your lovely words, hope this helps with your writing <3
Amputation - a surgical procedure involving the removal of all or part of a limb, often performed to preserve life or prevent further bodily harm due to severe trauma, infection, tumors, or vascular diseases.
Traumatic amputation - the loss of a body part, usually a finger, toe, arm, or leg, that occurs as the result of an accident or injury.
Commonly, extremities such as arms and legs are the focus of surgical amputations, which can arise from conditions like ischemia, uncontrolled diabetes, or significant injuries.
The procedure transforms the remaining limb into a stump that can accommodate prosthetic devices, enhancing mobility and quality of life post-surgery.
Prosthetics - surgically implanted or otherwise artificial replacement limbs or body parts.
Symptoms of traumatic amputations may include:
Bleeding (may be minimal or severe, depending on the location and nature of the injury)
Pain (the degree of pain is not always related to the severity of the injury or the amount of bleeding)
Crushed body tissue (badly mangled, but still partially attached by muscle, bone, tendon, or skin)
3 General Classes of Surgical Amputation
provisional or open,
conventional or standard, and
osteomyoplastic.
The techniques for each are briefly described:
The technique for a provisional amputation is often referred to as guillotine.
In the past, this approach was commonly used in battle situations where speed was important to minimize both blood loss and subsequent infection.
The technique is used mainly to remove a victim from a dangerous situation, typically one causing a crushing injury in which the alternative to amputation is death.
All tissues are cut circularly.
Skin is retained to the greatest degree possible, muscle and fascia are cut shorter, and the bone is cut shorter still.
The hope is that the soft tissues (skin and muscles) will ultimately cover the bone, but the results are generally unsatisfactory.
Large scars are common, and muscle frequently adheres to the bone.
Long periods are required for healing, infections are common, and prostheses do not fit well.
Another, more definitive amputation is usually required at a later date.
In a conventional amputation, skin, underlying tissues, muscle, and fascia are all cut in curved flaps that originate at the end of the remaining, unamputated bone.
The muscles, fascia, bone, and major blood vessels are divided at the base of the remaining bone; nerves are cut at a slightly higher level, approximately 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) above the end of the bone.
The nerves will retract somewhat into the muscle, minimizing postoperative pain.
Muscles are tapered so that large masses of tissue are not present over the end of the stump; this will enhance the fit of a later prosthesis.
At the cut end of the bone, the outer layer of bone is removed to reduce the possibility of bone spurs forming in the future.
The skin over the amputation site is closed loosely to avoid stretching as it heals.
The purpose of an osteomyoplastic amputation is to improve function after a prosthesis is fitted.
The preparation of skin and fascia is the same as for a conventional amputation.
Nerves and blood vessels are also divided.
Muscles are separated for about 5 centimeters (2 inches) past the point where the bone will be cut.
A portion of the outer surface (periosteum) of the bone to be amputated is sutured to the divided muscle.
The bone is then cut.
The prepared flap of periosteum and muscle is sutured to the periosteum of the stump.
This procedure covers the marrow cavity of the stump, helps to preserve the remaining bone, and reduces postoperative infections.
The remaining muscles are then sutured across the end of the stump.
The skin is closed as in a conventional amputation.
In an alternative procedure, holes are drilled in the bone of the stump.
Muscles are inserted in the holes and sutured in place.
The net effect of these osteomyoplastic procedures is to strengthen the musculature of the stump and to improve mobility for a prosthesis.
There are several common sites or levels for amputations of the leg.
Syme’s amputation is performed when most of the foot has been destroyed by trauma or compromised by poor circulation. In this type of amputation, the bones of the foot are removed, and the end of the tibia becomes the weight-bearing surface for the prosthesis.
A below-the-knee (BK) amputation is used to provide additional mobility for a prosthesis. It also leads to more complete rehabilitation because the knee is still available for movement. It is also associated with a reduction in phantom limb pain.
An above-the-knee (AK) amputation is frequently selected when gangrene extends into the muscles or skin of the calf. When the muscles of the leg are contracted, a prosthesis is not likely to be fitted or used. There is no advantage to a BK amputation in this situation. The AK amputation is associated with the highest healing rate for amputations among patients with peripheral vascular disease. The rate of a repeat amputation performed at a higher level on the leg is also low. Prostheses that permit walking, however, are less efficient with amputations at this level.
Both amputations have about the same rate of healing, but a higher percentage of individuals with BK amputations walk on prostheses than do those with AK amputations.
The choice between BK and AK amputation is determined by the general health of the patient and the potential for rehabilitation.
The most important determinant of the level of amputation, however, is the vascular status of the patient.
The leg can also be amputated at either the knee or the hip; such a procedure is a disarticulation, an amputation through a joint.
A knee disarticulation is most commonly used with children to preserve the growing portion (epiphysis) of the remaining thigh bone.
A hip disarticulation is used with tumors or extensive soft tissue injuries in the thigh.
Special prostheses that permit walking after such procedures are available, but are relatively uncommon.
However, as technology improves, such prostheses are becoming more widely available and increasingly comfortable and functional.
Portions of the upper extremity are usually amputated after extensive trauma.
Malignant disease of the bone or muscle is a less common reason for amputation at these sites.
The considerations described for the lower extremity apply to the upper extremity, namely, preserving as much tissue as possible for later rehabilitation and recovery of function.
The sites for amputation are also analogous. Individual fingers can be amputated, or the entire hand can be amputated at the wrist (a location similar to the Syme’s amputation of the foot).
Similarly, the forearm can be amputated either below the elbow or above the elbow.
Portions of the arm can be disarticulated at the elbow or at the shoulder.
Restoration of function is far more difficult, however, in an upper extremity amputation than for a lower extremity amputation. It is easier to restore the ability to walk than it is to restore hand function.
Possible Causes
A person can experience a traumatic amputation from a motor vehicle, occupational or industrial accident or combat injury.
Traumatic injury accounts for about 45% of all amputations.
A body part can be cut off or torn away in a severe accident, or it can be so badly damaged from a crush injury or severe burns that it cannot be saved.
If tissue destruction, infection or disease affects a body part in a way that makes it impossible to repair or endangers the person’s life, that part may be removed by surgical amputation.
Trauma or disease that cuts off blood flow to a body part for an extended time can also cause tissue death requiring an amputation.
An example is frostbite, which can damage the blood vessels in fingers and toes, eventually requiring their removal.
LIMB LOSS. People can lose all or part of an arm or leg for many reasons. Common ones include:
Problems with the flow of blood through your body. These may be the result of atherosclerosis or diabetes. Severe cases may result in amputation (the surgical removal of a limb).
Injuries, including from traffic accidents and military combat.
Cancer.
Birth defects.
Common feelings following an amputation
The loss of a body part, especially one as visible as a finger, hand or arm, can be emotionally upsetting.
It may take time to adapt to changes in physical appearance and ability to function.
Talking about these feelings with a doctor, therapist, or other patients who have had amputations often helps patients come to terms with amputation.
You may ask your doctor to recommend a counselor to assist with this process.
It is important to remember that with time, patients adapt by finding new ways of doing daily activities.
A resource that may help is the Amputee Coalition of America.
Remember that the quality of life is directly related to one’s attitude and expectations – not just obtaining and using a prosthesis.
Some amputees have phantom pain, which is the feeling of pain in the missing limb.
Other physical problems include surgical complications and skin problems if you wear an artificial limb. Many amputees use an artificial limb. Learning how to use it takes time. Physical therapy can help you adapt.
Recovery from the loss of a limb can be hard. Sadness, anger, and frustration are common. If you are having a tough time, talk to your health care provider. Treatment with medicine or counseling can help.
Sources: 1 2 3 4 5
More details can be found in the sources linked above. All the best with your writing!
NOTE: You don't always have to use an alternative to said in order to get your point across! Please avoid overusing dialogue tags, and remember to spice things up in other ways.
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