Awesome Online Resources for Writers & other Creatives
papyr.com: freely accessible and summarized classroom materials in rhetoric, composition, grammar, and linguistics from a retired english professor
typelit.io: practice writing speed and accuracy by copying entire classical books
wordhippo: thesaurus where synonyms are separated by specific meaning and connotation, making it very easy to find a variety of words
adjectives for: get a selection of adjectives matching to any word you need them for
Heraldicon: create your own coat of arms
A Soft Murmur: make your own personalized ambience music
dmnes.org: database of names found in historical sources all across Europe from the middle ages
foodtimeline.org: timeline of the development of human foods and from when the first evidence we have of a food being consumed
Google News Newspaper Archive: archive of old newspaper pages, some dating back to the 19th century
Green’s Dictionary of Slang: a history of slang and insults in the english language
HathiTrust: digital library and archive with an extremely wide variety of topics and archived books and articles
- eg. Fashion Periodicals: an archive of fashion magazines dating back to the 19th century
Marginalia Search: search engine that prioritizes non-commercial content (forums, blogs, and academia) and does not use genAi
Random pieces of advice about worldbuilding and plot.
If every story is worth telling, there are some elements to take into account to make it right.
Every cause has consequences. A story is logical in one way or another. Whether you plan your story or go with the flow, if you ask about: the origins, reactions and actions to be taken following an event, the pieces somehow will ‘click into place’.
Everything has a cost. Magic system, war, life in general... Don't forget that resources are not unlimited. Consider the societal, social, natural, (magical, if need be) limitations.
Challenge the statut quo and the villain's motivations (if there's a villain in the original sense of the term) : Ask yourself why the villain wants to ‘change the world’ (and really question his legitimacy) and what the world should look like after the final confrontation. If we come back to the original point, it's that the plot didn't serve any purpose, being no more than a ‘historical aside’. Remember that everything happens for a reason, so make that reason a good one.
Make actual research about geography and climate: forest, desert and especially rivers can't pop out of nowhere, they must respect certain natural principles. For example, a river must have its source somewhere, often high up in the mountains. So it seems logical that a river should be close to a mountain. Be careful if you want to incorporate a map in your story !
Be careful when you rely on chance, fate or whatever you call it. I still can't work out whether it's worse than deus ex machina - especially if it's done badly. As far as I'm concerned, if you work well enough with the cause-consequence chain and have a good grasp of the limits of your universe, you won't need to rely on this kind of process. this one is actually pretty personnal, you have every right to disagree.
Writing Tip - How To Make Fight Scenes Interesting
More writing tips
So, when it comes to writing fight scenes, as I have done quite a few of them, there's some things I keep in mind.
Ensure Consistent Character Abilities: Characters should fight consistently throughout the scene. They shouldn’t magically become stronger or weaker without a clear reason. Consistency in their abilities helps maintain believability.
Avoid Making Heroes Invincible: I prefer not to portray heroes as invulnerable, as seen in many 80s action movies. Instead, I include moments where the hero gets hit, shows visible injuries, and shows fatigue. This makes them feel more human and improves the significance of their victories. It’s hard to create a sense of urgency if the characters don’t seem to be in real danger.
Portray Antagonists as Competent: I avoid depicting random cannon fodder as foolish by having them attack one at a time or easily get knocked out. Instead, I show them employing smart tactics such as ganging up on the hero and even getting back up after being knocked down.
Incorporate the Environment: Don’t forget to include the surroundings. Whether the fight takes place in a cramped alley, on a rain-soaked rooftop, or in a collapsing building, use the environment creatively. Characters can use objects as weapons, find cover, or struggle against challenging terrain.
Highlight Self-Inflicted Pain: Characters can hurt themselves just as much as their opponents. For instance, after landing a powerful right hook, a character might need to pause and shake off their hand in pain. This not only adds realism but also highlights the toll that fighting takes on the body.
Show Consequences After the Fight: Consider what happens after the battle concludes. Do injuries slow the hero down and limit their abilities for the rest of the story?
These are just a few tips for now. I am planning to release more tips on how I write my fight scenes with some examples included. See you then!
there’s a lot of variables with GSWs so buckle up, this is gonna be a long post. and i suck at structuring things. brevity? don’t know her.
managing GSWs requires quite a bit of knowledge: anatomy, physiology, bullet mechanics, etc. i’ll try to keep it as simple as i can and if i under-explain something or get too vague feel free to drop a comment or ask and i’ll do my best to clarify.
a fired bullet has a certain amount of kinetic energy which in turn interacts with mass and velocity. (kinetic energy is (0.5)(m)(v2) m being mass and v being velocity). the more mass and velocity a bullet has the more kinetic energy it’ll have, however, keep in mind velocity has a larger effect on kinetic energy compared to mass. bullets are (usually) small, but the high speeds they travel at results in large amounts of kinetic energy which transfers to the body and in turn creates the initial injury. the energy then displaces tissue as it moves through the body.
there’s three types of wound channels:
primary, which is the actual “hole” the bullet carves out.
secondary, which is pathway expansion, where the result of tissue displacement as pressure waves travel through tissue. the expansion results in cavitation where the tissue is pushed away from the bullet and compressed as a result.
tertiary, which is damage caused by the fluid shock wave. high enough energy from specific bullet types and calibers can rupture solid organs without ever touching them.
hard tissue injury:
a high velocity bullet will travel straight through hard tissue, drilling a hole. a bullet encountering any resistance will alter trajectory and cause it to tumble. this change in energy will crack and splinter bone.
soft tissue injury:
a high velocity bullet will cause a shockwave as it carves a path. this causes massive tissue damage and alongside, major bleeding. if the wound doesn’t seem to bleed at first, it will when the injury moves. the tissues contracting and stretching will cause blood to pour (this is hemorrhaging; uncontrolled blood flow)
muzzle burns occur from contact wounds. firearm is touching person when fired.
flame-burns occur from near-contact or close-range injuries. singeing of hair will be present.
a contact GSW that hits bony tissue—also known as a stellate wound—where gases exit the barrel before the projectile. the gas impacts the bone tissue causing the gas to reflect. this causes expansion of the subcutaneous(under the skin) space and pressure which results in a rather explosive looking injury. the expanding gasses also cause soft-tissue and blood to back-splatter onto the firearm and possibly the shooter’s fingers and hand.
bullets:
solid bullet/non-deforming bullets, if the trajectory isn’t hindered it doesn’t tumble, may only have simple deformation not much larger than the primary wound channel. more often than not, the bullet will travel straight through.
types include:
full metal jackets
round noses
wadcutters
semi-wadcutters
a deforming or fragmenting bullet is designed to expand upon impact. this is where massive shock wave injury will be seen. tissue isn’t being cut open like a solid bullet, it’s torn apart.
deforming/fragmenting types include:
hollow point
soft point
frangible
slug
when fluid shock wave travels through even soft tissue, it meets resistance. to keep traveling, it has to overcome the tissue’s ability to absorb energy. soft tissue has more elasticity and will give more leeway compared to less elastic tissues. if tissue cannot absorb energy, it will be blasted apart. as energy slows, blasting lessens into ripping.
muscle tissue is tough. it recovers better than most tissues in the body. it can do this because it has a massive amount of blood supply. muscle tissue is not as elastic as soft tissue. a bullet that exceeds tissue elasticity is violent.
solid organs:
liver
spleen
pancreas
kidneys
adrenals
ovaries
solid organs have a larger supply of blood and suffer the same affect as muscle tissue. fluid shockwave is capable of affecting tissue almost two feet away from the primary channel, however, this is dependent on bullet design, caliber, type of firearm used, distance, etc.
some examples:
a bullet hitting the shoulder can send enough energy into the thoracic cavity to impact the heart. this impact could be cardiac contusion (bruising of the heart), which can lead to dysrhythmia. a dysrhythmia is an unsustainable heart rhythm that can lead to cardiac arrest if not treated. the shockwave can reach the trachea, diaphragm, and even the bronchi, which is a very quick recipe for a person to become apneic (not breathing).
the fluid shockwave from a high energy bullet at close enough range can cause internal decapitation.
hollow organs:
stomach
intestines
gallbladder
urinary bladder
uterus
hollow organs are a soft tissue with less blood supply and more elasticity. the shockwave doesn’t leave as much injury tract. the bad part is hollow organs tend to be full of stuff you don’t want leaking out into the body. it is very bad news if a hollow organ is punctured. no one likes sepsis.
three types of firearm: handgun, rifle, and shotgun.
handguns can be a pistol or a revolver and are typically lower velocity compared to a rifle.
rifles fire a single projectile at very high-velocity. small entry wounds and large exit wounds are typical.
shotguns fire low-velocity pellet rounds that aren’t stabilized in flight by spinning. large widespread entry and exit wounds are typical.
general management of a GSW is rapid trauma assessment and your ABCs. Airway, breathing, and circulation. Control of major hemorrhaging takes priority over airway management initially.
the first step in controlling any bleeding is to apply pressure. if no medical supplies are available, then the wound should be covered with any absorbent material. a towel, a shirt, a scarf, even if it’s the person’s shirt. blood loss will kill someone quicker than infection, so don’t worry about infection.
GSWs are deep. press down hard, even if it requires full body weight.
if the GSW is on a limb, tourniquet application may be required. tourniquets are applied above joints and above the artery. a tourniquet can be applied safely for several hours without risk of limb injury. a properly applied tourniquet needs to be tight. there should be no pulse from the arteries below placement. it will hurt. do not remove a tourniquet once it’s placed.
internal bleeding often cannot be stopped by pressure, which is where wound packing comes into play. hemostatic gauze (causes the blood to clot) should be first choice to pack bleeding wounds. fingers and possibly hands will be inside the wound when packing. yes, it is as grotesque as it sounds. press against the artery with one hand and with the other, feed gauze into the wound until it is fully packed. then, pack even more gauze. apply pressure again. if the wound continues bleeding—typically at the three minute mark—apply more gauze.
a pressure bandage, like an israeli bandage, can be placed to secure a packed wound. large surface wounds can be hard to apply pressure to. using the largest gauze available and then wrapping the wound like using tape as gift wrap is what should be pictured. no one cares about a pretty wrapping
fractures, particularly pelvic fractures, should be splinted to help control bleeding. this is only done if the bleeding has stopped. do not splint an active bleed. immobilization may be required if the person is moving. splints keep the affected tissue from stretching or contraction and reactivating the bleeding. splints are not like tourniquets. if you cannot feel a pulse from the limb splinted, it’s too tight. you can also check capillary refill and circulation by pinching the nail bed furthest away from the splint. it should blanch out and as you release the pinch, the color should return.
watching for and controlling shock is imperative.
penetrating injury to the chest can cause tension pneumothorax or open pneumothorax, also known as sucking chest wound. tension pneumothorax is much more likely to be fatal.
signs of open pneumothorax:
opening in the chest, around the size of a coin.
hissing or sucking noise as the person inhales and exhales (but not always).
heavy bleeding from the wound.
bright red or pink tinged blood foaming around the wound.
aspirating blood.
treat any chest penetration as if it were open pneumothorax. keep a hand on the wound while preparing dressing. a chest seal or medical plastic is ideal, but a ziploc bag or plastic card like a debut card or library card will work. if possible, have the person breathe out to release any excess air. then, seal the wound with tape, plastic, or a proper chest seal. secure the tape or seal with occlusive dressing, making sure entry and exit wound if plausible are sealed.
there’s some debate on whether to seal on all four sides or to leave one side open to let air escape without letting air in. i was taught to use a vented chest seal, or seal all four sides. sealing all four sides has the chance of occluding a way for air to escape and lead to tension pneumothorax. again, tension pneumothorax has a much higher mortality rate and is harder to treat in field, so it comes down to assessing vitals and judgment call.
signs of tension pneumothorax:
crackling sounds when inhaling or exhaling (subcutaneous emphysema).
blueness of the lips or fingers (cyanosis).
enlarged neck veins (jugular vein distention)(this is easier to see if the person is laying down).
collapsed lung (short, shallow breathing, and one side of the chest appearing larger than the other).
the collapsed lung causes pressure to build and compress the heart, causing rapid deterioration. tachycardia (fast heart beat) and dyspnea (difficulty breathing) is to be expected
treatment for tension pneumothorax is a needle thoracostomy, also called thoracic decompression or needle decompression. a large bore needle (14 gauge) is inserted into the second intercostal space (between second and third rib) at the midclavicular line (find your clavicle/collar bone and then find the middle. that’s your midclavicular line) on the affected side at a 90° angle to the chest wall.
signs needle decompression worked:
improved breath sounds
decreased respiratory distress
improved oxygen saturation
stabilized vital signs
may hear a whoosh of air when the needle is inserted, confirming release of trapped pressure.
remove the needle, leaving the catheter, and secure catheter in place with tape.
evisceration is treated almost similar to a chest wound. DO NOT push the organs back in. gold standard is to cover the exposed and or extruding organs with warm, moist, sterile dressing and then cover that with an occlusive dressing to keep it from drying out. the most important thing is to keep the organs from drying out. a dry organ is a dead organ. use the cleanest water possible if saline isn’t available.
don’t move the person unless absolutely necessary. if the wound is on the arms or legs, they can be elevated to reduce blood flow. if the wound is to the waist, chest, head, or neck, DO NOT elevate the legs. doing so will increase bleeding and make it harder for the person to breathe.
if the person is unconscious but breathing on their own, place them lateral recumbent, also known as the recovery position. this has the person three-quarters prone; on their side. this keeps their airway open and prevents aspiration.
body armor can cause atypical entry and exit sites from deflections due to the armor.
GSWs like to hide when they don’t hit major blood vessels. in the wise words of ems: STRIP AND FLIP. meaning cut their clothes off and examine them without moving them around too much. if there’s no exit wound, it can be easy to miss an entry wound. also cover them back up once done looking. don’t let people imminent to going into shock get cold.
a .22 is likely to bounce around inside the body rather than exit straight out.
general rule of thumb is the larger the caliber the larger the exit wound.
fluid resuscitation should be titrated to keep the mean arterial pressure above 60mmHg. fancy way of saying keep that blood pressure up. fluids will likely be given until systolic blood pressure is no longer under 100mmHg.
however, minimized use of fluids is common when a blood transfusion is needed. too much normal saline/sodium chloride can cause hyperchloremia since it has more chloride then plasma. too much lactated ringer can cause metabolic alkalosis.
in other words: don’t give your blorbo an insane amount of fluid when they really need a blood transfusion. your safe number for iv fluid resuscitation would be fluid bolus of 500ml over fifteen minutes. reassess and repeat until they’re not shock-y anymore.
the rest is all of my hospital knowledge. i do not work in a hospital and this isn’t really my scope of practice this is just what i got to learn doing clinicals at a trauma center:
in a hospital setting, prophylactic antibiotics are used to prevent localized infection and progression to osteomyelitis (bone or bone marrow inflammation, usually due to infection) or sepsis. the duration varies from 24-72 hours.
high energy GSWs are more likely to cause infection, as well as injury regions such as the hand, hip, foot, and distal tibia.
perforation of vascular, gastrointestinal, or genitourinary tissue drastically increases the risk of infection and sepsis.
if a bullet can’t be palpated or is in soft tissue without joint involvement, it should generally be left alone. projectiles in soft tissue are quickly enveloped by avascular soft tissue which puts the risk of lead poisoning very low. surgical removal in these cases can cause more soft tissue trauma than the GSW itself.
