Tips for writing someone dying of sepsis, as a person who survived it:
1. It fucking HURTS!!! Wherever the infection is will be red hot to the touch, and also be in extreme pain. My infection was in my left ankle and if I tapped my left foot on the ground, I would be crying in pain
2. They are not able of having in depth conversations. The infection messes with your head, even if it is far away from your brain. For me, I was so incredibly tired all the time. You could talk to me, but I felt like I was living in molasses the whole time. It was very, very hard for me to hold a conversation with anyone
3. The person is sick in EVERY WAY. I was throwing up constantly, I could barely keep food down, and anything I did eat made me feel sick afterwards. I was also so weak that getting myself into my kitchen from my bedroom would wind me. My apartment is less than 700 square feet. It is not a far distance between the 2
4. The gut feeling. I was keenly aware something was wrong. I knew, in my heart of hearts, that I was dying. Its hard to describe other than your body is telling you "youre about to die"
Fight scenes are a dime a dozen. Most fiction has it. But good fights are as rare as gold—and just as beautiful too. A good fight scene outshines a million terrible ones.
But what separates the good ones from the bad? Is it… the weapons? The physical descriptions? How the characters react?
The answer's not as clear-cut as you'd hope.
Today I'll be breaking down why your fight scenes suck (and how you can fix them). If this post ends up helping you, give me a reblog so I can help more writers! Share the love.
1). YOU'RE DESCRIBING TOO MUCH
Writers love to over-describe their fights—writing every punch, huff, expression, and micro-movement. You think you're doing a good job, but the truth is: you're slowing your scene down when fights should be fast. When you overdescribe, pacing suffers, and the fight gets boringly technical. Your readers will pick up on that and skip.
Think of it as writing in slow-motion.
A good fight? It's quick. It's dirty. It's written in choppy sentences and minimal verbs because everything's moving so fast. Explain just enough so your readers know where everyone is, who's punching who, whose weapons' hitting what. But if you find yourself describing the individual flecks of sweat on someone's fist as it's charging forward, well… then you've gone too far.
Tips for you:
Do not describe everything blow-by-blow.
Highlight important moments as they come.
Characters can always discuss details after the fact.
Describe just enough for readers to know what's going on.
Most fights end in seconds.
When in doubt: trust your reader to fill in the blanks. (They're good at that.)
2.) YOUR FIGHTS LACK MEANING
Readers read books for a feeling. Fights are no exception.
Give your character something good to fight for. Don't make it about survival, because readers know your main character won't die. So give your fight stakes. What happens if your protagonist loses? Will they be exiled? Will someone else die? Why can't your protagonist walk away?
Make sure we feel the consequences before and during the fight. Foreshadowing is your best friend.
A bad fight scene? It fills white space for its own sake. It meanders—it exists because "fights are cool, y'know". If a fight is meaningless, readers won't waste their time with it.
Ask yourself these questions:
Why should we root for your hero?
What's at stake?
Who has the upperhand?
What are the consequences? ← (!!!)
A fight that's actually meaningful will change the rest of the story.
3). YOUR FIGHTS AREN'T FUN (And you're not having fun with them)
I know what you're thinking right now.
"But my fight has stakes, my fight has just enough detail, aaaand it has meaning!"
But those are all technical things. You're scratching off a list of requirements and calling it a day.
Where's the banter? The plot twists? The power moves? How do the character's backstories and fight history come into play? Where are the injuries? And goddamn it—where are my car keys?!
A well-written fight is passable.
A well-written but fun fight sticks in your mind. Those are the fights you reread over and over—the kind of fight that says, "Look at me. Look at what my characters are capable of."
Have fun with your fights. Add weird weapons, add a crazy-ass plot-twist that changes the upperhand. Write your fight as a game of chess where each move levels the playing field. Or write your fight as a non-stop rollercoaster ride of twists, turns, curves, and loop-de-loops. A fight so intense and weird but undeniably you, that by the end of it, your reader is left breathlessly asking, "WHAT JUST HAPPENED?"
Not every fight should be a cinematic masterpiece. Not every fight needs a plot twist. But I am saying that a fun fight should be your priority.
And if a "fun fight" doesn't fit your gritty and realistic medieval fantasy story? Fair enough, but don't let that stop you from adding something unique.
Different ideas you can steal:
Use your fight as a worldbuilding opportunity (you can get so creative with this!)
Add banter
The protag and antag are unexpectedly related (mentor/student, father/son, mother/daughter)
A secret or important plot device is revealed
Characters use the environment to fight (tossing sand in eyes, releasing a caged animal, etc.)
Reveal that your protagonist is more brutal than you'd have the reader believe
Add realistic injuries that suddenly change the fight (example: an injured arm can't block as well—perhaps your protag uses an unexpected item as a shield)
A special move unique to one character
A stronger third character joins the fight (forcing the two fighters to work together)
Changing locations mid-fight
Both fighters are progressively injured until they're both barely standing
The swordfight ends in a bloody fistfight
4). BONUS TIPS
These tips are just as important as the rest.
A combat injury can easily become a permanent one.
Read your favorite scenes and break down what they did.
Any character can experience PTSD, even if they're an experienced fighter (think: combat vets)
Don't get too flowery or wordy.
A good fight scene is mostly atmosphere and feel.
Make it visceral. Make it uncomfortable.
Keep it real—swords are heavy, armor is heavy. A simple cut may seem like no biggie, until the blood dribbles down and affects their grip.
In sum:
Don't overdo descriptions, give your fight meaning, and make your fights FUN. Oh—and never skimp out on reading! Studying other fiction is just as important as writing it.
Did this post help you? I'm glad. If you're struggling with your fight scenes right now, I offer feedback like this directly to your work.
This post was proudly written without generative AI.
I'll keep updating this as I post more writing content!
Character Building
- Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Character
- How to Get to Know Your Character
- Get to Know Your Main Character
- Aesthetics For Your Characters
- How to Write Queerness in Characters Before They Know
- Make a Blog For Your Characters
- Know Your Characters
- Family Trees For Your Characters
Want quick tips to add instant chemistry to the relationships of your characters??
(🥳With examples🥳)
First of all, I want to say that you can also use most of them for platonic/ non-romantic relationships, so feel free to use this tips however you think they might work better in your story. So, without further adue, let's get to the tips!!!
Make your characters LISTEN to each other. Like, if A tells B they're not a morning person, B could make some coffee for A or lower the volume of their alarm.
This might sound quite obvious, but show that you characters care for each other. It might be as simple as one of them giving the other a glass of water when they feel a little dizzy, but it works wonders!
Make your characters physically close. When you are emotionally close to someone, you tend to be physically close too. But here is the thing. Make your characters react like it's second nature: "how would I not hug B when I haven't seen them in days?" or "Of course I'm gonna take A's hand when I feel afraid".
They don't have to be constantly thinking about each other, but when they do, MAKE IT MATTER!! For example, character A is out shopping, and they see B's favorite cookies. B didn't have a good day, and A knows that. But A also knows B is gonna fucking love the cookies, so they buy some.
Let them believe and trust each other. Also applies if one of them is a little distrustful: let your characters rely on one another, even if at the start they aren't as comfortable doing it. For a distrustful character, letting the other one help with chores might be a HUGE thing.
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.
