The tickle of curiosity. The gasp of discovery. Fingers running across the keyboard.

The tickle of curiosity. The gasp of discovery. Fingers running across the keyboard.

The World of Iniquus - Action Adventure Romance

Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts

Monday, August 3, 2015

Are You Thinking of Co-authoring a Book? Info for Writers

Writing
 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A few years ago, I met English ex-pat John Dolan on Twitter, of all places. He had doffed his Henry Higgins cap to explain to me the retweet concept when I was meandering around the Twittersphere as a newbie. Our personalities clicked, and we decided in short order to write a novel together via the Internet.

I thought I might lay out some of the barrels we needed to leap in order to help you make decisions should you ever find yourself wanting to co-author a work. If you are a reader you might appreciate the behind scenes foibles

Timing
I thought the hardest part of this experiment would be time. John and I had our personal constraints as well as the timing issues of a 9 hours difference between EST where I live and Dubai time where he was living. But that was the least of the issues. Technology issues were our #1 headache.

Trusting.
If either of us threw up our hands before we were done, then months of work would be down the drain. Make sure you have an exit strategy should one of you need to stop.

Picking a language.
John speaks British-English, and I speak American-English. Word choices, phrases, even spelling can become confusing, even if you are from different regions within a single country. Here’s a real-life exchange between John and I that actually made it into our book:

John: "Dagenham Dave" was a 'wide boy' in an Ian Dury song.

Fiona: OK I think this is fine but have no idea what a 'wide boy' could mean besides someone who enjoys too many pastries.

John: Continues Fiona's education in matters British: A 'wide boy' is someone who is an insincere person, a con-man, a snake-oil salesman, someone obsessed with making 'loads of money'. OK, Elisa? Yours, Henry Higgins.

Fiona: Thank you, professor. Can I take the marbles out of my mouth now?

Writing Style
I am a writer who has the characters and plotline basics in her head, and then lets the story unfold organically. John is a plotter extraordinaire. He kept sending me spreadsheets. To be honest, the first time I opened one, I broke out in hives. He had to coax me, like a wounded animal, into opening any others.

Specialties
Combining fortes produced what we think is a really interesting and unique work. I have a background in psychology, weapons, CSI, and fighting. John is a Shakespearean actor, musician, poet, who works with laws and numbers. We each wrote our strong points and did tutorials for the other. Once I even “killed” one of my adult children over Skype with a black magic marker. John needed to understand how the move worked and the victim's body mechanics. My kid #2 is a trained martial artist so she knows how to take a convincing fall.

A Meeting of the MindsBecause we discussed plot holes, characters, settings and all of the issues that make writers have to dump whole scenes, when we actually sat down to write, our first draft was pretty clean. We did do some rearranging and tweaking, but for the most part, we had already ironed the wrinkles out of the major issues.

Co-authoring CHAOS IS COME AGAIN with John Dolan was a fabulous experience. I had the most fun. I laughed so hard when we were working together that my sides hurt. Chaos Is Come Again is a psychological suspense, a mystery, and a love story, packed with irreverent humour, and viewed through the lens of obsession. You’ve probably never read anything like it
.







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Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.
Cheers,






Sunday, April 26, 2015

The Slammer: Incarceration 101 for Writers



English: A view of the door to a maximum secur...
" (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You have your character in the lock-up - but is it the right facility?















Jail is not synonymous with prison.

Jail

  • not yet convicted by a court
  • convicted of a misdemeanor (less than a year of incarceration)
  • convicted of a felony (more than one year of incarceration) but there isn't a free bed available in the prison system, so they are waiting their turn for a prison bed.
  • typically operated by a sheriff.
  • Because these are usually small facilities, there is often an overcrowding issue (picture 2-3x the number of inmates than was intended)
  • Jails often do not provide the same level of medical attention available to inmates in prison. Most jails have a nurse on duty, others have equipped medical care including dentistry.
  • These facilities are often in quite bad repair and filthy with bodily fluids and feces on the ground and no easy access to cleaning supplies.
  • Programming is typically minimal. Local churches provide religious services and groups such a AA and NA provide services as well.

Regional jail - when in rural areas where small towns cannot afford to maintain
       their own jail house, they will cooperate with nearby townships to have a
       multi-jurisdictional jail.


State Prison 

  • Inmates have broken state law.
  • Are run by the individual states and include:
    • juvenile
    • low security
    • medium security
    • maximum security
  • State prisons are either male prisons or female prisons


Federal Prison 

  • Holds prisoners who have been convicted of a federal offence(s). A federal offence breaks a United States law. These include such crimes as terrorism, extortion, embezzlement, and bank fraud.
  • The prisoners are serving mandatory times. There is a range within the guidelines. After the prisoner is convicted by a jury, then the judge decides that sentence.
  • All crimes that happen within the limits of DC may be seen as federal offences since DC does not belong to any state.
  • Overseen by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) 
  • Inmates are separated by levels of security 
  • Prison Camp (minimum)
    • prisons without fences
    • low risk prisoners
    • they have less than ten years to serve in their sentence
    • sometimes called "Club Feds" 
  • Low - (the following quotes are the definitions as found on http://www.bop.gov) "Low security Federal Correctional Institutions (FCIs) have double-fenced perimeters, mostly dormitory or cubicle housing, and strong work and program components. The staff-to-inmate ratio in these institutions is higher than in minimum security facilities."
  • Medium - "Medium security FCIs (and USPs designated to house medium security inmates) have strengthened perimeters (often double fences with electronic detection systems), mostly cell-type housing, a wide variety of work and treatment programs, an even higher staff-to-inmate ratio than low security FCIs, and even greater internal controls."
  • High - "High security institutions, also known as United States Penitentiaries (USPs), have highly secured perimeters (featuring walls or reinforced fences), multiple- and single-occupant cell housing, the highest staff-to-inmate ratio, and close control of inmate movement."
  • Complex - "At Federal Correctional Complexes (FCCs), institutions with different missions and security levels are located in close proximity to one another. FCCs increase efficiency through the sharing of services, enable staff to gain experience at institutions of many security levels, and enhance emergency preparedness by having additional resources within close proximity."
  • Administrative - "Administrative facilities are institutions with special missions, such as the detention of pretrial offenders; the treatment of inmates with serious or chronic medical problems; or the containment of extremely dangerous, violent, or escape-prone inmates. Administrative facilities include Metropolitan Correctional Centers (MCCs), Metropolitan Detention Centers (MDCs), Federal Detention Centers (FDCs), Federal Medical Centers (FMCs), the Federal Transfer Center (FTC), the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners (MCFP), and the Administrative-Maximum Security Penitentiary (ADX). Administrative facilities, except the ADX, are capable of holding inmates in all security categories." 
  • Supermax prisons (ADX):
    • were designed for the absolute worst offenders
    • prisoners are only allowed human contact during count time, meal time, shower time 
    • Shower time:
      • 20 minutes 
      • 2 -3 x a week 
      • hands and feet remain shackled
      • guarded by at least two guards 
      • Shaving happens about once a week
    • no work assignment
    • mail is heavily censored
    • They are in a cell by themselves behind a steel door for their entire term for 23 hours a day. 
    • They get 1 hour of recreation - this is a done in a cage.
    • video study 

  • Federal timeline US prisoners
    Federal timeline US prisoners (Photo credit: Wikipedia)




In both state and federal prisons

  • Guns are not typically allowed inside the prison and are only held by officers in the caged turrets.
  • Programs are available such as educational programs.
  • Exercise often does not allow for weightlifting or martial arts practice to protect the corrections officers.
  • New arrivals are kept separate from other prisoners until they are taught the rules and what they can expect out of prison life.
  • Inmates are given a classification that takes into consideration length of sentence, education, probability of flight, psychological status, and medical issues (criteria differs from institution to institution). The prison keeps similar classifications together.
  • The offender will be sent to the facility that is near the place where the crime took place. In the case of federal offenders, they can be sent to any of the federal prison. This may mean far from family and friends. An effort is made to keep the prisoner within 500 miles of their families.


Corrections officers (COs) run the jails and prisons.

  • high job turn-over rate
  • usually less training than police officers. Their operations are paramilitary so their training is training mimics a boot camp structure. Training includes among other aspects:
    • handcuffing and restraints
    • riot squad
    • defensive tactics
    • weapons including pepper spray, batons, tasers, firearms 
    • prisoner supervision
    • securing a crime scene and collecting evidence
    • drug training (identification and spotting its use)

related blog article - Locked up

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Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.

Cheers,





http://etikallc.com/federal-prison-camps-brief-primer/
http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-federal-and-vs-state-prison/
http://www.bop.gov
Police Procedure and Investigation - Lee Lofland

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Nature V. Nurture in Your Characters: Info for Writers



Nature V. Nurture is an interesting philosophical/psychological debate that has a great deal of import to the story lines that we are creating. Indeed, it is one of the themes that I am exploring in my new Lynx series, starting with Book One ~ Weakest Lynx.  

Buy It Now


In Weakest Lynx

What Lexi wants is a simple life. What she gets is simply terrifying.

Lexi Sobado is a 20-year-old experienced intelligence consultant with a special psychic gift. However, her gift couldn’t prevent her from becoming the focus of a stalker’s desires. With a death threat shoved in her purse, she finds herself caught in the middle of a sinister web of crime and corruption.

Striker Rheas, a seasoned special agent, is charged with keeping Lexi safe. But can he keep his personal life separate from his professional life as he finds himself falling for his assignment?

What Lexi hides, what she reveals, and what she keeps trying to uncover is a delicate balancing act as she tries to save her own life and stop the killer. Can Lexi learn to love, trust, and harness the power of her psychic flashes before it’s too late?

~

In Lexi Sobado I have crafted a golden girl. You all know at least one of these - the girl at your highschool who was a track star, an honor student, and the Homecoming Queen? But Lexi doesn't see herself as a standout amongst genetic award winners or even among those pushed and prodded by life's circumstances onto the awards' podium. She never got to show off on a public stage to get that kind of feedback. She thinks her skillsets are nothing special just different.

Lexi's parents kept her home to unschool her. Unschooling is like homeschool only less organized. Practically minded, her parents gave her a hands-on, real-world, useful education. She learned applied sciences from her dad, a mechanic, and creative expression from her mom, an artist. She also learned from her neighbors - anyone and everyone who had a skillset to teach her from martial arts by Master Wang at the dry cleaner to the locksmith across the way at the stripmall. Hairdressers, homemakers, primate zoologists are all part of the myriad  teachers who moved in and out of Lexi's life. Amongst them, Lexi's most beloved mentor was Spyder McGraw who trained her brain and her reflexes to follow her career goal of becoming a modern day Kung Fu Nancy Drew.

But here's the question - did Lexi's personal curiosity, drive, and acumen shape whom she became or was it her unusual background?

That's sort of like "which came first, the chicken or the egg?"
A person with low IQ and slow metabolism  would find Lexi's frenetic lifestyle impossible. A person who wasn't taught meditation and other stress management skills would have a hard time coping with the shit that kept hitting the fan in Lexi's life.

Obviously, the more we think about how our characters arrived at the people they are at the moment the story opens, the more three dimensional, believable, and interesting they will be for our readers. Think about your heroine.

  • What natural gifts was she born with?
  • Were they nurtured of left uncovered?
  • Did her life experience train her to overcome something she lacked in her genetic code?
  • What was her emotional state based on nurture?
    • How was she treated by the people in her life up until this point?
    • What would she expect of others in their reactions to her - the golden girl in high school may expect doors to open while the foster kid who changed schools every three or four months might expect all those doors to slam shut in her face.
    • What kinds of stresses had she endured?
    • Did her stress load teach her resilience? Or did it errode her ability to cope? 
  • What was her emotional state based on nature?
    • Gregarious?
    • Combative?
    • Assertive?
  • What was her emotional state based on her life's circumstances?
    • Was she taught to be demure and quiet?
    • Was she taught to fight for what she needs?
  • What are her physical capabilities?
    • Was she born with two-left feet?
    • Did her parents put her in every sports class they could find to help her develop stamina and coordination?
    • Is she more comfortable sitting on a couch and reading about/watching others in action?
    • Can she not sit still; does she always need to be in motion?
  • How does she interact with her environment?
    • Was she born a neat nick, feeling better able to cope when her environment isn't chaotic or does she prefer a lived-in look where she can feel more creative?
    • Did she develop OCD - an anxiety disorder - and need everything to be perfect?
    • Did she develop skillsets from a family who gave her chores? Or has she no clue how to do the basics because her mom preferred to do it herself or they had domestic help?
  • How does she interact with others?
    • Extravert?
    • Introvert?
    • Event dependent?
  • And what about the sixth sense?
    • Was your heroine born with the ability to read people? 
    • Does she get a "gut check" when things are going wrong?"
    • Was she trained to rely on data and weigh stats over using her intuition?
    • Where does she land on the spectrum of intuition and how is this augmented or downplayed by her spiritual background?
These types of questions can continue as you sit down and think about your character. Knowing their innate propensity can be a starting point - but what happens when nature conflicts with nurture? 
  • The boy who wants to play the violin and read books is born into a family of diehard football fans.  
  • The girl who wants to run and climb trees born into the family that wants to raise a princess. 
  • The family who raised a doctor - but that doctor only wants to paint.
Available for Pre-sale


Nature V. Nurture can create wonderful external conflict especially in the deeper relationships and in dire circumstances.  But also think of all of that delicious inner conflict that roils in the gut when our characters are pushed and pulled by sometimes opposing forces. Conflict makes for fabulous prose. 






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Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.

Cheers,

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Is that Even Possible? A Writing Experiment: Chaos Is Come Again with John Dolan and Fiona Quinn

First, a Scientific Question

Could two writers who had just met on Twitter come together and write a novel? 

Hmmm.

Some considerations:
* The writers had never met, never even spoken to each other. Only
   tweeted. Though the question was posed in an e-mail. 
* They write in different styles.
* One writes in English- English; one writes in American-English.

   And thus, spelling, vocabulary, and phrasing differences - some
   of them quite significant - some quite funny.
* One writer lives outside of D.C. in the U.S. and the other is an
   English ex-pat splitting his time between Thailand 
   and Dubai so a time difference of 11 or 9 hours respectively.
* They were both very busy. Dolan was running a power company,
   and Quinn was homeschooling her brood. Both were already
   working on their own writing projects. 
* One was a plotter who has a love of spreadsheets, the other a
   pantser who actually broke out in hives the first time she saw a
   Dolan-spreadsheet.

The catalyst for the science experiment.

Fiona Quinn, a newby to Twitter, meets John Dolan, a Twitter proficient, because she did not understand what an RT was. 

This lead to Dolan putting on his much doffed Henry Higgins cap as he tried to explain the workings of Twitter. 

And then, there was a Twitter exchange of a story - line by line - which lead almost immediately to the question - is this possible in a larger format? Could we write a novel?

Background Research

* First, each subject had to read each other's work and see if
   they felt their possible writing partner could string more that 140
   characters together in a cogent fashion.
* Then there was the Skype session - to actually "meet."
* This was followed by ideas thrown about to see if the minds
    could interact as a team.

Hypothesis

Two strangers from different backgrounds and different parts of the world can bring their own talents and knowledge to the table to create a unique and interesting work of fiction.

Test Your Hypothesis

Fiona Quinn
Quinn and Dolan began the experiment in the spring of 2013. Within a couple of months of daily Skyping and numerous emails, they had constructed their characters and plotline. Dolan took time off on a sabbatical, and they came together to finish the project spring of 2014.

Decisions were made about spelling, language, and process and all were documented ad nauseum into spreadsheets (that Quinn had to be coaxed into opening).



Language/cultural barriers were broken down with exchanges such as these:

Dolan - You are a cheeky cow.
Quinn - I'm a cow? 
              I think we could start with a dictionary of weird
              English words - Yonks, Cow, Fanny, Shag, Twee,
              Loo... 
Dolan - The "cow" thing btw. In English the term "cheeky cow" (of
              which "cow" is a shortened version) is almost a term of
              endearment directed at someone who has made a comment
              which is critical but in a non-threatening/insulting way.
              Just so you know.
Quinn - I took it with a spoonful of endearment.

and...

Quinn - How do you envision Sean?
Dolan - * He's not a homeschooled vegetarian
             * He doesn't like anchovies
             * Size 9 feet
Quinn - Size 9 feet? That's unfortunate.
Dolan - Why?
Quinn - Oh... Hmm... Well there seems to be a mythological 
             correlate --
Dolan - I have size 9 feet
Quinn - ACH! I'll stop typing.
             NO WAIT!
             You have size 9 feet in European size?
Dolan - Yes. Well UK size
Quinn - Okay then I'll finish. A correlate between the man's foot
              size and his uhm “endowment.” And here, size 9 is rather 
              small...
Dolan - Ah, but my foot is only a size 9 when it's not aroused. 
             Whenever my feet get excited, they bust out of my shoes.
Quinn - Too early! I just woke up. 
              That's a frightening thought, Mr. Dolan.
Dolan - It's like a scene from Alien.
Quinn - OK, that's enough thank you. I'm off to wake the kiddos.
              L8r G8R.

There were lots of technical difficulties - a typical exchange.

* OK, I've been through it and accepted all your yellows and put a couple of red expansions. Wanna
    talk about the big blocks of green under Sean and Teagan?
* 2:00pm Quinn - yup.
* 2:02pm Dolan - On video? 15 min warning: I need to get something to eat shortly, OK?
* 2:03pm - John missed a call from you.
* May 24 - You missed a call from John.
* 2:04pm Quinn -  try again  it didnt ring.
* May 24 You missed a call from John.
* 2:05pm Dolan -retrying
* May 24 You missed a call from John.
* May 24 John called you.
* May 24 John called you.
* May 24 John called you.
* May 24 You missed a call from John.
* May 24 You missed a call from John.
* May 24 John missed a call from you.
* 2:10pm Dolan - 1 more try
* 2:10pm Quinn -  k u go
* May 24 You missed a call from John.
* 2:11pm  Dolan - Tried. It's not playing. Let me eat and we'll try later if that's OK with you
* 2:12pm Quinn -  Yup

* 4:07pm Dolan - You try
* May 24 You called John.
* May 24 John called you.
* May 24 You called John.
* May 24 John called you.
* 4:09pm Quinn - one more time for good luck - you or me?
* 4:10pm Dolan - you call but give me 1 min first. I thought I'd try headphones and see if it makes a
               difference. OK ready
* May 24 You called John.
* 4:14pm Quinn -  Whoop! I can see you... BOO! I can't hear you.
* 4:15pm Dolan - Can you see my lips moving?
* 4:15 pm Quinn - Sigh. Maybe the book will just write itself????

Description of Outcome:
In Chaos Is Come Again, authors John Dolan and Fiona Quinn step away from their usual writing styles to create a twisted dark comedy for the Internet generation. Pulling back the curtain on the messiness of their characters’ issues, the authors take a satiric look at the juggling act of modern life.

In America, dread propels literary agent Avery Goodyear out of bed each morning. She’s panicked about losing her job if she doesn't get Travis Bishop – the coke-addicted author of the blasphemous Nosferatu, the Lost Gospel – to complete his sequel.

In England, Sean’s schizophrenia meds aren’t doing their job, and the voices in his head are getting louder. To make matters worse, he is being harassed by a predatory girlfriend, and a conspiracy nut who thinks the way to catch the London serial killer is through the magic number 23.

A chance meeting on Twitter connects Sean and Avery. As their relationship deepens, they each try to conceal the chaos that defines their lives. But secrets can be deadly.


 For readers who enjoy works such as The World According to Garp and MASH


Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion

* I am holding the end result in my hand. 
* It has a beginning, a middle, and an end.   
* Words form sentences, sentences form
   paragraphs which in turn form chapters.

Yes, by jove! 

I do believe that this experiment produced a book!







Commnicate Your Results

This is what people are saying:

“Readers, get ready for a hysterical, wild, whacky read that
  will keep you biting your nails till the end. ” 

“The characters in this book are diverse, complicated and
  fascinating.”

“The ending will simply blow you out of the water.”


and Quinn's personal favorite:

"A book this weird shouldn't work, but this one does, magnificently."


To read all of our reviews click on this LINK 


Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.


Sunday, November 2, 2014

Okay, I'll take a stab at it. Knives in Your Plot Line: Info for Writers with Hannah Jayne

__________________________________________

Fiona - 
Hannah Jayne
Hi Hannah, can I just say that it's not every girl who lets me stab her at the first meeting.

Hannah -
And it's quite rare that I let anyone stab me! We have a rare kinship!

Fiona -
Thank you so much for coming on ThrillWriting, let's get right to the point. Ha! Today is all about knives in fiction.

Can you tell folks about your more dangerous proclivities and why no one should ever leap out at you on a dark night? (or a clear day for that matter...)

Hannah - 

Early on in college, I decided I would take tae kwon do. I enjoyed it and liked feeling empowered, but it never completely clicked for me. I kept up with some martial arts and street fighting training for years when an author friend of mine said, "hey, you want to learn sword fighting with me?" because that is the kind of questions authors ask each other. We actually missed the first class and ended up in a beginners daggers class. I fell in love. It was so fun and so much action. The next day I came back for long swords, then added side sword training... and I've been stabbing things ever since.

Under a Spell by Hannah Jayne
Handmade knife by Baird Tarr

As for sneaking up on me... just the other day I considered leaving a note on the door for the boyfriend that said, "if I am asleep when you come home, please wake me from a safe distance."

Fiona - 
As well he should.

I have some bad stories of friends who (are out of their minds) have thrown a play punch at me and my pull back was just shy of... well it would not have been pretty.

Hannah -
Why would someone punch you?! Idiots! But I did mistakenly put my next door neighbor in a chokehold when she sneaked up on me at 5am. It wasn't a pleasant scene, and it was quite an awkward. "Hey, sorry about the whole...choke hold..."

Fiona - 
Ha!
So tell me, since this is such a part of your background, do you often put knives in your heroines' hands?

Hannah - 
The Dare by Hannah Jayne
Handmade knife by Baird Tarr
Sophie Lawson, the heroine in my Underworld Detection Agency Chronicles books fights with everything from an enchanted sword to a bejeweled dagger--both because they are the necessary for (her) story and because she's afraid of guns. There is also a quick fight scene with a plate full of Boco burgers but that is neither here nor there. When choosing your character's weapons--particularly if there is no magic/lore involved and she's grabbing something from the counter--keep in mind the heft of the knife and the part of the body where the blade will be thrust. It's not as easy as you see on TV. Also note that blades bend, break and--worst of all--hands slide down blood-slick blades. Gross, but true. 

Fiona -
One of my favorite knives has a holster that goes on my upper arm or around my calf in my boot. Let's talk about NOT putting a knife in your heroine's purse. Where can a cute chick stick her knife so it's accessible?

Hannah - 
Under the Full Moon
by Hannah Jayne

Handmade knife by Baird Tarr
I have a thigh holster and I love it! It does take particular knives (with flatter handles/grips rather than rounded ones) to wear on the person but they are definitely more accessible. The one on my thigh is an actual holster that's been rigged for one of my knives; I also have a hip sheath but I have a deep love for everything deep fried or chocolate covered, so it's tough to have enough room around the waist/in the jeans for a sheathed knife.

Fiona -
Let's kill some bad guys.

Hannah -
I've got one in mind... (Ok, that should probably be edited, lol)

Fiona -
* grin

First, what does not work when your heroine has a knife in her hand and is trying save her life from the maniac? Ineffectual strikes that have you rolling your eyes?

Hannah -
Crazy, over the head 
Psycho-type strikes kill me!  

If you're doing an overhead strike you are more than likely going to stab someone in the head or shoulder, the blade will likely bounce off without piercing. 

I also hate when a heroine is described as meek and waify yet she drives a knife "through his heart." I always want to scream, "You know the heart is well covered by the ribs, right?" 

The best way for that to actually happen is for your heroine to make the blade horizontal (--) rather than vertical (I), but that is never mentioned.

Fiona -
So let's say your heroine has had some training and is not a waif. There is no way in this world that that Zombie is going to get his chompers on her lovely skin. Tell us how to take down the monster. How does she hold the knife? And where does she aim her strike?

Hannah -
First, she'd make a fist with her fingers facing down, thumb pointing toward her, right at about her belly button. That way the handle of the knife is close to her gut and the blade is extended (horizontal) toward Mr. Deadmeat. 

From that position she can do any easy gut-cut (plunging the blade just above his right hip and pulling across). Gruesome but effective.

Of course, if she's a crazy psycho over-hander that can keep her range in check, she can do a vertical plunge in the little mushy "V" where the base of the neck meets the collarbone. Of course, if it's a traditional zombie, she'll need to move the gut-cut to the base of the throat to cut the head off. That's the zombie-stopper right, head off?

Fiona -
Mr. Deadmeat, LOL

Hannah -
I'd also like to point out that we're having this conversation while I'm wearing pink pajamas with sheep on them and watching Jessie on the Disney channel...

Fiona - 

So you're trying convince me you're a marshmallow? Hardly.
Let's talk about stabbing. It's probably not what people make up in their minds. 

We, for example, trained on hanging hams. Putting that knife into someone should not come easy for your heroine if she is not trained. 

Can you tell us about the cringe factor?

Hannah -
Haha! Cringe factor--definitely! You see people stabbing on TV and it goes in so smoothly...then your crazed killer kindly slides the knife out and goes again. 

In real life, there's junk there--bone and fiber, muscle, fat, sinew, etc. Going in is easy if you're naturally strong or the adrenaline is pumping, but it's not always easy to get the knife back out--and rule number one is never leave your knife! 

Actually, rule number one is don't get in a knife fight

People also don't realize that knife blades are relatively thin pieces of steel/metal/etc.--they bend. They break. They release from the handle.

The ew factor is pretty big, too, because there's the...oozy...feeling. That's the best way I can describe it--the knife goes into cold meat (the hams), and it's just...oozy. 

Then the juice spurts and that's gross. 

Then you're dealing with something slippery on your handle. 

Knife work is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Fiona -
Ooze. Exactly. 

So there you and I are at a cocktail party, and we're chatting about knife techniques. I am telling you that when I'm all dressed up, I'd opt for stab technique "A" versus "B", because I don't want to get blood-squirt on my pretty dress. 

If our author is writing a scene to leave the biggest visual impression where would they aim? 

Where is our heroine's go to jab and run place? 
And while I'm on the topic - can you please talk about why people always write a throat slit and why that's not practical?

Hannah -
I'm a big fan of the plunge and twist, especially at the jugular--but you have to know where it is! Throat slits sound nice and slick and quick--but they are none of those things. Think of the length of a throat--about 4 inches from chin to chest, let's say. Not all of those 4 inches will cause a kill. The slice has to be deep enough, long enough, and in the right place to actually accomplish the fake movie kill. If it's done wrong, it can be completely ineffective, or take hours to achieve a kill. And the part I do hate about the jugular shots is that they are squirters. Absolute dress ruiners unless your fast.

I also like eyeball popper-outers for ease, but they will only slow, not kill attackers.

Wow. I sounds straight up depraved, huh? I'm not! I have kitties and bake cookies! lol

Fiona -
That's so gross. Did you use knife work in your latest novel?

Hannah -


In the last Underworld novel, yes--not a ton, just a single quick knifing scene. In my latest young adult novel (called THE ESCAPE and will come out from Sourcebooks in 2015), the knife is used more for intimidation purposes. Like I said, for knife work to be effective, you have to lay out a character with some sort of skill or training. Otherwise, your killer will look like one of those training hams! 

Fiona -
Let's talk about that - it's a big point (ha!) that I keep pressing. 

Your heroine CAN NOT suddenly have skills. There must be a reason for them. How did your heroine gain skills? What are a few easy ways that a normal everyday kittie-loving cookie-baking girl could gain skills?

Hannah
Under the Gun
by Hannah Jayne

Handmade knife by Baird Tarr
Sophie Lawson actually learns to knife and dagger fight from her teenage vampire deadbeat roommate Vlad in UNDER THE GUN; he was taught in Paris before he was turned. 

As for a sweet, unassuming cookie baker? I was lucky enough to have Davenriche School for European Arts in the 'hood. 

If you're not one of my neighbors, there are training programs all over and if you're just at it for the literary aspect, study the human body. Figure out where good target spots would be. Actually hold a knife in your hand. And yes, when ready, plunge it into a ham. Or a vegan ham if that's your thing.

Fiona - 
What should a character do if she is stabbed? 

Hannah - 
Grab the knife, not the attacker. Keep the knife wherever it is and run. 

***Rule of thumb, each time you give an attacker back his knife, he'll give it back to you--pointy end first. 

Also, keeping a knife in a mortal wound can save your life as it keeps the blood in!

Fiona -
Oh good one!

Hard to run while holding the knife steady though.

Speaking of stab-and-run, can you tell me your favorite scar story?

Hannah -
All my really gnarly scars are cooking related rather than fight related! I got six stitches from a wine glass and half that from a mandoline! I'm pretty safe with my weapons!

Fiona -
Lastly, for getting the knife away (before it goes in) do you prefer kick or hand work?

Hannah -
Hand work. If the knife is close enough to go in, it can be hard or nearly impossible to get a kick in, especially with long, elegant gams like mine. (I'm totally lying because I have Vienna sausage legs) But I really do prefer to dislodge a knife with my hand so that I end up with the weapon accessible to me.

Thank you so much for visiting , Hannah!
If you would like to read Hannah's master knife work in action, you can get a list of Hannah Jayne's books  HERE
Catch up with her on Facebook HERE
Her Twitter handle is @Hannah_Jayne1



Also, If you want to read about how I use the knife in my work you can read my novel Chaos Is Come Again 

Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.





Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Pedal to the Metal: High Speed Chases for Writers with Inspector Karen Lynch


______________________________________________

Fiona - 
Today, Karen Lynch is visiting us from her home on the West Coast. Karen, would you please tell ThrillWriting about your background?

Karen - 
I was born in San Francisco and graduated from UC Berkeley in 1980. At that time the headlines read much as they have in recent history, "graduates face worse job market since Great Depression." I had no safety net, no family to rely on, and my marketable skills were minimal. I was also a feminist and had read a lot about women being recently allowed into law enforcement. Many men interviewed felt women were too weak and emotional to do the job. I was a stubborn 21 year old, quite physically strong, and I had a little chip on my shoulder. I ended up applying, going from my college Renaissance Bar serving wench job to working street patrol. 

My first years were working uniform patrol in San Francisco's downtown, the parts of town I had lived in....Chinatown, North Beach, Fisherman's Wharf, the Tenderloin, and Financial District. At 30, I was promoted to "Inspector" a rank known as "Detective" in other cities, and was sent to the investigations bureau. There I worked Sex Crimes investigations, Accident, and traffic related investigations, and finally ended my career as a Homicide Inspector.

I retired after 29 years on the force, leaving sooner than I had planned because of a bout with breast cancer.


Fiona - 
Today, we're talking about high speed chases.

Under what circumstances are police officers allowed to conduct a high speed car chase.

Karen -
When a cop is chasing a speeding vehicle, she must be constantly asking if the value of capturing the criminal/speeder is greater than the risk to life and property. 

Most departments have greatly restricted their parameters for allowable times to continue pursuit. I can only speak for my own jurisdiction, San Francisco, but it is not at all unusual for a sergeant to call off a pursuit when she feels it is simply not worth the danger to the public. 

Back in the 80's we chased anyone who ran from us, and the chase continued, often ending in the suspect hitting a parked car or something. By the time I retired, cops had reduced the number of chases they were in. They might start chasing a red light violator, but if it became dangerous to the public, they would shut down the chase. 

Generally, the only chases that continue for long periods of time now, are those with dangerous fleeing felons,or reckless drivers who are causing a hazard

Fiona -
How fast can a cop drive in a chase? And how do they acquire their skills?

Karen -
I'm not aware of any specific speed limits enforced on officers.

Obviously, the cop has to drive nearly as fast as the violator just to keep him in sight. Again, once a chase begins, a sergeant is required to monitor the action. She might come over the radio and ask the speed....if she deems it too dangerous, she may shut it down. 

In the old days, there were chases right out of the movie Bullitt.....just crazy fast and dangerous. In the end, no cop wants to hurt an innocent person, or die pursuing someone for something trivial, so things are much less wild on the streets today. 

San Francisco cops receive excellent EVOC training. (Emergency Vehicle Operations Course)
Video Quick Study (2:45) car camera of officers training.

The instructors have been highly trained in race car driving skills. We do about two weeks of training in the academy. In my day, a track was set up at Treasure Island, and we chased a "suspect" around learning counter-steering skills, Code 3 driving (Code 3 means using red lights and sirens), basic maneuvering skills. 

We all needed to learn to back and park the "wagon" a large transport van, not many had driven before. 

The most enjoyable and memorable part of the driving training was the "skid pan". One day they flooded the lot with soap flakes, and we drove around at high speeds going into skids and donuts and learning how to correct our steering. Over the years, we would return to the academy for in service training and our skills would be refreshed. By the 90's the department purchased excellent simulators that allowed us to hone our skills without having to set up a big track.

Fiona -
What if they hit a county or state line? I'm thinking Dukes of Hazard here.


Karen - 
Once a chase enters a new jurisdiction, the dispatcher notifies that town, and usually one of their officers will follow the chase until we leave their jurisdiction. If we crash and burn on their turf, then their department is now part of the mess....if we just drive through, they become a footnote, as in, Daly City Officer sos and so also joined the pursuit from X to Y.....then we entered San Bruno where Officer blah blah....all of that is part of the report, but ultimately the cops who started the whole mess are stuck with the report/arrests/clean up, etc.

Fiona - 
When you get a call for an accident, and you head in sirens blaring, what are the first steps that one takes?

Karen -
Well, as an inspector/detective we tend NOT to respond Code 3. 

We come after the first responders, and they are generally stabilizing victims, assessing if a crime is involved, taking witness statements, towing cars. We come as this is happening....not Code 3, but generally expedited driving. The inspector then takes over the scene. 

To read more about crash scene forensics go HERE


Fiona -
Okay, let's say you are in a car chase, and the runner hits a person or a person's car. What does the officer do? Continue to follow or stop and process the accident scene?

Karen -
The officer would continue the pursuit and another officer and ambulance would respond to assist the victims.

Fiona -
Have you ever done a real life chase?

Karen -

Oh yes! sadly I was in dozens of them as a patrol officer.

Most of them involved stolen cars, but there were many crimes involved in a variety of chases. 

Fiona -
I'm wondering about the physical and emotional aspect of a chase. How might an officer feel? What goes through their mind?

Karen -

A police chase is one of the most stressful, adrenaline provoking situations on officer can be in. In some ways, it's worse than an officer involved shooting, at least, in the short term, because it can go on for in some cases hours! 

We've had chases half-way across the state. The entire time, as the driver, your adrenaline is maxed out. I personally felt borderline panic at times, though some cops love the high of the excitement. 

The entire time I am praying the driver will stop before someone gets hurt. You fear your brother/sister cops will crash into each other trying to get to your assistance, and you don't want that on your shoulders. When you're 25, maybe you think it's fun and exciting. Grow up a bit, have a child or two, and a police chase is your worst nightmare.

As a passenger it is equally stressful....your life is in your partner's hands, and you sure as hell better trust his/her driving ability. The passenger is responsible for the radio....giving the ever changing locations and advising other cops the safest avenues of approach, etc. 

Fiona -
Do you think that seeing as many vehicle accidents as you have, that that too comes into play? You know exactly what can happen to you and that has to be somewhere in your mind?

Karen -

Without a doubt, we have seen the horrible damage two tons of crushed steel can do to a human....but consciously, I don't think that is going through our minds....we are in that lizard brain fight or flight thing. 

Fiona - 
Do police cars have special protections for crashes.

Karen - 
Police cars are probably less safe than the average vehicle because we have all this computer equipment, etc to be impaled on. I have lost more that a few co-workers to vehicular accidents, and annually more cops are killed in car related incidents than gun or any other means.

Fiona - 
Let's move forward to your book. This is a memoire. What aspects of your book do you think would be helpful for a writer in learning what makes a good cop?

Karen -
Good Cop, Bad Daughter gives a really clear insider's view of the making of a rookie cop. 



BUY IT NOW LINK


There are many chapters about things my friends had no idea we had to do. For instance, at one point we were all put in an army quonset hut and gassed with CS canisters. This gas makes you feel as if you will die, though it cannot in fact kill you. Before that training day arrives, the anxiety builds to such a point, some recruits quit the day before. We were also required to practice the carotid restraint (choke hold) on each other, and the instructor actually put a classmate to sleep with the hold. We all lived in fear of the instructor using us to demonstrate the hold, because one potential consequence is defecation or urinating....so there was fear of pain, coupled with humiliation. I would say the most common response I get from readers is something along the line, "I had no idea what you had to go through to be a cop." 

I would just say any reader who enjoys memoir in the tradition of "The Glass Castle" etc, or anyone interested in police training, how cops live, growing up with a bi-polar mother....any such reader will most likely enjoy GC, BD....reviewers say it is a page-turner.

Fiona - 
Thank you kindly for all you have shared, Karen. 


Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.