Hey ThrillWriters, today we are hanging out with one of my mentors, Rob Speiden. Rob is a professional search and rescue volunteer who has participated in over 330 searches since 1993.
He teaches land navigation, tracking and other SAR classes for both the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and his own Natural Awareness Tracking School. Rob has written two books on tracking humans for SAR: Foundations for Awareness, Signcutting and Tracking which I used in my tracking classes with VDEM.
Before I took that class, I spent a weekend following along with the SARTI folks, learning what it meant to track. You can read about that in this article. Rob also wrote the resource Tracker Training.
You can find out more about Rob’s books and classes can be found at www.trackingschool.com. As you all know, I'm a HUGE advocate of doing something yourself so you can write about it with the most authenticity.
Some of you who read my novels might recognize Rob's name. In my book Cold Red, in the acknowledgements, I noted that the plot line had hatched out of a specific event that took place on a chilly day in the woods of Virginia. That day took a turn when I found myself thigh deep in a swamp. By the time we got our team to the other side, evening had descended. We had our phone flashlights. We had Rob's experience in the area which gave him an alternate way to lead us back to the cabins. What if we had had neither?
When your character is out in the wilds, they may have a clear agenda for the day. But if that day had gone to plan, we wouldn't have a good story to tell. A story is only as interesting as how awful you can make things for your characters. To that end, it's good to realize what one should do, so we can have our characters mess up authentically.
Fiona - Rob welcome! A pleasure to have your expertise here at ThrillWriting.
Rob - Thanks for having me.
Fiona - I'd like to focus this conversation on the thought processes involved before our heroine heads out on her path.
Authors should consider how they are setting up their characters. This setup will tell the reader about the characters mind set, skill level, and will put in place the equipment she needs. Readers can think it's too easy when a gal pulls some gizmo from her pocket. "Look what I happened to have to save the day!" I much prefer giving them the tools and having my characters fail anyway.
Rob - Pre-planning. Your heroine is already taking care of the first step toward reducing the chances that she will get in trouble … let's say she wants to prevent getting lost. To phrase that positively, here are suggestions to “stay found.”
The best preparations to stay found are made before your characters sets out.
This is what I suggest your heroine, what's her name?
Fiona - Dani
Rob - Okay, I suggest that Dani, in her pre-planning, pack navigation equipment:
Fiona - Conversely, a writer could pull up the maps and look at them and say, "Where could my character make a mistake? Where could she get onto the wrong trail? What kinds of natural disasters might she meet out there, all alone on the trail?"
Rob - Landmarks are specific locations such as trails, roads, creeks or other feature intersections that stand out along your character's route.
Other landmarks include point features such as an electrical tower, a hilltop, a significant building.
A useful technique for your character to keep track of her location is to have her pay attention to landmarks such as a land feature or big boulder as she travels. These landmarks can also be used to gauge how far along your character's intended route they have progressed or indicate if they are veering off course.
Landmarks have been incorporated as a navigation technique for centuries. Cultures such as the Aborigines and Native Americans often have a practice of creating a storyline along a journey, which helps them remember how to find their way home regardless of the distance they have traveled.
Fiona - How cool is that? I love the idea of story telling the pathway. But that seems like a habit that most folks won't have. What trail habits could Dani employ to make sure she's heading in the intended direction?
Rob - During the outing, it would help if she would periodically turn around and look behind her. This habit highlights visual images in the mind for how things will look when she returns. That, in turn, will help your characters recognize landmarks in the perspective of the returning direction of travel.
The most important location for heightened attention is at a decision point. A decision point is a location where there is more than one obvious option, and a person must decide which direction to travel. These can exist when driving, hiking or during other route-choice situations.
Fiona - Dun Da DUN!
Bad things are about to happen! My character is about to make a mistake.
Rob - A significant number of people who get lost make their initial error at a decision point. Avoid that by being aware of what these points are, how to recognize them and how to use them to your advantage. Decision points can often, but not always, be apparent in the pre-planning phase of a trip.
Fiona - Or don't. Who are we to tell you how to twist your plot? I hope your book just took a harrowing turn off the beaten path.
Right now, I am working on a WIP called Survival Instinct. My heroine is off on a day hike that she assumes will only take her eight hours. She's not new to the outdoors. She knows how to stay safe. What kinds of things should I consider as I get her prepped for her day?
Rob - Pre-planning. Your heroine is already taking care of the first step toward reducing the chances that she will get in trouble … let's say she wants to prevent getting lost. To phrase that positively, here are suggestions to “stay found.”
The best preparations to stay found are made before your characters sets out.
This is what I suggest your heroine, what's her name?
Fiona - Dani
Rob - Okay, I suggest that Dani, in her pre-planning, pack navigation equipment:
- Compass
- Map
- Global Positioning System (GPS tool)
Fiona - Conversely, a writer could pull up the maps and look at them and say, "Where could my character make a mistake? Where could she get onto the wrong trail? What kinds of natural disasters might she meet out there, all alone on the trail?"
The character seems at the front end to consider and prepare for all of the big and bad headed her way. And then, BAM, out of the blue, the author thwarts the character's preparation with something outside of her considerations.
Taking these steps at the front end for the reader will establish the characters skill level. You mentioned staying found. Can you go into that, please?
Rob - Landmarks are specific locations such as trails, roads, creeks or other feature intersections that stand out along your character's route.
Other landmarks include point features such as an electrical tower, a hilltop, a significant building.
A useful technique for your character to keep track of her location is to have her pay attention to landmarks such as a land feature or big boulder as she travels. These landmarks can also be used to gauge how far along your character's intended route they have progressed or indicate if they are veering off course.
Landmarks have been incorporated as a navigation technique for centuries. Cultures such as the Aborigines and Native Americans often have a practice of creating a storyline along a journey, which helps them remember how to find their way home regardless of the distance they have traveled.
Fiona - How cool is that? I love the idea of story telling the pathway. But that seems like a habit that most folks won't have. What trail habits could Dani employ to make sure she's heading in the intended direction?
Rob - During the outing, it would help if she would periodically turn around and look behind her. This habit highlights visual images in the mind for how things will look when she returns. That, in turn, will help your characters recognize landmarks in the perspective of the returning direction of travel.
The most important location for heightened attention is at a decision point. A decision point is a location where there is more than one obvious option, and a person must decide which direction to travel. These can exist when driving, hiking or during other route-choice situations.
Fiona - Dun Da DUN!
Bad things are about to happen! My character is about to make a mistake.
Rob - A significant number of people who get lost make their initial error at a decision point. Avoid that by being aware of what these points are, how to recognize them and how to use them to your advantage. Decision points can often, but not always, be apparent in the pre-planning phase of a trip.
Fiona - Or don't. Who are we to tell you how to twist your plot? I hope your book just took a harrowing turn off the beaten path.
A huge thank you, Rob Speiden for hanging out today and helping us with some plotting ideas.
Check out Rob's website and think about how you might benefit from taking his classes.
You couldn't be safer in the woods than under his wing.
If you're writing an action adventure, head over to ActionHub, where you can find articles that will give your prose the right tone, vocabulary, and skill sets for your heroine to survive your plotting.
Here are two examples of the kinds of articles you'll find there:
Here are two examples of the kinds of articles you'll find there:
My very best to you on your writing journey. I did this interview in April 2020, in the time of COVID. Thank you to all of my fellow authors who are creating journeys for readers who are staying tucked safely at home.
Be well,
Fiona
Fiona
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