Dynamic Handguns and Shooting in a Structure: Information for Writers Prt 3

Image found on Facebook

Ach! With the tinkling of broken glass on her ceramic floor, your heroine was wide awake and on high alert. She ran to bolt the lock on her new bedroom door, the metal one her dad had insisted on as soon as he heard about his daughter's psycho ex.

After dialing 911, your heroine yells at the person jiggling her knob, "I have a gun. Leave now!" Then she hears her nephew's voice down the hall screaming her name. She had forgotten in her adrenaline surge, that she had house guests. She has to save them.

Video Quick Study (3:37) Using a safe room.

As an author I'm sure your realize that having a safe room doesn't mean your heroine is safe. Here are two example 911 calls where the callers did the right things, and they ended up pulling the trigger anyway:
Audio Quick Study (0:41) Man shoots intruder after his
               family is beaten and 911 operator accidentally
               puts him on hold.
Audio Quick Study (2:34) Mom is hiding in the closet with her
                two children when she shoots the intruder 5 times in the
                face and neck. He is still able to leave the house and drive
                down the road. The police find him and take him to the
                hospital where he fights for his life.

Shooting in the home or other structure.

Violent encounters statistically
* Occur at very close range (3 yrds or less)
* Often happen in low or no light
* Are over in a matter of seconds (3 seconds)
* Include the firing of three shots

According to NRA Guide to the Basics of Personal Protection in the Home, there are
 5 possible responses to a life-threatening encounter:

* freeze
* submit 
* posture
* flight
* fight

Stress and its accompanying physiologic reactions include 
* Difficulty breathing 
* Loss of fine motor skills
* Racing heart
* Tunnel vision and hearing discrimination issues
*  Shaking hands all create obstacles to defensive shooting and
    following safety rules.

Perceptual changes during a threatening encounter:
* Tunnel Vision - focus almost
    exclusively on the perceived
    threat    (Blog Link)
* Auditory Exclusion - 
   extraneous sounds are 
   inaudible. Your heroine may 
   not be able to hear instructions    being yelled at her by
   the police or other characters
* Time Dilation - slowed time,
   things seem to to be happening
   in slow motions.

Mental Preparation

Video Quick Study (4:49) Mental preparation tips.

* Your heroine must decide in advance that she is willing to be hurt
   and keep going. Once engaged she cannot give up the fight.
   (Aggression/Response Blog Link) If she doesn't have the right 
   mindset she's going to lose. So it's imperative that if you're writing
   a beta heroine that she have some impetus greater than her own
   will to stay alive and fighting - she's protecting her child, she's the
   only one who can replicate the anti-viral that will save humanity...
* What should your heroine do? Listen to her limbic system
   Blog Link

Controlling the Encounter 

Strategies for a heroine who finds herself face to face with the villain.

* Both parties are experiencing high adrenaline. The problems of

   tunnel vision and auditory exclusion effect the villain as well. 

   The heroine should yell directives so the villain can hear and

   understand.

* STAY AWAY - no matter how compliant the villain is acting. 

   Your heroine should keep well out of reach. Villains can have

    hidden weapons. Villains will often talk softly and reasonably as

    they make their slow approach. Your heroine will want to

    believe him and believe that nothing bad is really happening. 

    You're the author; you know what the bad guy is really up to -

    she should get as far away from as she can and not get cornered.
    This blog article discusses different tactics used by villains
    against your poor heroine.

It's bad. Your heroine is standing between the villain and her family. Gun in hand, ready to do whatever is necessary to keep her loved ones safe, she aims...

Found publicly on Facebook

A major safety rule is know your target and what's beyond. 
* Is your heroine sending a warning shot up in the air? What goes
   up must come down. And what if there is someone on an upper
   floor?
* What if the villain is standing in front of a propane or oil tank, a
   kerosene heater or any other flammable liquid?
* What if she is shooting by a window or interior wall? 

CLOSE QUARTER SHOOTING 

Video Quick Study (4:19) Extreme Close Quarter Shooting
                               Techniques

SOUND - 

   Your heroine will be shooting in an enclosed space without ear

   protection. She may well not be able to hear anything for several 
   minutes following the blast. 

   If you've never heard gun fire in real life it is LOUD!

   Remember that the military and law enforcement officers use
   flash bang to disorient the individuals in a structure so they have
   time to run in and time to function, taking control of the area. A
   gun shot is loud and can have this stunning effect or a deafening
   effect.

   Will your heroine be able to shoot a few bullets while standing in
    her bathroom, turn her head and chat with her cohort? Not likely
    unless she can read lips. 

   Couldn't that lead to a complication? What if the
   good guy was shouting instructions, "Get down! Get down!" She
   would never know. 

   If she is an avid shooter she may have a silencer and that would
   help immensely as would subsonic bullets. Why do I say avid
   shooter? Legally it takes a very long time (about a year) to obtain
   a license for a silencer. So not something she can just decide on a
   whim to go purchase.

 Brian Coates demonstrating a silencer with 

sonic and subsonic bullets at 

Nottoway Wildlife Association Link

SIGHT
Your heroine will not be wearing protective glasses, though her regular glasses would serve this purpose.

Without eye protection, she could have eye damage from the gases and debris from the blast of the firearm, or a casing could fly back and catch her in the eye. Now your heroine is blinded and deaf. A terrible situation.

Use of Cover and Concealment

As soon as your heroine senses a threat - her limbic system lights up. She needs to immediately seek cover or concealment. She should not wait until someone fires on her or rushes her.

Your heroine is doing her best. She's standing strong. She took a bullet to the shoulder, but she will not give up the fight. Now that she has the injury, she realizes that concealing herself behind the cabinet was not enough. She needs cover, and she needs it now!

When you write a scene make sure you know which term to use. 

Concealment

She concealed herself behind the sofa, holding her breath, hoping the sound of her beating heart wouldn't give away her position.

Concealment is - 

* Anything that will hide your heroine from observation

* Does not protect her body from incoming fire.

* Could prevent the villain from locating your heroine or being able

   to accurately fire on her.

* Could help her gain the upper hand through surprise.

* Could allow your heroine to avoid or escape from the intruder all

   together.

Cover - 

Cover will protect your heroine from incoming fire. A fridge would be cover. A wood burning stove would be cover.

* A regular mattress provides concealment; a water bed provides 

   cover .

* Regular walls provide concealment; brick, stone, or concrete

   provide cover. 

* There's actually very little in a normal house that will provide

   cover - but the villain may not understand this. He could be

   aiming at the tiny piece of your heroine that is exposed instead of 

   shooting through the door or wall.

Techniques for using Cover and Concealment

* Minimize your heroine's exposure - the less seen the better her

   chance of escaping detection.

* When looking around a barrier, have your heroine do a quick

   peek, bobbing her head out to get an image then popping back

   into her place. (much less than a second)

* She should vary the places that she peeks from so that the villain

   isn't just waiting for her like an arcade game.

* The human eye is predisposed to tracking movement. As long as

   your heroine is frozen in place, she will be harder to detect. Once

   she moves, the villain's eyes will be drawn to her. An old Indian

   trick would be to wait very still and then let out a war whoop - the

   sudden noise would make the hidden pioneers flinch thus giving

   up their location.

* If your heroine must fire from her position, she should stand arm's

   distance from the barrier, leaning out just enough to catch the

   villain in her sights.

U.S. Marine Corp., veteran Brian Coates

teaches how to acquire the target from behind barriers.

* In this video, I emptied my clip to time how long it took me to fire

   off all of my bullets. This is a VERY BAD idea in a shooter

   scenario.

   ^ Reloading takes time and attention, leaving your heroine at

      greater risk.

   ^ She doesn't have an endless supply of bullets. Once she's out,

      she's out.

* Your heroine should make sure that her muzzle is clear of the

    barricade. Sights being clear of the barricade does not equal

    muzzle being cleared.

    ^ Firing into cover at close range can cause serious harm to your

       heroine from ricochet or from debris.

    ^ Firing at close range into your own cover can lessen its

       effectiveness.

* If shooting multiple times (for example, your heroine needs to

   reload) she shouldn't pop out each time from the same spot.

* Your heroine should not rest or brace the firearm on the cover -

   this can cause the gun to malfunction and messes up the aim.

Moving to cover/concealment

* Your heroine should try to keep as much distance between

    herself and her attacker as she can.

* Your heroine should try to move away from villain and toward

   concealment/cover.

* Your heroine should practice moving backward and laterally to

   find cover. If she knows she's in danger

   -rabid ex, crazy stalker, etc - then she has time to practice and

   prepare. How will she move? Where will she go? What protective

   objects are placed strategically around? What if you showed her

   practicing and the villain thwarts all of those plans by attacking

   her elsewhere - where she was vulnerable? By moving

   backwards and laterally she:

   ^ Can keep her eye on the villain

   ^ Keep her firearm in a ready position (NOT aimed NO finger on

      the trigger)

   ^ She maintains her balance

Video Quick Study (3:46) How to move backwards and laterally

When your heroine is choosing her shooting position, the NRA manual indicates that she should consider the following list:

* consistency (she's trained in that position)

* balance

* support

* natural point of aim (versus torquing the body)

* comfort

Here's hoping your heroine does a great job and saves the day!

Image found publicly on Facebook

This blog article is based on my experience at an all-day dynamic gun training class that I took at Nottoway Wildlife Association, LINK  called "Personal Protection in the Home," following NRA curriculum. 

These are the same folks who taught me about rifles in this article: BLOG LINK.

Fiona Quinn's Newsletter Link, Sign up HERE

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.

I used the book, NRA Guide to the BAsics of Personal Protection in the Home (2000) to write this article
As always, this is a non-political site that is geared to help writers write it right. I am presenting information to help develop fictional characters and fictional scenes. In no way am I advocating any position or personal decision.
Related articles

• Dynamic Handguns and Shooting in a Structure: Information for Writers Prt 1 - Plotting Gems
• Dynamic Handguns and Shooting in a Structure: Information for Writers Prt 2 (Ready, Aim, Fire)
• Home Invasion prt 2: Information for Writers with Personal Protection Specialist Rock Higgins

Dynamic Handguns and Shooting in a Structure: Information for Writers Prt 2 (Ready, Aim, Fire)

graphic found on Facebook

Your heroine stands quivering at the counter. She's decided that the pepper spray she's been carrying in her purse since her dad slipped it in there on her first day of college, ten years ago, is probably not going to be enough to protect her from the PCP dropping crazy guy who's been following her. She reaches a tentative hand out and lifts the Glock. "Yes, I can do this," she says. 

There are three main rules to firearm safety. And while your heroine is willing to protect herself with her weapon if circumstances require her to, she only wants to take down the villain. She doesn't need collateral damage -  especially if that collateral is really a loved one or herself, for that matter.
1. Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction - that means a
    direction in which, if the gun were to fire, would not cause any
    harm especially to your girl. When she moves her gun around
    she should not have any of her body parts in front of the barrel 
    even for a nano-second. Or do - I don't often see self-inflicted 
    wounds in books, and it might give a fresh spin to your plot line.
2. Finger off the trigger! Flinching comes from a part of the brain
     that your heroine can't control. Even Seal Team 6 can't prevent 
     flinch, and Seal Team 6 would never put their fingers on the 
     trigger unless they had a target in sight and had decided to pull 
     the trigger.

     If you need to make a mistake, this might be a good one: 
     newbie/untrained heroine buys a gun thinking that will make her 
     safe. She walks around her house in a panic with her finger on 
     the trigger and flinches when someone bangs the door in the 
     apartment next to hers. Now she has either alerted the bad guy 
     that she's armed and looking for him, or is now on her way to
     jail for shooting through the wall and hitting the neighbor. 

    * An ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE - means the gun fired when
       your heroine didn't intend for it to because of a mechanical
       problem.
    * A NEGLIGENT DISCHARGE - happens when there is user 
       error - like breaking one of the safety rules. 

   Video Quick Study (14:15) man discusses what it feels like to 
   shoot himself. Includes graphic images but there is a warning 
   beforehand, allowing you to skip that section.

3. Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use. 

Ladies, Get a Grip.

The first thing your heroine has to do properly is put the gun in her hand. I know many of you are writing in countries, such as the UK, where guns are prohibited, and you have probably never seen a real gun let alone put one in your hand. So let me try to break this down for you.
Two handed grip

Pistol M9 (Beretta 92F) in Fist Grip (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

* The shooting hand reaches
   for the gun, grabbing it 
   high in the back strap 
   area, just under the curve. 
   The webbing between the
    thumb and fingers is
    centered. The fingers curl
    around the grip.
* Trigger finger runs along
   the side of the frame 
   outside of the
    trigger guard.
* The gun is in a straight line with the arm bones.
* The support hand wraps the other side of the grip, making sure
    that it covers the whole space.
* Thumbs lay parallel on the opposite side of the trigger finger.

  Video Quick Study (5:15) Two hand hand grip with special issues 
 for your heroine.

Pistol M9 (Beretta 92F) Palm Supported Grip (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

* If your heroine uses a palm supported grip like the one above, her
   gun will break to the left, and she will have trouble getting her
   bullet where she wants it to go.


One handed grip

Pistol M9 (Beretta 92F) one hand grip (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

* Thrust your hand
   forward like your pointing 
   your finger at
   someone. 

    Video Quick Study (3:40) 
    Using two different 
    techniques for one handed 
    shots. Note: he says, as do 
    all of the professionals, 
    "practice." Your heroine will
    fail if she is relying on a
    "fingers-crossed"
    scenario to save her life. You
    have to show that she gained/or
    has skill in order for her to pull off the plot point.

Take a Stance

Shooting stance is also called "platform."

Do not lock your elbows so they act like shock absorbers

There are two basic standing platforms 

   ^ Isosceles - feet shoulder width, parallel, knees slightly bent

   ^ Weaver - the trigger finger side foot is placed to the rear

* One knee high - 

   ^ the knee on the side of the trigger finger is down.

   ^ The foot rests on the toes

   ^ Easy to get up and down from this position - good for speed

* One knee low - 

   ^ Go to one knee high position and sit on back foot

   ^ More stable when low

   ^ Can use the raised knee for stabilizing the gun

   ^ Gives a smaller profile to assailant 

* Supported kneeling position

   ^ Both knees are on the floor and the heroine sits her bottom back

      on her heels if the object is very low

   ^ The arms are supported on an object (not the gun itself)

* Two Knees Down - either high or low

   ^ Hard for inflexible or older people

* Squat - 

   ^ Just bend and go straight down.

   ^ Not very stable

   ^ Use this if your heroine needs to lower herself in a rocky or

      glass strewn area. 

Ready position

* Positioning the muzzle so that there is little movement to put the

   gun on target.

* Keep the muzzle down where it is safe

Video Quick Study (4:22) Choices in how your heroine holds her gun at the ready.

Line Up!  - How to Take Aim

Your heroine has the villain in her sights.
* she had time to use sights
* She made sure that her sights were aimed center mass with the
   forward sight equally placed in the opening of the back sight
* She probably only has time to do a flash sight which means she
   has the sights vaguely lined up with her target

Video Quick Study (6:34) sight alignment and sight picture
Video Quick Study (4:50) sight alignment

Your heroine's hand preference and eye preference may not be the same.
* Not all right handed people

   are right eyed. Your
   character will only discover
   this if she is properly
   trained. If she is left eyed,
   even if she is right handed,
   she should shoot left
   handed. 
  
   Why is this important? - She
   won't hit her target with
   nearly the same accuracy if
   she is aiming with the wrong
   eye. (Reverse this information
   if your character is
   a lefty). How could you use this
   in your plot? The villain injures
   your heroine's right arm, thinking
   that he has incapacitated
   her  shooting, but she shoots with
   her non-dominant hand so she 
   is still able to prevail. 

Point Shooting
* If your heroine is being attacked quickly or at very close range
   she will not be able to pick her stance or aim with the sights.
* She focuses on center mass and pulls the trigger.


If your heroine is having trouble at the range learning how to hit a target, here is a graphic that you can use to write the instructor dialogue, helping your girl correct her problem:

If you want to show your heroine practicing you could have her doing this:

Take a Breath

Video Quick Study (4:38) Breathing and how it effects your sight placement. Also discusses eye dominance

Breathing. - In the above video quick study, the instructor indicates that you should not hold your breath when shooting. It is better to use breath control to minimize gun movement. And this is true when shooting on the range or when your heroine has the element of surprise on her side and has an opportunity to use those techniques. In a defensive confrontation on the other hand, your heroine should hold her breath while pulling the trigger.

FIRE!

Your heroine pulls the trigger.

* She places the pad of her index finger on the trigger in such a

   way that the trigger is pulled straight to the rear.

Video Quick Study (5:46) pulling the trigger properly

... and just like that, it's over. Most confrontations last only 3 seconds with an average of 3 shots. Yup. That fast.

Emotions Your Character Will Experience After a Shooting

* Elation - your heroine vanquished the un-dead hoard! Not only is

   your girl thrilled to be alive, but her body is responding with its

   own little endorphin party. While this may later produce a sense 

   of guilt, the reaction is just as natural as the release of adrenaline 

   in your last scene.

* Revulsion - as the feel-good hip-hip-hoorah hormones fade, a

   heroine will often feel revulsion with accompanying 

   vomiting/nausea, or she may even faint. Your heroine might not 

   experience this emotion if she has military training or worked as 

   a first responder.

* Remorse - sadness or sorrow that she was put in the position of 

   having to kill. This doesn't mean she would change her reaction.

* Self-doubt - Remorse leads to the replay of the scene in your

   character's head. Was there another way? Did she have any other 

   options -while you, her author, know that you cornered her with 

   no options, that doesn't mean that your heroine is walking around 

   with a free-conscious.

* Acceptance - Your heroine rightfully concludes that her actions

   were justifiable and necessary given her plot line.

* After a traumatic life-or-death situation, many people experience

    PTSD. Please got to this Blog Link for an explanation.

Thank you for stopping by. If you have any questions, please leave them below. If I can't answer them, I will find an expert who can. If this resourse site has been helpful to you, please share it with your friends. I've put some buttons below to make this easy for you. Happy plotting!

Cheers!
 

Fiona

This blog article is based on my experience at an all-day dynamic gun training class that I took at Nottoway Wildlife Association, LINK  called "Personal Protection in the Home," following NRA curriculum. 

I used the reference, NRA Guide to the Basics of Personal Protection in the Home (2000) to write this article.
As always, this is a non-political site that is geared to help writers write it right. I am presenting information to help develop fictional characters and fictional scenes. In no way am I advocating any position or personal decision.


related articles

• Dynamic Handguns and Shooting in a Structure: Information for Writers Prt 1 - Plotting Gems
• Dynamic Handguns and Shooting in a Structure: Information for Writers Prt 3
• Shotguns and Rifles 101 for Writers

Stuck in the Car During a Snowstorm: How to Save Your Heroine's Life

________________________________________________________________________

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Your heroine was out of there! She jumped into her car and drove at break-neck speed, racing away from the troubles that you wrote into her plot line. She couldn't see the distant city lights yet as she flew down the lonely dark highway, but surely she was getting closer to civilization and some sanity - or maybe just a stiff drink.


Not so fast, silly heroine! Your author has written you an empty gas tank. Looks like you're stuck in sub-freezing temperatures by the side of the road. Now what?

Maybe she isn't even out there alone and far from civilization? Here's a link to a story where a family with a baby is stranded on a highway for 26 hours along with everyone else. No rescuers coming to the rescue. Did your character come prepared?
LINK (1:21)

Photo credit: Wikipedia)

YIPES! Maybe this is what happened to your character:
Video Quick Link - (1:35) black ice
Video Quick Study (0:56) slush

... or maybe she's a kick-ass driver?
Video Quick Study (6:20) - Driving well on ice - besides the bloke has a great English accent (always a

                                           bonus!)
Video Quick Study (4:14) Acceleration
Video Quick Study (1:14) Did you put your heroine into a four-wheel drive?

Here are some ideas on how to save your heroine and make her look like she knows how to take charge of a bad situation. Or reverse if you feel like making her life really miserable.

RULE #1 Do NOT leave the car!

Best case:
* She told someone when she left, the route, and when she should get to her destination.
* Heroine should be aware of where she is travelling so she can give an exact location to rescue workers.

* Arrive safely and let everyone know she made it. Whew!

But then she got stuck in a snowbank?
* Stay with the car
* Call for help, giving location
* Start car periodically to warm it up and keep the battery from draining.
   (so the horn will work to signal for help)
* Make SURE that the tailpipe is free of obstruction (like snow drift)
   you don't want your heroine to asphyxiate on carbon monoxide. Or maybe you do...
* Have your character weigh the pros and cons of getting out of the car
   `Drop in core temperature when exposed to wind and snow
   `Damp clothes that wick heat away from the body and no longer provide
    insulation and warmth.
   `Are there things in her trunk that might be helpful? That could save her from
    discomfort, if not save her life?

Video Quick Study (5:27) family go stuck overnight.

Which leads us to her EDC (Every Day Carry)

How smart and prepared is your heroine?




This is an example EDC winter kit that she might have in the back of the car along with water bottles.
All of these items tuck easily into the small plastic bucket with room for other things your heroine might want.
This kit contains:
* Food for three days (fiber bars, jerky, raisins, peanut butter, candy)
* An in-car toilet kit. Okay guys, roll your eyes, but "going" out in sub-freezing weather for ladies in winter
   clothing would take a yoga master. Also, every time she opens the door, she lets out any warmth she's built
   up in the car, and exposes way too much of herself to the elements - the cold and the wet. So instead, she
   lines the white plastic bucket with a draw-string bag, uses that with the TP, then closes the top firmly.
   Tah dah!
* A hand crank radio/flashlight (ours also has a phone charger - though this is only helpful if your heroine is
   travelling where there is a phone signal.) This will:
` Keep the car battery from going low
` Give her needed information on weather conditions
` Help keep up her morale and help her pass the time
` Have her keep her circulation moving by doing this light exercise without breaking a sweat and
   moistening her clothes.
* Glow light
* Hat
* Emergency blanket - which can be tented over the in-car heater to help reflect
   even more heat onto the heroine and help keep her toasty warm.
* Lighter
* Knife
* Extra trash bag (to collect snow if she forgot her water bottles or runs out of water)
* Hand warmers
* In-car heater: unused paint can, small Crisco, piece of paper

(NOTE: this heater with one wick raised the ambient car temperature to 68F while the exterior temperatures were dropping. Two wicks would increase the amount of heat output but increase smoke and fire hazard.)

Other things that she should/could have on hand:

* Signal flares and other signalling devices. She can use the mirrors in her car, and beep the horn in a
   sequence of three. REMEMBER any grouping of three - light flashes, sound blasts, etc. - are an
   international distress signal. Call AUTHORITIES immediately to get them involved in the situation.
   If your character is running into an unknown situation- she should do so with caution.
   It could be a home-invasion/kidnapping scenario.
* Extra gloves
* Sub-zero sleeping bag
* A folding shovel
* Jumper cables, windshield scrapers, tire re-inflation cans and other normal car EDC items

Consumer Reports talks your heroine through pre-winter preparation. If she didn't do it, well there you have your plot twist! Video Quick Study (11:00)

. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here's hoping both you and your character stay safe. 

Fiona Quinn's Newsletter Link, Sign up HERE

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.

A Heroine's Plan to Escape a Car Abduction - Information for Writers

__________________________________

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

DISCLAIMER - This is a non-political site that is geared to help writers write it right. I am presenting in
formation to help develop fictional characters and fictional scenes. In no way am I advocating any position or personal decision.

Car abduction 

Statistically, being moved by an attacker from a primary location to a secondary location is extremely dangerous. Consider any movement to be imminently life-threatening.

Most abductions are done by someone who is known to the victim. The heroine should treat the perpetrator, known or not, as a deadly enemy and do everything in her power to escape.


Optimally, your heroine was on her toes. She was aware of her surrounding, and she was prepared
with a hand-held weapon such as a KUBOTAN, ASP, PEPPER SPRAY, or ELECTRIC WEAPON

(clicking on any of these links will take you to a how-to blog)

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But those heroines always seem to be getting themselves into trouble!

Escape Action Plan

1. Noise! Research shows that just making noise is a deterrent to a potential attack. Further, research has proven that yelling "help" is an ineffectual way to get help. When people hear help, they are alerted to a danger and move away. Screaming "fire" on the other hand has the opposite effect, people will come.

 * Video Bystander Effect


2. Resist - studies prove that resisting an unarmed assailant is an
  effectual way to thwart an attack. Unless there is a personal
  component such as a stalker or a vendetta, the attacker will look
  for a victim-personality. More on victims' behaviors at this link
  Your heroine's efforts make her too much trouble and too risky
   or the attacker.      

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3.What if he has a weapon such
   as a gun or knife? 
  That's a trickier call. The best
   advice here is to let you limbic
   system tell you what to do. If
   you feel like an action is the 
   right one - even if it seems
   counter intuitive - trust that 
   your brain is processing
   more than is on the surface.
   LIMBIC BRAIN (this
   is a link to a blog about how
   your limbic system can
   get you out of trouble)

   Somehow he got the girl in the car and is
   taking her to another location:
   She must assume that the other location
   means death, so the heroine must take whatever
   action she can even if it causes her injuries.

1. Jump out of the car when it slows or stops in a
    populated area.
2. Cause the car to have an accident by pulling on the steering
    wheel  or suddenly shifting the gears
3. If the attacker stops the car for any reason, jam something into
    the ignition so that it can't be restarted.

If she is locked in the trunk: 

1. If she has been restrained she will need to break free
    If you need a tutorial on breaking out of tie rods or
    duct tape CLICK HERE and if she is handcuffed,
    CLICK HERE.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. Feel around  the trunk for a
    release latch (required
    on cars since 2000) Have her
    try to spot the
    location before the trunk is
    shut because she will be
    in pitch black. Most of the
    pulls are made of glow-
    in-the-dark material.
3. If none, search for a weapon to
    use once the trunk
    is opened.
4. Does she have her phone on her? Call 911 (This
    might have been missed if she carries it in her
    pocket or bra. Remember the attacker is
    experiencing an adrenaline rush, too.) Give as many
    details as possible about the car and the attacker.
5. She can attempt to kick in the back seat and crawl
    through to attack the driver.
6. She can attempt to kick out the brake lights to call
    attention to the vehicle, especially if this is seen by
    handy-dandy police officer who happens to be
    patrolling that stretch of highway.

VIDEO QUICK STUDY - FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE (11:27)

If the heroine is taken to a location and not killed immediately, she might try:

1. Getting a hold of a phone and dialing 911 then walking away
   from the phone so the abductor's attention is not drawn to the
   movement, and the police might have time to trace the call.
2. Clog a toilet or create another distraction that might allow
   escape.
3. At night, flash the lights in a pattern of three repeatedly. Sets of
   three - horn blasts, light flicks, whistle blows are a universal sign
   of distress. (If you hear or see this, call authorities to investigate -
   you may be saving a life.)

VIDEOS
Older car escape using the locking mechanism (1:01)
Showing the escape chord (:55)
Safety Instructor Talking Through What He Tells His Students (8:56)

And on a final note, many cars have crawl-outs from the back seat. If your heroine goes into water, the back will float; the engine will sink. The passengers can escape through the trunk, in many cars. Authors, check on this possibility for your character's car. This might be something she remembered as a safety feature pointed out to her during the sales pitch.

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