I'm blog hopping from ThrillWriting over to Thriller-Writer in this article.
BTW, I wanted to name my blog Thriller-Writer but someone beat me to it. And then, I found out it was my friend Eric - great minds and all that. So join me as I hop.
My Guest: Fiona Quinn
My Guest this week is a little under the weather... in fact, we all are, as are the characters in the novels we read, and she's going to show us some clever ways authors can use this to immerse readers into scenes on the page. Ladies and Gentlemen...
Fiona Quinn
How’s the Weather?
In Your Novel,
It Makes a Difference.
Last weekend, I was out in the woods on an Evacuation Team with Search and Rescue. It was ninety degrees (32º C). Things had cooled down quite a bit from the last time I was out on a manhunt; that day it had been over a hundred (39º C) with a wall of humidity.
Since I write Romantic Suspense/thrillers, I always try to note my experiences so I can bring my written words to life. In the case of searching for someone in the woods, weather matters. And I want to make the broader point that weather matters in all of our writing scenes.
Let’s start with my evac event as an example. In order to go into the woods, rescuers need to dress out; that is, we’re required to wear certain clothing to maintain our safety: boots, wool socks, long pants, long sleeved shirt, eye protection, helmet, heavy leather gloves. I was covered from head to toe except for the three or so inches between my glasses and my shirt collar. On top of that, I carried a rescue pack and equipment like rappelling webbing, a backboard, and a litter, as well as first aid bag, water for the victim and food. Water weighs a lot. Especially the amounts carried in for the heat. Ninety degrees. Remember that.
In ninety-degree weather, a rescuer can quickly need rescuing. Rescuers are human beings, too. While often portrayed as heroic and never being aware of things like heat, Mother Nature really isn’t that kind. In ninety-degree heat, with or without the extra equipment, in that clothing, your character will be sopping wet with sweat. The sweat will make the dirt on the skin muddy. It will bring the bugs a-buzzing. It will make the character thirsty, tired, and probably a bit irritable. It will make the clothing cling uncomfortably to the skin, will increase the friction on the feet, forming blisters. Physical exertion in that weather will increase the need for water. Increase the chance of heat stroke. Use the weather to increase the misery of your character (nothing should be going well for them anyway.)
Think about all of the wonderful ways you can describe the event once you take into account the weather: heat, cold, rain, drought, wind – it’s all plotting fodder.
The weather gives a writer plenty of ways to add beats into conversations instead of tags. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term 'beat', what I mean is that I would give environmental information or physical activity to the scene. It’s very important to resituate a reader. . .
This week I have a new hairdo. I chopped off about a foot of hair to donate to an organization making wigs for women with cancer. This is Breast Cancer Awareness month - so let's save the tatas, ladies. The change in my appearance prompted this week's article. Time and time again statistics show that perpetrators look for signs of vulnerability, such as long hair, when choosing their victims. Another thing that can turn your character into a victim is her clothing. Excerpt from WEAKEST LYNX:
I need to be able to
move in my clothes. I did a lot of martial arts training. Master Wang
thinks too many women wear clothes that restrict them.” And the hell if I was going to put myself at greater risk being bound up by a pencil skirt.
When Stalker showed up, I planned to kick the shit out of him. I smiled
ruefully. “I always try to get some Lycra in my pants and jeans. I tend to
choose full skirts, so I can defend myself and hide my gun.”
“You carry a gun?” Celia and
Alice asked together.
I smiled. “Sometimes.” More like, always
Just like Lexi Sobado, I believe careful clothing choices makes for better safety.
For me this means Lycra, Lycra, Lycra and more Lycra - and maybe a little Spandex.
I have found that wearing conservative clothing styles creates obstacles to self-defense.
When you are dressing your character, you may want to keep some of these ideas in mind to either help your heroine escape, or, if it's better for your plot line, get her into a real bind by using her clothes against her. Link - How a Predator Courts a Victim Link Aggressive Body Language
Skirts should be worn above the knee either an A-line or a shorter Lycra or Spandex material.
Long skirts (below the knee) need to be lifted and held up to fight. This throws off balance and your character cannot use her hands and arms to block, grab, or punch.
Pencil skirts prevent a woman from using her best body weapon - her legs. She can't knee, run, kick, or crouch. She is vulnerable.
Video Quick Study (1:10) Look how cute this dress is. It is also easy for this woman to defend herself.
Sleeveless for mobility
Skirt above the knee and wide enough for high kicks. Bodice tight to the body with give.
Wedge shoes that are strapped on offer stability
I watched what looked like a cattle call for a martial arts actress. (video removed by YouTube lineup) The women wore skirts of various lengths. Women wearing short skirts had both hands available. If their skirt came below their knee, they pulled their skirts up and held them out of the way. This leaves them with one less hand to use for balance, blocking and punching.
Video Quick Study (1:02) Woman fighting in a business attire. Her skirt might be a little short for office wear, a longer (just above the knee) A-line skirt would work as well.
Wide bottoms can be grabbed during a kick. This would put your character on the ground.
Wide legs can get caught on the heel when crouching, tripping your character.
Video Quick Study (:57) Okay, this is not how a real fight works, but I wanted you to see how a good pair of pants help her.
They are thick enough to protect her legs.
They are form fitting and stretch
Held up by a belt. True a belt can be grabbed, but so can the top of pants - and worse if your character is wearing yoga pants or exercise pants the assailant can pull these down quickly and easily to shackle your character. Though this works both ways. If your heroine is facing a gang-banger she can stomp the top of his pants and run.
The girls' jeans are cut in such a way that they cannot get their knees up. This preempts the girl-power numero-uno self- preservation move: knee-to-the-groin.
They can't kick above the knees (though a kick to the knee, snapping the assailant's leg backward is a great way to escape!)
Notice the hoody that one girl is wearing and how it would be used against her. This guy was being nice. A real villain would yank it backwards and put her on the ground - When she is on the ground, the villain has the most control.
SHIRTS
Blouses that are classically tailored have some major drawbacks in self-defense.
The cotton fabric has no give.
The cut is loose enough to grab easily.
The cut of the fabric does not allow full range of motion - this prevents the character from getting a full-force back-fist or elbow strike, two strikes that are more effective than straight punches for women.
Video Quick Study (1:28) See how well this woman can fight in her tight turtleneck.
This shirt fits tight to the body and is less likely to get caught on anything or grabbed.
High heeled boots can be a great weapon if your character has the ankle strength to fight in them. Running, though is hard to do.
Stilettos can be an asset if they can be removed easily to run away, or used for strikes.
The photo to the right shows women dressed to defend themselves, but the girl on the far right will be the one who goes down in the final chase because of the ankle straps.
Wedge heels add to stability
Closed-toe shoes prevent debris from getting jammed into the shoe and will also work to protect the toes.
Highly pointed shoes works to concentrate force into a very small area, thereby making a front snap kick all the more devastating. Aim a snap kick at the assailant's diaphragm, and your heroine will wind him and have several precious minutes on her head start.
Of course, if she could manage to be wearing steel-toed boots, or cross-trainers that would be nice.
Tight fitted shirt with enough give so she has range of motion.
Skirt has kicking room and is above her knee for knee raises.
Shoes are low heeled. She can use those heels for grinding toes. They're strapped on for stability. But they are open toed which can cause problems with gravel and debris. I imagine these have slippery soles. These would be tough to run in.
Her hoop earrings are problematic as well. She needs to lose those earrings.
Just a final thought about ACCESSORIES: Purses:
You're heroine should always have a weapon, her phone, and her keys on her body when she's walking. If someone makes a grab at her purse, she should just let it go.
Big purses are a bigger target.
A big purse can be used to block punches.
A small purse is a smaller target and can be used to swing at the assailant.
Scarves:
Are chocking hazards and binding hazards.
Unless your heroine is trained to get out of choke holds and then use the scarf as a weapon (for trapping strikes or kicks, for example) she should probably just leave the scarf at home.
Earrings, necklaces, and other accessories:
Can all be used to grab and control your character
Rings can work like brass knuckles especially if they have sharp stones. Also, if your heroine punches the assailant a few times she'll probably have enough DNA caught in the pongs to do a profile. Link to DNA 101
Please let me know if you have any questions, and I will do my best to help.
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.
Recently I had the opportunity to meet a helicopter rescue team from Virginia Commonwealth University Health Systems. What a fascinating job!
It was a nighttime landing at a church parking lot. The helicopter circled to come in with the wind direction. I was ready for wind - I was not ready for the gale that swallowed me. Debris flew by, and I ended up ducking between cars for safety.
* On the VCU Health Systems team,
rescuers work four
days a month: two twenty-four-
hour days and two eight-hour days.
* The teams from V.C.U. work as a
group of three to include:
1. The pilot - who knows nothing
about the patient in order to maintain his
focus on piloting safely.
2. A medevac nurse
3. A flight paramedic
* Team members are rotated so that:
1. they are used to working with everyone from
their location
2. to avoid complacence
3. to avoid bad habits.
* Surprisingly, most of their work is not flying crash victims to the hospital.
Most of their work involves moving patients from smaller hospitals, where the
equipment, medication, or expertise is lacking, to a larger
hospital which is better positioned to handle the medical crisis.
* Getting a patient into the right environment within a 1-3 hour window creates a significantly higher
survivability rate.
* The VCU team flies up to Maryland, Washington D.C., down to North Carolina,
and west to Virginia Tech. While many of the large universities have their own flight evac teams
and their own hospitals that they represent, on this level there is a great deal of comradery, reciprocity,
and shared resources. The teams will transport for each other depending on availability and location.
Video Quick Study (6:00) Excellent overview of a simulated rescue moving a patient from a lower level
hospital to a trauma center. In this video:
* The average take off time for this team is 6 minutes
* They like the team to touch the helicopter in 90 seconds
* As they are flying in the hospital is gearing up. They can be in surgery cutting into the patient
within 3 minutes of landing.
Video Quick Study (4:00) Response to a car accident with head trauma. Video Quick Study (11:00) GRAPHIC IN NATURE - please consider your tolerance. A soldier with a
brain trauma is being treated on the flight. This is NOT A SIMULATION. You may
want to mute the music to focus on the organization of the medical equipment and the
medical interventions that are being performed on the floor of the helicopter.
This job is considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States.
One of the bad thing that can happen is called: Flicker Vertigo
* Is not caused by inner ear issues like normal vertigo - it is a visual issue
* Causes queasiness and confusion
* Can effect the patient as well as the pilot. This is particularly concerning where a patient
has a history of motion sickness or epilepsy.
* Full face visors work like sunglasses to protect against this.
Another big danger happens in landing around power lines.
* Lines are difficult to see especially at night. (Which you can easily see in my video above)
* The helicopters are equipped with hooks that would trap and cut the line to protect the helicopter
and the rescue workers.
Video Quick Study (3:00) Skip right to the 2:10 mark. Helicopters and power lines are a bad combo.
If you are writing a flight evac scene, you will need to make a lot of decision, just like real-life rescuers do.
What about the weather?
* Before any information about the patient or the situation is offered, the weather is checked.
* It is important that a safe decision is made based on data alone, without figuring in the heroics of the rescue
team.
* Once the weather is determined to be safe, then other decisions are considered.
Is the woman pregnant and is it possible that she will go into labor?
* From the position of the gurney on the helicopter, the
rescue team does NOT have access to the lower half
of the patient's body.
* A woman in labor is a no-go on the helicopter
Will the patient fit?
* The space is limited.
* These rescue workers have had a patient
with an enormous girth before. They had to lubricate
him in order to squeeze him in to the cramped space - it
makes for an uncomfortable ride, and it ups the danger quotient.
Weight.
* A helicopter can only carry so much weight.
* The flight crews weight is documented and put into a mathematical calculation as is the weight of the
passenger they are going to pick up.
* Jet fuel weighs about 7 lbs per gallon. The pilot calculates for distance. It takes 1.1 gallons of fuel
per minute of flight. They are flying at 120-140 nautical miles per hour. A nautical mile is 20%
longer than a regular mile - so this is equivalent to about 188 mph. The pilot indicated that this was the
speed of a NASCAR driver on a medium track. Of course they are moving in linearly, unlike a car,
so the distance is shorter. (And how much does that fuel at 1 gallon per 1.1 second cost? As of the writing
of this post it was $4.90 per gallon tp $6.50 depending on contracts. YIPES! That's an expensive
rescue!) At any rate, the pilot is calculating whether or not he can hold enough fuel for the distance of the
rescue.
Once the patient is stabilized, packaged, and loaded:
The nurse and flight paramedic have all of the resources of an emergency room to include:
* Respiration apparatus
* Defibrillators
* Medications
* Wound dressing
HELICOPTER SAFETY
Approach
* The helicopter has two engines
* The blades move at 450 mph which about six times per second.
* The blades can flex downward which is a decapitation hazard.
* To approach safely only do so from the front.
* If you are positioned to the rear of the helicopter make a large arc to the front
* Get permission to approach by signaling the pilot either by radio or hand signal of your intention and wait
*Are one of the most dangerous places at a hospital.
* Nurses, technicians, and maintenance workers are
all trained to minimize risk - but we all know in
an emergency sometimes our bodies just act. This
is the wrong place for that to happen.
* Hospitals have a dedicated elevator ONLY for
medevac rescue.
Video Quick Study (1:00) Medevac helicopter landing
on a hospital roof heliport.
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.
SIRCHIE makes hundreds of products for the law enforcement
community and offers classes in how to use those products at their Youngsville,
North Carolina Education and Training site. Several crime writers were allowed
an unprecedented opportunity to attend a five-day, hands-on training session,
so that we could learn more about the latest and best gadgets being used to
catch the crooks.
During the first two days of Evidence Collection Training,
we used a number of chemicals, fingerprint powders, and brushes, and employed
several different fingerprint lifting techniques on a variety of tricky
surfaces. We discussed the benefits of both cheap and costly Alternate Light
Sources.
Our notebooks were filling up and theories of the perfect
crime were flying around the class. We kept quizzing Robert Skiff, our
instructor, (SIRCHIE Training Manager/Technical Training Specialist) about ways
to ‘get away with the murder of the decade.’ But as we learned, there is no
perfect crime. That pesky trace evidence will always be waiting at every scene
for the investigator to discover it, photograph it, tag it, bag it, and
transport it without losing the integrity of the sample.
It was time to visit the plant – see how the powders,
brushes, and other crime scene paraphernalia were made.
SIRCHIE manufactures most of its products in-house. The
specialized vehicles for SWAT, bomb rescue, arson investigation, and
surveillance work, etc., are built in New Jersey, but the smaller products are
produced right in North Carolina.
Security was carefully controlled throughout our tour. Most
of our group writes crime fiction, so we are always looking for a way our
fictional criminals can break in (or out of) a wild assortment of locations. As
we walked through the stacks and aisles of products, we commented to each other
on the smooth organization and many checks SIRCHIE had in place. Cameras
everywhere. Limited access to the assembly floor. Labyrinths a person could
easily get turned around in. If we got separated from the group while taking an
extra photo or two, we were found and escorted back by an always friendly
employee.
Of course, we couldn’t turn into rogue students anyway. Our
fingerprints littered the classroom and they knew where we lived.
Security plays a part in the assembly model as well. Each
product they create is put together from start to finish by hand. There are no
assembly lines because of trade secrets and a dedication to preserving product
integrity. Personnel are carefully screened before being hired and
qualification for employment includes graduate degrees. No criminal history
whatsoever is allowed. Every employee comes through the Evidence Collection
Training Class so that they understand what SIRCHIE does as a whole.
Tool and Die Machinery
Templates for the various products are created in-house. The
operators of these machines are highly trained experts. Quality control is
paramount, so training is constant.
Printed Supplies
Scale Strips
All the printing is done in-house. The printing area was stacked with cases of items being printed for shipment. We saw ink strips large enough to process tire treads.
Field Kit
Field Kits are created for general use by investigators, but can be specifically designed for a special need. The small vials contain enough chemicals to test unknown stains and substances at the scene. Note the dense foam holding the vials and bottles firmly in place. The kits are usually kept in the trunk and probably get tossed around quite a bit. The foam insures against breakage during car chases and while bumping across uneven road surfaces.
Finger Print Brushes
There are fiberglass brushes, feather dusters for the very light powder, regular stiffer brushes, and magnetic powder brush applicators.
Brushes Completed
We were lucky enough
to see fiberglass brushes being made.
Gun Box
If a handgun is seized for evidence, there needs to be a
simple, yet effective way to track chain of possession.
*Bag the gun to preserve the fingerprints and
*drop the gun in the box.
*Then fill in the blanks on the box.
*Easy to stack and store until needed.
Think of all the cases that may be ongoing in a large
jurisdiction – the evidence is not sitting at the police station. It’s in a
warehouse someplace, and needs to be easily identified when required for court.
In addition to several sized boxes for guns and knives, etc. SIRCHIE also
provides an incredible assortment of resealable plastic bags for preserving
evidence like clothing, unidentified fibers, etc.
Wendy with Magnetic Powder
Magnetic powder was being processed that day and then put
into rows and rows of jars and jugs. Before it is sent out to the customers,
each lot is tested for moisture content, appropriate ratio of ingredients and
other trade secret tests. We joked about taking some back to class for the next
round of fingerprint study and were surprised by how heavy the jugs were.
Cyanowand Cartidges for Glue Gun
No, she’s not making
bullets. She is assembling the cyanowand cartridges used for fuming with
superglue.
SIRCHIE Makes Riot Gear
Riot Helmet Drills
This is not a photo of something from a SyFy movie. At the
center of the shot is a helmet template. The drills encircling the template are
aimed at spots where holes are needed for each helmet, depending on the type of
helmet in production. All the holes are drilled at the same time.
The helmet before anything has been added to it
.
Helmet Padding
Buckles for Helmets
Padding is inserted after the buckles are attached.
Helmet Component
Helmet Neck
Helmet Faceguard
Completed Riot Helmet
The Optical Comparator, as well as the other machines, are
built to order by hand.
While in the warehouse, we learned that if a product is
discontinued, it is still supported by SIRCHIE. That means that if a law
enforcement officer calls up with a problem a few years after purchasing a
machine, he can still get help. Reassuring for jurisdictions with a tight
budget that can’t afford to replace expensive equipment every year or two.
SIRCHIE sends supplies to TV shows, so next time you’re
watching a fave detective or examiner lift prints with a hinge lifter, it may
have come from SIRCHIE.
Great tour, great people who work so hard to keep the law
enforcement community supplied with the gear needed to catch the bad guys.
A big thanks to Patti for stopping by today.
Patti has been a contributor to several articles here on the blog including: Finger Printing LINK and Footwear Evidence LINK. You can find a link to her blog NIGHTSTAND BOOK REVIEWS under my
"Blogs I Follow" on the information strip on the right hand side. Also check out Kerrian's Notebook LINK
If you have any questions, please leave them below, and we will do our best to help.
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WARNING - this article contains photos of bodies that might be considered graphic or disturbing. Please be aware of your comfort level before reading his post.
Excerpt - CHAIN LYNX "Wilson wanted to make sure that he was long gone, and the body was in bad shape when it was found?” Deep snorted. “Bad shape, that’s an understatement.”
“How so?” I asked.
“It didn’t take the week to find the corpse. The heat in his motel room was on full blast, and they smelled the body from the lobby.”
“Oh, Gross!”
Deep waggled his brow. “I’m glad it wasn’t my job to pour him into a bag."
*** Here's a Video Quick Study (6:11) which humorously goes through the normal steps of what happens from death to interment. Death is not a pretty sight. It doesn't resemble the Hollywood and television deaths or the deaths often portrayed in literature. There is a series of events that take place. Before we take a quick look at three aspect of decomposition -- algor, livor, and rigor -- let me just address three little sniggly bits. 1. Urine and Feces - Urine and feces will only leave the body if the bladder or bowl was full. The sphincter muscles containing the waste matter relaxes, as do all of the muscles, no longer holding the contents inside. If the person has been in the process of dying over many days then they probably have not eaten or been hydrated and there is nothing to evacuate. If it is a sudden death, but the person has just relieved themselves, they will not eliminate at death. "The woman’s lifeless body collapsed like a heap of dirty laundry in front of the door. Urine pooled out from under her." ~ Missing Lynx
2.They close their eyes -Closing one's eyes, as well as
holding the mouth/jaw shut requires engaged muscles. At
death the eyelids will be half open and the jaw will be open
and off-side. According to my daughter who is a telemetry
nurse, the mouth slacks and drifts to the side. 3. Frequently as death approaches the individual will go into a coma or a coma-like state or they become agitated and delusional. From speaking with nurses and hospice workers, there is no last second confessional. They go into a state of flux, and they expire. Death is the cessation of all metabolic activity and functions. 1. Legal death can be reversed. 2. Biological death cannot be reversed. WHAT DOES OCCUR POST MORTEM? How long has this person been dead? * Breakdown happens because of the lack of body function and an increase in bacteria (and other organisms such as bugs). * How quickly the body breaks down is largely a function of temperature. * The colder the temperature the slower the chemical changes that breakdown organic matter. The cold temperatures also retard organisms such as bacteria and bugs Video Quick Study (1:08) 5,000 yr old man found frozen in a glacier. The body is amazingly intact. These changes overlap in time: 1 Algor Mortis -
NO! That's Al Gore. We're talking about ALGOR mortis when the dead body cools. * The body loses 2 degrees C. in the first 2 hours and approximately 1 degree per hour after that. How cool the body gets depends on the ambient temperature. * Glaister Equation.Link to formula This is most accurate in a temperature controlled environment. * The fatter you are the more you store heat (faster decomposition) * Temperature of the body at death also increases decomostion. Did they have a fever? Had they just run a marathon? * Clothing - More clothes trap more heat. * Ambient temperature Video Quick Study (5:09) 2. Rigor Mortis - * Rigor mortis first appears approximately 1-2 hours after death. * Progressive stiffening occurs for approximately 12 hours, persists for approximately 12 hours, then diminishes over the next 12 hours as tissues break down as a result of autolysis and putrefaction.LINK * Because rigor mortis is a chemical reaction to ATP and has to do with shortening the muscle, it is interesting to note that in someone who has been physically active - fighting or running over a period of time - the rigor mortis will set in more quickly. Video Quick Study (0:48) the difference between cold stiffening and rigor mortis Video Quick Study (3:10) talking about Michael Jackson and rigor mortis
Livor mortis Deutsch: Totenflecke (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
3. Livor Mortis - * There is no longer a functioning circulatory system so the blood settles where gravity takes it and is seen as purplish on the surface of the skin. * If an object is laying below the body, such as a weapon, it could show up as a lighter spot on the tissue. * Darker skin makes this harder to see. * This takes place for about 8 hours. After 8 hours the blood no longer moves even if the body is turned over. * Skin color might provide information about the cause of death. For example cherry red is associated with carbon monoxyde poisoning and pink is an indicator for cyanide. * Marbling may develop with the delineation of the vasculature as a result of the reaction of hydrogen sulfide produced by bacteria with hemoglobin from the lysis of erythrocytes, as shown below. LINK
Marbling outlines the vasculature in this decedent as the postmortem interval lengthens. 4. As the body continues to decompose * bacteria increases and produces a gas. * The body might bloat from the gases esp. in the abdomen. It can bloat to the point of bursting. This bloating brings bodies to the surface of the water if the person drowned or a body was dumped. According to Cookie, a recovery diver who spoke to us at the WPA, the body will float around the seventh day and will descend again once the fish, birds, etc. who are eating the body poke a hole in the tissue allowing the gases to escape.
See how this article influenced my plot lines in my novella MINE and 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.
