injuries - FightWrite

Strikes Other Than Punches or Kicks

FightWrite — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 21:15:23 +0000

In fighting, a strike is a direct, percussive blow delivered with any part of the body. Punches and kicks are both examples of strikes and what many people think of when strikes are mentioned in relation to fights. While both punches and kicks are incredibly productive in fights on and off the page, they are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to striking. In this post, we are going to look at some strikes, other than punches and kicks, that can pack a wallop in your fight scene. All these strikes will be looked at in the …

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Where People Are Stabbed

FightWrite — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 17:53:57 +0000

Where People Are Stabbed If your character is wielding a knife or on the receiving end of a blade, you might be surprised where that blade is most likely to land – literally – in two ways. In this post, we will look at both where people are stabbed, both on the body and in the world . We will also consider some misleading stats regarding knife wounds. People Are Stabbed on the BodyWhere People Are StabbedWhere People Are Stabbed Blade Wounds (Not Assault) When you look at the stats of injuries by blades, you might see some that are seemingly …

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Writing Scenes With Sparring

FightWrite — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 15:47:54 +0000

Sparring scenes matter. To write great scenes with sparring, we first need to understand what sparring is, isn’t, and what makes them great. If you look up “the best fighting movies of all time,” you will see a great deal of overlap in the top ten. I have seen many of those films and they all have something in common beyond fighting sequences. They all have scenes with sparring. Now, I don’t know about you, but I love those scenes. They are far more than action sequences. In this post, we will look at writing scenes with sparring. We will …

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Where to Punch a Character and Why

FightWrite — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 18:41:16 +0000

If you are blocking a fight scene ripe with punches, this post is for you. It’s important to know where to punch a character, because where you punch your character will create certain responses. If there is a specific response/result/injury that you are looking for, it’s good to know which punches will get you to that point. In this post we will look at where to punch a character to create a create a certain outcome. Guys, this is where having actual fight training/experience comes in super handy. Don’t worry if you don’t have it. That’s why I’m here! Does …

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Injuries by Magic: Four Things to Consider

FightWrite — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 19:23:00 +0000

Injuries by magic! If you are a fantasy writer, this is a subject near and dear to your heart. And, at conferences for fantasy writers, it’s a common conversation. On such conference is Realm Makers. This past weekend I had the privilege of attending and mentoring writers at the Realm Makers Writers Conference. If you are a writer of speculative fiction, I cannot suggest this conference highly enough. Speculative fiction is an umbrella term for works with elements outside the bounds of the natural world. So, it’s sci fi, fantasy, steampunk, cyberpunk, dystopian, supernatural, paranormal, alternate history… Basically, if your …

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Dislocating A Thumb to Escape Handcuffs

FightWrite — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 21:12:00 +0000

Is dislocating a thumb to escape handcuffs a “thing?” Recently, at a writer’s conference, I was on a panel called “Blood and Guts” and was asked that very thing. One writer asked if we thought it was possible to dislocate your thumb to escape handcuffs. I said I didn’t believe so and asked a few police officers after the fact. They agreed, probably not. However, they did say women escape cuffs more often. If it was because they were dislocating their thumbs, they couldn’t say for sure. But, they kinda doubted it. More likely they escape because officers are required …

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What Happens in an Autopsy – for Writers

FightWrite — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 14:15:39 +0000

In writing my most recent book Fight Write, Round Two: Crafting Chaos, Combat and Crime, I took a deep dive into autopsies. If an autopsy is your work, this post is for you! The word autopsy comes from the Greek word autopsia which means, “to see for one’s own eyes.” Auto – self, opsis – sight. In forensic speak, it may also just be called a post mortem, from the Latin “after death.” Before we get to what happens in an autopsy, let’s get a few things out of the way. Why an autopsy? Autopsies may be formed for …

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Bullwhips Use & Bullwhip Injuries

FightWrite — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 15:36:01 +0000

I was recently asked about bullwhip injuries via an IG story posted by @rachelschadeauthor which, I LOVED!!!!! Buy FightWrite the book How to Use a Bullwhip First, if there is a whip in your story, be sure you are referring to the right type of whip. There are five or six types and all have a purpose. The bullwhip is generally the longest and is the kind that Indiana Jones used. All the things Indy did with a whip are legit uses. I took one bullwhip lesson and the concept of use is pretty easy. The whip goes where the …

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Describing Pain for Writers and their Character

FightWrite — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 16:58:27 +0000

Looking for a word to describe that pain? Here are some adjectives for pain as well as descriptions of the five major types of pain. ENJOY! Adjectives for Pain A – abysmal, abscessed, aching, agonizing, annoying, arduous, atrocious, awful B – beating, bile churning, biting, blinding, blistering, bone-crushing, bone-shattering, bruised, burning C – chronic, cold, clawing, considerable, constant, convulsive, cramping, cruel, crushing, cutting D – deep, debilitating, dire, dolorous, dreadful, drilling, dull E – electric, extreme, eye watering, excruciating, exhausting, eviscerating F – ferocious, fierce, fiery, flashing, frightful G – galling, grave, grievous, gnawing, griping, gripping H – harrowing, heavy, …

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Perineum Stab

FightWrite — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 11:36:00 +0000

Welcome to your corner! As this is the first FightWriter’s Corner let me tell you how it works. You send in a question and the corner answers it. Simple as that. And, like any good coach, I promote my fighters. If yours is the featured question, you are the featured FightWriter. I will happily spotlight your picture and whatever professional info you would like after the post. This month’s featured FightWriter is (cue Eye of the Tiger) Kristen Stieffel. She would like to know how long it would take someone to bleed out from a perineum stab. (Pause for cringe.) Yes, …

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