Benjamin Sobieck's Blog, page 4

Have You Heard About Airbows?

TLDR: An airbow is like a crossbow that uses air pressure to fire a bolt. Eat your heart out, Daryl Dixon. New to the hunting scene as of early 2016, and therefore available to writerly imaginations everywhere as of right now, is the Pioneer Airbow from Crosman. It’s not quite a crossbow and it’s not […]

Are Your Characters Following Proper Gun and Knife Safety?

TLDR: If a character is supposed to know something about firearms and knives, abide by common sense safety rules. Not every character is or needs to be the embodiment of safe firearm and knife handling, but some should demonstrate a basic understanding in keeping their backgrounds. When this doesn’t happen, it’s a clear “tell” that something […]

Heads Up: Your FBI Characters Will Now Carry Different Pistols

TLDR: If your story is set in late 2016 or beyond, depict FBI characters carrying 9mm Glock semi-automatic pistols instead of .40 caliber Glocks. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced a change to its standard issue semi-automatic pistols last month that could impact some works of fiction. The agency will switch over to 9mm Glock pistols, […]

Automatic vs. Semi-Automatic vs. Fully Automatic Firearms: What’s the Difference?

TLDR: When writing, clarify whether the gun in the story is “semi-automatic” or “fully automatic” upon first reference, then use “automatic” as shorthand. There is a functional difference that could affect the plot. If learning about firearms feels like an exhausting exercise in vocabulary, thank you for reading this blog! That’s exactly what a lot […]

Is It Possible to Shoot Out a Lock with a Gun?

TLDR: It’s possible, but it doesn’t work the way you think.  Do me a favor. The next time you get the itch to write in a scene where the character “shoots out a lock,” go grab the firearm you keep in a hidden safe in the wall and a big, fat rock. Stand as close […]

Unusual Methods for Honing and Sharpening Knives

TLDR: Anything as hard or harder than steel can sharpen a knife. Softer materials, such as newspapers, can hone. In honor of my recent binge of MacGyver on Netflix (viva technology!), I’d like to share with you the secret about sharpening and honing knives: harder objects will sharpen softer objects, and softer objects can hone harder […]

Join Me at the 2016 Writer’s Digest Conference

Cool deal: Use code SOBIECK16 when registering for $25 off! To prove once again to my peers, the government, blood relatives, my creditors and other interested parties that I am indeed a real person and not a figment of an overactive imagination, consider this your official reminder to come see me at the 2016 Writer’s Digest […]

What’s the Deal with that iPhone Gun? Answers for Fiction Writers

TLDR: Not much. Earlier this year, a company near me in the Upper Midwest called Ideal Conceal debuted a firearm that bears a striking similarity to a smartphone. Designed to fire .380 caliber ammunition from two separate barrels, Ideal Conceal’s firearm folds into a square reminiscent of an iPhone, allowing it to slip into a pocket […]

Why Would Someone Need to Aim a Shotgun?

TLDR: Shotguns aren’t idiot-proof, and they’re only as accurate as the people/characters using them. Shotguns are supposed to be the White Castle Crave Case of firearms: they’re a hit every time. (If you don’t like White Castle, pretend that you do.) It’s a matter of pointing the firearm in the general direction of the thing that […]

Honing vs. Sharpening Knives: What’s the Difference?

TLDR: “Honing” doesn’t remove metal from the blade. “Sharpening” does. I wish I had a crisp $100 bill every time I read a piece of fiction that used “honing” and “sharpening” incorrectly when depicting a character handling a knife. (Why cut myself short and settle for nickels and dimes?) I’d have enough to retire on a […]