Benjamin Sobieck's Blog, page 7
February 11, 2016
Is This the World’s Deadliest Knife?
TLDR: “Deadly” is a relative term, especially given how creative some fiction writers can get with their stories. Gimmicks, on the other hand, are another matter. The Turkey Baster from Hell The world of knives might seem mundane if you don’t know where to look. Knives cut things. End of story. They’re pretty interchangeable from […]
February 4, 2016
Do Glocks Have Safeties?
TLDR: Glock handguns use three safety mechanisms, but none of them require a character to switch anything off. Disregard Glock safeties entirely when writing fiction. In keeping with the recent theme of things that may or may not have safeties (knives, revolvers, etc.), let’s talk about Glock handguns. I (and probably some regulars of this […]
February 1, 2016
Booms, Busts and Books: A Video Interview on Debbi Mack’s Crime Cafe
The title says it all. With thanks to Debbi Mack’s Crime Cafe for graciously allowing me to talk about this blog, The Writer’s Guide to Weapons, The Invisible Hand, Chase Baker and Vincent Zandri, and Cleansing Eden. Be sure to check out her site for more interviews like this one (minus me, of course).Filed under: Random Topics Tagged: Random Topics
January 28, 2016
Like Magnum, But Not: What is +P Ammunition?
TLDR: A higher velocity version of a cartridge useful for self-defense. Following up from a previous post about magnum ammunition, I thought it’d be a good idea to explain +P ammo. This type of ammunition is similar, but not quite identical to, the magnum concept. This post is going to get technical, but bear with me. […]
January 21, 2016
What is Magnum Ammunition?
TLDR: Magnum ammunition comes with extra propellant (gunpowder) and/or a more generous projectile. Unlike other firearm terminology, “magnum ammunition” is both specific and vague. This can cause some confusion when you need to give a character a firearm with some extra oomph. Magnum Ammo: The Gist It’s specific because a “magnum” cartridge will contain more […]
January 14, 2016
On Writing Weapons: Is it Better to be Accurate or Cool?
“But ‘Switchblade’ Sounds Cooler” I’ve beat the drum about “switchblades” and “assisted opening knives” nearly to death (see here, here and here for examples), so I wasn’t surprised to get a little pushback to my (alleged) dogma. If you don’t care to read up with those links, the nut of it is that any time you […]
January 7, 2016
Want to Spice Up That Character’s Shotgun? Try Bolo Shells
TLDR: Two metal balls + wire + shotgun x crazy = bolo ammunition What is Bolo Shotgun Ammunition? If you’re looking to change things up a bit with your character’s shotgun setup, you might try assigning him/her bolo ammunition. It’s buckshot’s rough and tumble cousin who’s on parole but can’t say no to a bar fight. […]
December 31, 2015
7 New Year’s Resolutions for Writing Weapons in Fiction
It seems everyone and their brother has a list of resolutions for the new year. I’m no exception. Here are seven resolutions for writing weapons in fiction. I hope this year was good to you, and that there is plenty to look forward to in 2016. #1 – Buy a Knife and Write it Into […]
December 24, 2015
Weird Questions Writers Send Me About Guns and Knives
Since it’s Christmas Eve and all, but also my usual day of the week for new blog posts, I figured I’d go a little lighter with the content. You’ll get your fix of guns and knives at your various holiday family gatherings, especially if crazy Uncle Eddie shows up again loaded on torpedo juice and a bad […]
December 22, 2015
Most Frequently Asked Questions About Writing Weapons in Fiction: 2015 Edition
The analytics running behind the scenes here at The Writer’s Guide to Weapons offer interesting insights into the depraved minds creative undertakings the writerfolk pursue when researching guns and knives for writing fiction. Here’s a review of 2015’s traffic. The Most Searched for Terms that Got You Here in 2015 (Plus Links to the Answers) […]
