R.W. Krpoun's Blog, page 33

Dream III begun

I started writing Dream III on Thursday March 24th, 2016. No predictions on completion date at this early juncture.

Dream II doing well!

I need to extend a big thanks to my readers. I never expect to write a best seller, and every time I publish a book there’s the fear that no one will read it.

But Dream II is chugging along, moving off the electronic shelves in gratifying numbers.

So again, thanks for reading my stuff. I hope you enjoyed my work.

Dream II published!

As of 9:30pm CST March 10th 2016 Dream II has been published on both Amazon (including Kindle Select) and a paperback through Createspace.

It can take up to 12 hours for the book to become available for sale. I kept the price at $1.99 because I’m more interested in my books being read than in making money.

 

EDIT: The e-book is now available on Amazon. The paperback will take a bit longer to be available.

A ghost story of sorts.

Firstly let me state for the record that I do not believe in ghosts. That said I have seen a few things that are pretty strange and I have categorized them as ‘ghost stories’ for lack of anything better.

I am a police officer, and back in the 1990s as a Patrolman I responded to a report of a burglary in progress. I had a new officer I was training (hereafter referred to as Rookie) riding with me. My Sergeant also responded.

We responded to a housing project. Each identical two story apartment consisted of a living room and kitchen the ground floor, and two small bedrooms and a full bath on the second floor. There is no access to the rafters. We are all familiar with the layout of these apartments because it is very poor area and generates a great deal of business. The specific apartment is on the end of the building, which means it only has a blank wall on the right side, and another apartment on the left side.

The resident, a single mother with three kids had come home at dusk and her neighbor was sitting on the communal porch smoking. The neighbor commented that she thought that the resident was already home because she had heard the resident’s children running up and down the stairs. The resident listed and indeed heard someone running up and down the stairs and moving around noisily in the apartment. She called the police.

My Sergeant arrived first and heard the sounds of a subject running about the apartment as well. I arrived moments later and sent the Rookie to watch the back door and windows. All the window screens on both stories front & back are firmly fixed in place and obviously have been for some time

We got the keys from the resident and unlocked the front door, but it wouldn’t open. Now the doors in this complex were fitted with deadbolts with a three inch throw deadbolt with a blank outside face-they can only be locked & unlocked from the inside. My Sergeant tells me to kick the door in.

Now, I am a veteran officer in my prime; I’ve kicked in a lot of doors, including doors in this complex. The doors here are tough, but not impossible. I set myself and give it my best shot-it doesn’t budge. Embarrassed because our presence has drawn onlookers I immediately try again. My boot sole is literally imprinted into the metal of the door, but the door holds.

My Sergeant disgustedly orders me aside and takes a go at it. The door doesn’t budge. My Sergeant gets on the radio to call for a ram. I’m looking at the dent my boot put into the door when the door swings inward about two inches. I alert the Sergeant and we enter the apartment tactically.

We clear the apartment, and we search it. There’s only two closets. I look in both, under beds, in the water heater space, under the small sofa…no one. I lift every piece of furniture large enough to hide anyone bigger than a toddler. I pull the drawers out of the bureau and check behind them. I run my baton into the laundry basket. When I am done I am confident that a nothing greater than the size of a small cat could not be hiding from me. And there are no pets.

When the door swung open I had assumed that cumulative damage had sundered the dead bolt. Returning to it I checked, and found that the dead bolt was fully retracted in the unlocked position, and that the doorframe had sustained no damage at all. I tried the door several times and checked with the resident: it had no history of sticking; quite the opposite, in fact.

We found no explanation for the sounds, or why the door would not open.

The resident packed a bag while we waited, and moved out the next day.

March 10th is the target date for Dream II

Currently the manuscript is roughly halfway through the editing process. I’m weeding out typos, the occasional misspelling, incorrect word usage, and the like. I’m also re-writing some awkward sentences, clipping away unused tangents and several duplicate discussions, and adding more color and explanation where needed. So far its grown by nearly 1000 words.

I feel confident we can get it done and uploaded to Createspace and Amazon by the 10th.

Rough Draft completed!

The sequel to Dream, The Realm, was finished today. From 8 December 2016 to 28 January 2016 I cranked out just over 94,000 words of rough draft novel. Now begins the lengthy process of review, refining, and editing.

Still working on Dream II

I’ve been neglecting my blog for the last few weeks, but it hasn’t been in vain. The sequel to Dream (tentatively titled ‘The Realm’) has reached 86k words of rough draft, and I hope to complete the rough draft by the weekend.

Progress on Dream II continues

My blogging has slowed because my writing has been flowing at a solid pace. I’ve over 63,000 words of rough draft and so far my plot arcs have held together with only a little application of duct tape and improvisation. I have not forgotten my blog, but the when the muse runs hot you cannot ignore it, for there are dry days ahead when the words refuse to assemble into coherent formations.

Seven points on Handgun Combat

We’ve looked at melee combat, and now its time to look at firearms. Since that is a broad subject we’ll break it down into categories, and today we’ll discuss handguns.

As to my credentials, I started shooting at the age of four (LBJ was President back then), got my first handgun (a .22 revolver) at age 12, and have been in law enforcement since 1980. I own a wide variety of handguns, and have shot expert on more range types than I can remember. I’ve also used a handgun in lethal encounters. I am by no means an authority, but I am firmly convinced that I have a solid background. More importantly, I have and will again argue for hours on any one of a wide variety of shooting topics, such as the best handgun caliber (.45 ACP) or handgun (Colt M1911A1 or its true copies) or what sort of handgun deviants and wife-beaters carry (any Smith & Wesson automatic, or any S&W made after the 2000 agreement).

Since zombie fiction tends to go heavy on firearms, and not every writer has the opportunity to train with the weapons, here’s some points to keep in mind when writing on the topic (Remember: .45 ACP is what God intended us to shoot things with.)

 

#1: Don’t trust Hollywood

While the movies have gotten much better over the years, a shooter needs a solid shooting stance to hit anything, and all pistols have a very limited capacity. 17 sounds like a lot of rounds until someone is trying to part your hair with an axe after spending three days ingesting meth and you’re an atheist carrying a 9mm.

Turning a handgun on its side looks kewl if you are making a rap video, but a century of sight design and recoil-to-grip ratios are predicated upon holding the handgun properly. (Don’t tell the wanna-be gangstas that, though; there’s plenty of police officers, myself included, who owe their lives to that sort of shooting technique)

 

#2: The 21 foot rule

This is the rule that says if your handgun is holstered and a subject armed with a melee weapon is within 21’, the odds of victory rest with the melee weapon. It is real and well established in lab tests, training sessions, and real-life encounters. This is especially important for authors of zombie fiction to keep in mind.

So how do you circumvent this rule? You put barriers between you and potential attackers, unholster at the first sign of trouble, practice a fast draw, practice drawing and shooting while backing up, and demand to see a subject’s hands at all times.

This is an easy one to test, BYW. Give a friend a chunk of Styrofoam or Nerf weapon, etc, while you tuck a squirt gun into your waistband tight enough so you can walk and run without it jarring loose (simulates a holster). Measure off 21 feet and test it. If the guy with the melee weapon is motivated, he’ll win three out of four times. Pick someone to whom you owe money.

 

#3: Human beings are really tough

Especially if they are amped up on stimulants, extreme emotions, or are zombies. Unlike Hollywood people don’t often drop when struck by a bullet, especially if they have one of the above conditions. Remember the end scene in Scarface? That’s what snorting uncut cocaine will let you sustain. Sure, he would have died from the chemicals in his system, but while he was alive he was effectively immune to shock and its fist cousin, blood loss.

Kinetic impact is your most reliable method in surviving a human-on-human (or human-zombie) encounter. In the scenario noted in #1 the atheist can, and in real life has, send a dozen or more 9mm rounds zipping through the target’s torso, inflicting what will eventually be mortal wounds which do not effectively stop the aggressor because the light-weight high-velocity rounds are just passing straight through. Whereas the pious shooter with a .45 ACP will hit the target with several 230 grain hollow-points traveling at not much about the sound barrier. Upon impact the low speed coupled with the mass of the bullet (just at a quarter-ounce) and foot-pounds of energy generated by the heavy powder charge will cause the bullet to expand to roughly 160% of its initial size which creating hydrostatic shock. HS is the result of blunt trauma (the foot-pounds of energy behind the bullet) being introduced inside a torso made up of organs and tissue that are a high percentage of fluid. HS can rupture organs, knot muscle fibers, and even throw a recipient into cardiac arrest, all in addition to the physical effects of a misshaped metal disk tearing a passage through the body.

Even so, said axe-wielding meth enthusiast will still generally need more than one to fully disable.

 

#4: Its life or death

I habitually shoot in the top 95% on ranges and shooting courses. In actual combat conditions I’m more likely to hit 50%, and the average police office hits 15-20% (criminals go 10-15%) of the time. The simple fact is that in real life situations your accuracy will suck. Even great shooters do so-so, and novices spray and pray.

If you want to write something that resembles realism keep this in mind. There are few things in life more stressful, exhilarating, and chaotic than combat, and that is with the ‘can I shoot a human being’ issues set aside. Don’t have your hero moving like a gazelle, dropping a bad guy or zombie with each shot, and seeing everything that is going on. I don’t care if he is an ex-SEAL, Spec Ops, or whatever stereotype you’re using: those guys miss all the time. The difference training makes does not mean that they don’t struggle to reload, lose count of their rounds, miss, or trip while moving, it means that they have practiced enough so that they know how to react and continue with the mission when a mishap occurs, while a novice panics and gets killed.

The key to surviving a firefight is not an absence of mistakes, but the ability to cope with mistakes. In a firefight emotion kills as much as anything. The participant with the greatest focus generally will win. Zombies and chemically amped subjects thus have a tremendous advantage.

 

#5: Get behind stuff

Unlike long guns (rifles or shotguns) a handgun is not easy to shoot accurately. You have no stock to brace against your shoulder, you have a short barrel, and recoil is a much greater issue; its pretty unlikely you can reliably hit anything beyond 75 feet. The only advantage to a handgun is that you can carry it easily, and its handy in tight quarters. If you get a choice pick a long gun every time, but often there isn’t a choice.

Given that accuracy is hard to come by, the first issue in a fight in which you are stuck with a handgun is to put something between you and your attacker. Concealment is defined as anything that hides you from the enemy’s vision but which will not stop a bullet; for example a large cardboard box, a cloud of smoke, a sheet of tin. Cover is a barrier which will likely stop or deflect a bullet, such as a cinderblock wall, the engine on a motor vehicle, or a large fat person.

Never discount the motivation factor of incoming fire-lying behind a curb is cover providing you’re willing really hug the asphalt. A non-weightlifter can make pretty solid use out of a fire hydrant.

Cover is not the end-all to a fight because you have to expose yourself to shoot back, and you generally cannot see through it.

 

#6: The three F’s

The US Army’s mantra of winning a firefight is fix ‘em, flank ‘em, finish ‘em, and its very true. ‘Fixing them’ means to achieve fire superiority, to put out so many aimed rounds that the enemy is forced to take cover (see #5) and remain behind it (‘pinned’).

Flanking means that while one shooter or detachment is pinning or fixing the enemy a second is circling to the left or right into order to reach a position from which the enemy’s cover is no longer of value. Say the enemy is pinned behind a steel Dumpster; a flanking element moves to a position where they can see behind the Dumpster.

Finish them means just that: end them as combatants.

 

#7 Vision and movement trumps all

Another thing that separates trained or veteran from novices is the ability to process data. While a firefight is Chaos personified, a novice can easily develop sensory overload and get ‘tunnel vision’ where they focus on one thing, allowing the enemy to flank them (See #6) and finish them easily. Cover is another issue because it is seductive-its easy to hunker down and hide, forgetting that the bad guys can be flanking you.

So a trained individual is like a fighter pilot, always checking to the sides and rear, and never getting too attached to a particular piece of cover. If the enemy is pinning you down, try to retreat before the enemy’s flanking units can get into position, and so forth.

But above all be constantly aware of your surroundings and be ready to move to prevent from falling to the three F’s (see #6).

 

That is a small look at a large body of material, but of you’re a writer with a minimum of weapon experience these details should give you some descriptive text that will please your educated readers.

And remember, if you don’t have access to real guns, look at paintball markers or the more affordable Nerf weapons and get out there to put these to the test. Sure, people may look askance at a grown man or woman shooting bits of foam at other adults or children, no one said writing was going to be easy.

Seven Points On Melee Combat

Melee combat is one of the most misunderstood things in the fantasy and even zombie genres, even as it makes up a great deal of the drama of that genre.

While I am not an expert, as a police officer I have trained for and engaged in a great deal of personal violence, and I have collected and trained with a wide range of battle-ready (sharp steel) copies of medieval weapons.

So let’s look at a few points about melee combat with hand-held weapons.

 

#1) It is physically demanding

Don’t take my word for this; get a baseball or cricket bat, or even a broom handle. Go outside and start whacking a tree or post, and you will quickly get an idea of how demanding. The kinetic shock of the hits will numb your hands and strain your wrists and elbows, and you’ll quickly see the high demands of oxygen needed.

 

#2) Don’t trust movies

Movie fights are orchestrated by choreographers, most of whom are trained as dancers, which is why battle scenes involve so much body movement and over-stated movements. Instead, go to YouTube and search great sword, long sword, katana, etc. You’ll find videos of a lot of goobers just dancing around whacking each other (which is funny), but if you keep looking you’ll find footage of serious groups demonstrating and sparring with suitable weapons.

While you’re there check out ‘porcupine eating pumpkin’-it’s a hoot!

 

#3) Remember that it is both deadly serious and unscripted

In melee only one side survives, so participants are not inclined towards theatrics (those who do seldom last long), and they try to get it over with quick before someone stabs them from behind or they run out of air. Footing in a fight quickly becomes uncertain from bodies, body parts, dropped weapons, puddles of blood, and the like, so they’re not going to want to dance around in case they trip over something.

What you do is only half the fight-you have to watch the foe and see what he is doing so you can counter, deflect, avoid, and otherwise avoid getting hit long enough to kill him.

 

#4) Shields are important

Get a couple friends; equip all parties with lengths of Styrofoam, cardboard tubes or Nerf weapons and go at it. Then give one person (make sure it is you) a trash can lid and try it again. Shields are incredibly effective against swinging attacks; somewhat less so against thrusting, but they still do well.

So how do you defeat a shield? Stab them from behind. Not an option? Then go through the shield. Historical wood shields were made of tongue-and-groove slats, the whole comparable in strength to one-inch industrial plywood. Now, the shield is not fixed in place, but by hammering on it you can (eventually) chop it to pieces. The duel scene in 13th Warrior shows a rather speeded-up example of this method.

 

#5) They invented armor for a reason

Yes, Howard wrote Conan as fighting bare-chested, but Howard lived with his mother for his entire life. Armor is a no-brainer. One tidbit about armor is that chain mail moves and shifts. You need a wide belt strapped tight across your waist to hold it in place, or the next time you swing you likely will be forced to stagger to stay upright. Another fact you can use to add color is to wear your mail shirt or hauberk with a small loose roll of mail above the belt so it will take much of the weight off your shoulders and distribute it to your hips.

 

#6) Check your footgear

Football, golf, basketball, soccer…the list goes on and on: they all pay close attention to traction and footing in regards to footgear.

Just as importantly, as I learned in the 1980s when I first started police work: wear solid footgear. I always wear steel-toed tactical boots-not for kicking (the toe caps don’t have the angle), but to protect my feet when someone stomps upon them. Pain is pain, and stomping on someone’s foot is a good way to throw them off their game; do it hard enough and it can break a toe(s). So protect your feet, and as you write, let your hero (or the villain) remember that toes and shins are vulnerable, too.

 

#7) It is fast, confusing, and over quickly

Much like my sex life.

Melee will generally last only a one or two exchanges, or just a few, before one or both combatants are down. If you’ve tried #1 you’ll know why: you have to get it over with before you run out of air. And odds are there’s other people involved, so you have to finish this foe before another piles on.

While you are focusing on the foe (remember #3) you will have fragmentary images of the larger battle raging around you (at best). It is easy to get blind-sided under conditions such as these, but you don’t dare take your eyes off your opposite number lest he transfix your spleen. As a writer try to convey this, and better still, use it to develop the ongoing fight without having to line out every step and swing the hero’s flunkies are making.

 

Hopefully these points will prove useful or at least entertaining.