Writing Category
The Writer’s Guide to Venom
Posted on August 15, 2025 Leave a Comment
Venom is a biological weapon with bite – fast, deadly, and often misunderstood. Nature has used it for millions of years to paralyze, kill, or subdue prey, and it makes a powerful storytelling device in fiction. Whether your character is battling a serpent in the jungle, stung by a sci-fi insect, or cursed by a […]
The Writer’s Guide to Poisoning
Posted on August 1, 2025 1 Comment
From Shakespearean tragedies to spy thrillers to medieval murder plots, poisoning has long been a favorite tool for fiction writers. It’s stealthy, dramatic, symbolic and, when done well, devastating. But writing poisoning realistically requires more than tossing a mysterious powder into a goblet. Readers today are savvy, and sloppy depictions can break immersion fast. This […]
The Writer’s Guide to Bites and Claws
Posted on July 18, 2025 1 Comment
Whether it’s a feral animal, a brutal hand-to-hand fight, or a supernatural creature sinking its teeth in, bites and claw wounds are savage, intimate, and dangerous. More than just blood and pain, these injuries carry high infection risks, complicated healing, and long-lasting trauma. In fiction, they’re often used to escalate tension, signal a character’s descent […]
The Writer’s Guide to Stab Wounds
Posted on July 4, 2025 Leave a Comment
Stab wounds can be quick and deadly, slow and painful, or messy and traumatic depending on location, depth, weapon type, and the world your story inhabits. However, a well-written stabbing scene isn’t just about blood – realistic portrayal involves anatomy, physics, psychology, and consequences. This guide will help you realistically depict stab wounds, explaining how […]
The Writer’s Guide to Gunshot Wounds
Posted on June 20, 2025 3 Comments
Gunshot wounds are high-stakes injuries often used to raise tension, shift plot direction, or force characters into survival situations. But in fiction, they’re also frequently misrepresented. A character shrugs off a bullet to the shoulder and runs a mile. Another takes a shot to the gut and delivers a rousing speech while bleeding out. While […]
Rebecca Shedd - Author 