Well, the one thing every writer forgets about is the amount
of paperwork it takes to do anything. There is research that needs to done, requests
forms for more information, getting operations to be signed off by a
supervisor, and after action reports. An agent probably spends more time in the
office than they do in the field. And everything takes a lot of time to do. Research
alone can take months and even a year if the case is complex. Also, there’s not
always a fingerprint or DNA at a crime scene, and if there is one there isn’t
always something to compare it with. More often than not, what is found at the
crime scene is of little use. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has an article called As Seen on TV: Reality VS. Fantasy in Occupational
Portrayals on the Small Screen that is quite informative.
The only fraternization rule I know is between Supervisor and
Subordinate. According to the United States Office of Government Ethics: “The
development of a romantic relationship between a supervisor and a subordinate
employee creates the potential for partiality or the appearance of favoritism
and is disruptive to the workplace. For this reason, Agency policy requires
that the employees involved in the relationship report the development or
existence of the relationship to the next-tier supervisor immediately. Failure
to report the relationship may result in disciplinary action, up to and including
removal. To avoid partiality or the appearance of partiality or a conflict of
interest, one or both of the involved employees may be moved to a new location
or position. of partiality or a conflict
of interest, one or both of the involved employees may be moved to a new
location or position.”
If a partnership is short term, then the agents may become
friends or keep it professional. And long-term partnership can vary, some partnerships
are strictly professional and as such do not discuss family issues or even
interact with their partner’s family very much. But there are some partnerships
where you become family and is called Aunt/Uncle by your partner’s children.
So, it depends on the relationship the two partners.
The FBI has functional branches and an Office of the Director
branch, which has the most administrative offices. An executive assistant
director manages each branch. And each branch is divided into offices and
divisions, which are headed by an assistant director. The various divisions are
then divided into sub-branches, which are led by deputy assistant directors.
Within these sub-branches there are various sections headed by section chiefs.
Section chiefs are ranked analogous to special agents in charge.
“Do you have
any advice on writing fight scenes? The type of scene I’m writing is mostly
hand to hand combat between two experts. I’m definitely not an expert so when I
try to write it, the scene ends up sounding repetitive and dull.”
Fore note: This post is coauthored by myself and one of my amazing critique partners, Barik S. Smith, who both writes fantastic fight scenes and teaches mixed martial arts, various artistic martial arts, and weapons classes.
I (Bryn) will tell you a secret: I trained MMA for
seven years, and when I write authentic hand to hand fight scenes, they sound
dull too.
The problem with fight scenes in books is that
trying to describe each punch and kick and movement (especially if it’s the
only thing you’re describing) creates a fight that feels like it’s in slow
motion.
I write…
Lowering her
center of gravity, she held her right hand tight to her face and threw a jab
towards his chin. He shifted his weight, ducking under her punch. His hair
brushed against her fist, and he stepped forward, launching a shovel hook into
her exposed side.
But your brain can only read for fast. In real
life that series of events would take an instant, but I needed a full eight
seconds to read and comprehend it, which gave it an inherent lethargic feel.
So, we have two primary problems:
How do we describe this fight in a way the reader can understand
and keep track of?
How do we maintain a fast paced, interesting fight once we’ve
broken down the fight far enough for readers to understand it?
(We will get back to these, I promise.) But
for now, let’s look at…
There are no hard-and-fast rules in writing fiction. There are, however, some established patterns and expectations, and once you know them, you’ll be able to work within those patterns and deviate from the path as you see fit.
What is a Beat Sheet?
Popularized by Blake Snyder’s book Save The Cat, beat sheets are an outlining method often used for screenwriting that some authors have started to use for books as well. Basically, a beat sheet lays out the story ‘beats’ or necessary plot points that make up the essential story structure. The Hero’s Journey is, essentially, a beat sheet. You can see more beat sheet information here: https://timstout.wordpress.com/story-structure/blake-snyders-beat-sheet/
Horror has a slightly different structure than other stories, and for that reason I don’t think a classic beat sheet works quite right for it. So with that in mind, here is my somewhat adapted version, drawn from my studies of horror media. Various beats can be reorganized somewhat, and will vary a bit depending on sub-genre and other considerations. But if you need help in establishing a horror plot…this beat sheet should help guide the way.
Horror Story Beat Sheet
Act One (The Setup):
1 – The World is Not What it Seems
(The reader catches an early glimpse of the monster, or a hint that the monster exists. This is optional, and may occur right away – often as a prologue – or after the main characters have been introduced.)
2 – Putting the Players in Action
(You introduce the important characters and the primary internal conflict)
3 – Setting them on the Path
(The characters make a choice that inadvertently isolates them or places them on a collision course with the monster)
4 – The Warning
(The characters are given an opportunity to turn back, but choose not to; could occur before or after The First Contact With The Monster.)
5 – The First Contact with the Monster
(The characters have their initial contact with the monster, but are unaware of the true threat it poses.)
Act Two (The Turn): 6 – Shit Gets Real (May be the first death or when seriously spooky activity begins; regardless, this is when the danger becomes evident and unavoidable)
7 – The Chase (The monster pursues the characters, who lack the skills to fight it; one or more people may die here)
8 – Failed Confrontation (The main character attempts to destroy the monster, but does not yet possess the ability to do so)
9 – The Darkest Hour (Hope appears lost. Perhaps someone very important has died, or the hero has tried everything they can think of. The link between the internal conflict and monster may become clear to the character here)
Act Three (The Prestige): 10 – A Different Solution (The hero gains new information on how to defeat the monster. This may be delivered by someone they seek out for help, or may come through soul searching and observation.)
11 – Seeking Out the Beast (For the first time, the hero approaches the monster, rather than fleeing it. They intend to enact their solution)
12 – The True Cost is Revealed (In the process of confronting the monster, the hero realizes that to overcome it, the internal conflict must be encountered and defeated. That is the hidden cost; the hero will be irrevocably changed)
13 – Sacrifices Are Made (or not) (Faced with the ultimate choice, the hero either succeeds in defeating their internal conflict and winning against the monster, or fails and ultimately succumbs to their weakness)
14 – The Inevitable Fall Out (Show the consequences of whichever choice is made)
15 – Evil Cannot Be Conquered, Only Delayed (If the hero failed #13, show the monster relishing its victory in a changed world. If the hero succeeded, show a hint that the monster may yet return. )
—- I think you will find that if you compare many, many, many horror stories against this beat sheet, you will see versions of this structure/pattern. I encourage you to try it. I’ll post some plot studies of my own to show you later.
There is no single “right” way to write a story, and I certainly don’t think you must follow this structure in order to be successful. But I can guarantee you that following this structure will give you the framework necessary for a complete and emotionally satisfying horror story.
Caveat: this beat sheet is meant for long-form stories such as novels and films. Short stories follow a very different structure. We can talk about that in a later chapter.
Following up on the last tutorial here’s one on crystals! Those who pledge to me on Patreon can access the full version of the tutorial and will help support me so I can continue to make them ✧
A Concise Dictionary of Terms Used in the German Longsword Tradition
This is a useful dictionary, much shorter than the Fechtkunst Glossary from the same author. It can be printed into 21 pages and chucked into your training bag for quick reference.
The phonetic alphabet was developed as a way to spell things out over radio communications that may be less then ideal, I.E. a lot of static or weak signal. All the words were chosen because they have a distinct sound that is easy to pick out. Military and police communications use the phonetic alphabet heavily and can be helpful to know for talking over CB’s or FRS (walky talky) radios.
I know this point has been made before, but there was an infuriating YouTube comment, so… Shields are offensive items. You probe out with the edge of the shield, use the shield to cover your hand as you go forward with it and your sword joined, you strike with a shield.
But you never, ever passively block with one if you’d like to not be easily feinted and hurt. Blocking with shields covers your vision, wastes a tempo, and leaves the opponent’s weapon unbound and near you.
A buckler hitting you in the nose or temple will kill you, and a rotella being slammed into your chest with the body mechanics of a cross will break ribs and incapacitate you. They are offensive by intention and used offensively everywhere in the texts, and only kind of defensively when used to cover your sword hand as the sword makes a counter-offense. Cause otherwise, you’re always going to be behind and playing catch up with an offensively minded opponent.
Aliquid de Magis 