It’s rare for something to go viral in both the firearms and crime writing worlds, but G2 Research’s new R.I.P. (radically invasive projectile) ammunition managed to pull off just that. The writing front seems to be attracted to the ammunition’s use in fiction.
Why? Just check out the promo video.
In the first of what I hope to be a recurring segment, UK author Richard Butchins has the helm today to discuss how he selected the weapons featured in his crime novel, Pavement. The piece, due out in September but available for pre-order now, focuses on a loner who turns to killing.
What’s interesting to me – and hopefully others – is the thought process that goes into assigning a character a certain firearm or knife. Plots in thrillers and crime fiction pivot on firearms and knives. Their selection can be very important. I detail my own step-by-step process in my upcoming book from Writer’s Digest. Continue reading
I was reading a thriller last night where a character popped open a switchblade to slit the throat of someone pinned in a car wreck. (Took a lot of guts to do that, chump.) There’s nothing wrong with that passage, but it made me wonder if writers and readers know what it is that makes a knife a switchblade.
Switchblades’ Two Key Features
When most people picture a switchblade, they imagine something like this Shutterstock pic:
You’ve heard of armor-piercing bullets, but what about armor-piercing knives?
The term “armor-piercing” is a little loaded to begin with, something that seems to make perfect sense on the surface but loses ground when the technical layers are peeled back. What type of armor is being pierced? Is it on a person or a structure? How is the piercing blow delivered? Is there a guarantee of it working every time or just some of the time? When does McDonald’s stop serving breakfast on the weekends? These are questions that aren’t apparent right off the bat. Continue reading
Les Edgerton is one of the most capable crime writers alive, which should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with his background. Edgerton makes no bones about his criminal history, which eventually landed him a stint in prison. That kind of frankness makes him one of the best interviewees around.
Edgerton’s latest novel, The Genuine, Imitation, Plastic Kidnapping, made my shortlist of the best reads of 2014. At the end of the novel, Edgerton leaves the reader with personal notes outlining the true-to-life events that inspired the novel. I couldn’t resist picking his brain. Continue reading
The Writer's Guide to Weapons 