It all started innocently enough.
Someone saw a book or a movie that pertained to something they liked, whether interest or hobby. Twenty minutes into the film, the patron of that particular art has a look of incredulity on his face and a choice set of words springing to his lips. It might have happened to you when Agatha Christie wrote about her protagonist popping the safety off his revolver. It might have happened when you saw a uniform worn incorrectly in a film. It might have happened when a character was portrayed as something they weren't.
The theme here seems to be our gripe about details that seem to make sense to the uninformed, but grates upon the nerves of the informed. The author thought up something that seemed genuinely interesting, but it doesn't pass muster when subjected to critical thinking. It hurts the most when it is discovered that the one informed group that the author is trying to impress turns out to be the most hurt and the most critical. Even worse, some of these fields are practically careers in their own right and some authors don’t have time for more research into that subject than a brief foray into the internet.
Let’s look at one scenario:
Our heroine, a supernatural detective is reasonably well funded and carries a “Firestar 9mm” handgun on her adventures. It is a semi-automatic pistol; either silver, black, or several other shades, and looks fairly intimidating. As an author's choice, it makes sense. It is pretty, aggressive, and high tech enough to fit with the heroines personality. It cost about two hundred dollars, which seems reasonable for a pistol carried by a professional.
Then our reader takes a look at it. “A Firestar? Really? That piece of junk isn’t even manufactured anymore! Where is she going to get new magazines for it? Or parts if it breaks? And who would trust their lives to a cheap, two hundred dollar gun?”
Not really the response the author was looking for, is it?
Now, you can go for the Tom Clancy approach and be very detailed, if that is your thing. That can work and can also provide more problems, so let’s just keep it simple. Now back to the heroine. She wanted something that could be slightly personalized, easily taken care of, and iconic. How about a “1911”? From an author’s standpoint, it is a brilliant choice. They come in a variety of calibers, colors, and specifications. They are equipped with the necessary parts for comments like “He snapped the safety off before he walked into the room.”, and “The last thing he heard was the girl cocking the hammer with her thumb.”
They can be as fancy as you like:
As plain as you like:
As beat up as you like:
Or as high tech as you like:
There are dozens of manufacturers, colors, calibers, accessories, and magazine sizes. They are generally very easy to find at local gun stores and online so research into your work is simple. Now your heroine gets to have the sidearm you envisioned and your readers get the accuracy their hobby demands.
Of course, writers shouldn’t be limited to cookie cutter choices. That’s where Writerz Block comes in. We have specialists in dozens of fields that can answer questions, help with ideas, and turn your creation into the work of art you want it to be.
Adam Skidmore spent most of his formative years in the backwoods of Michigan, doing his best to get into trouble. While moderately successful, he joined the army in 2001 and is currently assigned to a Special Troops Battalion in the First Armored Divison, based out of El Paso, Texas. While not an author himself, he has written book reviews for publications such as Miracle E-zine and works as a guest contributor for Writerz Block.
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