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Maim Your Characters
Maim Your Characters is the definitive guide to using wounds and injuries to their greatest effect in your story. Written by a paramedic with a decade of experience, the book will teach you what to do — and what not to — by showing how and why injure characters, and how to make sure the injure you're inflicting matters.
Learn the five fundamental pieces that make a story; the six phases of an injury plot, illustrated by popular fiction and homebrew examples; and the impact of magical healing, its threats to the story and how injuries might work in different Reality genres. Use what you learned in the in-depth analysis of nine different injury plots in popular fiction and where they failed and succeed; and follow the walkthrough of how to build your own injury plot.
Learn the five fundamental pieces that make a story; the six phases of an injury plot, illustrated by popular fiction and homebrew examples; and the impact of magical healing, its threats to the story and how injuries might work in different Reality genres. Use what you learned in the in-depth analysis of nine different injury plots in popular fiction and where they failed and succeed; and follow the walkthrough of how to build your own injury plot.
Unknown Binding
Published September 4, 2017
15 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
About the author
Samantha Keel
3 books12 followersSamantha Keel is a veteran paramedic and author of nonfiction and LGBT speculative fiction.
In October of 2016 her passions collided into a new blog called ScriptMedic, where writers can go to find medical information specifically geared towards them. She's since cranked out or curated over 2,000 blog posts and helped over 12,000 writers craft better stories with more realistic injuries, illnesses, plots, and characters.
When she's not writing about her medical passion, she's spinning her own tales. Her upcoming works include science fiction that orbits around strong female characters and LGBT content, but she has a strong interest in most kinds of speculative fiction.
She lives in ███████, ██, USA with her wife and imaginary pit bull, Steve.
In October of 2016 her passions collided into a new blog called ScriptMedic, where writers can go to find medical information specifically geared towards them. She's since cranked out or curated over 2,000 blog posts and helped over 12,000 writers craft better stories with more realistic injuries, illnesses, plots, and characters.
When she's not writing about her medical passion, she's spinning her own tales. Her upcoming works include science fiction that orbits around strong female characters and LGBT content, but she has a strong interest in most kinds of speculative fiction.
She lives in ███████, ██, USA with her wife and imaginary pit bull, Steve.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 5, 2023
Keel’s focus is really on how to make an injury or disability impact the story’s plot and characters (rather than causing unrealistic momentary drama but either no lasting effect or a permanent disability that is totally out of step with how people actually live with a disability). She lays out the stages of injury, treatments, healing, and the character’s “new normal,” gives examples of what various popular books and movies do well or poorly (Luke Skywalker’s prosthetic hand versus the various prosthetic devices in How to Train Your Dragon, etc.)
Some important takeaways: one is that whether the injury/disability is the focus or a subplot, whether it happens during the story or beforehand, it’s good to have a dramatic arc of how the character deals with the reality of their injury and gets to a new normal: it’s an opportunity for character development and dramatic tension. Another is that the story’s genre impacts the level of detail your audience expects versus what’s off-putting. Finally, magical healing which totally erases the injury/disability short-changes your characters and your audience; we have no reason to worry about characters in peril if we know they’ll be fine.
My own fault; despite the back cover blurb, I thought this book would also get into more detail things like healing times, treatments, other research details, and while there’s a brief section in the back, I wanted more. And some parts of the book were repetitive or redundant—having gone into detail about movie and book injuries in the previous sections, we don’t need a whole section that lays out the same books: those could have been cut, leaving us with a handful of new stories to analyze. I would have loved if the author trimmed things down and combined this with her second book.
Some important takeaways: one is that whether the injury/disability is the focus or a subplot, whether it happens during the story or beforehand, it’s good to have a dramatic arc of how the character deals with the reality of their injury and gets to a new normal: it’s an opportunity for character development and dramatic tension. Another is that the story’s genre impacts the level of detail your audience expects versus what’s off-putting. Finally, magical healing which totally erases the injury/disability short-changes your characters and your audience; we have no reason to worry about characters in peril if we know they’ll be fine.
My own fault; despite the back cover blurb, I thought this book would also get into more detail things like healing times, treatments, other research details, and while there’s a brief section in the back, I wanted more. And some parts of the book were repetitive or redundant—having gone into detail about movie and book injuries in the previous sections, we don’t need a whole section that lays out the same books: those could have been cut, leaving us with a handful of new stories to analyze. I would have loved if the author trimmed things down and combined this with her second book.
January 24, 2019
This book not only covers "how" to injure someone, but "why". A very useful tool that will help you find a proper place for injuries in your narrative arc.
November 26, 2017
if you write - go get yourself this one. it's an amazing resource on creating meaningful injury arcs for your characters.
September 5, 2017
I received the book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not a writer. I'm a reader and a curious person. I love to understand how things work. That's why I started to follow the ScriptMedic blog and why I read this book: I wanted to know how injuries work both in real life and in fiction. I got more than I came here for.
Samantha Keel details, step by step, how injuries become stories and how they impact the plot and the characters. She explains how to use injuries in a story and how the writer's choices should influence said injuries. Then, she analyses examples from fiction and describes in-depth what works, what doesn't, and what's brilliant. We even get some amazing original characters!
There's one important message I got from this book: Injuries have consequences. They may be physical and/or emotional, simple or complex, but they should matter. If you ignore them or gloss them over, you're cheating over your readers and cheapening the real life experiences of people who have actually suffered those injuries.
Maim Your Characters will give you clear, funny, interesting, and incredibly useful advice. Your story will be better for it, and your readers will thank you.
I'm not a writer. I'm a reader and a curious person. I love to understand how things work. That's why I started to follow the ScriptMedic blog and why I read this book: I wanted to know how injuries work both in real life and in fiction. I got more than I came here for.
Samantha Keel details, step by step, how injuries become stories and how they impact the plot and the characters. She explains how to use injuries in a story and how the writer's choices should influence said injuries. Then, she analyses examples from fiction and describes in-depth what works, what doesn't, and what's brilliant. We even get some amazing original characters!
There's one important message I got from this book: Injuries have consequences. They may be physical and/or emotional, simple or complex, but they should matter. If you ignore them or gloss them over, you're cheating over your readers and cheapening the real life experiences of people who have actually suffered those injuries.
Maim Your Characters will give you clear, funny, interesting, and incredibly useful advice. Your story will be better for it, and your readers will thank you.
September 4, 2017
I have been following Ms. Keel for some time now on her wonderful blog and her Tumblr and I read her previous book "10 B.S. Medical Tropes that Need to Die TODAY". Her helpful advices are always gold and her balance between humor, kindness, seriousness and deep, honest teaching has become her trademark. Her long time experience as a paramedic in countless usual and unusual accidents and deaths makes this book an invaluable medical source for authors, both beginners and veterans.
Ms. Keel explains in a clear, simple to understand way the mechanics and the outcome of many different injuries, so authors and script writers can write realistic injury scenes. More importantly, she points out how accidents can strengthen the plot, the characters' arc and the overall outcome of the book.
For anyone writing a story with any kind of injury, accident, sickness or death, do yourself a favor and read Ms. Keel's books. They will help you write believable mishaps and most of all create strong characters who overcome their difficulties and conquer their goal despite any pain and wound.
Ms. Keel explains in a clear, simple to understand way the mechanics and the outcome of many different injuries, so authors and script writers can write realistic injury scenes. More importantly, she points out how accidents can strengthen the plot, the characters' arc and the overall outcome of the book.
For anyone writing a story with any kind of injury, accident, sickness or death, do yourself a favor and read Ms. Keel's books. They will help you write believable mishaps and most of all create strong characters who overcome their difficulties and conquer their goal despite any pain and wound.
September 19, 2017
This book tells the hows and the whys on writing a plot based around injuries. Part of this book is pulling apart sections of injury stories understanding what works, what doesn't, and how to make them better. It also has a section on how to use what you have learned and applied them to your own stories.
It gave me an easy way to understand and construct what I wanted to know and what I wanted to write. I didn't get confused at any part and found the example given helpful and entertaining. It was an easy read and didn't have to force myself to continue.
Great book for writers who have no idea where to start, need help getting organized, or/and are all around clueless about the topic.
It gave me an easy way to understand and construct what I wanted to know and what I wanted to write. I didn't get confused at any part and found the example given helpful and entertaining. It was an easy read and didn't have to force myself to continue.
Great book for writers who have no idea where to start, need help getting organized, or/and are all around clueless about the topic.
March 21, 2019
Trying to figure out how to make sure your character really gets hurt? To show that there is consequences to the position they are in? Well look no further than in this book maim your characters. From a professional medic, Samantha guides us all into understand how long it would take for that gunshot to heal, and what kind of scars it might leave behind.
Samples of different injuries used as a plot device are used throughout the book so you can see what is good, what is bad and just really ugly. From Stephan King to Suzanne Collins.
This book has what you need and more to get you started on that plot where the character really gets hurt and how to overcome it.
Samples of different injuries used as a plot device are used throughout the book so you can see what is good, what is bad and just really ugly. From Stephan King to Suzanne Collins.
This book has what you need and more to get you started on that plot where the character really gets hurt and how to overcome it.
October 21, 2017
A great resource
I love the script medic blog for writing advice, amd this book captures both the authors voice and the useful information. I highly recommend this book to writers who want to add realism to their stories, and eagerly await the next instalment.
I love the script medic blog for writing advice, amd this book captures both the authors voice and the useful information. I highly recommend this book to writers who want to add realism to their stories, and eagerly await the next instalment.
March 12, 2022
This book has a balance of medical and human elements to the recovery process and drives home the fact that injuries have consequences.
Very approachable and informative. A must-have for any writer wanting to inject realism in their work.
Very approachable and informative. A must-have for any writer wanting to inject realism in their work.
October 27, 2017
Very informative!
December 12, 2017
Very informational - A good resource for writers. Can't wait to read the companion book!
December 12, 2017
It was interesting to read, however some information and approach to the resources were biased. I was expecting something more from it. The good point of this book was the examples their dissection.
April 4, 2019
This book should be a staple of any writer/editor/publisher's reference collection. Going not only into the technical aspect of injuries and disability, but the psychological as well. Highly recommend for those who want to write better.
August 4, 2019
This book is of great use for writers who want their characters' injuries to be realistic. It's an easy read and all the medical stuff is explained in simple words, and in a very readable way. Thanks to the lovely author!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews