Writing Tips, Workshops, and Inspiration from Bestselling Authors

Q:     In my story, a police officer is shot while sitting in her patrol car. The assailant fires through the open passenger window, using a.38 caliber S&W. The officer's upper right arm is hit twice. One round lodges in her humerus. A second misses the bone and hits an artery before entering just below her armpit, where it splinters two ribs and punctures a lung. Rounds three, four, and five hit the officer's body armor when she pitches forward. The sixth never leaves the ch

How Would Smoke Inhalation Affect My Police Officer? Q: In my story, a police officer suffers smoke inhalation while trying to extinguish a barn fire before fire fighters arrive. What injuries would he have that would hospitalize him for a few hours to a day, but wouldn't result in enough long-term damage to end his career as an active police officer?   A: The major effect of smoke and soot in the air is irritation of the eyes, throat, and bronchial tubes in the lungs. This w