Let Your Characters Bleed (the Right Way)

There's the joke circulating out there between us writers that should someone check their search engine (FBI, Mom and Dad, or just a passing stranger) they should not be alarmed at all our puzzling searches. Searches like: how long does it take to burn a body? and what's the best poison for a slow, agonizing death? These are normal, every-chapter searches for us. We writers like to do our research, so I went ahead and researched facts you'd need to know on how to make your character's bloody scene as realistic as possible.

BUT FIRST. I have to share an experience. You know all those movie, TV, and novel scenes where a character cuts their palm or finger for some purposeful reason? Most characters hold their breath, slice, and then squeeze the blood or out or let it drip out on its own. I will let you know, by experience, that this is not realistic in the least. Just the tiniest pinprick hurts, as you know if you've ever had to do a finger prick. It's uncomfortable at the least, but a knife cut across the palm? That's the worst! It bleeds rather slow in a deep ruby color.

What it feels like to be cut across the palm:

1. Initially, it takes quite a bit of pressure because the skin on your hand is thicken than you imagine.

2. The pain throbs, stings, and doesn't go away (even if you bandage it).

3. It takes a few weeks for that deep of a cut to heal. Characters should wash it!

Some other facts about blood wounds:

1. A sign that a wound could be infected would be that it is either a) dark in color and dry or b) enlarged in size. (Roddick & Higuera).

2. Hemorrhage is defined as large amounts of blood loss in a short amount of time.

3. Arterial Bleeding-

• Color is usually bright red, because it is coming from the heart/artery and has not been exposed to the oxygen yet

• Imagine SPURTING

• Slower to clot (which slows the flow of blood)

• A lot of blood loss in a short amount of time

• Often ends in death if not bandaged quickly

1. Venous Bleeding-

• Color is usually dark red, because it has been exposed to the air

• Bleeds steadily and gushes

• Easier to bandage and clot than arterial

• Veins collapse when cut

• bleeding from deep veins can be harder to control (like arterial)

1. Capillary Bleeding-

• Color is usually darkest red

• Most common type of bleeding!

• Capillaries are close to the skin surface

• Can be bandaged and clots easily

• (Jones and Bartlett)

My Advice:

If you'd love to learn more about injuries in general, you can buy David W. Page's "Body Trauma: A Writer's Guide to Wounds and Injuries (Get It Write)" for $9.99 on Kindle, or a few bucks more on paperback/hardcover by clicking on the book cover image. It will take you to the book on Amazon!

Resources:

1. Roddick and Higuera. "Open Wound". Published by Healthline. <http://www.healthline.com/health/open-wound#Overview1>

2. Jones and Bartlett Publishing. "Chapter 8: Bleeding". <http://www.jblearning.com/samples/0763742090/42090_CH08_090_096.pdf>

#writing #cassecosta #action #wounds #fictionalwounds #creativewriting #novelwriting