I'm always on the hunt for reference materials that I can use to help me understand either how characters think, or how to describe certain scenarios within my personal writing. Finding those books that help me to get the details right when blowing things up is a gold mine (pun intended).
As a thriller writer whose favorite characters to write are assassins, I was bouncing up and down in excitement when I encountered 100 Deadly Skills by Clint Emerson. And its companion, 100 Deadly Skills: Survival Edition, is just as awesome.
They are two books that have found their way onto the list of recommended books for writers from the Black Wolf Editor, and here's why.
Clint Emerson, the author of these books, is a retired Navy SEAL. In other words, he's walked the talk. He's been there. He's had to use the skills in his books (some of them at least). Like all military, it was obvious to me that Emerson is a man of few words, because his books are filled with pictographic information, and he's not a bad artist.
Every topic covered in both books is treated in the same fashion, with a short bit of explanatory text and pictures to help explain the ideas. For a writer, this is brilliant, because you don't need to bog yourself down with unnecessary reading — you get straight to the point with visual information.
In 100 Deadly Skills, you will find topics such as building improvised body armor, surveillance tactics and picking a lock. And if necessary, there are even some ideas on how to dispose of those dead bodies. (Perhaps it might not be a good idea to mention how I'm smiling right now. The brain is scheming.)
However, if you are not into spy tactics, survival skills are just as important. In 100 Deadly Skills: Survival Edition, there are entries about how to navigate by the stars and how to fashion your own compass. There are entries on how to filter swamp water, so it's safe to drink, and of course the example from above, building shelters in the woods. But you will also find information about what to do in an earthquake, tornado, or fire.
If you are a writer that is working in the thriller genres, do check these books out. Here's hoping you find them as useful as I do.
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© Copyright, Judy L Mohr 2018