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| Photograph by Chefranden |
You never know when random knowledge might save your life. For instance, I was thrilled to learn that a woman escaped drowning when her car went over a cliff into a river because she knew from researching a book she was writing, that you need to open your door right away to avoid being trapped. Excellent return on those hours of work!
I've blogged about my collection of weird books before. I have survival books, dare devil how-to books, secret society books, and the list goes on. I write a lot of suspense and action in my novels.
So I thought I'd impart some important information that might prove useful during a zombie apocalypse or a football fan riot.
Say you discover a secret plot to melt the planet, but you were caught spying and are now being chased across a bridge. You discover that somehow, the evil genius has trapped you by positioning his minions at the only other exit from the bridge. You HAVE to jump. What can you do to improve your odds of surviving?
Answer:
- If you see boat traffic below you...try to land in the channel where the boats go under the bridge. It is the deepest part of the river.
- Try not to land near a support leg of the bridge...debris tends to gather there and you are more likely to get hurt by landing on jagged, rusty stuff.
- Jump feet first, squeeze your feet together, and try to stay vertical. Finally...spread your arms and legs out immediately after you hit the water to slow your decent.
No one likes to get thrown from their "Fictional Dream" experience by coming across a glaring mistake.
Part of your job as a writer is to research and be accurate. It makes for a better story.
I hope that no one is ever actually chased by evil geniuses off of a bridge...but now you at least have a fighting chance.
Until next time...Go Write!