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@0asissss

Oh boy, did you come to the right place!

Personally, when it comes to writing, my favorite thing in the world to do is research. Good resources for the actually writing about war are few and far between, so I think your best bet would be to research some big wars and war heroes. Maybe pick up some historical fiction from authors like Tim O’Brien. If you’re really into history, check out some news articles from the World Wars from both sides, or the Vietnam War. When writing about a topic such as war, it is essential that you do your research. 

Most of the resources I give you will be America-centric because that’s what I grew up learning about, and that’s also what I know best. These types of articles will be different for different countries.

I have bolded what I think is most helpful.

Writing About War

Write A War StoryHow to Write a War or Battle Scene in Your Novel

War Itself

What causes war?Rules of warfare [1]Types of combatModern technology in combatRevolution

Effects of War

Mental illnessHow it affects the folks at home [WWII][Vietnam]

War Protests

Vietnam war protests

War and the Media

PropagandaThe television and war

Rebel Groups

Sans Culottes[Fiction] Les Amis de L’ABCGuatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG) 26th of July MovementIrish Republican Army (IRA)

Military

Ranking in the United StatesRanks vs. RatesFitness requirements [Army][Navy][Air Force][Marine Corps][SEAL]Army vs. Navy vs. Air Force 

Doing research on the Guatemalan Civil War as a whole I think will really help you. It is fairly recent (ended in 1996), so you will be able to find a lot of online sources and articles. 

TL;DR Research Tim O’Brien’s writing as well as the Guatemalan Civil War

Tragedy is an effective story element when it’s a deviation from the norm. A character’s peaceful existence is disrupted by a catastrophic event that throws everything into chaos. The character now has to either develop so they can cope with the new status quo, or find a way to put things back the way they were. There’s a good story in that.

But when a character’s life is an unrelenting cavalcade of misery, another heaping dose of shit isn’t all that interesting. At that point, a compelling deviation from the norm would be said character having a nice day where nothing bad happens. And modern fiction is chock-full of misery porn, so by this logic, it’s no wonder the coffee shop AU is such a popular fanfiction trope.

- that man really salts my melon!

- you know what they say, it takes a bushel of corn to feed one chicken

- a louse will live on any head it lands on

- don’t put down a salt lick and say you ain’t got cows

- there’s a guy who eats half the berries and says the pie shell’s too big

First, thank you for asking. This is something I feel is important!

Second, to those who wonder where this question came from, a while back, I reblogged this, and added the comment about squicks not being the same as triggers.

So what, you ask, is a squick?

A squick is an old fandom term for something that makes you supremely uncomfortable and you absolutely do not want to read it. It can be a trope, a ship, a concept, or just an event that happens within a fic or in canon. For me, abused animals are a definite squick. I don’t like it, and will generally avoid reading any graphic descriptions of such. (That includes tumblr gif sets and such too, people! Tag that shit, will you? Even if it has a happy ending.) Another deep, deep squick of mine is infant age play. Don’t like it, don’t get it, don’t want to think about it.

Now, neither of these things are dangerous to my mental or emotional state. I have never experienced either in my life, and they do not bring about any sort of PTSD, dissociation, or spiral of depression, anxiety, etc. They are simply things I prefer not to think about in my daily life, or read about in my escapist hobbies. Therefore, they are not triggers. Triggers are very real, very bad things for some people, and to label things we choose not to read because we find it disturbing or gross or weird is to diminish the very real danger of actual triggers.

So, let me guess— you just started a new book, right? And you’re stumped. You have no idea how much an AK47 goes for nowadays. I get ya, cousin. Tough world we live in. A writer’s gotta know, but them NSA hounds are after ya 24/7. I know, cousin, I know. If there was only a way to find out all of this rather edgy information without getting yourself in trouble…

You’re in luck, cousin. I have just the thing for ya.

It’s called Havocscope. It’s got information and prices for all sorts of edgy information. Ever wondered how much cocaine costs by the gram, or how much a kidney sells for, or (worst of all) how much it costs to hire an assassin?

I got your back, cousin. Just head over to Havocscope.

((PS: In case you’re wondering, Havocscope is a database full of information regarding the criminal underworld. The information you will find there has been taken from newspapers and police reports. It’s perfectly legal, no need to worry about the NSA hounds, cousin ;p))

Here are ten questions to ask that will not put your friend in a tough spot, but will still give you some useful input on your novel:

1. At what point did you feel like “Ah, now the story has really begun!”  2. What were the points where you found yourself skimming?  3. Which setting in the book was clearest to you as you were reading it? Which do you remember the best?  4. Which character would you most like to meet and get to know?  5. What was the most suspenseful moment in the book?  6. If you had to pick one character to get rid of, who would you axe?  7. Was there a situation in the novel that reminded you of something in your own life?  8. Where did you stop reading, the first time you cracked open the manuscript? (Can show you where your first dull part is, and help you fix your pacing.)  9. What was the last book you read, before this? And what did you think of it? (This can put their comments in context in surprising ways, when you find out what their general interests are. It might surprise you.)  10. Finish this sentence: “I kept reading because…”

Your friend is probably still going to tell you, “It was good!” However, if you can ask any specific questions, and read between the lines, you can still get some helpful information out of even the most well-meaning reader.

→ time to write → energy to write → inspiration

Nuremberg, Germany-based photographer Patrick Monatsberger captures the divine, gloomy beauty of the German rural landscape.The vast green and earthy rocky mountains, its fairy-tale architecture and storybook passages are portrayed in every image.

Each scene resembles a film and book set from a fantasy world.