Writing A Survival Scenario

[brad_mccarty1967]

Welcome. I'm a new member here, but a life long outdoorsman. First thing I read at this site was a list of things you need to survive. At the top of that list is a military survival guide. Now up until recently, I really hadn't thought of it, of course I never really thought I'd need a book to stay alive in any situation. If you're characters are intelligent adults, with no survival skills, why would they have not thought of a survival guide? I'll be picking one up myself soon for my bug-out bag, no one knows everything, and in a life or death situation, you might need to! I know that seems as though it might dull the plot a little, but these military guides are readily available. Could read one yourself and go from there. Might stir up some additional creativity, to know what the right thing to do would be.

[Alisha]

Thank you guys for all the replies (and the jokes )! I'll try to keep this short.

eat, and the only items they have at their packing disposal are things you might find in your average house (with the exception of a few medical supplies, which are given to them by a friend)

That will limit them to a culture centric list. What is the art, music, poetry etc in
2245 for your proposed story? Is it an austeristic world of greys or is it a multifaceted mix?

You've got to paint your world with contrast if the reader is to envision the scene in question.
how you paint it will necessarily dictate what items are available to be packed.
A thought for your consideration.

"In your average household" was a way of saying they don't have an entire camping store at their disposal. I didn't originally plan to mention why or when the characters are in their little rut. After I gain a list of things that would work in a pack, I'll alter them so as to fit their world, but I'd like to have a solid foundation to build upon.

Chemically treat the water. A couple of ounces of bleach should be more than enough for the journey.

Pack some olive oil and honey for the waif.
Build a bed? That's calories and time we ain't got.
Why are we lake lounging for 14-17 hours a day? Spoon up in that tarp only when you can't move, e.g. weather, exhaustion, darkness, threat of being discovered.
Let's get there a little quicker, then we can read a book and watch man crush tv.

Thank you for the suggestions. I thought the time-frame was a bit sketchy as well, so I made some changes to it and now have an outline for their day(s), but I'm probably going to change it again tonight. I was thinking peanut butter or some form of nutella (Over 100 calories in a tbsp, if my memory can be trusted) would be a good spread to bring along, but they're not the most lightweight foods.

I am going to make a radical departure and suggest something that has not been recommended.

Pack up the items on your list and head for a nearby state or national park and hike into one of their remote locations. Spend an entire weekend in a primitive campsite using only the items you have listed. Before you start this endevor fast for three days.
Sleep on the gound just like your charecters would do. Eat only what they would have and drink water you have processed using one of the methods mentioned.
Only after you have experienced a bare basic primitive camp can you actually write a realistic senerio.
What you are asking is how to write a courtroom drama without visiting a courtroom, writing about surgery with no medical training or how to defuse a bomb with no experience with explosives.
Research is more than just asking questions on the internet. The research you really need to do can be obtained in one short weekend that will make your novel believable and might just change your life.
I do not know about the other members here but I have a very limited tolerance for phoney writing. That limited tolerance limits my group of aceptable authors. I can spot a phoney on the first page and put the book back on the shelf as soon as I do.
If you want to read the work of an outdoorsman writing a novel about the outdoors, go to a bookstore and find a copy of Jubal Sackett, by Louis L'Amour. The first chapter will teach you more than all the questions you can ask on the internet. L'amour walked the land he wrote about and had the life experience to go with the words he wrote. He was one of the most successful writers of the 20th Century and every book he wrote was turned into a screenplay.
Boots in the field girl!

I spoke to my boyfriend last night about living off of their supplies and plan for a week or so in the summer; I live in British Columbia so I can pretty much pick a direction and go (plus there are three lakes and two rivers nearby). We're going out in June and will do as suggested. I've bookmarked Louis L'Amour's book so I don't forget to find it.

honestly, 7-10 days running away, all you need is food and water. Sleep under the tarp. It's gonna suck, but the characters are fleeing for their lives. In fact, they can run out of food even on their journey and still survive for days if they have water. I've read plenty of books where basically the person/group is rationing food and water or out of food or even water. Obviously to their fortunes, they are found by allies before certain death.

Unless the story takes place almost entirely during the escape, then the specifics of their survival isn't usually paid attention to if the rest of the story is good. Also, if they are fleeing, as you said, they aren't setting anything up. String up the tarp to sleep under. Eat whatever you brought and maybe get lucky and find some wild edibles. If they are too scared to make a fire, they won't be interested in hunting. Maybe they would eat fish raw, but that's about it. None of the above you really need any indepth skills for either. Your hero boy can easily learn a few wild edibles on his walks with his nurse friend.

I was thinking that would be it. This entire section of the story is subplot, but it's fairly long. Better safe than sorry with research, anyhow. I found a tarp shelter called "The Burrito" on YouTube and it looks like it would work well, but they might want to pack a blanket.

I have heard that knowledge doubles every 15 years, so I gonna guess if they are being pursued.....the concern of thermal/seismic/sonic imaging tech be it by satellite, or drone would be more of a concern that eating,.....invisibly/ water/shelter being most of the concern.

Would there be any possible countermeasures?

This would be the case (or they wouldn't even have made it out at all) but as some other users mentioned, global warming was a big problem for their world and in 2245 they're still working to clear up the muck we made. Their towns, homes, modes of transportation, farming, power, waste disposal, etc. are all different, but tracking modes haven't been especially developed (and re-positioning satellites = $$$). You're right though, they wouldn't stand a chance if they were spotted and the only reason they make it is because they had a long head start and a good run of luck.

Welcome. I'm a new member here, but a life long outdoorsman. First thing I read at this site was a list of things you need to survive. At the top of that list is a military survival guide. Now up until recently, I really hadn't thought of it, of course I never really thought I'd need a book to stay alive in any situation. If you're characters are intelligent adults, with no survival skills, why would they have not thought of a survival guide? I'll be picking one up myself soon for my bug-out bag, no one knows everything, and in a life or death situation, you might need to! I know that seems as though it might dull the plot a little, but these military guides are readily available. Could read one yourself and go from there. Might stir up some additional creativity, to know what the right thing to do would be.

The majority of the character cast knows how to survive in the wild and she should have some knowledge of it, but she was cocky and pretty firm in her belief she wouldn't need the information when she had the opportunity to learn it. The male has a very indoor life but he has the luck of knowing a guy who knows a guy who goes out a few times a year, which is where they'd be getting their pack and advice from. But aside from that, when I go into town to search for the books listed throughout this thread I'll also look for a basic survival guide for my own use (and to see where they're going to **** up ).


Thank you to everyone else who replied.

[Sarge47]

Welcome. I'm a new member here, but a life long outdoorsman. First thing I read at this site was a list of things you need to survive. At the top of that list is a military survival guide. Now up until recently, I really hadn't thought of it, of course I never really thought I'd need a book to stay alive in any situation. If you're characters are intelligent adults, with no survival skills, why would they have not thought of a survival guide? I'll be picking one up myself soon for my bug-out bag, no one knows everything, and in a life or death situation, you might need to! I know that seems as though it might dull the plot a little, but these military guides are readily available. Could read one yourself and go from there. Might stir up some additional creativity, to know what the right thing to do would be.

And if you want to read THAT book, go to the home page of this forum and read it for free!

[brad_mccarty1967]

And if you want to read THAT book, go to the home page of this forum and read it for free!

Thank you Sarge. New here myself and wasn't aware it is available to read here. I need to look around a little more. Alisha, not sure where a Military Survival Guide is available in a store, but they sell cheap on Ebay.

[crashdive123]

Military survival guides are free on-line.

[Seniorman]

If this is your first draft, and if you already have written your step outline, I'll make a suggestion.

Many years ago when I was first writing, on a particular story I found myself getting so much into various details that I'd bogged down, even though I had written an outline. I had become friends with a well known, successful writer and I told him my problem. He said, "You're spending way too much time on all those details. Don't worry about all the details in your first draft. Writing is, after all, rewriting. Blast on through to the end and then rewrite it. Flesh out the details, chop out the ones not important to your story and then rewrite it again. And again, if you can improve it. "

So, as a suggestion, just blast on through your story to the end, then flesh out the details. If there is something you want at a particular time which you just can't quite figure out, leave a blank page and go on. Blast on through to the end!

You'll find in the rewriting some small tidbits to improve your story, enhance your character development, and hone the conflict and final resolution to the fine edge where your readers will be turning the pages right to the final page. Also, you'll find some things that are not really necessary to the flow of the story. Chop 'em! Be brutal! Believe me I know they're like diamonds to you but they'll slow down your story for both an editor, and your readers.

As I said, just some suggestions.

Best of luck with your story. As the old saying goes, "Writing ain't easy: the good writers just make it look like it is."

S.M.

[BENESSE]

....and the thing writes itself....

[brad_mccarty1967]

I'll look into that. I like free.

[postman]

Reaserch a Dakota Fire Pit, that may be a way they could cook their food undetected.

[hunter63]

If this is your first draft, and if you already have written your step outline, I'll make a suggestion.

Many years ago when I was first writing, on a particular story I found myself getting so much into various details that I'd bogged down, even though I had written an outline. I had become friends with a well known, successful writer and I told him my problem. He said, "You're spending way too much time on all those details. Don't worry about all the details in your first draft. Writing is, after all, rewriting. Blast on through to the end and then rewrite it. Flesh out the details, chop out the ones not important to your story and then rewrite it again. And again, if you can improve it. "

So, as a suggestion, just blast on through your story to the end, then flesh out the details. If there is something you want at a particular time which you just can't quite figure out, leave a blank page and go on. Blast on through to the end!

You'll find in the rewriting some small tidbits to improve your story, enhance your character development, and hone the conflict and final resolution to the fine edge where your readers will be turning the pages right to the final page. Also, you'll find some things that are not really necessary to the flow of the story. Chop 'em! Be brutal! Believe me I know they're like diamonds to you but they'll slow down your story for both an editor, and your readers.

As I said, just some suggestions.

Best of luck with your story. As the old saying goes, "Writing ain't easy: the good writers just make it look like it is."

S.M.

That is some serous good advice, as that is one of the ways I believe things get written....But then I'm not a writer, and the way i would proceed.

It's your fiction story, make stuff up....Look at George Lucas