Hi, everyone. I'm currently working on a new book; I'm scrapping my vigilante book for the time being and moving on to what would have been its sequel. If, at some point, I decide to go back, it'll be with a much better understanding of what I need to do in order to make it interesting.
In this new book, the killer is an amateur filmmaker of sorts with a strangling preference (which he uses to make snuff films throughout the book), but he doesn't set up 'dates' with women in order to lure them into a private place, as whoever's dating someone will be the first to be a suspect. So he has people in mind (his psychosis is explained in general terms in the first chapter to explain his choice in targets), and his intent is to block the carotids and knock them unconscious.
Now, I know there's a fine line between unconsciousness, mental damage, and straight out death, and it's a matter of seconds and how the pressure is applied. This guy has been practicing on a 'dummy', but I've realized I might need to change what he's been practicing.
Right now, I've got him using a cord, which he wraps around the victim's neck and makes sure it blocks the carotids. But the problem is that that can also block the air, and it might cause 'mental damage'. He wants his victims completely aware, and I remembered the eighth episode the television show "Person of Interest", where the Stazi agent blocks the carotids with his bare hands and the character of John Reese is rendered unconscious within seconds.
I looked up some info on the 'Net, and it looks like a proper chokehold can do that and render a person unconscious but without mental damage in less than 10 seconds. Can this be done from behind, but with just the fingers, or does it need to be done from the front like on the TV show? The killer is not a skilled fighter, so he does not know martial arts and cannot use a chokehold.
For now, I'll write it so he can do it from behind, but I would like to know for certain.
In this new book, the killer is an amateur filmmaker of sorts with a strangling preference (which he uses to make snuff films throughout the book), but he doesn't set up 'dates' with women in order to lure them into a private place, as whoever's dating someone will be the first to be a suspect. So he has people in mind (his psychosis is explained in general terms in the first chapter to explain his choice in targets), and his intent is to block the carotids and knock them unconscious.
Now, I know there's a fine line between unconsciousness, mental damage, and straight out death, and it's a matter of seconds and how the pressure is applied. This guy has been practicing on a 'dummy', but I've realized I might need to change what he's been practicing.
Right now, I've got him using a cord, which he wraps around the victim's neck and makes sure it blocks the carotids. But the problem is that that can also block the air, and it might cause 'mental damage'. He wants his victims completely aware, and I remembered the eighth episode the television show "Person of Interest", where the Stazi agent blocks the carotids with his bare hands and the character of John Reese is rendered unconscious within seconds.
I looked up some info on the 'Net, and it looks like a proper chokehold can do that and render a person unconscious but without mental damage in less than 10 seconds. Can this be done from behind, but with just the fingers, or does it need to be done from the front like on the TV show? The killer is not a skilled fighter, so he does not know martial arts and cannot use a chokehold.
For now, I'll write it so he can do it from behind, but I would like to know for certain.
