Benjamin Sobieck's Blog

Looking For A Little Help I originally built this site to support the release of The Writer’s Guide to Weapons back in 2015 (Writer’s Digest Books). That morphed into regular blog posts, which in turn brought more than 600,000 people to this site. I kept the content free because I enjoy helping people, and I like … Continue reading Keep This Site Alive! Try Writer’s Block Coffee®

Note from Ben: While I haven’t posted a new article in some time here, I will share interesting questions as they come in from time to time. I have no intentions of shuttering this site. It and the accompanying book are here as resources for writers. Also, I’ve got a new, non-fiction outdoors survival book … Continue reading What’s the Best Boot Knife for a Post-WWII NYC Detective?

I’m happy to report that my guest post at Fiona Quinn’s excellent ThrillWriting website is now live. I review the three most common biffs fiction writers make when depicting firearms, knives and other weapons. Then, I berate you for making those mistakes as a show of my intellectual superiority without offering any ways to improve. … Continue reading 3 Common Weapons Mistakes Writers Make – And How to Fix Them

Court Merrigan is a writer I’ve known for a good while, having served as a beta reader for him on some of his work. We connect over Facebook about firearms and all things writing, so I was thrilled to hear his western novel was picked up by Beat to a Pulp for publication. Merrigan’s novel … Continue reading 2 Revolvers, 1 Rifle: Best Guns for Writing a Western Novel

Reader of this blog and The Writer’s Guide to Weapons book, Aaron Marshall, is working on a WIP featuring a critical scene involving firearms and alcohol. Here’s the question he wrote to me, as well as my response. Question: Does Alcohol Increase the Odds of an Unintentional Death Via Firearm? Marshall writes: “I’m an aspiring writer who’s … Continue reading Alcohol and Firearms: Great for Fiction, Bad for Real Life

Michael Connick recently completed a nighttime match with the International Defense Pistol Association (IDPA). This resulted in some interesting insights for using handguns in dark or low-light conditions that fiction writers might find illuminating. His guest post is below. Enjoy! ~Ben According the National Criminal Justice Reference Service of the US Department of Justice , about 90% … Continue reading Characters Shooting in the Dark: What Writers Should Know

It’s one thing to write about the crazy things that happen in fiction. It’s another to find a junked up car to test them out in real life. Michael Connick falls into the latter. Enjoy! ~Ben Automobile Ambush by Michael Connick Your protagonist is driving in a car. Suddenly, after turning a corner, they find … Continue reading Your Character is Ambushed While in a Vehicle: Now What?

Crossbows in fiction experienced a bit of a renaissance with the popularity of The Walking Dead and Daryl Dixon. But are they really any better than compound bows? This guest blog from Tomaz Rodica, of ArcherStop, compares the two. Be sure to let me know your opinion in the comments. Enjoy! ~Ben What is a Compound Bow? For … Continue reading Compound Bows vs. Crossbows: Which is Better for Fiction Writing?

This guest post comes from Megan Robin, someone I first met at the 2016 Writer’s Digest Conference. I’m glad I did, because not only is she a terrifically talented writer, she pitches blog posts about weapons in children’s stories. What’s not to like about that? Enjoy! ~Ben Swashbucklers, Notorious Archers, and Powerful Enchantments: What Children’s … Continue reading Symbolism and Weapons in YA/Children’s Stories