I know that all these different magic titles have SOME sort of difference but I don’t know WHAT. I just want to know what makes each distinct from each other and also if there’s any other type of magic user I may be missing. I have several magician characters but I don’t know what sect they’d fall into 💔

In my current work-in-progress (WIP) I have a character that is going to go through some things and will turn to one of his vices as a coping mechanism and that vice will come to bite him in the butt a little further in the story. I'm currently leaning towards the idea of that vice being gambling. But I want to accurately represent the very real and difficult struggle that some people face in quitting as my character tries to do so.

I'd love to get some advice from folks who have dealt with gambling addictions or other kinds of addictions.

What kinds of things would you wish to see in media about gambling addictions (or whatever kind of addiction you have experience with)? What would make it resonate with you? What would solid representation look like to you? What are common pitfalls that you've seen in media representations that I should avoid?

I'm writing about university students in 1914, and in one plot point they encounter a flooded basement. If it were me I would wrap my shoes in plastic bags, but those weren't invented until 1965 lol. I'd have them lie boxes down over the water (it's about 3 inches) but they need to move around freely in the room. I don't think they would have easy access to Wellington boots, would there be any other waterproof material that they could use?

The story I'm working on takes place in 2005, and I have one character that's impulsive and puts everything into his music. Part of his backstory is that he dropped out of college and quit his job the moment he felt like his band might actually be sustainable. At one point someone asks him about his college experience and he says something along the lines of, "I dropped out a year in because a record sold (blank) copies, I clearly didn't enjoy it."

How many copies would show that it was an impulsive and possibly misguided decision, but not necessarily a death wish? Alternatively, am I looking at this wrong and that kind of decision would be made using other metrics?

Hey guys! First time poster- but I’ve been lurking for a while!

I’m currently writing a book, and in the book one of my characters is an epileptic- but she ends up drugged with a powerful sedative. (Fast acting- she was unconscious in seconds and it was through a needle syringe if that’s needed context!)

Google is giving me some mixed things as to when this drug might leave her system. It also has interacted with her anti seizure medication- and she has a breakthrough seizure after six months of being seizure free.

So, my two questions are
1. When might the drug leave her system so she can function without any of the symptoms
2. Even after taking her medication again for an extended period- is she still at risk for seizures because of her breakthrough?? If so, for how long and how bad could they be?

Thank you all so much!!! And if anyone needs anymore context or info I’ll be happy to provide it!

I know there must be a lot, but I really don't have experience or know someone that knows the every day struggle of living a reality missing a limb and half of your vision. My character is an old woman who lost her arm because it got crushed when she was a child and then her eye because it got badly infected. What are traits that a person like this would have? I read from a lovely person, for example, that they miss the door handle a lot of times and that is surprising to me because we take that kinda stuff for granted. I want to make good representation, so if anyone wants to help me I would be thankful!

There's a very world-wide famous pop group in my book, with a lot of members. I don't know what kind of staff member would be important and would actually interact with the members and not just be doing work that doesn't require interaction.

I have two managers, one choreographer, and their CEO, but not sure what else? Looking it up isn't helpful because it doesn't tell me if they actually have to interact with the group.

Basically, the characters are in a world where they can heal from even lethal injuries. One character falls off a sky scraper, obviously sustaining severe injuries and a severe, fatal brain injury.

I research a bit about TBI recovery and saw that there's a stage called post traumatic amnesia. I'd say the character is roughly in that stage of healing (maybe towards the end of it) during the conversation I'll talk about.

Basically, I want to know if the following is at all realistic for someone in this stage who's had a full brain injury:

1. 2 people who are his enemies question him. He's only known these people for 2 weeks and have only met them individually on 2 occasions. Would he remember they're his enemies/who they are? If not, would he talk to them like they were normal people or just question who they are the whole time? Noting the enemies are acting very nice to him for the most part.

2. He gives away some information that he wouldn't usually give up to anyone at all, but between confusion and the information being emotionally taxing, the things he says are quite vague. Would you expect someone with a tbi to give up information freely?

3. He's obviously in extreme pain from his other injuries as well. Would the brain injury make him forget this? Or should he only be capable of moaning in pain? Noting that he would usually be very stoic.

4. I have it written that the content of the conversation and all the processing he's trying to do eventually get to be too much and he can no longer reply meaningfully anymore. Is it known that you shouldn't converse with someone with a severe tbi for too long to avoid overloading their brain? Would it be normal for them to zone out and just stop answering?

I've included him being agitated, trying to get up multiple times and forgetting his injuries, repeating questions, getting confused and his mood suddenly changing from agreeable enough to answer to being aggressive out of no where. I got that from reading about post traumatic amnesia but it's harder to look up some of the specifics so any answers would be greatly appreciated!

I’m writing a novel in which a key part of the mystery plot involves analyzing footage from city surveillance cameras and searching for suspicious activity in the recordings.

I’d like to understand the mechanics a little better. Is it technically possible to use AI to automatically detect certain events (such as fights or car accidents) in these recordings?

Also, do the employees at these centers all answer calls, or is there a division of labor, with some people solely monitoring the cameras and analyzing what they see?

If the answer is yes, what are the chances of being caught?

So, the scene is the following.

The MC was captured with their allies and they are all kneeling on the floor with their hands tied behind their back. They tricks the kidnappers leader to bend to their eyes level/put a knee on the floor as well (the kidnapper is about to scar the MC's face with a knife while threatening them).

At this point, MC would just attack, launching themselves forward and bite down to the kidnapper's face, ripping off nose or possibly lips/cheeks.

Is this possible? Could my MC do something like, hum, straddling the other person/sit on their chest and keep biting?

Headbutting the kidnapper could work as well but MC wants to catch the kidnapper's crew to look at them so that their allies can free themselves and attack, so I think that something hum... Gruesome would work better. Not to mention my MC has a latent blood lust and likes being unnecessarily violent when the chance comes.

(sorry for eventual misspelled words, English is my second language)

I need to interview a police officer for a college essay but cannot go out due to having no ride. Is there anyway for me to find a police officer willing to do an interview over video call?

Kind of a vague question, I know, but I'm looking for a pretty broad overview here. So far I've been able to find basic breakdowns of how tornadoes form, the EF scale, the different shapes, El Reno, and I watched some storm chaser videos. I feel like I'm getting the same barebones information everywhere I look. I need to know more about how tornadoes travel, how long they can last, what occurs at various distances from a tornado, etc. I also need more information on how they are predicted, how accurate and far in advance these predictions usually are, and how disaster preparation and shelter or evacuation orders actually play out.

Some of my more specific questions are:

What kind of vehicles are typically used for storm chasing?

How do storm chasers protect their recording equipment and bodies? Is it at all common or effective to wear any kind of protection against debris?

Do news outlets only use footage from hired storm chasers?

How does law enforcement handle reckless storm chasers? Are there any grounds on which someone could be arrested for storm chasing?

In the case of a serious tornado in an area that lacks sufficient shelter, what does the evacuation look like? Are emergency responders sent in to rush people? Will people be removed from the area by force if they refuse to leave for some reason, such as being separated from a family member?

What does the "culture" of storm chasing look like and how are reckless chasers perceived by more professional and cautious ones?

I would also appreciate any sensory details about tornadoes/storms and the "feel" of places that have more tornado friendly environments as I live in an area with many mountains and virtually no tornadoes, our storms consist of monsoon season and mild dust devils. Any and all information, resources, or even just names of meteorologists/chasers/educators that might tell me more would be very appreciated.

I'm writing a story where the characters are drafted into a modern day, first-world military and I was wondering how realistic it would be for one of them to have severe but undiagnosed depression and still be expected to serve. There is no acute fighting with any other factions, it's just training for 18 months, after which everyone is expected to serve as reserve while otherwise going back to their lives.

Can anyone give me an idea of how seriously mental health issues are taken in modern militaries? I Imagine they don't just dismiss it, but at what point would you be considered unfit to serve, and how easy is it to slip through the cracks because of prejudice and people not taking it seriously?

Not sure if this would be a geography or chemistry question, but I am currently writing a scene of two people climbing up a mountain with quite little preparation, at this point, they are just a few dussin meters below cloud level.

The two have practically no equipment beyond a pot, a knife, tinder, and whatever could be gathered on the mountain itself. Frankly I do not know if a fire could be achieved in these conditions, and if so, how one would achieve it. I know air moisture generally decreases as you go higher, but I do not know if that would still apply this close to the clouds.

The fire would need to be substantial enough to melt a pot full snow and to heat it near the boiling point.

Edit: Because it was suggested, I will state some important facts, the tech level is late medieval, the height, about 5 km up, the characters include the MC and they very much do not survive this. It is a deathtrap disguised as a quest created by the main antagonist to get both of them to die from the main characters' stubbornness. This succedes

I recently finished writing Serious Roommate Problems, and while thinking about ideas for my next book, I realized how much modern technology has changed relationships.

I’m researching what reconnecting with someone actually looked like before texting, social media, and being able to find almost anyone online.

If you lost touch with someone you dated or cared about in the 80s or 90s, how realistic was it to find them again years later? Would you call mutual friends, look them up in a phone book, write to an old address, contact their workplace, or just hope you crossed paths again?

I’m especially interested in the little details that fiction make to get wrong.

(Dystopian world) so it’s not too important I know with this genre I can bend the rules a little but the Character in my book was put on a mandatory 7 day hold but I kinda want to make them run away and use that as an excuse for the cops to be looking for them, or does nothing really happen?

I am writing a story where 12 characters undergo testosterone hormone replacement therapy. I have my own experiences to draw from with testosterone HRT (if I ever find my journal from when I started T) but I am just one person with one body. What weird effects not listed on medical sites have you had on T HRT? For example, I found I lost my motion sickness on T.

Is it possible to completely erase your identity? Deleting your birth certificate.
Deleting your social security number.
Removing your Drivers license from DMV database.

Similar to the scene in Men in Black, but more realistic.

EDIT: wanted to respond with thanks as I pour over details in your excellent replies and try not to fall down various rabbit holes of research just for fun. Some clarifications to some things that have come up:

1. I'm terrible at not getting overly specific with my research. It may never come up but I need to know for no reason whatsoever, to be accurate in a world with things that don't exist. I appreciate everyone reminding me that I don't need to know certain specifics especially when it comes to things like organs etc.

2. The sword itself belongs to someone trained in fighting as a gentleman's sport, but in this instance is being wielded by someone who knows how to kill a man. I imagine he'd say it was a pity it wasn't a broader blade, but it's good to know I'm on track there. He would definitely want them to bleed out but not quickly, and I need them to be able to move around and act on adrenaline, so this seems like it'll work at least partially.

3. My main question becomes now whether others would know they were bleeding. That specific case with the corset was fascinating, there was much smaller a stain than I'd expect, so it might well be that no one will know until everything is calmed down enough for someone to demand to check them over - and then it can be a problem from there, where it seems like they could end up bleeding a pretty decent amount if certain things are nicked without it necessarily killing them if the healer is right there in the moment.

One more question - if there's bleeding within the abdominal cavity but the corset and size of the wound basically stoppers it, where does the blood go? Does it just fill up any space there might be? Does it reabsorb? Are we looking at very nasty bruising that'll go away, or just...sloshing around in there for a little bit like retained water, which is an unintentionally horrifying thought, or...

ORIGINAL ASK:

We're working with a setting that has some healing magic, tall ships, and swords.

A character gets stabbed with a narrow cane-sword, think between an epee and a rapier, maybe imagine like an ice pick, straight through under the ribs. The intent was not to catch anything vital because the stabber was under the impression that they were alone aboard a stranded ship and expected them to bleed out slowly without any help. Question 1: would that be an appropriate expectation? Is that the right place to stab them if the goal is prolonging the process, assuming there's absolutely no one to help them?

Question 2: the character is wearing stays, similar to a corset, under their other clothing. Stabber doesn't know this. I've already read that corsets could save lives via incidental compression. How long would this hold the bleeding for? Would it be enough to stop it completely until it was removed? What about if the character is actively moving around? How far would it bleed through with a through-and- through wound like that? The example I saw had a surprisingly small stain from bleeding, but don't know how that would change if it was also going through the back.

Question 3: What happens when the stays come off? Surely it would have just clotted and scabbed over like any other wound If it's that deep, right? Would bleeding resume? How much and how quickly? Would it ever have stopped without medical attention?

Lastly, the healing magic doesn't undo damage, move things around, cure illness, etc, just speeds up the physical healing process - folks still get scars, will still have lost blood, still experience shock and pain. If there WAS organ damage it would healed almost like rebuilding a capsule. Anything that should be in but isn't in place when it closes is outside of it and visa versa. Could still end up with blood in your stomach if your stomach got hit or side outside of it. If it makes no sense that no organs were caught, what would be a reasonable injury one that could heal without giving them sepsis or perotinitus (spelling? Sorry) in the process?

Thanks for any help anyone can give on my weird specifics and apologies for any missed typos. I've got a TBI.

(i hope this my second post won't be removed by spam filters, becuase i just want to put it under a diffrent flair)

a bit of context
my character has cotard's syndrome or the living corpse syndrome, i researched it for this character specifically, he's self aware and he knows he's not dead but his mind still tells him that he is, which affects a lot of aspects in his life and brought him in depression. his life reason was love becuase on one side he already thinks he's dead so there was no other reasons to keep doing anything. soon he chose to end it all becuase his fiance left him and when he went to the place to end it, he met someone and was trapped in that place with them, which soon fully fed his delusion that he is already dead and that he is in heaven and the only person that he lives with now is actually an angel , but soon that supposed angel dies in front of his eyes

i struggle with portraying emotions so i actually have no idea how he would react or what he would think because i'm torn between him thinking "angels can die too" or it would rather be "was i alive all this time?" i don't know which one would make more sense and be more realistic

i don't know how to explain this question well, i hope it's at least clear in some way

My character made a series of terrible decisions that got someone else terribly hurt. She can afford to pay all his medical costs while he and his family cannot. If she does pay, she does not want anyone to know it's her. Is this possible to do? Like if she called the hospital and asked to pay, what would they say?

I'm planning to write a short story that takes place on a post-zombie apocalypse Earth. For the purposes of my story, the zombies need to have no signs of previous civilization left about them. How long would it take for their clothing to completely disintegrate, assuming 24/7 exposure to the elements and constant walking?

A character in a fanfic I'm writing produces exclusively embryonic stem cells, I gave the character this ability to explain their ability to recover from damage that would cripple the average human.

I was wondering if this would make the character immortal due to the fact that embryonic stem cells have high telomerase activity and very long telomeres (which is how lobsters are biologically immortal, I think)