My wife has suggested I turn my writing hobby into something more. She thinks I'm pretty good, although I never finish anything. I'm not sure I'm as qualified as she claims, but I'll give it a shot.

Anyway, I wanted arfcom's opinions on a couple of things. I like to leave a lot of details to the imagination. For example, a character may own an ar15, but I wouldn't give it a brand name or mention it's specific style (unless it somehow pertained to the story) I do add brand names where applicable, but knowing gun guys, it's entirely possible someone would hate an otherwise good character over his choice of free float rails lol

Do readers of shft/end of the world stories want those details? Or would that detract from the story? I would like to be descriptive enough to paint the proper picture, but I don't want it to read like a shopping list, either.

Personally, I think I would enjoy reading about any of that stuff as pertains to a story. Perhaps maybe more shuttle mentions of things gun guys will get, and may not seem obvious to the uninitiated. Everyone likes feeling like they are in the "club".

My .02, hope you write it!

Seems like many writers will at the least give a brand and other details than just say an AR15.

I would enjoy the details when they pertain to things I care about or take interest in.

I'm a big Mustang guy so if I read a book about a dude's journey to become a race car driver and his current vehicle is a mustang, I'd like to know the details.

That being said, I hate reading, do what you want. lol

Thanks for the fast replies.

I write different genres. SHTF is usually the only one where several firearms are part of the story. I wasn't sure if that would get boring and repetitive. Like I said, it used to be something to do on a rainy day. Now that I'm committed I often find myself rethinking what I have already written.

I personally get annoyed when the author goes into excessive detail, especially when it comes to brand names or weapon specifics.

However, if the author mentions the character performing a certain action with the weapon and describes various features then I prefer the extra details. I hate when a main character sights in on a target at a great distance but there's no mention of what sights, optic or caliber is used.

If a character uses an AR15 and simply engages targets without any specifics of the firefight shared, then I don't mind being left in the dark on what makes up the characters kit.

That's just my pet peeve though. I recommend doing what comes natural to you. Don't alter your style if it affects your ability to write. Good Luck!

AR-15 and 1911 can be generic...but if you give a Sig, Glock, etc...you would need a model.

Interesting. One of my characters has an ar15 and a 1911. The 1911 was only mentioned by brand name in a paragraph that was eventually cut. However, I do mention Glock models. I was worried about coming off as inconsistent.

You guys have been very helpful. What I'm taking away from this is, I should include enough details at the right times, but not too many. Also, throw in a few easter eggs for gun guys.

Maybe I should post a few paragraphs for feedback?

Pretty much this.

I hated the over-detail in Patriots, and even my favorite genre writer Larry Correia in his first Monster Hunter International book went way overboard in gun brand stuff imo. When I wrote my stuff, I kept it very generic in brands, but liked the detail of loading, clearing, etc. I wanted readers to see themselves in the story and make it their own, so much so that I didnt give my main character a name... which Ive never talked about before but people seemed to respond to.

The balance is enough info so you know what someone has though.  ,Rawles was bad about it in Patriots....but just saying "so and so shot at them with his pistol" only works if you have previously established he has a Glock 17 or a 1911.

Patriots by Rawles was an equipment list in search of proper characterization.

It is the primary example of how not to do it.

If you really believe that sort of detail is necessary, put it in a separate appendix.

Don't make your character a Mary Sue.

That pulls me out of a story quickly, especially with a first person POV.

Write for yourself and not to cater too much to a fan base. Not everyone is going to like the way you write. Write what you want to, not the guy who says "Oh, you should have X do Y while Z is going on!"

As for details, Max Velocity's Patriot Dawn books are a good reference point. Sort of heavy on the tactics and the like but that's intentional. He gives enough detail that you can grasp very clearly the details without providing everything.

This is true but I like to know the brand and model of the firearms used. It can tell the reader a lot about the character. I wouldn't get turned off because of brand loyalty though. I really like when an author goes into detail about a characters weapons and accessories because I can better visualize the character, whether he is a hardcore gun enthusiast or just dabbles in it.  

Rough Example: Tactical Timmy now relaxed because he escaped the zombie horde heads down to his basement to arm up. He walks down the stairs in his dimly lit and musty basement to his Liberty Presidential safe where he keeps his prized SHTF gear. He pulls out his beloved AR-15. This beauty is a Daniel Defense with factory quad rails and a rail mounted Surefire weapon light. This was the rifle he always carried whether he was shooting matches or varmint hunting. He was unable to miss a shot with it because of the expensive Trijicon ACOG sight he had mounted on the receiver. He then pulled out his favorite side arm a Springfield Armory TRP 1911 .45ACP caliber handgun. This was a favorite because the craftsmanship was next to none. The weapon had Surefire TLR-2 weapon light and green laser device attached to the picatinny rail milled into the frame. Next he needed to load some magazines for his weapons. He pulled out 10 Lancer 30rd AR-15 mags and loaded them up with Speer 62gr Gold Dots, his preferred defensive ammo. When he finished with the rifle mags he loaded 5 1911 mags and went on his way.

If it involves Military types... do not make everyone a Tier 1! There are a lot more of us regular types than Tier 1 types. Also do not fall into the trap of the characters  finding Full  Auto M-16's or SAW's or M240's or Ma Deuce mounted on Humvees.  Stay away from giving everyone NVG's.  Make them human with flaws...  Plus not everyone is a super Ninja when it comes to hand to hand and using a knife  takes a lot more effort than people realize...  As far as specifics go with weapons...  what is your target audience?  ARFCOM or regular types? ARFCOM will want to know specifics but regular people generally will not.

just my .02$...

This greatly depends on your target audience. If you're simply posting a thread on Arfcom, sure. If you plan on posting it anywhere else, or putting it up on Amazon for people to download, this depth of detail can become tiresome and heavy for an average reader and even for a lot of gun guys, and the story can quickly become boring. However, sprinkling the same information through the story can be more effective both for story flow and its easier to follow. An example would be something as follows;



and after a few paragraphs of exploring the abandoned building;



And a little further on;



Interspersing the details throughout the writing lets the reader draw his or her own conclusions from the character and his mindset without spoon-feeding them from the outset.

This greatly depends on your target audience. If you're simply posting a thread on Arfcom, sure. If you plan on posting it anywhere else, or putting it up on Amazon for people to download, this depth of detail can become tiresome and heavy for an average reader and even for a lot of gun guys, and the story can quickly become boring. However, sprinkling the same information through the story can be more effective both for story flow and its easier to follow. An example would be something as follows;


I see where your coming from. I like all the details of the firearms at the beginning as the story progresses then you can just say AR, 1911, Glock etc.

I don't think it's needed to drop a brand name for every piece of gear. If a description for a piece of gear needs to be fleshed out or explained a bit more to further the story, then do so.
Also assume a lack of firearms or gear knowledge on some readers parts.

As long as it's quality brands like utg, tapco, ncstar, and the sig romeo stuff.

I was guilty of this when I first started writing; being way, way, way too descriptive in my gear and firearms listings.  As I went along, I figured out it was taking way too much time and was way too in depth.  Since that time, I've gotten better (I think) however, still toss out specific brand names and items from time to time.  A little is okay, but going overboard can cause a reader to get disinterested and move on, possibly missing an important part of the story.

Wow, I had forgotten about this thread. Its been year, lol. Thanks again to everyone for your input.

I still haven't finished anything. In have a bad habit of changing the story or some details while proofreading, and eventually get bored and start another.

Well, if your still looking for responses, calling the weapon a rifle or carbine works for me.  To much detail can ruin a good story.  I can fill in the details myself.  Looking forward to your work.

Edit:  Just thought of something else.  The condition of the gun or gear can be more important than the make.  Is it well worn but cared for?  Battle scarred?  Feel like an old friend?  This is the stuff I like and for me adds more to the story than name brands.

In the current writing, I described the deterioration of pretty much everything except firearms. You've given me some ideas for a few edits. Thanks!

I'll post some once I get around to moving it to my laptop.(right now I write on one of those little dell iPad knockoffs)

You can write good fiction without giving the reader a blow by blow of make model and serial number of gear carried by any character in the book.

edit: I would think that being very specific on a lot of details like firearms and accessories could really date your story badly.

Last winter I re-read Lucifers Hammer, and while it's a great story, it's clearly a product of its publishing time. Some SHTF stories age better than others.

I say keep it as general as possible.  References to the 'real world' in fiction are almost always jarring and an 'out of story' experience.  I don't want a reminder of the real world when I'm lost in the fictional one.  Unless of course there's a story-based reason for the specific model/brand/pop culture reference/whatever.  There's a reason brands and product names are usually fictionalized, and it's not always because lawyers.

They always say, "Write what you know."

Include your own experiences with the equipment, not just the equipment itself. Both good and the frustrations.

Just a couple brand names or cultural references go a long way.

Stephen King does this well.   Throws it in at odd times, sometimes in a humorous way.

I listen to a lot of audio books when I drive.  One thing that I can not just stand, is when the "hero" gets lots of help and aid, people helping him/her at every point.  Then when able to help someone else basically does NOTHING or very, very little to help someone else.

Just my .02.

how's the writing going?

Slow. I get bored after a while, so I have 4 stories that I alternate. Finishing one will take a long, long time.