Survival Scenarios: Yes, But No - Crafting Unexpected Twists in Your Fiction

Welcome to another intriguing episode of the Writing Rural With Alley! In this episode, we explore common survival advice that, while often practical, could spell danger for your fictional characters in certain situations.

Join us as we explore five critical survival scenarios:

1. Eating Snow for Hydration - Learn why this could be a fatal mistake in freezing conditions.

2. Sheltering in Your Car During Winter - Discover the risks involved when seeking refuge in your vehicle.

3. Sheltering in Caves - Uncover potential hazards lurking in seemingly safe caves.

4. If Lost, Should You Stay Put? - Learn the cons of staying put and when to seek help.

5. Moving Locations When Lost - Understand when relocating might put your characters in more danger.

We'll wrap up the episode with our segment "What Could Possibly Go Wrong?" where we discuss various pitfalls and complications your characters might face in these scenarios. Perfect for fiction writers looking to add realism and tension to their stories!

Keywords: fiction writing, survival scenarios, character development, writing tips, story ideas, fiction podcast, writing podcast, survival advice, writing realism

Transcript

What survival advice can work sometimes but is horrible advice at other times? How dangerous could a cave be? Eating what before going to sleep can lead to hypothermia? In what situations should you keep moving, and in which should you stay put? Where do brain-eating amebas lurk? Learn about all of this and more in today’s episode. 

Welcome to Writing Rural with Alley, the fiction writer’s weekly inspiration station for rural life and lifestyles, from historical to post-apocalyptic, helping you bring your rural stories to life! I’m Alley, and this is episode #99, 5 Survival Scenarios: Yes But No. Stick around to the end to find out all the ways things could possibly go wrong in your story. Now, let’s get into this.

Before we start, it is the two-year anniversary of the podcast! Thank you to all the listeners who make this possible. You guys are awesome, and I am so her honored to be able to host, and share my knowledge and experiences. Now, let’s get into this. 

This is the fourth in a five-part series that will help you write realistic survival scenarios or at least let your characters give good advice. So, without further ado…

1) Eating snow for hydration 

As any kindergartener will tell you, snow is frozen water. That makes it understandable why a person would just melt the snow with their mouth to get a drink of water. It’s also something animals do. My farm animals seem to love doing it. But there is one huge flaw in eating the snow to stay hydrated. The temperature of snow. 

Now, at first, this doesn’t seem like a big deal. After all, the body will melt it, because it is warm. There in is the problem. While the body is melting it, the snow is also lowering the body temperature. Now, if your character is in the middle of a hike, they will have plenty of time to warm up internally. And yes, one little piece might not hurt, but it can. 

The biggest issues come when the character will not be moving around to warm up. If they are trying to rest, or get some sleep, the body is not making as much heat as it does when hiking. It’s very tempting to eat the snow when resting, or right before going to sleep and not when moving, as it is often seen as inconvenient. 

Without the extra movement to warm the body, this can bring down the body temperature. this risks hypothermia. If your character is already on the edge of hypothermia, this would push them over. Now, will this happen ever time? No, but it is a possibility, and without a way to generate heat such as moving, a fire, body heat of another person or dog, or something along these lines, it is a risky gamble with their life. 

2) Shelter in your car during winter 

It is true that many people have done this, my own husband included. It’s also true many people live in their cars and this is their only options. So, what makes this some dangerous? Carbon dioxide buildup. 

You see, a vehicle cab is an inclosed space. Like any inclosed space if no new oxygen gets in and your character is breathing (so not for zombies, or vampires) they will be exhaling carbon dioxide. High levels are dangerous and can even be deadly to your character. Cracking the windows slightly will allow the oxygen to come into the car, but it also lets the cold in. 

So most people will run the car to use the heater. That’s definitely going to warm the interior, but it will allow the exhaust fumes that contain high amounts of carbon dioxide in. Therefore, it should only be run for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, and the windows will still need cracked slightly for ventilation.

If your character doesn’t know to crack the window, this could become dangerous very quickly. Also, if they are stuck over night and fall asleep with the car running, it has the same issue. It’s also not something that many people knew about in the past. My parents say they didn’t hear about it until I was young, and I don’t remember hearing it until I was a teen. I don’t know if that is local, because when I search, I see FEMA just started a campaign and including this in their winter ready campaign that started in 2023. 

Some of the signs and symptoms that your character has high carbon dioxide levels includes, but are not limited to, dizziness, headaches, shortness of breath, and in extreme circumstances loss of consciousness. Although, my all time favor sign of high carbon dioxide levels is a person believing they are seeing ghost. Yes, you heard that correctly. 

3) Sheltering in caves 

Caves were used by people through-out history. I mean, we literally have the term caveman for a reason. If you are one of my beta readers, you will know that this is something I love to add to my stories. It makes a great hideout, a way to escape both bad guys and the elements, and I even use it as a home in one story. Which might make this one surprising to learn, but caves are not as safe as most people think. In fact, caves can be down right deadly. 

There are many things to consider when writing this one. First is the obvious cave-ins. Cave-ins can leave your character trapped, injured, or worse. I used to believe these were caused by earthquakes, but that’s not the only reason, and is actually not the most common reason. Many times, cave-ins happen because of weathering of the rocks above (aka the top of the cave). This is normally caused by water eroding the rocks above or even the foundation of the cave tunnels. 

Extreme weather such as heavy rains or snow melt can cause extra pressure with the weight on top of the cave, causing it to collapse. This could also happen if a city or castle were to be built on top of the cave. Many times these are built with no knowledge the cave was even there. 

Another thing to consider is man made or man changed caves and tunnels. These would be mining and drilling or the excavating of a natural cave. The lack of proper support is the most common that I know of, but that isn’t the only reason these cave-in. As above, weather can affect these too, and don’t forget that mining can involve using dynamite. When you cause something to explode in a cave… I’ll let you finish that sentence. 

These cave ins can also cause sink holes to form on the surface. This can be minor or could swallow whole buildings, castles, or even some cattle. I know of many sink holes that have been able to hold water and have formed ponds, and even lakes. We have one not too far from us, that the local authorities added fish to, turning it into a fishing hole for the public. 

Ok, back to below ground. The rocks themselves can be dangerous. Your character can step on or fall on sharp rocks. The stalactites or other types of rocks could fall on your character. Stalactites are the long pointed rocks that form on the ceiling of caves. The floor of the cave is often wet, slippery, uneven, and can even have loose rocks. This is a recipe for falling. 

Peeple are often surprised by how dark caves are. When they say “you can’t see your hand in front of your face” they are not joking. I have personally been in a few caves where we turned the lights out and tried this. You can’t see because there is no light. 

The lack of light brings another problem. Getting lost. There is a tail in this area about “lover cave.” It is said a young couple from different backgrounds would meet at the cave to be with each other. One day when their families came looking for them, they hid in the cave, and they became lost, to never be seen again. I’m guessing most people have heard a version of that story. Why? Because it seems to be common in many parts of the world. Always about two lovers who couldn’t be together for some reason: family, war, skin color, or something along these lines. 

It’s possible, this started as a story to make people scared to go into a cave, because they would become lost. Ok, that would have backfired on my parents, because I would have wanted to find some skeletons, but most kids wouldn’t have… I think. 

However, there is more than darkness to worry about. There are often times huge drops inside caves. This can be a few feet to hundreds of feet. The deepest cave drop in the world is 1,978 feet (603 meters) in a cave in Slovenia. Your poor character could slide down the cave wall, slicing their body up, before landing on jagged rocks at the bottom. Actually, that wouldn’t be a horrible idea for finishing off a bad guy. 

Another thing they could fall into is water. This could be anything from puddles to underground rivers. In fact, the deepest cave we know of is in the Czech Republic and has a depth of at least 1,552 feet (473 meters), and that isn’t even the bottom. So far, the bottom has not been found. 

Just like on the surface, if it rains, the water levels can rise. This can lead to flooding. There are well documented accounts of people going into caves, and the cave flooding behind them, trapping them in the cave. Like with any other flooding, this holds a risk of drowning. 

One reason your character doesn’t want to get wet in a cave is that the temperatures in the cave are normally the surface’s average temperature for the year. Most run between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. I have been in some that was between 38 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Either way, being wet at those temperatures is a recipe for hypothermia. If you would like to learn more about hypothermia, I have a whole episode on it. 

Another little thought of danger is that some of the spaces in a cave can be small or tight. This means some people might not fit, or could become stuck. People with claustrophobia, are advised to avoid caves. 

At the same time, even those who go spelunking often can succumb to this. An example comes from the Nutty Putty Cave. When a group of friends took a wrong turn and one ended up upside down in a space just 10 inches wide (25.4 cm). His brother called for help, and the rescue team tried for 27 hours to save him, before they declared him dead, and he was left in the cave, as his final resting place. 

But wait, there’s more. On top of all that, there can be deadly gases: carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen sulfide. All of these can be deadly. In the case of carbon dioxide, it is heavier than air, and can pool in low areas, making what is known as pockets of death. I do know that in history people used flames to tell when there were unsafe conditions. If the flame went out without reason, such as wind, it was a dangerous area and they needed to leave right now. Now that won’t work with methane, as methane is flammable. 

Another hidden gas danger is still water in a cave. Other names for this kind of water are standing water, or stagnant water. A good way to tell if it is stagnant is if it looks like it has particles, air bubbles, or anything that looks to be suspended in the water. Water this still can hide the gases. The gases will be released if the water’s surface tension breaks. 

Other issues with stagnate water is that it is a breeding ground for bacteria. These include, but are not limited to, E. coli, salmonella, and brain eating amebas. It can also be hazardous to be nearby, transmitting legionnaires disease in air born bacteria. Legionnaire’s disease is a bacterial form of pneumonia. 

Still water isn’t the only thing that can cultivate bacteria. So can bat guano. (A.k.a. bat poop.) A quick Google search shows a dozen different types of bacteria that can be transmitted to humans. However, for me, that’s not what scares me about bats. It’s not even that they could get tangled in my long hair. No, I am scared of the fact that some bats are known to carry rabies. If you want to learn more about rabies, I have both a full episode on it, and a minisode that covers a few extras I forgot in the main episode. 

There are more than just bats that can be found in caves. Bears are known to hibernate in caves. Spiders, snakes, and all types of creepy crawlies. I saw cave crawdads when I went. Like many animals that spend their whole lives in a cave, they are 100% white and almost translucent. Thier eyes are the same, and it’s believes they are blind, and have learned to use their other senses. Which makes sense, since they can’t see in a cave, anyway. 

The last thing I will touch on is that if your character makes a fire inside a cave, it can deplete the oxygen levels if there is no ventilation. Another problem without ventilation is that there is nowhere for the smoke to go. This might not be a big deal in a larger chamber, but one that is only six or so feet tall could quickly make it dangerous to stand up, because their head would be in the smoke.

4) If lost, stay put

This is perfect advice if a child gets lost in a big park. However, it’s not always the best advice in some situation. Here are some situations your characters will want to keep moving in. 

* If they are being hunted by bag guys. Your character doesn’t want to be a sitting duck when danger gets there. 

*If there is an area that would make them more visible to rescue efforts. 

* If they are in a situation where there is no hope of rescue, such as behind hostile lines, they will have to get themselves back to safety. 

* If there are natural dangers such as a den of a predator, unstable terrain, or things like this. 

* If they know where they are going. perhaps they grew up going to this place, and know it well. 

* If severe weather is coming and they are in an unsafe place. They might need to find shelter, or a safer location. 

* If there are no resources in the area, and help is not coming, or will not come for a prolonged period of time. Your characters will need to be able to find shelter, water, and food. 

Remember that if they believe help is coming, or there might be someone following, leaving markers to let them know where your character is going will help get them rescued. Just don’t do that if bad guys are after them. 

5) If lost moving (locations) will help

While there are situations that this is best for, there are situations where moving is risky. No one who is in active labor is going to want to change locations. In fact, moving can actually make it harder for rescuers to find your characters. 

Let’s go over some reasons your character will want to stay put. 

* Giving birth. 

* If rescue is likely to find them in that location. 

* If they are in a safe place from severe weather that is happing or will happen, they shouldn’t move. 

* If they are injured. 

* If they are ill. 

* Some characters, such as the elderly, young children, and people who are not able to move around safely, might be safest in one place.

* If they were able to communicate their location to help by a phone, walkie-talkie, or other, they should wait for help.

* If they have been spotted by rescue. It is best they wait for the rescue team to come to them, instead of trying to find the team. This is especially true if a helicopter spotted them. The helicopter could go in a different direction than the rescuers are. 

Bonus: You can start a fire by rubbing two sticks together

It is true that people have been doing this since the creation of fire starting. What most people don’t realize is that this is a learned skill. One that can take years to truly master. I have tried this, and let me tell you, I never made a fire, but I made lots of blisters. That said, the people I meet who could do this normally had an ember in roughly one minute, and a full fire started within three minutes. 

Before we get to all the ways, things could possibly go wrong in your story. If you enjoy this content, and want to help others find it, pop on over to Apple Podcasts and leave me a review. Or if you are watching on YouTube, drop me a comment and say hello, or ask a question. This is the best way to help others find my content. 

Now, for everyone’s favorite part, what could possibly go wrong in your story? 

Likely to go wrong: Your character is exploring a cave. Before they know it, they are lost. 

Likely to go wrong: Your character slides off the road on a snowy winter day. They call the tow truck, but they have so many people in front of them that it will be hours before they can get to them. Needing to stay warm, they run the car to keep the heater going. Soon carbon dioxide builds up, and they start showing signs of CO2 poisoning. If they don’t get fresh air soon, this could be deadly. 

Possible to go wrong: Your character is injured. They stay put in and open field to let rescue find them. However, a thunderstorm comes up, and there is a lot of lightning. This could be deadly. 

Possible to go wrong: Your character is lost. They see the helicopter looking for them and follow the direction it went. This takes them farther away from the rescue team. 

Unlikely to go wrong: Your character is skiing and goes off course getting lost. They stay put, knowing someone will come looking for them when they don’t come back to the lodge. However, the snow is unstable, and soon there is an avalanche. This could be deadly. 

Unlikely to go wrong: Your character eats a lot of snow to stay hydrated before curling up in a snow den to try to sleep for the night. The snow drops their body temperature and they soon have hypothermia. 

Improbable but still technically in the realm of possibilities: Your character is in a cave, and a bat flies into their hair. The bat thinks they are being attacked and bites your character. Unknown to them, the bat has rabies. Three weeks later, they start to show the first signs of rabies. This will be deadly. 

Improbable but still technically in the realm of possibilities: Your character is exploring a cave, when a flash flood comes and sweeps them away. This could be deadly. 

Thanks for listening! Until next time, happy wordsmithing.