Tag Archives: survival
Been Awhile
I’m sorry for my absence on this site and not responding to your emails. My book is being published and will be out hopefully by the end of the year. I’ve so occupied with that and other problems that I’ve neglected this site, but I am back now and will continue to promote my story and hope you will all enjoy it.
Joe Reyes
Survival Guide: Tip 1
Click on the link to get the full explanation
https://joereyesauthor.com/2015/05/20/sleep-is-a-luxury-you-cant-afford/
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Saw Through His Lie
Check out Alice’s Bio to learn more about her https://joereyesauthor.com/2015/05/13/alice-character-info/
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Don’t Run In The Woods
Running creates more noise than walking. Nature gives you all the cover you need, but it conceals your enemies as well. Doesn’t matter if you’re part of an army or by yourself, you must constantly be aware of your surroundings. Take your time to navigate safely because you don’t want to alert everyone to your presence.
Woodland hunters set traps to catch animals and people alike. Traps are easy to set and even easier to conceal if you aren’t paying attention. When you run, you aren’t able to pay attention to all the details in the woods. That one misstep will be the difference between life and death. Unless you’re on the run for your life, do the smart thing and walk. Slow and steady keeps you alive in Aftermath.
Joe Reyes
Get A Backpack
Traveling light is the smart thing to do when you’re a nomad. You wouldn’t want to weigh yourself down with unnecessary items. The best backpacks you can find are the ones with multiple compartments because you can easily separate materials.
The items you need are:
- Water Container
- Weapon
- Food (Cans If Available)
- Extra Clothes
- Anything Tradable
- Rope
The tradable pieces are useful when you encounter a nearby city. Paper money will be obsolete. Metals and items of value will be the only source of currency. It would be wise to have something tradable incase the hunting grounds are bare and water sources are contaminated.
Rope you will need if you decide to sleep in a tree (previous Post). Also, rope can be used to set up traps. You have no idea what dangers will present themselves, but the best method to ensure your survival is to be prepared.
There is a good chance you will be on the run for your life at one point. Having unneeded weight can be a definite way to get yourself killed. Travel light, travel smart is the best motto when picking out your survival gear.
Joe Reyes
Justin Character Info
Justin is the character that allows you to see the military’s point of view. Justin has been wandering around with his fiancé Amy since the bombs fell. Justin was difficult to write about because during the planning, he didn’t have a whole lot going on. However I have found a way to get him right into the mix of the plotline, more so in book two.
In Aftermath, Justin’s main focus is Amy’s safety. They have been making their way from one side of the country to the other looking for somewhere safe. The US government has many safe zones scattered around the country still. A heavily protected area is exactly what they are looking for. With the ensuing battle going on in the country, it is time consuming to navigate around the fighting to get where they need to.
The sequel will throw Justin into the middle of the fight. I envisioned him to be a passive character at first and then changes from all the fighting and what else I throw at him. Justin is like Ian when I planned him. At first I didn’t know what to do with him, but after a few days of planning I found a great path to put him on and interesting characters to make him react to.
Joe Reyes
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Eventually Pick A Side
First there will be utter chaos and then civilizations will rise up. You can do the “lone wolf” act for a while, but after the chaos starts to dwindle down, you MUST pick a side. Armies and communities will start to quickly spring up. Wars WILL tear most of the country apart. The goal of a war is to implement your principles and beliefs as the new mentality of the area. You have to find out what side of the war you want to be a part of.
First you have to understand who you really are and what you stand for. Do you want to change the way things were previously run? Do you want to follow a new set of rules? What are the major armies in play? Can you safely become a part of that group?
If you can’t find a group that embodies your beliefs, then the next best thing is to start your own army. You must find people who you can help see your vision of the future and follow your command. Becoming a visionary is incredibly hard. You have to be able to “inspire” to get others to join your cause and “terrify” to make enemies bow down to you at the same time.
Joe Reyes
Ron Character Info
Ron was the second character that I wrote about. He was originally a quick one page short story about someone in a post-apocalyptic story. The story was called Even Heroes Get Hungry, and it was about a man fighting for food in the wilderness. The story was to illustrate how sensible people will do irrational things for food.
I was writing the Ian story when I decided to put Ron in the mix, because I really liked his character. I wanted Ron to be young, around 10 years old. I wanted his parents to be dead, forcing Ron to be on his own.
Ron was an interesting journey because he doesn’t know much. Everything he learns is in the woods. He stays away from people, because he doesn’t trust them. How could he? He’s been independent since the tragedy, which everyone is out for themselves.
When Ron gets in contact with a group of rebels it’s difficult for him at first. He has never been a part of a “group” before. At first he is thinking how he would get away from them. But then, as things progress, those feeling disappear.
Ron started off as a little boy with a knife to a little boy with a machine gun. Through Ron, you get to see into the army of Cortez. He is the only character in book one who is up close and personal with the leader.
Joe Reyes
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An Empty Gun Is Still Terrifying
Guns will be hard to find, but bullets will be rarer and more valuable after the bombs fall. The problem is you can’t tell if an enemy’s gun is empty or fully loaded. You’re first thought should always be “that gun might be loaded,”
If someone is hesitant to pull the trigger, that doesn’t mean the gun is empty. Since bullets are rare, most people wouldn’t want to waste them if they don’t have to. Intimidation is the most aspect when using a gun, especially if it is empty. You must make your target believe that you have a fully loaded gun with ammo to spare.
Most would just rob you for some water or food. The best way to handle an attacker with a gun is to defuse the situation. Give your attacker what they want, if it’s not too outrageous, then kill your attacker when they feel like they have won.
Joe Reyes
Eric Character Info
Eric is another character who I totally redid his personality. Just like Sara, Eric is part of the Savages. He was supposed to be a bad guy, but now he is still bad, but with good intentions. Eric’s motive is that he is there because he has to be. The Savages are a prospering group and Eric knows he would likely die on his own.
I dive a little bit into Eric’s history in the flashback. He is a former convict who hasn’t given up his crime ridden ways, but now his motivation is survival and not money. In the early stages I had Eric headshotting civilians just because he felt like doing it. Then I did an overhaul and turned him into a more likable character.
He has a lot of qualities that could make him the lead of the sequel. He works with the Savages, meaning he knows how to handle himself so there isn’t a learning curve for surviving. I thought Eric has some of the most memorable quotes of the story and contains that sarcastic charm that could propel him into becoming a fan favorite.
Joe Reyes
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Sara Character Info
Sara might be my favorite character of Aftermath. She also had the biggest change from planning her out to actually writing her character. Originally, Sara was going to be the leader of a cannibal gang. She was ruthless and led this band of horrible human being to just total destruction.
I don’t know exactly what made me change her to the innocent little girl, but I loved how it turned out. She was such a depressing character to write that I almost felt bad at times putting her in such terrible situations.
I needed to make her a “feel bad” character and watch her overcome and fight on through all the obstacles that are put in front of her. That might’ve been the reason for altering her personality. So I surrounded her with the cannibal gang called the Savages, led by a man named Marcus, who used Sara as a sex slave.
She had an ongoing secret relationship with a woman in the camp, Penny, who is one of the head chefs there. Her specialty, you ask? How to cook people. They keep their relationship private because Marcus would have them both killed.
Joe Reyes
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Sleep Is A Luxury You Can’t Afford
Unless you live in a heavily fortified homestead surrounded by an army of well-trained soldiers, then you are never safe in the world of Aftermath. Count your blessings every day you survive in the new world. The last thing you want to do is be killed in your sleep. The key is where to find a few hours of well-deserved rest?
The first thing you must do is scout the area you are planning on sleeping in. Is it near a water source? How close is it to a settlement? Is there any wildlife in the area? Can you use nature as cover? Do you have people with you who can stay awake while you sleep? Can you create a makeshift alarm system? All these questions must be answered before you shut your eyes for a moment.
Water sources attract people and animals. Unless you have a group of survivors or a settlement nearby, water isn’t the most ideal place to rest your head by. Everything needs water to survive, so it’s not the smartest idea to take a nap near water.
Smart settlements send out scouting parties to make sure the surrounding area is safe. Depending on the size of the settlement, the range of the scout parties change. More importantly, you don’t want to be caught sleeping in the path that the people might walk down every morning down.
Animals kill for food just like people do. They’re predators that will attack you when they get hungry. Sometimes marking the territory will deter them. Fire is another big thing to scare most animals from coming over to you. But be careful where you set your fires, especially at night, you may attract people’s curiosity with a beacon of fire.
The best place to take a nap in the woods is in a tree, but it is dangerous if not done correctly. You have to be able to fasten yourself so you won’t fall off in the middle of a deep sleep. A simple belt or rope should be enough to keep you in place. Hopefully, you aren’t the kind of person who tosses and turns in their sleep.
Staying in a group is the best way to ensure a good night’s sleep. This ensures you are able to take a well-deserved rest and not wake up to the sound of your feet being gnawed off by a pack of dogs.
An alarm system will surround a space where you are sleeping and wake you up when someone passed into it. An effective idea is to boarder your sleeping area with twigs and kindling. These are easy to find if you’re planning on sleeping outside. The weight of the intruder will break the sticks and hopefully wake you up.
The quiet sound of nature is easily broken by even the lightest creatures. Use this to your advantage. Take short naps until you find an ideal spot to sleep. Follow these steps and you might survive to see the sun rise again.
Joe Reyes
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Carmen Character Info
Carmen was the last character I created for the story. She lives in the town of Riverfield just like Ian, and is captured early on in the story unlike Sara, Carmen isn’t the sex slave character who is constantly abused. I didn’t want to have the repetition of two characters with a similar story like that.
I was afraid Carmen’s plot wasn’t that intriguing in the planning stages. I had to pair her up with a few other characters. Carmen isn’t a lead character, but I felt she was a good “go along with” character. She isn’t a fighter, doesn’t have a major role in the war, isn’t a leader, Carmen was just an innocent girl thrust into a bad situation.
The sequel is where Carmen is thrown more into the action of the story. I’m hoping with the situations I put her in, she can blossom and start to become a ruthless survivor like everyone else. I wanted to give Carmen a good set of morals so I can create a total change in her personality based on what I put in front of her.
Even though I didn’t give Carmen world class fighting skills or a terribly sad backstory, I still enjoyed writing her. I would like to have her be a larger part of the overall storyline in the sequel, but don’t want to push her. I need to gradually mold her little by little into a more savage character for all I’m planning on throwing at her.
Joe Reyes
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Joe Reyes Author 