May 09, 2016

Writing About: A Tsunami


When I set out to write this post, a million things flooded my brain, and then my mind went blank. I’ve come to the conclusion that this post is the most difficult one I’ve EVER had to write in the three years I’ve done this Writing About feature on my blog. Because of that, I’m abandoning my normal format of 5-10 pointers with detailed descriptions for each. Instead, I’ve constructed a list of things to remember.


Keep in mind this is for a devastating tsunami:

-       Flocks of birds fly away from the shore (away from the wave).

-       A rumbling sound in the air and all around.

-       A blast of wind and mist.

-       The wave approaches like a massive (40-50 foot) wave on the shore but with impeccable speed and surprising force.

-       People caught in the wave are twisted round and round.

-       Objects hit them in the water.

-       They struggle to reach the surface and keep their head above the water.

-       It’s almost impossible to hold their breath.

-       If they survive the initial impact and don’t drown, many try to grab onto something. Anything.

-       The water rushes them inland (most can travel for one mile).

-       The wave is so strong that it can lift vehicles, toss boats, tear apart houses, and even uproot trees.

-       There’s usually more than one wave in a tsunami and the first isn’t even the biggest.

-       After sometime, the movement slows, stops, and then reverses. This is when people and debris get carried out to sea.

-       Debris will be everywhere. The ground will be muddy and flooded in some places.

-       Survivors will have injuries (bruises, cuts, deep gashes, broken bones, etc.)

-       Some survivors are either naked or missing articles of clothing because the water ripped it off their bodies.

-       Getting to safety and higher ground is the #1 goal along with finding loved ones they may never see again.

-       When aid arrives, helicopters will be flying over, people will be searching for survivors and the dead, and supplies will be coming in, such as food, water, and blankets.

-       Most people will go to shelters and the hospital for treatment and to search for loved ones.

-       It takes many years for places hit by a massive tsunami to get back to normal, and even then it will never be like it once was. Same can be said for the survivors.


I recommend watching The Impossible about the tsunami that hit Thailand in 2004 and reading true accounts from tsunami survivors. But also to do a lot of research about tsunamis and the setting of your story to understand what would happen if a tsunami struck that specific location.


QUESTION: Have you see the movie THE IMPOSSIBLE? What do you think about the disaster for Book 3 being a tsunami?

 

72 comments:

  1. Congrats on sending the third book to your publisher! That's exciting!
    I didn't really know all that much about tsunamis. They sound very scary.

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    1. Thank you!

      Tsunamis are scary. They're the scariest disaster I've written about so far.

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  2. This was wonderful to read, I thankful we don't get Tsunami's here, what havoc it causes. I wish you all the best with the publisher.
    Enjoy your week.
    Yvonne.

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    1. I'm thankful too, but you never know where one could be triggered.

      Thank you! :)

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  3. Fascinated by tsunamis and terrified by them. Never seen Impossible but was amazed by experiences of survivors of Japanese tsunami after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.

    Congratulations on next great step with Book 3.

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    1. Fascinated and terrified. Yup, that's the perfect way to describe it for me too. The survivors stories are amazing. What they went through inspired my story.

      Thank you!

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  4. When we moved to the coast when I was nine, I had a lot of tsunami nightmares... There is an Indonesian author (I have my books of him in my office) that has written about tsunamis. It would be a good introduction. Also, in the 2004 disaster, there was a train caught in the wave in Sri Lanka and everyone drown as it was rolled around. I think the same thing happened in the Japanese disaster of 2010. Remember, before the waves (it isn't one wave) hits, the water is sucked out

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    1. I could understand a child having nightmares of tsunamis. I used to have a lot of fires and tornadoes because of living in Florida. I see do.

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  5. You picked an interesting disaster and one that had been in the news. With all the seismic activity lately, we might get more disasters.

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    1. Yes. It was very strange that the day Seismic Crimes came out the earthquake happened in Ecuador. It was a 7.8 quake and in my book it's a 7.4. :\

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  6. Hi Chrys ... I sincerely hope I don't have to be in a Tsunami - it must have been terrifying for everyone ... not a good experience ... Hilary

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    1. I don't think I'd be able to survive one, especially since I can't really swim.

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  7. How cool with your third in the series; hope the publisher likes it!

    I just hope I never end up in a tsunami. We would have tsunami warnings along some beaches in San Diego area after earthquakes; not much ever came out of them though, of which I'm grateful.

    betty

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    1. I hope so too! I feel this is the best story yet for my series.

      I've heard about tsunami warnings on the coast and the waves are pretty small. I hope they stay that way!

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  8. Congrats on the sendoff. I am excited to see what you do with the tsunami and enjoyed the post. I loved Hurricane Crimes and am eager to follow the series to the end. :-)
    sherry @ fundinmental

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    1. Thank you! It'll be about 3 months before I hear back. I'll have to keep busy in the meantime.

      Thank you, Sherry! :D

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  9. That huge wave looks horrifying. Congrats on Seismic Crimes, Chrys. Great post. Thank you!

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  10. Tsunami sounds like an interesting disaster to have in a story. Good luck with it. My fingers are crossed your publisher likes it.

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    1. I hope my publisher likes it too. I feel strongly that this is the best one so far.

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  11. Just reading your description of a Tsunami scares me. It strikes fear in my heart. The images are frightening! That said, I think it makes a great backdrop for a disaster crime story. I would be overwhelmed to attempt writing about the event itself.

    I saw The Impossible and it was hard to watch! It was very well done and the special effects were amazing. Apparently the actors spent several hours in tanks for underwater scenes. It must have been a trying movie to film for them.

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    1. I actually found it so easy to write about. It was easier than the earthquake and the disaster I'm currently writing for Book 4.

      The Impossible was incredibly done. Shocking and scary and amazing.

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  12. Never seen that movie. But after reading those I hope I never ever get caught in a tsunami

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  13. Excellent points for something that is from nature and so devastating. I can't hold my breath for 30 seconds never mind 3 minutes like some survivors did. I would have drowned for sure. Of course, I have seen The Impossible and actually own the DVD. It is a riveting film that is based on a true story except the family was Spanish.

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    1. I would drown too. I can barely swim as it is.

      I want to own The Impossible on DVD. It's a very good movie.

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  14. Book three! Very awesome.
    There are so many videos and images from the one that hit Japan a few years ago as well. Some were really chilling.

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    1. I never saw the real footage. Well, other than what might have been shared on the news.

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  15. Awesome title! I haven't seen that particular film, but I've watched shows about tsunamis on PBS and the science channel. So scary.

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  16. Congrats on the latest manuscript in the series! 😄 I've never seen the movie The Impossible but have seen San Andreas and 2012 which features tsunami scenes. Even though it's special effects, it still takes my breath away to see that giant wall of water moving towards you with every intent to crush, rip and drown everything in its path.

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    1. Thank you, Lidy! :D I haven't seen San Andreas, but I want to. It is amazing how real that make it look. I always get scared watching those big waves. Like on Deep Impact. Oh, chills.

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  17. What a great list of specifics! I can almost read those scenes right now.

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  18. Congratulations on your new book! I hope I never personally experience a tsunami, or anything similar like a flood or monsoon. The worst disasters we have in Upstate NY are blizzards, with the occasional experience of being on the mild receiving end of a hurricane or earthquake.

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    1. Thank you, Carrie-Anne! I hope I never experience one in real life, too. It was enough to write about it.

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  19. The photos make me glad I live in Arizona! Tsunamis make our monsoons looks like April showers;-) If your book is as good (and I'm sure it is) as your outline, you have another winner! Way to go:-)

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    1. Haha. I think you're safe in Arizona.

      I truly feel that it's the best one of the series.

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  20. Great advice and tips Chrys. Thanks for sharing.

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  21. Wow! Your Tsunami descriptions had me tensing and breathing harder. Good job!

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    1. Thank you! Now just imagine reading my scenes. ;)

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  22. Great!
    Visited from @CazsBooks Twitter
    http://cazgreenham.blogspot.com

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  23. It's scary enough watching a tsunamis on a video or in a movie. I can't even imagine how horrifying it would be to be stuck in the middle on one. Loved all your descriptions. You've certainly done your research.

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    1. It was pretty scary just putting my mind there to write about what happens to my characters.

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  24. I can't even imagine the devastation it would cause to actually be there during a Tsunami.

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  25. Very scary. We had a tsunami warning once, and the kiddos at school freaked out. I reminded them that we were several miles inland and unlikely to be affected.

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    1. I can imagine how scared the kids were. I remember having tornado warnings in school.

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  26. A tsunami is such a devastating disaster, so many lives are lost. I hope everything gets approved for your next book!

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    1. It really is devastating. The aftermath in my book is astonishing, because it's like that in real life.

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  27. I love the idea of using a tsunami as the disaster. It's crazy how much research has to go in to every detail when writing a book.

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    1. So much research, especially for something like this.

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  28. This is a great idea. I haven't seen The Impossible, but now I really want to. I also remember hearing/reading that the water recedes a lot before the tsunami hits. These things are terrifying.

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    1. The Impossible is an amazing movie. Shocking and scary, but amazing. Yes, the water does rush out to meet the approaching wave. I don't like imagining what would happen to the people in the water at the time, or on the beach.

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  29. Your level of research is great. It's hard to imagine many things more terrifying than a tsunami. Congrats on the manuscript!

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    1. I truly can't imagine a more devastating natural disaster.

      Thanks, Nick!

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  30. Congrats on getting Tsunami Crimes to your publisher! Those pictures look horrifying. I can't even imagine being in the middle of such a natural disaster (knock on wood).

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    1. Thank you, Qaunie! :D It was hard to imagine it for my book.

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  31. Congrats on the new book. I think tsunami's are just crazy scary. I'm so glad I don't live near the water anymore.

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    1. It's not out yet. I still have to wait for my publisher to say they want it. *fingers crossed*

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  32. Congrats! A tsunami would be terrifying. Where do you go?

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    1. You really can't do anything to escape them. If there's a warning system, it might give you enough time to get to higher ground, further inland.

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  33. Congrats on the new book. Tsunamis scare me.

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  34. Yes I can finally comment! Yesterday I kept getting a 502 error. Anyway, congrats Chrys and I'm glad I don't live near the ocean. Still I live on an island so...

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    1. 502 error? Yikes! I'm glad it's gone now.

      lol I live in Florida. I'm not close to the coast, but it's still scary thinking about.

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  35. I've never been through any disasters but my town was hit by a tornado. I heard the howling wind and the torrential rains but I was so tired that I put the covers over my head and went to sleep. The next morning my balcony looked like someone had thrown all my stuff around, pots were broken with flowers strewn all over. I went out to the parking lot to find tree limbs all over. Three blocks down the street it was total devastation. I was so fortunate as was my town that no lives were lost.

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    1. A tornado is frightening. I think that is one disaster I won't include in my series. Thank you for telling me about your experience, Linda! I got chills.

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  36. Cool! A third book. I love the theme for your third book, mostly because I think a Tsunami would be one of the worst ways to die or experience. That feeling of devastation along with feeling like losing someone at the same time can be Earth shattering. I'm sure this will be a great read.

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    1. I also believe the tsunami is the worst disaster. There is so much destruction and so many deaths because of it in Tsunami Crimes.

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