The Introverted Detective

So, you're writing an assassin or a spy and you need some cool hidden blade ideas. Today is your lucky day! This post is about real-life hidden blades that actually exist. You can pay money for these and own these in real life. You can even make some yourself. A note of caution to those cosplaying: security will take your hidden blade if it is real! Make a fake one, if cosplaying.  Shoes with Blades  You've seen blades hidden in shoes in Kingsman and James Bond . You can make one of these yourself or buy it. Instructions on how to make this are also on Pinterest. You can also find it in high heel  form.    No joke, you can pay hundreds of dollars for high heel weaponry. Most of these are stillettos. They may or may not need to be special ordered, but they do exist. These can be used for self-defense in many scenarios.                                 ...

For all those writers writing history pieces that involve women's suffrage, this is for you. For all those people scrolling facebook, pinterest, and twitter out of boredom, this is also for you. This is especially for those who love women's history.  These brave women are the reason women can vote and be involved in law. Here's the basic overview of how long they fought for the basic right to have legal voice. In the UK It was started in 1897 by Milicent Fawcett. She was for peaceful protest because doing anything irresponsible may prove to the men that women couldn't be trusted. Later another group began, after that one failed. Emmeline Pankhurst started Women's Social and Political Union in 1903 and was willing to do anything to get what she wanted, violence included. She interrupted many meetings with her suffragette group and they were jailed many times over for it. They also burned churches that didn't agree with them, broke windows, chained ...

Nellie Bly, real name Elizabeth Jane Cochran, was a great investigative reporter that wrote many great stories, but one made it into the movies. One of her greatest stories included traveling the world in 72  days, but she is most known for going undercover at the asylum on Blackwell Island, NY. The book was titled Ten Days in the Madhouse. Blackwell Island, NY Blackwell Asylum was the first mental hospital in New York. It was overcrowded, which resulted in a lack of internal administration, disease outbreaks, improper diet and nutrition, and bad living conditions. To reduce costs they even hired convicts as attendants. They had accommodations for 640 in 1868 and had 1035 people in the building. More buildings were built throughout time. Female and immigrant patients were many, though men still ended up here. The newest and most violent were put in one building, and if new patients weren't violent, moved to another building. Nellie Bly checked herself into here in 188...

The term "female hysteria" or "wandering womb" was used from 4th Century BC  to the 19th century and declined when psychology became more understood. Today we don't use either term. Thankfully, we have doctors who understand how the female body functions, gynecologists. Basic Beliefs  On Hysteria What was considered female hysteria?  It was considered common, chronic, and only applied to women. Here's a list. Hysteria Symptoms - anxiety  -shortness of breath  - fainting  -nervousness - sexual desire  -insomnia  - fluid retention (periods)  -heaviness in the abdomen  - irritability - loss of food/sexual appetite  -being sexually forward  - being a troublemaker If you laughed or cringed at that list and pointed out several symptoms had several explanations (including "I don't want to have sex with Mr. X" or pregnancy) you will be glad to know this is no longer a valid diagnosis. Most of these have to do with bein...

We talk about mental health awareness, but as a writer, how do you write a character with  depression? What does that look like, thought-wise? Let's dive into that. Depression is defined as a mood disorder causing persistent dark, sad thoughts and loss of interest, according to the Mayo Clinic. That being said, I know several examples of people you would never guess had depression. There is such a thing as "masking" your true thoughts and emotions. It also causes one to isolate and distance themselves from the support they might have. One reason to check in on someone with this disorder is that they may be battling dark thoughts alone. Most successful suicides that were caused by depression happened with no warning or an alarming, sudden peace.  What Others See When it comes to character building, be aware some people do talk about their depression and seek help. Some also suffer alone and wear a "mask" until it becomes too terrible to deal wit...

Toxic masculinity is a term we hear often, especially when connected to mental illness and men. It is created by society and can be damaging to someone's mental health, but what is it? Today I'm going to break down the idea of toxic masculinity. I've mentioned this idea briefly in previous blogs (PTSD and gender in film). It refers to a particularly harmful concept of what real men should be, including aggressive dominance and not showing emotions (thus, not releasing them). "The Man Box" The man box can be best explained as a constricting list of standards for manhood. I'm going to list out some of what these can be before I continue. 1. no vulnerability  2. strong at all times  3. only anger-related emotions can be shown   4. no signs of weakness  5. aggressive and powerful are good   Most of these can be summed up as not being "feminine", emotional, weak, or vulnerable. What happens when someone doesn't conform to t...

As an avid reader of introvert blogs, and an introvert, I know that being wired differently isn't easy in a society built by extroverts. I have nothing against extroverts, never have, but the fact remains that being wired differently makes life harder. What's the difference between an introvert and extrovert? I have a previous blog on that topic if you're confused or don't know the difference. If you click on the archives it will be there. This post is about writing introverts, specifically from the perspective of an introvert. Everyday conversations When it comes to personal friends, we can talk your ear off or be completely comfortable sitting beside someone, but when it comes to people we just met or large crowds we can become bored, lonely, or uncomfortable, which then leads us to be quieter, and instead turn our attention to the dog in the living room or reading people in silence. Comfortable silence is sitting beside a friend reading; uncomfortable ...