Writer’s Workshop: Realistic Injuries

It seems that Starfleet personnel are quite the accident prone bunch. Whether they’re being hurled over a console, having lungs stolen by Vidiians or taking a phased blast to the leg, barely a week passes without some kind of horrific injury to a crewman.
When one of our characters is injured, how do we describe it? Do we base our writing on our own experiences or simply imagine how it would feel? How do you write the injuries in a compelling manner that engages your audience?
Not all of us have had the misfortune to suffer serious injury, and perhaps find it difficult to imagine such as situation.
Leia Fee and Susannah Shepherd have put together this incredibly helpful resource on realistic injuries, which covers a wide variety of injuries and symptoms, including a description of the stages of blood loss.
In addition to their injury descriptions, is a references section with a few links to other helpful resources. For those who are squeamish, fear not, they haven’t included any images!
So next time you character gets into a fight with an Orion slaver, why not try to add some more detail to their suffering!