The Grim Reader: A Pharmacist's Guide to Putting Your Characters in Peril

by Miffie Seideman

Overview

Many authors draw from headlines or movies rather than personal experience to write drug-related scenes, and the result may be more fiction than fact. So, how can you craft a convincing scene involving accidental use of fentanyl-tainted pot or a murder attempt with grandma's pain pills?

A much-needed resource, The Grim Reader details how to write medical scenarios that result in realistic page-turners. As drug inaccuracies multiply in screenplays, scripts, novels, and audio plays, Dr. Miffie Seideman, Pharm.D. provides writers (and editors) with the background and authenticity necessary to develop plausible plotlines, including:

• Pertinent drug facts, tips, and symptoms
• Symptom timelines
• Tips for developing historically accurate scenes
• Common street drug names and slang
• Sample scenarios to demonstrate how to weave the information into a believable scene
• Writing prompts to provide scene starters and offer practice

Combining Seideman's pharmacology knowledge with her love for creative writing, The Grim Reader is the ultimate guide to help authors craft accurate drug scenes and avoid medical mistakes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684352142
Publisher:	Indiana University Press
Publication date:	01/16/2024
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	649,202
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Dr. Miffie Seideman, Pharm.D. worked as a newborn ICU pharmacist for over 25 years, lectured on medication errors and drug safety, and led medication safety teams. As an avid triathlete, she also spends long training rides developing her new gritty YA fantasy, mixing demons, dragons, and betrayal. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona.

Table of Contents

Preface
1. First Things First
2. Using Toxidromes to Plot That Twist
3. A Word about Antidotes
4. Alcohol
5. Antidepressants
6. Antihistamines
7. Bath Salts
8. Body Packing
9. Club Drugs
10. Hallucinogens
11. Inhalants
12. Leafy Leftovers
13. Opioids
14. Sedatives
15. Stimulants
Appendix

Editorial Reviews

"A manuscript-saving must-read resource—An absolute necessity for every mystery thriller writer. Don't type another word without this!"—Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author

"This is the book I've been waiting for! A practical and informative guide for mystery writers struggling to figure out how to poison a character."—Susan Breen, Author of the Maggie Dove mystery series

"This is definitely a handy reference for mystery and crime writers. I already feel smarter. Pick your poisons from among the vast array of legitimate and illicit drugs with help from The Grim Reader. Inject reality into those scenes involving your characters and drugs with details on the history of their use and abuse, the nature and duration of their effects, the usual and sometimes bizarre methods of ingesting, inhaling, injecting, and absorbing them."—Mo Walsh, Co-author of A Miscellany of Murder

"[This book] belongs on every crime reader's reference shelf. Nowhere else have I found such detailed information on drugs, their effects, and the timeline for their onset and waning. The author, a pharmacist, covers everything available in the broadly contemporary world, a drug's individual history and development, the side effects and their timelines, slang terms for the drug and using it, along with other aspects of the drug world. If you've wondered how long it takes for ketamine to wear off, the answer is here. In addition to the basic information on the substances and how they affect the body, the author includes writing exercises to lead the reader into understanding and applying the information in their own fiction. If you think you've learned all of what there is to know about the drug world, this will change your mind. This is an invaluable reference by a reliable source, a pharmacist."—Susan Oleksiw, Author of Anita Ray Mystery Series

"An essential source for any writer contemplating murder by drugs."—Bridget Finnegan, Author of Odette's: A Quality Gentleman's Club

"With a breadth of knowledge and a keen respect for our readers' intelligence, Seideman provides an essential tool for authors who want to poison their darlings with confidence."—Connie Johnson Hambley, Author of The Jessica Trilogy

"The Grim Reader provides a fascinating read on how to poison. As a writer of historicals, I especially love the facts on what was available when. A great reference for any writer looking to use poison to kill a fictional character. I'll keep it on my bookshelf."—Frances McNamara, Author of the Nutshell Murder Mystery and Emily Cabot Mysteries series.

"Every crime writer should have a copy of The Grim Reader on their bookshelf. Can you OD on an SSRI? If a character's white wine suddenly looks blue, what's it been spiked with? How much morphine is in the poppy seeds on my morning bagel? (More than you'd think!) The Grim Reader has answers to every drug-related question you never knew to ask. [This is] an absolutely indispensable reference. Congrats to Miffie Seideman on crafting a great new resource for crime writers everywhere."—Robin Facer, Bestselling mystery author

From the Publisher