My fourth book

[Timben]

My fourth book, "Empire in the Sun", is set in 1912 India. My hero has to battle snake worshippers, so I was wondering what sort of booby traps could there be? I was thinking of having one of my heroes trip over a wire which releases a rhino. But I dunno if that would be much of a booby trap? Any ideas would be great.

 

[Yozh]

Depends on the tone you are going for. Releasing a rhino is pretty cartoonish. If it is a comedic or light-hearted book you could do that. Like a Scooby-do episode. But if it’s meant to be serious, readers will be wondering how this rhino was being cared for, seems like a lot of trouble to keep a captive rhino just in case someone sets off a booby trap.

 

[Timben]

Depends on the tone you are going for. Releasing a rhino is pretty cartoonish. If it is a comedic or light-hearted book you could do that. Like a Scooby-do episode. But if it’s meant to be serious, readers will be wondering how this rhino was being cared for, seems like a lot of trouble to keep a captive rhino just in case someone sets off a booby trap.

It is meant to be serious ~ think "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" vain of storytelling.

 

[Wayne Mack]

Releasing a rhino might work, but I would avoid giving much explanation of how the trap was set and maintained (most Indiana Jones style booby traps seem to be one time affairs). You may also consider using a tiger instead. I'm not too familiar with the animals native to India, but tigers seem more expected to me than rhinos. In either case, it sounds like a fun little action scene.

 

[Montero]

I looked it up and there are Indian rhinos. My main comment on the trap is wondering how the animal is kept fed and alive while waiting, and whether it could be bothered to attack when released. It might want to run the other way, or just shove past to get the **** out of dodge.

 

[Timben]

I saw a cartoon once when I was a kid which made me think of releasing a rhino toward the heroes. But if you think it's rather silly, I guess I could change it. Thanks for the advice.

 

[msstice]

But if it’s meant to be serious, readers will be wondering how this rhino was being cared for, seems like a lot of trouble to keep a captive rhino just in case someone sets off a booby trap.

The solution to this is to make the action so gripping that these questions don't occur to the reader as they keep turning the pages.

Using Harry Potter as an example, there are numerous plot holes everywhere, but I only paid attention when I reread the books and even them I'm going "Yeah, this is inconsistent, but whatever."

Personally what I've found is that I'll tolerate all kinds of logical inconsistencies in the world (though I abhor Deus Ex Machina solutions to problems), but I'm sensitive to unbelievable behavior. Bad characters, bad dialog and meandering plots are what ruin things for me.

 

[Timben]

I understand. Thank you for the advice.

 

[mrs.deadpen]

Hi Timben, if you wanted to use animals or something exciting like that, maybe one of the heroes falls into a pit of tigers? Or, maybe one falls in but another catches him. He is hanging above the tigers (who maybe haven't been fed or cared for consistently) and the tigers lunge at him. Your heroes are being chased AND also have to avoid being eaten. Anyway, I love Indiana Jones and your book sounds intriguing.

 

[Bick]

It is meant to be serious ~ think "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" vain of storytelling.

Hmm, how serious? Indiana Jones is as tongue in cheek and light as anything I can think of.

 

[Timben]

I just meant that it's an action/adventure western.

 

[THX1138]

Punji stake traps or even bamboo whips (Pieces of bamboo with Punji stakes that were bent back and released with a tripwire.) could work.
Pit traps with cobras in them maybe?

Crossbow traps and falling slabs of stone could be used around ancient ruins. Even a hornet's nest that falls from above or is flung out at or near the intruders could work too. (That would be a nasty one because wherever the intruder runs, have the hornets follow.)

Just some ideas of some smaller but effective booby traps. Larger traps you could get really creative with.