In the latest in her series of Fight Write™ posts on the Writer’s Digest blog, trained fighter and author Carla Hoch discusses weapons of opportunity: the common, everyday objects around you house, car, or office that can be turned into a weapon.
“A weapon of opportunity—or as I call it, a WOO—is any item that in its intended use is not a weapon but can be wielded as such,” Hock explains. As an example, she points to the veritable “vase to the head” move popular in many soap operas.
It might sound silly, but Hoch notes that when a vase is thrown as a weapon, it:
- Causes defensive reflexes, like flinching, ducking, throwing up hands, or closing eyes. In that moment, the throw-er can rush their attacker, grab a better weapon, or run away.
- Creates barriers, like broken glass. Shards can cut the attacker or get in their eyes. Even if the attacker catches the vase, they have to take a moment to dispose of it.
- Creates evidence of the attack. It the attacker lingers to clean up the debris, there’s a greater chance they can leave trace evidence, like fingerprints, hair, clothing fiber, or in a best case scenario, blood.
Hoch suggests other everyday weapons: pencils, pens, cups, hot coffee, laptops, power cords, books, and rolling desk chairs. “Basically, whether you knew it or not, you are writing in an armory,” she writes.
