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I’m a new writer writing a fantasy story. A character had a leg ripped off below the knee and I’m not sure how to describe that. It’s in a first person perspective by one of the other characters trying to slow the bleeding with a tourniquet.

To be clear it wasn’t a clean cut it was ripped off. I’m not sure where to start with describing it so any help would be appreciated!

There was a prior fracture there due to a previous conflict. Again it’s fiction so the creature that caused it is too so there’s no defined amount of force that was used. There were two arms pulling apart on the already fractured bone which is why it broke there instead of the knee.

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    So, the description you posted here does not work because?
    – Boba Fit
    Apr 2 at 15:21
  • I’m trying to get a certain level of discomfort and I’m having trouble getting that.
    – Htr_Bat
    Apr 2 at 16:03
  • I’m simply not satisfied with it, I’m wanting advice to help me make it better.
    – Htr_Bat
    Apr 2 at 16:11
  • Which bone? Shin? Calf? Both? (You do keep in mind there are two, right?)
    – Divizna
    Apr 2 at 16:49
  • Tibia, Shin, yes I am aware there are two. Again I’m sorry for not being specific. Tibia was fractured both were broken completed in the scene I am attempting to describe.
    – Htr_Bat
    Apr 2 at 17:27

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I'll venture a guess and say that the reason you have trouble describing it is that you aren't really able to picture the scene in sufficient detail. If that's the case, then what you need isn't writing advice, it's research about anatomy.

It's impossible to tell what the injury would look like without knowing how it happened, what kind of force was applied and where, but I admit I'm finding it suspicious that the leg would tear below the knee, rather than in the knee. A joint is a weaker spot.

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  • There was a prior fracture there due to a previous conflict. Again it’s fiction so the creature that caused it is too, two arms pulling apart at the section that tore. I’m sorry I hadn’t been very descriptive since it’s my first time asking here. Hope this helps.
    – Htr_Bat
    Apr 2 at 16:02

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