athousanderrors (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
athousanderrors) wrote2018-05-13 10:34 am
athousanderrors) wrote2018-05-13 10:34 am
writerly-blonde: mionthia: How does one write action scenes or sword fights or fights in...
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writerly-blonde:
mionthia:
How does one write action scenes or sword fights or fights in general
Hey! I hope you don’t mind but I personally love writing fight scenes so I can share some of my personal tips and tricks (also check out @howtofightwrite for more in depth, accurate references, facts, forms, and injuries for all kinds of fights)
1) Move your characters: A fight is rarely stagnant with two or more characters directly facing each other and not moving. A good way to add tension and pull your readers in is to move your characters around. Who has the upper hand? Who pushes the other back? Who searches for the high ground? Think about the dynamic between the characters and how that affects the way they fight. Who is more defensive and who is more offensive? How do they move? Unpredictably and blunt or fluid and graceful, experienced and calculating?
2) Use your surroundings: They might be fighting with swords but rarely are they in a void with only swords or fists at their disposal. Where are they? If they’re fighting with swords, who gets the upper hand, the higher ground? Use chairs, stairs, ropes, legs, elbows, anything possible to get an advantage. By using things other than their chosen weapon you increase the tension and dynamic of the scene, making it more interesting
3) The senses: what do they hear? Their blades clanging? Their hearts pounding? Do they pant and grunt from exertion? What do they feel? No matter how skilled you are, you’re not going to get out of a fight unharmed so how does that feel? What do they smell? Taste? The coppery tang of blood? Engulf the reader in the fight directly
4) Emotions/thoughts : what are they thinking? Break up the fight into what they think, what they feel. Action, thought, action, thought, etc. It brings in the human aspect and gives your reader a break from purely action
5) Language: Don’t use technical language, or at least, so much so that the readers can’t keep up. Rather than:
He swung with a right hook, shifting his leg back for balance. His knuckles connected to the man’s cheek.
Instead, do something like:
He swung. Braced himself for the impact. There was a crack as his hand slammed into the man’s jaw. Pain laced up his arm but he was already shaking it off, backing away.
Additionally, use choppier, blockier sentences to mimic the actions. Short sentences convey action much better than long, winding descriptive sentences. So, for example:
He pushed the man back, swinging with each step. Each time, his punches landed with a dull thud. Each one sounded like his heartbeat in his ears. Thud. Thud. Thud. Crack.
The man howled. Held his jaw. Backed away as the other man shook out his hand. Winced. Gave himself a moment to breathe.
And before either were ready, he pounced again.
Probably not the most well written example but hopefully it gets the point across. Short and sweet are your friends here!
Ultimately, think of a fight scene as a dance. Where does each character go? How do they move and what do they use to be most effective? Let your characters interact with their environment and their own thoughts; they’re not in a bubble!
But finally, have fun with it!
Good luck! :)
(Your picture was not posted)
writerly-blonde:
mionthia:
How does one write action scenes or sword fights or fights in general
Hey! I hope you don’t mind but I personally love writing fight scenes so I can share some of my personal tips and tricks (also check out @howtofightwrite for more in depth, accurate references, facts, forms, and injuries for all kinds of fights)
1) Move your characters: A fight is rarely stagnant with two or more characters directly facing each other and not moving. A good way to add tension and pull your readers in is to move your characters around. Who has the upper hand? Who pushes the other back? Who searches for the high ground? Think about the dynamic between the characters and how that affects the way they fight. Who is more defensive and who is more offensive? How do they move? Unpredictably and blunt or fluid and graceful, experienced and calculating?
2) Use your surroundings: They might be fighting with swords but rarely are they in a void with only swords or fists at their disposal. Where are they? If they’re fighting with swords, who gets the upper hand, the higher ground? Use chairs, stairs, ropes, legs, elbows, anything possible to get an advantage. By using things other than their chosen weapon you increase the tension and dynamic of the scene, making it more interesting
3) The senses: what do they hear? Their blades clanging? Their hearts pounding? Do they pant and grunt from exertion? What do they feel? No matter how skilled you are, you’re not going to get out of a fight unharmed so how does that feel? What do they smell? Taste? The coppery tang of blood? Engulf the reader in the fight directly
4) Emotions/thoughts : what are they thinking? Break up the fight into what they think, what they feel. Action, thought, action, thought, etc. It brings in the human aspect and gives your reader a break from purely action
5) Language: Don’t use technical language, or at least, so much so that the readers can’t keep up. Rather than:
He swung with a right hook, shifting his leg back for balance. His knuckles connected to the man’s cheek.
Instead, do something like:
He swung. Braced himself for the impact. There was a crack as his hand slammed into the man’s jaw. Pain laced up his arm but he was already shaking it off, backing away.
Additionally, use choppier, blockier sentences to mimic the actions. Short sentences convey action much better than long, winding descriptive sentences. So, for example:
He pushed the man back, swinging with each step. Each time, his punches landed with a dull thud. Each one sounded like his heartbeat in his ears. Thud. Thud. Thud. Crack.
The man howled. Held his jaw. Backed away as the other man shook out his hand. Winced. Gave himself a moment to breathe.
And before either were ready, he pounced again.
Probably not the most well written example but hopefully it gets the point across. Short and sweet are your friends here!
Ultimately, think of a fight scene as a dance. Where does each character go? How do they move and what do they use to be most effective? Let your characters interact with their environment and their own thoughts; they’re not in a bubble!
But finally, have fun with it!
Good luck! :)
(Your picture was not posted)