Tips for Writing Fight Scenes

Fight scenes, like love scenes, must drive the story forward. They must create change either by resolving something or by complicating something. Change advances the story. If your fight is gratuitous, if it isn't serving a purpose, cut it.

Keep these points in mind when creating your believable and exciting fight scenes.

Characterization: How a character reacts to a confrontation depends on who he or she is, what’s at stake, and their attitude or philosophy about fighting. Are they aggressive, passive, do they use force only when necessary? Knowing the character’s background is key. Is your character an experienced fighter? What kind of instruction does she have? What is her skill level? Someone with no training might fight back if attacked, but she won’t use complicated techniques an experienced fighter might use.

Keep in mind there are many distinct systems of combat practices, and each has unique emphases. A boxer fights differently than a karate practitioner. A karate practitioner fights differently than a grappler. A grappler fights differently from [insert your style of choice here]. Does your character have police, military, or combat training? Are they comfortable wielding a knife, a broadsword, a semi-automatic weapon, a raygun, or perhaps a magic wand?

Understanding your characters and their philosophy, their fighting system, and their skill level will allow you to write realistic fight scenes.

Setting: Location, terrain, lighting, and weather conditions are important to consider when planning your fight scene. Avoid describing the setting in detail, though, or your pacing will slow. Include only what will affect the fight. Your character probably doesn’t care if dawn’s golden light casts a warm glow on his opponent’s pockmarked face. However, he does care if the light compromises his vision or depth perception. The character may also take note of his surroundings as he looks for an exit, additional danger, or a weapon to utilize.

Use the location to create unique fights. If your characters are outside a home, they can throw each other into the side of the house, a tree, a car parked in the driveway, the rose bushes, a swing set. This is your chance to create an exciting and unique fight scene. Have fun with it.

Is the terrain rocky, slippery, or wet? Unstable footing may change the way a person fights, or perhaps your characters slip and fall and have to continue battling it out on the ground.

Emotion: Be sure to include your character’s emotional state. What’s at stake? What will it mean if she wins the fight? What will it mean if she loses? Emotion creates suspense. It connects the reader to the characters. It makes the reader root for a character’s success or demise. Emotion can be demonstrated through dialog, physical action, internal sensations, and thoughts. Warning: Too much introspection can slow your pacing.

Action – Reaction: Action comes before reaction. Cause is followed by effect. This is especially important in a fight scene. Blood gushed from his nose when she punched him should be flipped to show the action first. She punched him. Blood gushed from his nose. When the reader experiences the action as it unfolds, they will have an emotional response to the action right along with the characters.

Pacing: Fights are dynamic and fast, therefore, the action should be conveyed quickly. You want the reader to feel they are a part of the fight or at least watching it. Taking too long to describe an action slows down the visual image in the mind’s eye, thus slows the pacing. You can create the illusion of action unfolding in real time by using short and medium length sentences as well as sentence fragments.

Be careful not to structure all sentences the same, as a lack of variation could lead to choppy, robotic and monotonous prose.

Clarity/ Word Choice: Be straightforward and to the point. Describing your fight choreography in minute detail slows pacing. Avoid getting too technical so your fight scene doesn’t read like a training manual.

If you want to showcase a particular technique in the final battle scene, explain it or refer to it earlier in the story, perhaps in a training session. For example, in the original Karate Kid movie, we saw Mr. Miyagi practicing the crane technique. Daniel asked him about it and we learned that, “If do right, no can defend.” So when Daniel settled himself into the crane stance in the final scene, we knew this awesome move would make him a winner. In another example, who could forget the five-point palm exploding heart technique in Kill Bill? If these techniques weren’t explained until they were used in the story, the pacing would halt and their significance would be lost.

Use expressive words and strong action verbs to paint a clear image and to evoke an emotional response in the reader. A fight should create reader urgency to keep them turning the pages to find out what happens next. The reader should feel the excitement and energy of the action, not confusion over the words used to describe it.

Dialog: Combatants are not going to engage in a long discussion while fighting. That can come pre-fight when they are gearing up for the confrontation (sizing each other up and down, posturing, etc) or post-fight when the opponent is no longer in a position to attack. There is room for terse dialog in a heated battle. However, fighters won't waste precious energy and breath waxing poetic in a monolog.
Unless...your monolog's purpose is to highlight one character's arrogance, endurance, and skill over another character's exhaustion. Or for comedic effect as in the sword fight scene in The Princess Bride.  
 

Climatic Battle: The main fight against the villain should come at the climax, and should be the biggest, most difficult fight in the story. If the most exciting fight is with a minion earlier in the book, it makes the climax appear dull in comparison. Many times the main character has to fight the villain earlier in the book, but at that point he/she hasn’t grown yet. The main character shouldn’t be able to defeat the villain until the completion of his/her character arc.

Choreography: Do you want your fight to be a quick exchange of a few blows or an epic battle? If a character wants to sneak up on his victim and quietly knock him out, he might use a choke hold until the victim passes out. For more action and movement, you can choreograph a fight scene with punches, blocks, kicks, and throws. Or maybe your characters are weapon-wielding gladiators. The specific techniques your battle calls for will depend on the character’s training and skill level.

Pay attention to the characters’ distance from each other. If they are further away, they might use weapons or kicks for reach. When closer they can punch, block, and slug it out. If very close, they can uppercut under the chin, into the neck, or into the groin. Elbows and knees are good for in-close fighting. Maybe a character takes the other guy down and they start grappling (wrestling). Arm bars, locks, or chokes can be used either on the ground or standing. The possibilities are only limited to your imagination.

Remember your fight scene must drive your story forward. The fighting must be within character and believable. If you aren’t sure something will work, get out of the chair, find a willing partner, and experiment with your fight choreography together.

What are some of your tips for writing fight scenes?

~K.M. Fawcett
Captive (The Survival Race series book 1)  
A rookie cop and an alpha gladiator band together to escape their alien captors in a chilling race for survival and soon discover freedom isn’t all they desire.

Black History Month: Honoring a Little Known Hero

Fifty-five years ago this month, Martin Luther King Jr. came to my home town and addressed a packed auditorium at Michigan State University.

Just days before, he'd been released from jail for leading a march for voting rights in Selma, Alabama.

A couple of months prior to that, he'd accepted the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway.

He was a giant.

I knew that -- sensed it -- even though I was only eight years old at the time of his visit.

I've admired MLK Jr. ever since. I think he was one of the greatest writers in history, who had an uncanny talent of crafting words to drive a thought, a principle, in ways that others related to emotionally. These days, I think sometimes his message is forgotten. Or lost on many who claim to honor the man whose message they seem to ignore.

But I want to honor another hero this month. He was a black man who had a place in history too, though he never rose to the level of fame that MLK Jr. did. Odds are you've never heard of him, but I'd like to tell you a little about him.

That man's name was James Harris and according to records, he was born in Dinwiddie County VA on January 14, 1748. In the spring of 1776, he was 28 years old and living in Orange County NC when he began serving in the Revolutionary War.

During the war, he participated in the earthworks construction in Charleston SC, Augusta GA, and marched south to St. Augustine FL (then a province of Spain) in a failed attempt to prevent the British from landing there.

Remarkably, he apparently did all of this without being armed. Black soldiers were seldom issued firearms due to fear of an "uprising."

According to his family, James Harris was present at Gate's Defeat near Camden SC on August 16, 1780 when he was 32. This battle was considered the worst defeat of the patriot military during the Revolutionary War, due to inadequate provisions and improperly trained militia under the command of General Horatio Gates.

James Harris survived that bloody battle.

During the war, Mr. Harris also served under General DeKalb (killed in Gate's Defeat) and the French general, Lafayette.

After the war was won, and our country gained its independence, James Harris reportedly received a reward for his service in the form of bounty land  Sometime after 1794, he had his 65 acres surveyed. The land was located on the North Mayo River of Virginia. In 1827, at the age of 79, he paid for an additional 31 acres along the river with 1,000 pounds of tobacco.

On February 12, 1835, at the age of 87 years, he filed for a pension as a Revolutionary War Veteran.

On February 13, 1836, his claim was challenged in a letter from a man named James M. Redd who questioned his status because he was "as black as half the Negroes of the county." Mr. Redd apparently justified that his motivation to challenge the award of Mr. Harris's pension was for no other reason than to prevent fraud. The official reply to Mr. Redd from members of Congress was that free Negroes had served honorably in the Revolutionary War, and the pension act made no distinction based on skin color.

There isn't a lot recorded about James Harris after that date. In the 1840 census of military pensioners, he was recorded as living in the household of William Cassell of Patrick County, VA.

He died in 1844 at the age of 96 years, and his widow was listed as Keziah (Miner) Harris. In 1856, she applied for a pension as the widow of a Revolutionary War Veteran stating she was 87 years of age and had recently moved to Fayette County OH to live with relatives due to failing health. The pension was apparently granted.

Though James Harris has been pretty much forgotten by history, he and his story are important to my family. Why? Because James Harris had a daughter named Tabitha, who had a son named John, who had a daughter named Elizabeth, who had a daughter named Mary, who had a daughter named Cora, who had a daughter named Ethel, who had a son named Richard, who had a son named David. James Harris is my husband's ancestor--his great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather.

This man's story is just one of many in our country's history--black men who were there serving our nation before it was a nation. So this year for Black History Month, I'm celebrating the legacy of James Harris of Dinwiddie County VA, in hopes his story won't be forgotten.

Have a great week.

BACK IN TIME WITH OUTLANDER

Thanks to the wonders of Netflix, I’m spending the deep, dark days of winter wrapped in the warmth of one of my favorite romance stories—again. Yes, friends, there is nothing like settling down on the couch with a blanket, a warm drink and a few episodes of Outlander to heat things up on a cold night, no matter how frigid the air may be outside your cabin window!

The new (fifth) season of the historical romance series based on the novels by Diana Gabaldon starts this Sunday on the premium STARZ network, but you can stream the first three seasons now on Netflix free if you have a subscription. And, if you’ve never been introduced to this story of a fiery-tempered WWII nurse who falls through a circle of stones in 1945 to land in Scotland in 1743 only to fall in love with a brawny Highlander, you really must take advantage of this opportunity to find out what the fuss is about.

 

Claire and Jamie: Eyes for only each other

I first met nurse Claire and Highlander Jamie through a free copy of the first book in Gabaldon’s nine-book Outlander series, given to those of us who were lucky enough to attend her speech at the New York City Romance Writers of America® conference a few years back. Gabaldon said in her talk that her book had been a hard sell at first. This was in the days before Highlander romances were vastly popular; there was virtually no such thing as a time-travel romance; the book was too long, had too much history in it, was impossible to categorize. (Does any of this sound familiar, SFR authors?) So, she started challenging potential agents, editors and publishers with this: Take the book, open it to any page and start reading. I guarantee you won’t be able to stop.

People, that’s what you call chutzpah! I wish I had half that much confidence in my writing.

The result, of course, is that Gabaldon started a whole new genre of her own in romance writing. Highlander romances are everywhere now, and time-travel romances are no longer unusual. In fact, in paranormal romance, they’re very common. Thanks to Diana Gabaldon and the overwhelming success of Outlander.

I’ve read the entire series several times. My husband has read it, too. I’ll admit I like historical romance, and both the settings (first Scotland, then France, Jamaica and North Carolina) and the time period are interesting. But those aren’t the only attractions. The greatest appeal for me, and undoubtedly for the millions of Gabaldon’s fans, is the couple at the heart of the books—Claire and Jamie Fraser. 

On the surface, they appear to be the cliché’d spunky heroine and stalwart hero. Oh, but they are so much deeper than that. Gabaldon has imbued them with real quirks and flaws, with individual mannerisms and world views, with souls we can see so clearly, it’s as if we know them from the first page we meet them. We can be frustrated with Claire’s stubborn streak and her impetuous temper. We can roll our eyes at Jamie’s macho posturing and naivety. Because in the next chapter, Claire’s generous heart and Jamie’s poetic soul redeem them (and bring them back together again). And the sexual attraction between these two, though it’s seldom graphic in the novels, can really steam up the pages!

Then there is the complication of what Claire has left behind in 1945—her husband Frank, who she genuinely loves. But maybe not as passionately as this Highlander who is obviously her soulmate. 

And just happens to look exactly like Claire and Jamie’s 1743 nemesis,Captain Jonathan “Black Jack” Randall. Every story needs a villain to match the power of the romantic bond, and, boy, does this one live up to the role. Randall is irredeemable. Evil with a capital “E.” And he finds every opportunity to get in the way of Claire and Jamie’s happiness, often succeeding for months, or years. (Yeah, the series has a long timeline.) Of course, he can’t succeed forever. Outlander is a romance, after all.

The television adaptation is a sumptuous treat, gorgeous to look at, accurate in its period detail and beautiful in its Scottish Highland scenery. And the actors chosen to play Claire (Catriona Balfe), Jamie (Sam Heughan) and both Frank and Black Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies) are perfect for their roles. I am constantly in awe of their performances, particularly in Season One, when Black Jack does his worst. (Warning: Some of these scenes are definitely not for the squeamish. But Gabaldon was incredibly brave to write the original scenes in the novels; Ronald D. Moore was just as brave to include them in detail in the televised version; and the actors above all deserve praise for depicting them onscreen.)

Best of all, Balfe and Heughan bring Claire and Jamie to life in a way I could never have thought possible. She, taking Claire from waspish to tender in a moment. He, taking Jamie from boyish eagerness to steely courage in a heartbeat. And together? Fireworks! (Including some much more graphic sex on the screen.

Yeah, I’m really enjoying this, and I think you will, too. I can’t wait for Season Five! 

Cheers, Donna

Terminator: Dark Fate - Great Twists and a Major Fix

Before I provide my take on Terminator: Dark Fate, I wanted to mention that co-blogger Donna Frelick has announced her new podcast site where she provides movie reviews in her insightful, entertaining and very professional narrative style. If you'd like to catch up on some of the more recent releases and/or Oscar contenders on her site--My Moviehouse, My Rules--check out her Friday blog here:  Podcast Launch has Steep Trajectory 

I'd recommend checking out her Lightning Round as a sampler of five recent movies in quick-fire succession. She convinced me I had to see two or three that were on my "maybe" list.

Now, on to my review.

Although the ads didn't do enough to get me into a theater, I was intrigued enough to catch Terminator: Dark Fate as a recent offering on satellite pay per view. I'll try to keep this free from major spoilers while still explaining why the film appealed to me, but for obvious reasons I'll have to stay in the vague territory for a few elements.

I admit I've had some major disenchantment with the Terminator franchise in some of the after-the-original forms, especially when replacing well-loved characters with new actors. Like Star Wars: Solo it just wasn't the same. Terminator: Dark Fate was actually an enjoyable, action-packed view with a nod to a couple of the original players. Although it didn't exactly have a happy ending, the finale probably was necessary--maybe even required to tie up some loose ends if the franchise is ever planning another in the series.

Terminator Dark Fate movie poster is the
property of the stuidio and/or artist.

So, my first big mark in the plus column was the return of Sarah Conner (not a big spoiler to anyone who's seen the trailers or the posters). Yes, Sarah is back--in all her previous bass-assery glory and with three times the attitude. And as the cherry-on-top, complete with an iconic opening line.

I loved Linda Hamilton's reprisal of her famous role but this time in a different future timeline. This twisted-strands-of-time element lends a certain beauty to the story line--but it's the same element that makes you scratch your head trying to unravel all the paradoxes at the same time.

Wait! So Sarah Conner was able, in this future, to have prevented the atomic apocalypse and the deaths of 3 billion people--but there are still certain repercussions from that original time track? Whoa! Try processing that in all its mind-bending complexity. I'm not sure whether to classify it as a genius twist or a deeply flawed plot hole, but at any rate, I'll just run with it.

Sarah is not the stars of the show in this installment. That honor falls to Dani--a Mexican citizen--and Grace, who is...well, you'll have to discover that part for yourself, but she's every bit Sarah's match and her nemesis at the same time. Dani is a young, somewhat naive woman who, in this timeline, appears to have taken on the yoke of Sarah Conner's original fate--she's destined to save the world by way of her unborn offspring, IF she can survive. And she's very ill-equipped to do so as the story begins. Like Sarah, she evolves through her experiences into someone tougher, smarter and more prepared to take on her role. Again, IF she survives.

The good entities are trying to get Dani to a place near Laredo, TX, where some mysterious transmissions with valuable information have been sent to them. But getting to Texas involves a border crossing that throws a major wrench in the works when they're captured and detained, which then leap-frogs into mayhem and panic as the killer closes in. There's a surprise waiting for them in Texas--or really, maybe it's more of a surprise for the audience (provided the trailers haven't clued you in already to this twist).

Much like the original, the meat of the plot is that of a desperate game of cat and mouse with an enemy from a different future who appears invincible--a particularly single-minded assassin with an arsenal of executioner's weapons at his disposal, including the world's IT.

The chase portions are just as suspenseful and edge-of-your-seat as those in the original movie, though the situation gets more and more outlandish as the hunt continues, until it goes IMHO beyond the normal person's capacity for suspension of disbelief. But for those who like explosions, mortal battles in death-defying situations, firestorms, hurtling shrapnel, crashes and characters getting the proverbial crap beat out of them--you'll love it.

Although the story didn't end on a particularly happy note--there was a twist at the end that in my mind "fixed" what the original franchise broke. Turns out what Sarah believed to be true about Dani wasn't the case. And the reveal made this story resonate with me in ways that the original--which came out long ago and far away in the mid-1980s--did not.

If you don't mind all the over-the-top carnage and destruction, Terminator: Dark Fate is worth watching just for this twisty revelation. Definitely an evolved sci-fi with a message for our time.

As always your parsecs may vary, so if you've seen Dark Fate feel free to share your thoughts in comments. If you want more of the (spoiler-alert!) meat of both the plot and characters, Donna has done a concise thumbs-down review on Spacefreighters Lounge, which you can find here:
Terminator Re-Start is a No Go

Have a great week!