Epic Advice and Encouragement (EAE)

Advice 14 ☼ How to Write Fight Scenes

Hey there, stpolishook here. For my first chapter, I decided to talk about something I love: Fight scenes. 

For the past three years, I have studied stage combat, training in historical weapons as they might be adapted for stage or film. Basically, I really love swords, and even though the fighting I have studied is staged, the work done by fight directors is very much based in historical weapons technique. 

Our teachers study historical fight manuals and choreograph fights that look and feel like the real deal and they know their stuff. Amazingly, lots of these manuals are available online (though some are not in English) and there are some historic sword manuals and videos on YouTube explaining fights to the lay person. If you are looking to add some authenticity to your weapons and fights, these are some awesome resources.

Of course, you can always look to a classic movie series like Lord of The Rings. Take the time to slow down the fights frame by frame. Watch how the weapons move and how the bodies of the fighters move to defend themselves or attack. You may just be inspired to write some fights of your own. But, even after you've imagined a battle in your head, it can be tricky to get it on to the page, and I have some advice to offer on that front.

Choreograph:

When I look to write a new fight scene, the first thing I try to do is to go through the fight in my head, picking out the most important motions that would describe the action and write them in the simplest terms possible. Writing a good fight scene does not mean that you have to write out every move, but as the author it's a good idea to be able to fully visualize what is happening. A mass battle scene is very different from a one-on-one fight. The bigger the fight the more vague you can be about the actual attacks happening around the POV of the character. 

But if they engage in a one-on-one battle it is definitely helpful to be more specific. One suggestion I have is to actually stand up and imagine how your character is moving. Use an empty paper towel roll as your makeshift sword and imagine how you might actually face off against your opponent. It can be helpful to have a partner for this (my poor roommate has been a guinea pig more than once...hehe), but the important thing is to imagine how the body of your character can feasibly move.

Vocab:

The other thing that can be useful in painting a fight scene onto the page is a fight vocabulary. As a sword person myself, I know I found studying swords gave me a bit more of a handle on the terms to describe them in action. It's not about using too many technical terms of course ( most people don't know them), but if you are dealing with characters who are weapons savvy, being familiar with a few  will add some authenticity to your scene. Here is a short list that actually can apply to multiple different weapons (though mainly swords and daggers):

1) Parry: Essentially a blocking move. If someone strikes at you with a sword and you use your own weapon to block that attack you have successfully parried. You could also just use the term "block." It's all about deciding what kind of feel you want for the fight. If your character knows about swords, it might make sense to use the terms they would probably know.

2) Strike: Any offensive attack could be called a strike.

3) Disarm: Taking someone's weapon. It can be grabbed or knocked out of the opponent's hands, but this implies the opposing character did something to take away their advisory's weapon.

4) Feint or Feint attack: A deceptive move to draw a reaction from your opponent but not an actual attack. Basically a fake out to either deceive your opponent before striking another target or just designed to freak them out.

5) Thrust: An attack using the point of the weapon. Basically, if you are thrusting, you are trying to poke your opponent with the pointy end of the sword and stab them.

6) Cut: This is an attack made with the edge of the blade. Unlike a thrust, you're not trying to poke the sword through your opponent, you are trying to slash at them. While a thrust could create a puncture wound, a cutting attack is more like slicing.

7) Pommel: If you are using swords, the term could prove useful. The pommel is the rounded ball you often see on a broadsword or dagger at the end of the handle. Ever hear of the term to "pummel" someone? Well, this is where it comes from. The blade is not the only part of a sword that can be used to attack. It's a common move to use the pommel and hit an opponent. This is especially good if your character is trying to incapacitate their opponent and not kill them. A knock on the head from the pommel of their sword will do the trick. Of course "pummel" is a great fight term as well, meaning: to beat or strike. So in a fist fight pummeling works just fine.

Making a fight scene seem real:

*Don't forget your opponent's weapon*

On Wattpad, I have seen fight scenes that feel more "real"  and some that seem less so. I think a key factor in that is establishing real stakes. If you have a master swordsman as your MC that's great, but there should still be some danger when they fight. If they can cut through every single enemy with no consequence or any sense of being in grave danger, the fight is far less exciting. 

Here's my key rule to remember when choreographing a fight: If you are close enough to strike your opponent then they are close enough to attack you as well! If your character is facing off against someone with a weapon of their own, that enemy is going try to use their weapon to both defend and attack. The MC can find an opening to get in and deliver that fateful blow, but to do so, I want to be able to see an obstacle to them doing it easily. That is what sells a martially believable fight.

*Wounds*

Fights often lead to one or many characters in a scene becoming injured. That's great. It certainly heightens the tension if, while fighting off their arch nemesis, they receive a strong blow to the head, or suffer a partially debilitating wound. Here's the thing—the author can't forget that the wound exists! If your character's sword-bearing arm was just cut deeply it affects how they can fight! The wounds don't disappear. If the character was kicked in the knee? It hurts! They will be walking with a limp or, at least, be in significant pain. The moment they are injured, the author needs to remember to be consistent and show those injuries throughout the rest of the fight. If a hand was broken they can't use it to fight without causing extreme pain to themselves, and should they fall trying to get up, they have to avoid putting any pressure on that hand or...ouch!

When it comes to more serious injuries remember it is possible for a character to have a surge of adrenaline and fight through a really bad wound, but it will still affect the fight in the end. Lots of blood leads to impaired thinking at some point. Eventually, the pain and trauma of the body will catch up to them. Sublet hints that that is happening really help in "selling" the fight.

The internet is a plethora of information. If your character has been shot in the arm or hit in the head, or is losing a lot of blood, it's not a bad idea to go to google and do a bit of research into how long they might be able to maintain consciousness after the wound they have sustained.

There you have it. Just a few notes on writing a good fight.

-Stacey

Have questions or something more to add? Comment below and let us know! :)