Is it just me or are action scenes a cheat code?

[2wordsperminute]

Action scenes are just way easier to think of and fill word count with than good dialogue for me. Wondering how many other people think the same way.

 

[dummycake]

I dunno, for me it's harder to put action into words the way I want people to see the scene in their heads

 

[RiaCorvidiva]

Hard disagree for me. I find it tedious to write prose and I have a strong proclivity for 'talking head' and 'white room' syndromes. I have to consciously make sure I'm adding enough prose and action and thoughts and imagery to fill wordcount.

 

[TsumiHokiro]

Every writer have that which they find it easier. Mayhap yours are action scenes. Others would be dialogue. Don't assume everyone is like you.

 

[2wordsperminute]

I probably don't describe enough still, especially with the environment, but it's easier for me to visualize it than to think of good long dialogue.

Every writer have that which they find it easier. Mayhap yours are action scenes. Others would be dialogue. Don't assume everyone is like you.

Not assuming that, just want to hear different people's thoughts on it.

 

[EliseValkyria]

Different authors, different strengths.

While some find it easy to write action, others are better at writing dialogue, others at giving explanations.

Personally I'm also great at action scenes, I love to come up with new fights with extreme conditions, but I'm even better at dialogues, so much so that I have to try to control myself and not make everything a dialogue chapter. But on the other hand I'm terrible at describing things, a person for example I just describe their skin, shape and face in the most basic way possible because it's very hard for me.

But even so, the important thing for a good author is to try to improve in everything a little bit. If you're good at doing action scenes, and you focus on just that all the time, you'll usually end up getting the readers down. On the other hand, if you're bad at dialogue but you try to get better at it, eventually, even if you're not the best at it, you may have a new reliable tool to help your story

 

[MatchaChocolate69]

Actually, for me, it's the opposite. It's much easier to write a dialogue than an action scene. It takes me three times longer.
1000 words of an action scene require the same effort as 3000 words of dialogue or a static scene.
That's why I've been struggling a lot lately.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

It is just you.

 

[PancakesWitch]

i really like writing action scenes, but when i write too much action i get tired, so I always balance it with non-action chapters of adventure, slice of life, and so on, i've just realized my novels do a lot of everything..

 

[CupcakeNinja]

Action scenes are just way easier to think of and fill word count with than good dialogue for me. Wondering how many other people think the same way.

its padding for sure, but whether its INTERESTING or not is another matter and depends on the skill of the writer. Some writers are very technical, some are flashy and poetic. Some write it with cold efficiency, others wing the fuck out of it with barely any effort put in.

 

[RepresentingPride]

I find it easier to write action scene too. I struggle with discussions.

 

[georgelee5786]

I hadn't thought about that but now that you say it, it makes sense

 

[J_Chemist]

It isn't just you.

 

[Deleted member 1244]

Nope

 

[Hard_Persimmon]

sometimes... who am I kidding? yeah, action scenes take up quite a lot of word count! but so could conversations btw, if you can carry it well then a conversation could take up an entire chapter

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

Action scenes are just way easier to think of and fill word count with than good dialogue for me. Wondering how many other people think the same way.

Action scenes are some of the most difficult ones ever, because they are so often done in such a rote way, specifically the dreaded anime blitz rush. Dialogue is extremely difficult to time, emotions are so often hard to convey in any degree of complexity while keeping the pacing, keeping stuff simple but impactful in some moments but not bare bones and blatantly trying (and failing) to keep it short and sweet, etc. Action scenes are the most difficult scenes ever.
And most people suck at them. And they suck BADLY!
Because you have to balance the fights, but most everyone makes the battle a foregone conclusion, with no back-and-forth. It’s the difference between the fight scenes of Reincarnated as a Slime and the fight scenes of Jujutsu Kaisen. The former, while cool and all, objectively suck and most fall into those categories. No matter how much ‘telling’ they have going on, the ‘showing’ says a very different story of scripted doom for the non-MC. The latter has back-and-forth, with moments of miscalculations on both sides, with emotions flip-flopping more wildly than a thrashing seal in a shark’s mouth. Hubris, mania, shock, fear, injury, happiness, exhilaration, smugness, mocking taunts, humor, humiliation, growth and devolution as people in their philosophies and powers, FAILURE… all of these occur on both sides, and create a magical fight. Very few, and I mean very few, get to that level. I certainly don’t no matter how much I try. The only one I can think of is Godclads.

 

[Representing_Tromba]

Action scenes are typically harder for most people to write because of how complex it is to describe without it sounding like a list of actions.

 

[melchi]

@Story_Marc made a nice video about action scenes. I don't think it is a cheat code, that is oversimplifying things.

The issue is the type of story. Because there are two types of action scenes.

1.) Realistic: These ones happen quick so if they are drawn out it doesn't feel right.
2.) Flashy: Ones where fantasy warriors call out powers that are flashy. These ones feel more appropriate to be drawn out. It is more like a performance than a gritty alley fight.

 

[LilRora]

I feel this is going to depend on the person a lot.

I personally really struggle making small talk and casual dialogue, generally it's hard for me to write any sort of conversation that isn't plot- or action-related. I'm pretty sure the reason for that is there needs to be a lot of content packed into dialogue, and my brain isn't interested in coming up with something of this little importance that doesn't really bring anything to the story, except maybe some tiny pieces of worldbuilding.

If I'm writing about something related to the plot or worldbuilding, like completely with the intention of explaining that thing, I can easily write a dialogue 5k words long, but it's debatable if it's really dialogue then. It's not a true interaction then, more like an explanation, where the essence of the dialogue is its content, and the fact it's in the form of a conversation doesn't matter much.

I'd say that there's just more to describe in action scenes than in dialogue, unless you're amazing at doing it together with action, but then it kinda... ceases to matter much, cause the other part isn't dialogue. It's easier to just write, but equally hard if not harder to really do well, and how hard each is exactly will depend on the person.

 

[someawkwardflame]

For me it depends on how strong a view I have of the scene prior to start writing. Sometimes action is easiest, sometimes smut is easiest, sometimes dialogue is easiest. It all depends on how much I have to figure out while writing, and how strong the vision in my head is - sometimes I can do 3k words of dialogue in absolutely no time. Sometimes it takes me a week.

It just depends on how much I have to figure out while I am writing and how easily that flows - I think action often is easier for people cause you can have a strong vision of that in your head in a way that's easier to translate to words, but not always.