Writing Small tip on writing fight scenes.

[RepresentingWrath]

Less than a tip, and more of a reminder. If you write realistic fight scenes, or you use a resource, for example mana, don't forget that endurance or mana can, and, in my opinion, should differ from person to person. The reason I think it should differ, is because it adds another dimension to your fights. Don't use this as a one-off trick, keep it in mind and use it more often. Apart from who is stronger, faster, smarter, and has a better technique, there is also who has a better stamina.

 

[KoyukiMegumi]

Thank you for the cup of wisdom, Yeti of the snowy mountains!

 

[Xcalibur_Xc]

Try to write it from 3rd person POV. It will give you more scope to expand and show the entirety of the battle scene properly which isn't possible with First person POV and you will be able to show both sides in proper detail including their thoughts on their opponents.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Try to write it from 3rd person POV. It will give you more scope to expand and show the entirety of the battle scene properly which isn't possible with First person POV and you will be able to show both sides in proper detail including their thoughts on their opponents.

This is a more drastic change to the way you write fights. I am not sure what POV is really better, and I don't think anyone can tell what is universally better for fight scenes. First person POV definetely has its own merits, and it depends on what you want to achieve.

 

[CarburetorThompson]

Less than a tip, and more of a reminder. If you write realistic fight scenes, or you use a resource, for example mana, don't forget that endurance or mana can, and, in my opinion, should differ from person to person. The reason I think it should differ, is because it adds another dimension to your fights. Don't use this as a one-off trick, keep it in mind and use it more often. Apart from who is stronger, faster, smarter, and has a better technique, there is also who has a better stamina.

This is true I know because I research for my realistic fight scenes by brawling the homeless in an alley by my house.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

This is true I know because I research for my realistic fight scenes by brawling the homeless in an alley by my house.

Judging based on the fact you still reply here, they probably gas out faster than you do. What else would you expect from a Fuel Atomization Enjoyer??‍

 

[Xcalibur_Xc]

This is a more drastic change to the way you write fights. I am not sure what POV is really better, and I don't think anyone can tell what is universally better for fight scenes. First person POV definetely has its own merits, and it depends on what you want to achieve.

From my experience, my readers prefer 3rd person POV fight scenes. And yeah, it differs from person to person.

 

[MatchaChocolate69]

Less than a tip, and more of a reminder. If you write realistic fight scenes, or you use a resource, for example mana, don't forget that endurance or mana can, and, in my opinion, should differ from person to person. The reason I think it should differ, is because it adds another dimension to your fights. Don't use this as a one-off trick, keep it in mind and use it more often. Apart from who is stronger, faster, smarter, and has a better technique, there is also who has a better stamina.

Useful tip/reminder. In fact It's a trope often used in media that I love, the old master who, despite possibly being more technically skilled and possessing great power, ultimately succumbs to the younger opponent due to age.

Try to write it from 3rd person POV. It will give you more scope to expand and show the entirety of the battle scene properly which isn't possible with First person POV and you will be able to show both sides in proper detail including their thoughts on their opponents.

For me, the third person is very convenient when there are a lot of characters in motion, as the first person tends to give you a tunnel vision. However, in a one-on-one scenario, the first person can be much more intense for me. Also, if the first-person POV is an observer of the fight, it works just fine because, in effect, it's like a pseudo third person. Ultimately, as with all things, it depends. In the end, it's mostly a matter of personal style and preference.

 

[T.K._Paradox]

Less than a tip, and more of a reminder. If you write realistic fight scenes, or you use a resource, for example mana, don't forget that endurance or mana can, and, in my opinion, should differ from person to person. The reason I think it should differ, is because it adds another dimension to your fights. Don't use this as a one-off trick, keep it in mind and use it more often. Apart from who is stronger, faster, smarter, and has a better technique, there is also who has a better stamina.

One major thing people tend to forget about realistic fight scenes is the fact that fights tend to end pretty quickly and don't really go any farther than 10 minutes.

Also one of the largest aspects of fight is the recovery after said fight. It allows people to see how the opponent effected a character after their clash.

 

[MatchaChocolate69]

Also one of the largest aspects of fight is the recovery after said fight. It allows people to see how the opponent effected a character after their clash.

Wise words. The effects of a battle can reveal the harshness of a fight much more than the fight itself. Often, a victory can be won at a high price that might even invalidate the victory itself. These are all useful tools for writing a confrontation.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

One major thing people tend to forget about realistic fight scenes is the fact that fights tend to end pretty quickly and don't really go any farther than 10 minutes.

For the sake of writing an engaging, interesting, and most importantly entertaining fight, it's important to bend the rules here and there. Boxing or MMA fights can also be short. And in case of MMA, most of them are usually 15 minutes top. Hema fights end in 10-30 seconds. A very small fraction of people will be hyped reading a couple of paragraphs of sword fight, instead of a full chapter, or a couple of chapters. Sure, you can do it once and make it work with suspence and by using emotions, and so on. But, if every fight is like that, and you write an action story? Most people will dislike it, and rightfully so.

I'm not saying you should drag the fights, but to make them a bit longer is a good decision, in my opinion.

Also one of the largest aspects of fight is the recovery after said fight. It allows people to see how the opponent effected a character after their clash.

I agree. It is another underutilized aspect of a fight.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I find I tend to minimize fight scenes - which sometimes works, sometimes feels like "cheating" - then again, a few days ago I finished one of the longest ones I've written and the biggest challenge was that both combatants could fly.

 

[Fox-Trot-9]

This is a more drastic change to the way you write fights. I am not sure what POV is really better, and I don't think anyone can tell what is universally better for fight scenes. First person POV definetely has its own merits, and it depends on what you want to achieve.

First person POV tends to focus on one side of the fight, so they're good for short one-sided beatdowns/unfair fights from the assailant/victim's POV. Third person POV tends to have a wider range of perspective, so they're good for longer more drawn-out fights, like in sanctioned bouts (ie: sparring sessions) or fight sequences involving one badass against many opponents (ie: Mark Greaney's Gran Man novels).

One major thing people tend to forget about realistic fight scenes is the fact that fights tend to end pretty quickly and don't really go any farther than 10 minutes.

For the sake of writing an engaging, interesting, and most importantly entertaining fight, it's important to bend the rules here and there. Boxing or MMA fights can also be short. And in case of MMA, most of them are usually 15 minutes top. Hema fights end in 10-30 seconds. A very small fraction of people will be hyped reading a couple of paragraphs of sword fight, instead of a full chapter, or a couple of chapters. Sure, you can do it once and make it work with suspence and by using emotions, and so on. But, if every fight is like that, and you write an action story? Most people will dislike it, and rightfully so.

I'm not saying you should drag the fights, but to make them a bit longer is a good decision, in my opinion.

Indeed, fight scenes need not be limited in time or scope. In writing, you can slow down the action to emphasis aspects of the fight to add interest and nuance, which also adds opportunities for bits of narrative emphasis in the form of flashbacks or emotion or interiority to what the POV character's going through. It'll add more depth and nuance to a fight scene to distinguish it from other fights and scenes in general. From what I've written and studied about fight scenes in written fiction, they grow out of prior scenes and merge into other scenes, thereby pushing the story forward. So they can be as short or as long as they need to be; it just depends on what you're going for.