Tips on writing fight scenes?

[Verdante]

Just a good-old fighting in the back alley with fists. I'm describing the scene with senses, using props and varying movements for the characters. Any other tips to make it feel realistic? I'm reaching about 1000 words of just the fight scene. Is this too long? Help

 

[ParticleOfSand]

That seems about right. I've written 3000+ words on a single fight scene so don't be afraid to go into the details. The bigger worry should be whether the descriptions flow together well or if it's just a pile of words.

 

[Verdante]

That seems about right. I've written 3000+ words on a single fight scene so don't be afraid to go into the details. The bigger worry should be whether the descriptions flow together well or if it's just a pile of words.

thank you!!

 

[RepresentingPride]

Just a good-old fighting in the back alley with fists. I'm describing the scene with senses, using props and varying movements for the characters. Any other tips to make it feel realistic? I'm reaching about 1000 words of just the fight scene. Is this too long? Help

It's not long, but you can try to add some thoughts or maybe even dialogues in it, fight scenes can be weird, readers can find it boring even when it's described correctly, adding these thoughts and dialogues add a little break between the actions (It's not obligatory too).

Also, generaly, back alley fights are quick, except if there a lot of peoples gathered to participate.


Edit: I don't know if you write a lot of street fight for your story, but you can try to read the manga Holyland to give you some ideas for the fight scenes, it may help.

 

[Verdante]

Edit: I don't know if you write a lot of street fight for your story, but you can try to read the manga Holyland to give you some ideas for the fight scenes, it may help.

Thank you! I’m planning on adding a bit more inner thoughts and scene description during the editing process.

Thank you for the recommendation! I’ll check out the manga

 

[TsumiHokiro]

You might want to check @Story_Marc Video on fights...

 

[Story_Marc]

Just a good-old fighting in the back alley with fists. I'm describing the scene with senses, using props and varying movements for the characters. Any other tips to make it feel realistic? I'm reaching about 1000 words of just the fight scene. Is this too long? Help

I made a whole video on how to make fight scenes that lean towards realism.

Hopefully it can help you. If anything from it you need specific help with after that, feel free to ask and I'll answer.

Also, for length, it depends. Context matters.

 

[Verdante]

You might want to check @Story_Marc Video on fights...

I made a whole video on how to make fight scenes that lean towards realism.

Thank you!

 

[melchi]

Okami has a guide on action scenes too.

It is good but the main thing is to separate each character's actions into their own paragraph and pair actions with reactions.
https://forum.scribblehub.com/threads/tutorial-writing-action-2-the-plug-play-method.6724/ this is the thread.

 

[DemonOppai]

Try to fight someone in real life. Then it’s easier to write

 

[CarburetorThompson]

Fight scenes are annoying to write. For me I want to get a good balance between description and speed. Speed as in reading speed. Personally I think being able to quickly read the scene helps a lot when making it feel impactful. The problem is it doesn’t give you much room for detailed description.

 

[Verdante]

Fight scenes are annoying to write. For me I want to get a good balance between description and speed. Speed as in reading speed. Personally I think being able to quickly read the scene helps a lot when making it feel impactful. The problem is it doesn’t give you much room for detailed description.

Yeah. It’s tricky to find a balance between making it immersive with details and showing MC’s thoughts while still keeping it fast paced

 

[Premier]

Refer back a lot. Your character throws a knife? Have someone grab it later. A cut on the arm should weaken future blows. Knocking things over should come back as things catch fire, glass litters the floor or people come to the noise.

Avoid constant action. If it’s just people throwing punches and kicks it sucks. Take time to describe the sounds, the feeling of being hit, the damage it causes (and refer back!)

Alter time. Unlike movies you can do this. A flurry of blows can happen in a sentence. Pulling a knife can take a paragraph. The more important the action the more “time” it should get.

Shift momentum. A stomp is a bit boring. As is an evenly matched fight. Have people get on top only to be knocked down. Snatch victory away. Have your character worry they’ve bitten off more than they can chew. Or get cocky and punish them for it.

Use the scenery. Fights aren’t static! Smash people into things. Break pillars, throw stuff, have bits of Armour come off, improvise weapons. Have spells change the battlefield. Throwing a fireball isn’t just damage, shit catches fire! Blocking a knife blow is more interesting and fun if you’re doing it with a couch cushion, or smack someone with a potion bottle that then breaks and fires off. Have fun with it!

 

[MatchaChocolate69]

Fight scenes are annoying to write. For me I want to get a good balance between description and speed. Speed as in reading speed. Personally I think being able to quickly read the scene helps a lot when making it feel impactful. The problem is it doesn’t give you much room for detailed description.

I agree with you, but in my experiments, the result is a bit bland.
Here is an example:

I spot a secondary entrance to the school building.
I run towards the entrance.
I enter the building.

Deedee and Guli chase me inside.
*SWIIISHH*
An arrow whizzes past me by inches.
I take cover behind the corner.
"You can't escape me, motherfucker."
[ENHANCE PENETRATION]
The woman casts the spell.
Then she shoots another arrow.
This one pierces through the concrete and hits my left arm, causing an injury.
[BARBARIAN RAGE]
I don't have time to think because Guli is in front of me with his two spiked clubs.
The giant swings them downward, trying to crush my bones.
I narrowly evade them with a quick backward movement.
*SWIISH*
*TWACK!*
Another arrow hits me, embedding itself in my right arm.
"Aaargh!" The pain is intense.
The giant is upon me.
I grab a vial and throw it forcefully on the ground.
*Crash*
The glass shatters into a thousand pieces, releasing the contained substance.
*BOOOOMMM*
"IT BURNS!" shouts the barbarian.
It's an explosive substance.
Flames erupt, engulfing Guli as well.
The giant is slightly ustioned.
I take advantage of the situation to climb the stairs.
Arrows embed themselves in the wall just inches from me.
I'm in the hallway on the upper floor.
I zigzag for my life.
Running in a straight line would be suicide.
Arrows whistle past my ears.
Each one narrowly misses me.
If they hit a vital point, I'd be dead.
I throw another explosive potion behind me.
*BOOOOMMM*
The fire spreads through the structure, feeding on anything flammable.
I keep running.
But...
[ENTANGLED VINES]
A magical vine grabs my left leg.
I lose balance.
I fall to the ground.
Violently.
*THUD*
I don't have time for the pain.
I grab my knife.
I cut the vine.
I get up.
*SWISSH*
An arrow embeds itself in the floor near my feet.
Deedee is in front of me.
She readies her bow again.
"Die, bastard!"
She releases the arrow.
*SWISH*
With a shoulder thrust, I break through the door of a classroom.
I narrowly dodge the arrow. However, the woman quickly catches up.
I struggle to stand up.
But I get up because if not, I'm dead.
Swinging, she delivers a powerful right kick.
I barely manage to block with my left arm.
Pain explodes in the already injured arm.
I step back, but there's no respite.
*CRASH*
The wall on my right is smashed.
Guli is charging like a bull.
He overwhelms me.
Like a freight train.
I fly a few meters.
I land awkwardly on school desks, shattering them.
The pain is excruciating.
[MINOR HEAL]

I tend to my wounds.
*TWACK*
Another arrow lodges into my left thigh.
I scream in pain.
Deedee approaches, this time to finish me off.

I could have chosen any class, but I chose the most perverse one - Chapter 51: Fight for Life | Scribble Hub

www.scribblehub.com

I tried to convey frenzy and speed, but it would probably work better as a comic. Novels need to be more detailed.

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

Just a good-old fighting in the back alley with fists. I'm describing the scene with senses, using props and varying movements for the characters. Any other tips to make it feel realistic? I'm reaching about 1000 words of just the fight scene. Is this too long? Help

I would recommend really focusing on the sense of touch. How does it feel to have your nose crumpling like a car rear-ended by a truck? Or if your elbow jabs out into the bony sternum, how far do you feel the opponent was forced backwards?

Also, make sure to accurately describe how badly the injuries affect you. When your vision is swimming because you are concussed, what looks distorted? And because you are concussed, write a few punches missing over the course of a fight and/or let your opponent land a few solid blows.

Fights often have tumultuous emotions as well. If you look at it from a dodgeball perspective, there is such a sense of sky-high exhilaration when you pull off a jump that gets you out of the way of multiple thrown balls, zigzagging towards them with a manic, high-as-fuck grin and slamming the ball into their panicked selves. But the true fear when you stumble and feel like the balls are just about to hit you, radiates up your heels. Your arms shaking, and instinctually, but pointlessly, you raise your hands up to fend off the rubber salvos bending your fingers awkwardly backward. There is also blazing anger at being on the back foot contrasts unerring and giddy calm as you feel untouchable and absolutely crush your opponent.

And I'm sure you can think of far more emotions. Even things like disgust, despair, hope, trust, self-loathing, and far, far more are possible in fights. What this means is that fights can really be a unique insight into your main character's personality, and you can really explore the breadth of what emotions they can feel. Really take advantage of it!

 

[Story_Marc]

Fight scenes are annoying to write. For me I want to get a good balance between description and speed. Speed as in reading speed. Personally I think being able to quickly read the scene helps a lot when making it feel impactful. The problem is it doesn’t give you much room for detailed description.

I know how to do this. I'll add on more later. It isn't difficult, most people just suck at prose.

 

[Story_Marc]

Okay, I'll take back one comment: it IS more difficult than I give it credit. I started typing some stuff out on it and recognized it's very much the curse of knowledge. I don't find it difficult to do personally, but it's because of the training I've put myself through.

I have a longer sequence coming up in my writing I'll be able to point to, but if someone wants to see how I handle writing speed and so on, here is an example I can point to. As for how I figured it out, it's no secret. I applied what I mentioned in structuring realistic fight scenes in the above video. I also went through using all the prose techniques I mentioned throughout my 5 elements of strong prose series, with an emphasis on clarity, continuity, and cadence. The cadence part is especially important.

While I do have a quick exchange I can point to, there's something I wish to do first for a much longer fight scene that shows a lot of stuff in motion. So... I guess that's coming up soon enough. I'll do that whole thing as a video since I'm going to have to discuss pacing techniques, among other things. Like with punctuation.