What In Your Opinion Is Good Action?

[Iwriteforfun]

Just that. How should the action be to entertain you? High octane and paint a clear picture in your mind? Or is it the stakes behind the fight that matter the most? Or is it the Power system and it's interesting applications that you want to see?
Which of these is the most important aspect?

BTW please check out my novel:
https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1222880/the-endless-ascent/

 

[Alski]

Is there any particular reason you are calling it Tower Endless instead of Endless Tower?

 

[Indicterra]

You just asked the question and you gave all the best possible answer for it........ bruh

 

[Iwriteforfun]

Is there any particular reason you are calling it Tower Endless instead of Endless Tower?

The tower's name is "Endless", so when I use the Tower Endless, I refer to the tower, not it's quality of being endless nor am I describing it.

You just asked the question and you gave all the best possible answer for it........ bruh

No like which of those do you believe is the most important?

 

[ThisAdamGuy]

The first two are absolutely necessary. No point in saying one is more important than the other, a good action scene will have both. The third one is nice to have, but it's not like you can't have cool fight scenes without magic or superpowers. But if you do have magic or superpowers, then yes, making them interesting is just as important as the first two things. You can't write engaging superpowered fight scenes if you, the author, aren't engaged with the powers you've given your characters.

 

[Deleted member 84247]

I like action the stakes. I don't like when action drags on forever. If there are 2 people fighting for 8k words, something went wrong.

 

[Arch9CivilReactor]

People misunderstand what ‘stakes’ mean. You don’t have to dangle a vehicle off a cliff. What you need is the audience to care if the people inside make it out alive. What would be at stake if an action scene was favourable or tragic.

If there is nothing that would be lost or rewarded either way, then action has no substance regardless of how pretty it is. Those who are directly or indirectly being affected must be focused on for at least a brief moment of time.

 

[Tsuru]

I like action the stakes. I don't like when action drags on forever. If there are 2 people fighting for 8k words, something went wrong.

Everyone.
Imagine DBZ in novel form.



GOD! The number of words !

People misunderstand what ‘stakes’ mean. You don’t have to dangle a vehicle off a cliff. What you need is the audience to care if the people inside make it out alive. What would be at stake if an action scene was favourable or tragic.

If there is nothing that would be lost or rewarded either way, then action has no substance regardless of how pretty it is. Those who are directly or indirectly being affected must be focused on for at least a brief moment of time.

+1
Yep.

I wouldnt bat an eye for a random pointless guy in team of MC that followed him for 300chaps.
But i cried my eyes out for this random old man elf (that traveled around the world while caring of this little girl elf that was also a survivor like him) that simply had like, what, 5 chaps of appearance? and only like 4 sentences only in each ? Barely knew him, loved him to death~ Rest in peace old man elf.

 

[laccoff_mawning]

I think the key is in the build up. The actual conflict scene itself can be pretty short, but the start of the conflict shouldn't happen until all the pieces of the puzzle have been put in place.

What are those "puzzle pieces"? Sadly, I don't know. It depends on the story and scene, I guess. Sometimes its some form of mystery that the MC must find out what's happening and who's doing it.
Other times its the MC placing all his trap cards down for the villian to walk into.

Other times it's, as you said, to try and relay the stakes behind the fight (or the gravity of the situation) and give the reader some emotional bond with the characters.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Presentation is key. Any of those can work if presented well and they fit into the story contextually.

 

[Jocelyn_Uasal]

It just has to be earned in some way, movies can do quick and cheap action because the visuals of it are cool but in a book the reader will always be asking themselves, But like, why?

So I guess the stakes, or at least a compelling reason

 

[Anonjohn20]

High octane and paint a clear picture in your mind?

Meh, it certainly takes skill to portray this but I don't care much about how the sword was swung or from what angle the opponent dodged and how he countered ...

Don't get me wrong, it still needs to be done well, but I think that the stakes will leave a much more lasting impression than how effectively you described a parry or a submission hold.

is it the stakes behind the fight that matter the most?

This is what matters the most to me, although the "high octane and clear picture" shouldn't be ignored.

is it the Power system and it's interesting applications that you want to see?

I couldn't care less about this at all. As long as it makes sense within the story, no one will be disliking your characters using a power system or applying it a certain way. That being said, I'll read other people's comments to see if I'm a minority on this one.

I like action the stakes. I don't like when action drags on forever. If there are 2 people fighting for 8k words, something went wrong.

I concur.

People misunderstand what ‘stakes’ mean. You don’t have to dangle a vehicle off a cliff. What you need is the audience to care if the people inside make it out alive. What would be at stake if an action scene was favourable or tragic.

If there is nothing that would be lost or rewarded either way, then action has no substance regardless of how pretty it is. Those who are directly or indirectly being affected must be focused on for at least a brief moment of time.

Exactly. You described what we want so eloquently, you should be a writer.