Oooooooo, fighting! I personally love writing fight scenes, so I'm gonna' enjoy writing this too! So I am going to turn on some Assassin's Creed combat music and get right into it!
There are lots of ways to write a fight scene, though I do have my personal favorites! I very rarely slip away from the protagonist's point of view, I do this because I can add their thoughts into the mix a bit easier. Another way I have done it in the past, though I rarely do it nowadays, is from a 3rd parties view. Even though this sacrifices a bit of urgency I feel, it can make for a more unbiased view of the fight, giving more tiny details and facts rather than emotions.
What makes for a good fight scene you ask? Realism, detail, gore and some more realism! I cannot stress how important realism is in a fight scene, it makes the entire thing! If I cannot see the fight scene I am reading happening at least semi-similar in real life, I almost immediately lose interest. Sounds, texture, battle fatigue, and many many more things happen in a fight, and that needs to be written down. As for detail I am not saying you need to know how shoot a shotgun or train in dueling, but you have to describe moves! Even if you don't know the first thing about sword fighting, first study a little, then just describe what you see! The movement of the feet, darting of the eyes, kicks etc. these can all liven up a fight from mindless shooting or sword swinging to a action packed sequence! And finally, gore. Yes, I know that gore is commonly misused, or used far to much, but I believe it is vital (Excuse the slight pun) to a realistic and interesting fight scene! In my time, I have been in many many fights, a few involving weapons, and I will tell you right now, there is a lot of blood in your body. When you stab someone there is not just a small splotch of red, but you see contracting muscles, edges of bloody bones if you stab deep enough. Fights are messy, and I feel this needs to be stressed in writing for realism's sake!
But just as there are many factors to a good fight scene, there are many factors to a bad fight scene. First and foremost, Mary Sue's fight club. A character killing a power armored wearing solider or whatever in one shot is possibly one of the worst things that can be done! Even when character's are experienced, they still need to be challenged or it is absolutely boring to read! Another factor is drawn out combat. Yes fights have several factors in them and some can go on for a while, but beating a scene to death (Yet again, excuse the pun) is just tedious for the reader, and may cause them to lose interest. And though I stressed gore in the last paragraph, it can also ruin a fight scene. Yes, fights are messy, but no, people are not fountains of red.
As for my "rules" of writing fight scenes, I always try to describe how the characters involved are feeling. Is it full of rage and hatred? Is it somber, and avoidable? Are they uncaring? I always ask myself these questions before writing, and try to convey this though facial expressions, thoughts or method of fighting. I also like to stress gore/sweat/whatever on the protagonist, as there is no way you are coming out of a fight clean.
As for books, I have to say my favorite fight scene has to be the final battle in "The Fate of the Dwarves" not to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't read the book, but it is brutal. It really conveys sorrow on both sides, and the end is heart wrenching for the character and reader. As for movies, I have to say Mellish's death from Saving Private Ryan. It is sick, bloody and sad. It shows the brutality and detail of a fight, all while conveying emoting on both sides. I love it.
Oooooooo, fighting! I personally love writing fight scenes, so I'm gonna' enjoy writing this too! So I am going to turn on some Assassin's Creed combat music and get right into it!
There are lots of ways to write a fight scene, though I do have my personal favorites! I very rarely slip away from the protagonist's point of view, I do this because I can add their thoughts into the mix a bit easier. Another way I have done it in the past, though I rarely do it nowadays, is from a 3rd parties view. Even though this sacrifices a bit of urgency I feel, it can make for a more unbiased view of the fight, giving more tiny details and facts rather than emotions.
What makes for a good fight scene you ask? Realism, detail, gore and some more realism! I cannot stress how important realism is in a fight scene, it makes the entire thing! If I cannot see the fight scene I am reading happening at least semi-similar in real life, I almost immediately lose interest. Sounds, texture, battle fatigue, and many many more things happen in a fight, and that needs to be written down. As for detail I am not saying you need to know how shoot a shotgun or train in dueling, but you have to describe moves! Even if you don't know the first thing about sword fighting, first study a little, then just describe what you see! The movement of the feet, darting of the eyes, kicks etc. these can all liven up a fight from mindless shooting or sword swinging to a action packed sequence! And finally, gore. Yes, I know that gore is commonly misused, or used far to much, but I believe it is vital (Excuse the slight pun) to a realistic and interesting fight scene! In my time, I have been in many many fights, a few involving weapons, and I will tell you right now, there is a lot of blood in your body. When you stab someone there is not just a small splotch of red, but you see contracting muscles, edges of bloody bones if you stab deep enough. Fights are messy, and I feel this needs to be stressed in writing for realism's sake!
But just as there are many factors to a good fight scene, there are many factors to a bad fight scene. First and foremost, Mary Sue's fight club. A character killing a power armored wearing solider or whatever in one shot is possibly one of the worst things that can be done! Even when character's are experienced, they still need to be challenged or it is absolutely boring to read! Another factor is drawn out combat. Yes fights have several factors in them and some can go on for a while, but beating a scene to death (Yet again, excuse the pun) is just tedious for the reader, and may cause them to lose interest. And though I stressed gore in the last paragraph, it can also ruin a fight scene. Yes, fights are messy, but no, people are not fountains of red.
As for my "rules" of writing fight scenes, I always try to describe how the characters involved are feeling. Is it full of rage and hatred? Is it somber, and avoidable? Are they uncaring? I always ask myself these questions before writing, and try to convey this though facial expressions, thoughts or method of fighting. I also like to stress gore/sweat/whatever on the protagonist, as there is no way you are coming out of a fight clean.
As for books, I have to say my favorite fight scene has to be the final battle in "The Fate of the Dwarves" not to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't read the book, but it is brutal. It really conveys sorrow on both sides, and the end is heart wrenching for the character and reader. As for movies, I have to say Mellish's death from Saving Private Ryan. It is sick, bloody and sad. It shows the brutality and detail of a fight, all while conveying emoting on both sides. I love it.
