I am an author. Wow. It feels wonderful to be able to say that, but what does it really mean?
Well, for one thing, it means when you write, you should try to immerse your reader in what they are reading.
Folks know me as someone who loves writing action and fight scenes. As a martial artist and lifelong daydreamer, I was always the hero of my own story, and that meant being able to do what I imagined.
Like you, I’ve read short stories and novels where they build up to a climactic action or fight scene, and when you are done reading, it falls flat. Shy of your expectations. As writers, how do we avoid that?
Well, one way is by admitting we may not know what we are writing about, or the words we can use.
So, what makes for writing a great action scene?
Ask yourself these questions.
- Are you showing and not telling?
- Are you writing from first person or third person? How well do you know your protagonist?
- Are you utilizing the five senses as much as you can?
- Is this an action scene with a lot going on or a more intimate encounter?
- How do you want your reader to feel? Ask yourself: What would make you feel that way?
- Have you done your homework?
- When is it too much?
Tip #1: Read in your genre.
This is one we as authors tend to take for granted. Thinking we know the genre we want to write in without reading it. Reading in your genre is not a bad thing. It’s a good way to see what others are doing and what captures you as a reader. I cannot say it enough. READ, READ, READ…
Okay, you’re getting a feel for the scene, and now you need to drop your protagonist into the middle of it. Do you know them inside and out? How will they behave in the midst of a fight or action scene? Think about it—a fight, any fight, can be traumatizing. Where does your protagonist stand emotionally? Are they affected by what happened? Are they immune? Did they enjoy it too much? What skills do they have specific to your story? Have you learned enough to convey those skills?
So many questions and no answers.
Don’t despair!
Tip #2: Interview your protagonist.
Yep, that’s right. Even when writing and working on fight or action scenes it is a good idea to do that. Here is a list of interview questions for you to use. (Note these are not absolute.)
- What would destroy your character? Emotionally, Physically
- How does your character feel about their mother and/or father or whoever raised them?
- When did your character feel completely loved and accepted? Have they ever?
- What would have to happen to make your character speak out, or, defend a stranger, in public? Are they introverted or extroverted?
- What would they or do they lie about?
- Does your character need friends?
- What does your character fear most? Is it tangible?
- If your character could choose to spend their last day alive with one person (dead or alive), who would they choose?
- What defines them? Is it a strength or a weakness?
- Are they able to work for someone else? or work with someone else?
- Does your character have a positive or negative body image?
- Is there any THING or any ONE your character would die for?
- Does your character have a plan for tomorrow? Next week? Next year?
- Can your character change? Are they strong enough or not?
- How would your character describe themself? How do they view themself?
Again, this is not a complete list, but it’s a start.
Tip #3: Use a style that fits what you’re writing, and consider your pacing.
Now, one thing to keep foremost in your mind is your setting. We tend to forget that when we write, and it ties into your pacing of a fight or action scene.
Set the mood for what you are writing and use background action to add tone and mood.
You can add movement to dialogue to keep the story moving and use mid-dialogue actions for tense interruption. This can help you reveal character relationships and add dramatic emphasis to characters’ emotions in a scene. The bonus?
All of this movement, gesturing, and action helps to reveal your character’s personality better for the reader.
Tips #4–5 work together to tighten up your writing and help you convey feeling and meaning to the scene.
Tip #4: Use your five senses.
Language is a wonderful way to transport your reader and help them feel the impact of the scene unfolding before them. One way to do that is to write using the five senses: taste, smell, touch, sight, and sound. All play a vital role in transporting your reader.
If your main character just got smacked in the mouth, they may have a busted lip. How can you help your reader experience that? A mix of language used and one of the five senses can change the impact of a scene.
A busted lip. Damn, I could taste the blood. It was awful.
Compare that to:
The coppery taste of blood made her gag.
Same scene, different feel. Use the senses.
Think through a scene. Close your eyes and imagine how it feels, then write it down! It won’t be perfect, but it will give you a more complete feel for the scene. Besides, you can clean it up in edits and revision. That initial gut response you as the writer have for a scene is—most times—the right one.
Now, if you have no idea what something you are writing about even remotely feels like, research: watch movies and read books. Pick it apart until you understand. Heck, go to a martial arts school and ask to watch!
Tip #5: Consider your word choice.
When I teach about writing an action or a fight scene, I love to brainstorm words that will elicit a visceral response from the reader.
- Remember, a large sketch pad can be your best friend to brainstorm descriptions.
- It doesn’t have to be pretty or make sense in the moment to anyone but you. Making sense comes later.
Below are some words you can use that can typically elicit a significant response from your reader that definitely show and not tell to get you started.
| Pummel Strike Streaked Eviscerate Sliced Torn Slammed Explosive Jarring | Erupt Convulse Bolt Emasculate Shred Fracture Shoved Rupture Jolting |
Tip #6: Do your research. Make sure your writing is as realistic as possible.
Okay, so the words are getting better, and you know to use your senses. Now you need to add in more, but do you have a background that would make you privy to knowing how to fight or use weapons? If you do, use what you know. If you do not, research. Talk to folks in the industry so to speak. Read, view, learn. Reflect back on who your character is and why it matters what they know? Remember, if your protagonist has never been in a physical altercation, they cannot become a martial artist overnight. Unless of course you are writing in the world of the Matrix, a world of magic or have created a world where it is possible. It won’t work in contemporary writing.
Immerse yourself. I said it earlier—watch a fight, watch a movie, take a class if you are able, visit a forensics lab…
Research what your characters will be doing: gunshots, explosions, lost in the woods, hiking, fistfights, etc. (There is a ton of info out there.) Use me as a resource. At a minimum, I can point you in the right direction.
All of this takes us to our final tip.
Tip #7: Consider the aftermath.
Ask yourself: then what? What happens after the action scene or fight scene? Too many writers forget about the consequences. There are always consequences. Readers want to know. It doesn’t mean you go on and on; it means you write realistic consequences based on the world you have created. Your protagonist and supporting characters will experience consequences.
- Keep in mind that a fight can be traumatizing.
- Your protagonist and others in your story may be affected (physically or emotionally).
- They may be immune to what happened. That will depend on the answers in your interview.
- Then again, they may have enjoyed it!
- Will what happened propel the story forward the way you planned?
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t readily know what those consequences are. It is okay to not know, but that is what your writing community is for. To help you fill in those gaps.
So, what are your takeaway tips?
- Read in the genre.
- Interview your protagonist.
- Use a style that fits what you’re writing, and consider your pacing.
- Use your five senses to describe what’s happening.
- Consider your word choice.
- Do your research. Make sure your writing is as realistic as possible.
- Always consider the aftermath.
Remember, we are always learning. The more you write, the better your work will be. And know there are other authors out there who can help!
L.E. Perez
(Laura) is a proud Latina author who has several books, short stories and poems under her belt with many more in the works, ranging from thrillers to reapers, time travel and the paranormal, to romance for all ages. She writes the stories that need to be written which unfortunately makes her a bit of a genre slut.
Her motto is: Strong Women, Strong Stories. She has become a regular workshop presenter for the Orange County Library System and Writer’s Atelier on writing topics and loves to promote local resources like Writer’s Atelier and Writers of Central Florida or Thereabouts.
She has recently branched out to help doctor action and fight scenes for other writers as The Fight Whisperer and provides sensitivity reads for writers. She thrives on paying it forward, helping writers achieve their publication dreams.
Her writing role model? Her mother, Laura Luzmila, who L.E. grew up watching as she worked full time and wrote into the night.
L.E. lives in Orlando, FL with her partner in life of over 30 years and works full-time as a Martial Arts Instructor/District Manager, as well as running her LLC, Palmas Publishing.
You can find more about her on her website, or follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Amazon. You can also follow Palmas Publishing on Twitter.
