Writing action scenes in fiction the plot

Scene Action-Reaction Chart Use this scene action-reaction chart as a checklist for building your scenes action and sequels reaction. It's no accident that some books we read hold our attention so well that we're reluctant to put them down, while others are a real slog, almost a chore to read.

Writing action scenes in fiction the plot

They're often a physical manifestation of the conflict that's driving your story — and they're great for keeping things exciting for readers. Whatever genre you write, knowing how to write an authentic, exciting fight scene is an invaluable skill to have.

But why are action and fight scenes so difficult to craft authentically? Stay up to date with the most popular posts on Writer's Edit. One of the primary reasons is that the average author doesn't usually have a whole lot of experience with fighting in real life.

And even if they do, it's not an easy thing to translate to the page! The scene has to strike the right balance between the actual action and the other important elements, like emotion and personal stakes.

With that said, let's dive into some handy tips writers can use when crafting fight scenes in any genre. Ensure your fight advances plot and character development First things first: While action helps to add interest and keep the pace moving, it should never be thrown in solely to 'spice things up'.

For every fight scene you plan on including, ask yourself: Does the scene act as a crucial plot point, directly affecting later events in the story?

Does it throw an extra roadblock in the way of your protagonist achieving their goal? Does the outcome of the fight have an effect on a character's motivationsor on the way they change throughout the story? Be honest with yourself whenever you want to include a fight scene.

If the answer to all of the above questions is 'no', you might really just be including the scene for the sake of bumping up the action. And if that's the case, you'll either need to rethink the dynamics of that particular fight scene — or ditch it entirely. Image via Pixabay 2.

Don't over-describe A common mistake many authors make when writing fight scenes is over-describing. Firstly, always keep in mind that fight scenes should favour action over description.

They aren't the place to labour over detailed descriptions of setting or characters. Instead, your language should be action-based, focusing on verbs and keeping adjectives and adverbs to a minimum. But we don't just mean straight description when we talk about 'over-describing'.

We're also talking about over-writing — giving too much detail about exactly what's happening throughout the fight. Many writers fall into the trap of writing out an exact choreography of their fight scene, providing the reader with a literal blow-by-blow and as much detail as possible.

Jeff VanderMeer explains the ins and outs of using scenes in imaginative fiction

But this can actually end up being quite tiresome for the reader. Plus, it doesn't leave much room for emotion which we'll talk more about below.

writing action scenes in fiction the plot

So instead of meticulously documenting every punch, duck and pivot, leave some things up to the reader's imagination. Give them just enough detail so that they get the basic gist of the characters' movements and can picture the scene in their own mind.

Then focus on doing the following Image by Jason Briscoe via Unsplash 3. Infuse fight scenes with emotion Contrary to what you might assume, the most important aspect of a fight scene isn't the action: Most characters would not involve themselves in physical violence without strong motivation, which usually comes from strong emotion.

Readers must also be emotionally invested in order for action scenes to have the most impact. So how do you successfully infuse a fight scene with emotion? As we discussed above, fight scenes are a place for action over description, and this includes the internal thoughts of your characters.Knowing how to write a scene is a crucial skill for writing a novel.

Writer's Digest Magazine

Scenes are the basic building blocks of plot. Read this guide for tips on writing scenes, including how to start and end scenes, as well as scene-planning and structuring tips. The art of in-scene writing in fiction is critical for allowing a reader to enter the fictional story and vicariously participate in the story to discover meaning and pleasure.

It is one on the main skills in creating great fiction, as opposed to memoir and creative nonfiction. As with all fiction, you can afford to take some liberties when writing action scenes.

A % true-to-life fight wouldn't be the most entertaining thing to read, after all. But be sure the liberties aren't so unrealistic as to make your readers roll their eyes.

writing action scenes in fiction the plot

Knowing how to write a scene is a crucial skill for writing a novel. Scenes are the basic building blocks of plot. Read this guide for tips on writing scenes, including how to start and end scenes, as well as scene-planning and structuring tips. ansen dibell empire strikes strikes back elements of fiction great deal many times action and suspense conflict action writing fiction big scenes fiction writing aspects of writing plot elements book on writing dibell really plot structure writing book buy this book book about plot books on timberdesignmag.coms: Oct 01,  · Advice, tips, and info for fiction writers and aspiring authors, from a highly respected fiction editor and author of craft-of-writing guides, the award-winning FIRE UP YOUR FICTION, CAPTIVATE YOUR READERS, and WRITING A KILLER THRILLER.

5 Essential Tips for Writing Killer Fight Scenes | timberdesignmag.com