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How to write fight scenes

Read examples of fight scenes.

Think about a fight scene in a novel or short story that you found effective and full of action.

Is the fight scene essential to the overall plot or story?

Fights naturally bring drama and excitement to a work. However, everything you add to a story should actually add something to the story. This includes fight scenes, too.

What are the character's motivations to fight?

To build drama, care about the characters, and the outcome of the fight, you need to consider why the character is involved with this fight.

Think about the descriptions of the action in the fight scene.

Consider how the writer positions the characters in the scene and describes their actions and movements as they fight. Is there a lot of description of each punch and kick? Do you have a clear sense of the movements of each character in the scene? Some fight scenes may use dialogue to alter the pace of the scene and keep the reader engaged.

Consider how the stakes change for the characters at the end of the fight scene.

A good fight scene will dramatically shift the stakes of the overall story. Your protagonist may end up wounded, she may lose a limb that then limits her fighting ability, or she may be fatally injured. Or your antagonist may be defeated in the fight and your protagonist may come out on top.

Determine how the fight scene fits into your story.

Have you built up enough suspense and action in the previous pages of the story to prepare the reader for a big fight scene? Your protagonist and your antagonist may play cat and mouse throughout the novel, leading to a showdown fight at the end of the novel. Or your protagonist may be trying to save a key character by fighting the antagonist. There may be multiple characters involved in the fight or just two characters. Think about what purpose the fight scene will serve in your story and how it will advance the plot.

Reveal character through every character action.

The fighting style of your protagonist will give the reader a sense of their character. Your hero may be an amateur fighter with street smarts and motivation, or she may be a more seasoned fighter with great technical skill and a taste for blood. Your hero’s opponents may also be out for blood, with equal skill to your hero or a higher level of skill. Revealing character through a fight scene is smart writing. By showing your character in a violent situation, you avoid telling your reader how to feel.

Include interior character thoughts.

A real-life fight involves very little spoken dialogue between the fighters. The characters will be responding to each other through action, rather than speech. However, you can show interior character thoughts to give your reader context for the fight and to show the character’s mindset during the fight. This will give the fight a clear perspective and make it easier for the reader to follow the action.

Use dialogue to alter the pace of the scene.

Give the fight scene a sense of urgency by including dialogue between characters around the fight itself. This will help move the scene forward and lead in to the actual fight in the scene. Use short bursts of dialogue, and avoid using too many dialogue tags, as this can slow down the action.

Show the aftermath of the fight.

In the aftermath of a real fight, you bruise, you ache, you hurt. Consider how your characters will feel after the fight. Give your character a realistic recovery period, and think about how the adrenalin rush of the fight will help them recover or get away from the scene of the fight.

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