A SF/Fantasy writer had an excellent question this week about action scenes: "How can I write something that's really intense & make it seem right? I have a lot of action scenes in my head that I play out when I'm working on my story, yet when I go to write them, I never seem to get it written how I'd like. It either doesn't seem right, or I'm not sure how to put what I see into words. . . . So . . . any tips?"
I responded: "Action scenes are really hard to write: it's not just you. I have two suggestions, things that I've done myself. First, I pay attention to strategies used by authors I admire. How do they get action across? What kinds of verbs do they use? What kind of descriptions? What gives these scenes a feeling of momentum? What kinds of sentences do they use in the faster scenes? Do they use more modifiers, or fewer? And while keeping plagiarism in mind, note what phrases they use in describing certain kinds of action. It can help guide you as you revise those scenes. (For more on this, read Francine Prose's book Reading Like a Writer.)
"And second, get up and act out the scenes as best you can (though I realize this is not always possible when writing fantasy novels). Sometimes the problem is that we're not describing what a human body actually does in that situation. As you act it out, you'll also get ideas for other things you can describe. You might also try watching action sequences on screen (you could even observe or take a martial arts or fencing class). How do people tend to fall, on their sides, on their hands, etc.? What sorts of exclamations do they make? Do they wipe sweat away, or do they ignore it? How does a body respond when a sword (or hand, foot, etc.) makes contact?
"And then keep re-writing those scenes. You'll start to notice that the scenes are tighter and more successful, that the words are getting closer to conveying what you see in your head. In fact, reading them over later will eventually help you see those scenes more clearly -- and you'll be able to add new and stronger details."
But how do other writers (especially of SF/Fantasy) approach action sequences? Are there books that are particularly helpful? Other tips or strategies? As I said, writing action well is very difficult, so any advice is welcome! Comment below or in the forum
I try and write my action scenes through the eyes of one or both of the combatants. How they see the action unfold in fornt of them, and how it feels to see the other person respond in what way to your action.
I tend to use 3rd Person Limited as a rule, but I find that POV is the most effective in writing action sequences. If you tie the reader to one individual, the scene becomes more personal and more intense, and a lot of time, at least in my writing, personal and intense is what i’m hoping for.
Action scenes usually have a minimal amount of description unless it really contributes to the scene. The scent of blood. The sound of a gun cocking, or the creak of a floor board. This is not the place for describing the scenery or the characters. (Since you are writing science fiction, it may be a challenge to work that in before.)
Another component of action scenes are shorter, choppier sentences, even incomplete sentences. Consider the following: “What on earth was that noise?” thought Jason. vs. “What the . . .”
Sharon
I’m working with a publisher who pointed out that in one long chase sequence, I had almost no dialog — all narrative. He said, and I believe he was right, that dialog is just as important in action scenes as it is in other places in the story.
And here are some thoughts from another blogger, with additional resources on writing action:
http://pacejmiller.wordpress.com/2009/03/04/writing-action-sequences/