This is my online workshop in writing fight scenes that I did for the Catholic Writer's Conference. Karina Fabian had managed to draft me ... or I volunteered, I'm not entirely certain. Either way, it was an interesting little experience.
Since most of you folks have been with me for a while, I'm going to give it to you.
Don't worry, I wasn't paid for this, so giving this away for free will hurt no one. And, few to no people wanted to show up and play with my workshop, even though there were over 25 viewers for each post. But, I've been told few people showed up anyway for the forums, something to do with schedule confusion.
So, here is day three.
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Day Three: Now, Let's Talk About Writing Fight Technique.
There are a lot of basic moves that you
don't need to describe too much. Most kicks and punches are like
that, for example. You don't necessarily require a full description
on a “forward vertical defensive kick” (as seen in the article on
how to throw a stop kick) – you can just write “X kicked Y in the
chest the way a fireman would kick down a door.” It's the same
kick, just a less technical way of writing it.
Speed of attack: keep in mind that most
fights don't even last for five seconds. A kick to the groin, a
punch to the throat, and it's game over. Even a fight with a weapon
can only last so long. Fighting over a knife will ensure that all
sides get cut, and someone will be hurt in short order.
And, keep in mind, fighting is hard
work. Even something as simple as punching is going to take a lot
out of someone. If you don't believe me, go hit a punching bag for a
minute. Punch it, kick it, headbutt it if you like, but do it at
full speed, as hard as you can. You're going to find that it is
very, very hard work. After the initial burst of energy, you're going
to slow down after thirty seconds. Stamina should not be important
in a fight, because most fights shouldn't last very long.
Another element to keep in mind: the
enemy is also reacting. We don't need three-dimensional chess with
hand-to-hand combat, but we also have to remember that (for example)
kicking someone between the legs (even if they're feeling no pain),
will still force the body to lean forward, and that opens up
possibilities. If we punch someone, their head will go back. If we
feint, they become defensive, preferably where we don't want them to
be.
If you're going to have a long fight
scene, it should be for a good reason. Either it's a war—in which
case it's perfectly understandable—or there are multiple attackers,
or both participants are very, very well-trained.
Yes, you can have a half-page of
description for something that takes only a split second. You can
have all of the technical details down cold, but you must at least
convey to the audience the speed. And, even if you don't go into
exacting, excruciating detail for your audience, you should at least
know the mechanics, so you know what you're doing. Don't be insulted
– trust me, I used to do that a lot.
If you like, look
at the fights scenes of Lee Child's character Jack Reacher. He'll
give a half-page dissertation on something like the tactical
usefulness of a headbutt, or he will work out a fight, chess-like,
before the first punch is thrown. He then does it, writes a few
lines of the enemy's reaction, and keeps going.
Note: If you have formal
training, or have practical experience in a self-defense system or
martial art, realize that high kicks, spin kicks, or any kick that
goes above the hip can pose a danger in a real fight. In a real
close-combat situation, there are no rules, and there is no tapping
out. This may sound patronizing, but trust me, there are plenty of
people who try to use fancy moves they learn on a gym mat and try to
use the same moves on concrete. It doesn't end well, sometimes.
Assignment
#3: Writing Hand-to-Hand Technique
Look at the various articles assigned
here: http://shar.es/giQgA.
Choose at least one technique. Do not worry about
plagiarizing; there are only so many ways to describe some moves.
All that I require is that you use one element of one described
technique over the course of your fight scene.
Step 1: Set up the fight, be it a
mugging, or something with a minor villain, what have you. Write out
a full technical description of what your character will do – not
only with the technique, but most importantly with what comes
next. (Continue to fight, to
run, et al). How does the other combatant react/reply?
Step 2: Give
reasons for their actions, and how it fits with your character.
Step
3. Repeat step one, only take the entire technique and condense it.
Boil the technique into only a paragraph, at most. Now that you know
what your character is doing, there's no reason to belabor the point
for your audience. You can go into great detail, if it's an obscure
method, or if you have a style similar to Lee Child, described above.
You don't have to do
one or the other in your writing, but you should
at least be able to do both.
Please
note: when writing your
fight scene, be certain that you, and your readers, can keep track of
what side everyone is on. Even professional writers of military
fiction, like Bernard Cornwell, will occasionally leave out details
like “Character Y is blocking with the sword and hitting with the
empty hand, and kicking someone else …. what direction
are all of these people coming from!!!”
