Writing Tips

one - fight scenes

fight scenes are prolly the hardest to come by. i get asked this a lot, how do I write a fight scene? well, its actually quite easy.

sebastian stan once said that a fight scene is "kind of like a dance", so the movements between each others parts is fluid, and braced together.

so, first things first, 1) describe things thoroughly, but make it seem fast. fight scenes, in most cases, are fast and progress swiftly. you usually dont have enough time to think about anything except ways to counter their attack.

2)but dont make it too long, after a while, your characters are going to get tired.

3) explain how things feel, like stinging, burning after theyre hit. how does the ground feel if they hit it? how does the wall feel when theyre pushed up against it? how does the blood feel when it drips down the side of their head or down their split lip?

4) explain how they react or counter their opponent, like grunting, groaning, what they do when they're hit. or when they hit the other person, like a pain shooting up their arm, from their knuckles to their elbow. and their breathing, explain if they're panting or if they try to steady it.

5) explain how the person moves. most of the time where your head moves, your body will follow. if you get punched in the face, your body will sway that way. or, example, a woman or small male would move most of their weight with her legs, because theyre small. with men, they would move slower because they're broad, tall, more muscular and carry much more weight. men will also have a better time blocking and will have an easier time forcing a smaller opponent back.

6) make sure to make it seem like something the person would do. use their personality in this.

7) have a goal. are they trying to kill? are they trying to run away? if theyre move is to kill, they will most likely have weapons and if not, they will use and do anything to kill the opponent. if theyre trying to run away, they will get the opponent in a situation where they cant get out of. like locking them to something, cuffing them, getting them to an area where they cant escape for just enough time to flee.

8) make sure to include the setting as well. that's your advantage, if theyre around a lot of small objects, use them. if theyre around something long and elastic, use it to choke one of the characters. if theyre around something hard and solid, use it.

9) there are many ways to get out of a choke hold. the thumbs are the weak points in that situation.

10) getting punched in the stomach will, in most cases, make you gag; especially if they ate before fighting. getting hit in the diaphragm (the place between your stomach and chest) will make you lose your breath. youll be left gasping for air. getting hit in the nose will make your eyes water, even if it didnt hurt.

11) people with fighting experience will get you where theyre comfortable. a wrestler will try to get you on the floor; a boxer will stay on their feet, if they have military or army experience, etc.

12) the easiest counter to a kick, unless youre fast enough to catch it, will be to get closer to the opponent. they wont have enough room to kick if your too close.

13) what a lot of people dont know, is that the jaw is the knockout button. hit it hard enough and theyre done.

comment any questions or requests. and vote if any of this was helpful!