Advice/Help How to write action scenes?

[catharsis.]

I've been preparing to jump onto the roleplay scene, but one thing in my past experiences has always bothered me.

I don't know how to write action. Or better put, I'm not sure how I'm supposed to. I'd like for the movements to be smooth, to carry the momentum of the roleplay, to be precise and explicit. But whenever I try, it feels as if I'm coming off as clunky and difficult to visualize. This is more with regards to physical combat (particularly in describing the body, but also with weaponplay), and less in regards to things like abilities/superpowers. How do you guys write action-orientated scenes? Any tips?

 

[Chordling]

I think that action heavily ties into a character’s emotion. How does this character feel when they’re in combat? Are they afraid, angry, sad, happy, vengeful, regretful? The list goes on of course. The emotion of the character helps me chose how to describe their movements. I’m not looking to describe an anatomy lesson here so my descriptions don’t have to be minute and detailed at an extreme. Imagine how different scenes would feel based on the characters’ emotions. Combat scenes are close and person. You want to feel that fast pace and energy. The energy your harnessing comes from the people who are involved in that combat.

 

[catharsis.]

I think that action heavily ties into a character’s emotion.

I see! I hadn't thought about how emotions tie in before, but thinking about it, it makes a lot of sense how the two affect each other. The descriptions actually comes a lot easier that way. Thanks a ton!

 

[Chordling]

My writing improved a lot actually when I looked at how animators create movement and emotion in their art. The concepts are very similar and easy to carry to writing.

 

[Oenanthe]

I've been writing for years and years now, but action scenes are one thing I've always struggled with. Recently I had a superhero based 1x1 that went on for months and during this time the other writer and I worked as best we could on researching how to do specifically fight scenes.

Some of the best things I learned that helped me are:
- Use fast-paced, short sentences. Just like a long, drawn-out sentence can represent the character monologing or deep in thought, quick little sentences will set the pace of the action for the reader.
- Use onomatopoeias like seasoning. Snap. Crack. Sizzle. Things like that add "flavor" to the text, and while they pay homage to comic-books and can feel corny they actually fit in really naturally.
- Keep the scene short. A long, intense build-up with lots of sensory detail followed by a crash bang action sequence is what I tended to really like.
- Only cover the highlights. Describing every run, jump, kick, or shot can be frankly tedious. It's boring to write and boring to read. Feel free to include in some way that there was more to the fight, but don't write it out exactly. Just the ones that matter.
- Use dice! This might be weird to someone who doesn't have an RPG background, but oh boy they are FANTASTIC to use while writing. Not sure what your character would do or how you want them to do it? Well, let's say they need to jump a large gap between buildings or on a mountain trail. You could say they jump the gap. OR you could roll for it. Maybe you get a 1 and they miss terrible causing a near-fatal crash that changes everything and adds tons of tension. Or perhaps its a Nat 20 and not only do they make the gap, but they also do a backflip over it or wall run! Or any number of things in between that can equate a variety of outcomes. It's a good way to keep your heroes balanced and dynamic and keep scenes from being stale or predictable.

I hope any of these help you like they helped me!

 

[Crayons]

Watching videos of people training or sparring with your character's weapon/martial arts style of choice can really help you get a feel for how it works, what kind of moves you can use, and what works in what circumstances. You can approach this on a technical or emotional level, or both. Giving them a fighting style that matches their personality can add a lot to action scenes as well. Are they the straightforward type who just wants to hit hard and fast and get it over with? Do they employ a lot of dodging and feints to keep the opponent on their toes? Dobthey fight dirty or according to an honour code? All of those can add variety and interest to action.

 

[Sludge]

I've been writing for years and years now, but action scenes are one thing I've always struggled with. Recently I had a superhero based 1x1 that went on for months and during this time the other writer and I worked as best we could on researching how to do specifically fight scenes.

Some of the best things I learned that helped me are:
- Use fast-paced, short sentences. Just like a long, drawn-out sentence can represent the character monologing or deep in thought, quick little sentences will set the pace of the action for the reader.
- Use onomatopoeias like seasoning. Snap. Crack. Sizzle. Things like that add "flavor" to the text, and while they pay homage to comic-books and can feel corny they actually fit in really naturally.
- Keep the scene short. A long, intense build-up with lots of sensory detail followed by a crash bang action sequence is what I tended to really like.
- Only cover the highlights. Describing every run, jump, kick, or shot can be frankly tedious. It's boring to write and boring to read. Feel free to include in some way that there was more to the fight, but don't write it out exactly. Just the ones that matter.
- Use dice! This might be weird to someone who doesn't have an RPG background, but oh boy they are FANTASTIC to use while writing. Not sure what your character would do or how you want them to do it? Well, let's say they need to jump a large gap between buildings or on a mountain trail. You could say they jump the gap. OR you could roll for it. Maybe you get a 1 and they miss terrible causing a near-fatal crash that changes everything and adds tons of tension. Or perhaps its a Nat 20 and not only do they make the gap, but they also do a backflip over it or wall run! Or any number of things in between that can equate a variety of outcomes. It's a good way to keep your heroes balanced and dynamic and keep scenes from being stale or predictable.

I hope any of these help you like they helped me!

This right here is some really good advice.

 

[GeorgeTownRaja]

This advice is really helpful. I'm not the best at writing fight scenes but I am improving on it.

 

[Hyde]

On another website, I was given the advice to describe your character's five senses while in combat. What are they seeing, smelling, feeling, hearing, and tasting? Are they hearing the clank of swords or are they smelling gunpowder? Is there the metallic taste of blood in their mouths? Are they stunned from a punch to the gut or elbow to the head? I'm admittedly awful at writing combat, but I've been using this advice recently and I feel like the quality of my content has slightly improved lately. I'll probably never be good at writing action scenes, but I still like to dabble with them from time to time and I still want to improve however I can. Some of the advice here so far is extremely helpful from what I can see too.

 

[Chordling]

On another website, I was given the advice to describe your character's five senses while in combat. What are they seeing, smelling, feeling, hearing, and tasting? Are they hearing the clank of swords or are they smelling gunpowder? Is there the metallic taste of blood in their mouths? Are they stunned from a punch to the gut or elbow to the head? I'm admittedly awful at writing combat, but I've been using this advice recently and I feel like the quality of my content has slightly improved lately. I'll probably never be good at writing action scenes, but I still like to dabble with them from time to time and I still want to improve however I can. Some of the advice here so far is extremely helpful from what I can see too.

Thinking about the senses is great too! There is some caution to this. Including all of the senses can interrupt the fast, intense pace that you could be looking for.

 

[Crayons]

I made a blog post a (long) while ago about how to write combat. It doesn't specifically answer OP's question as its more about the technicalities, but is it OK to post a link here?

 

[Chordling]

I would refrain from conversations and resources that don't relate to the original intent of the thread.

 

[Crocmon]

Lord, I don't know if I can add anything to really spice up this, beyond "get into a fight" and that isn't exactly the most helpful thing. Even a very basic introduction to grappling and hand-to-hand combat can make all the difference in the world, whether it be by watching MMA fights or practicing MMA yourself. Research terms, and don't be afraid to get technical when dealing with characters that should know how to fight! It's a fight scene, and as such exactly where a weapon or fist goes could make a huge difference.

For action scenes that aren't entirely fight scenes, such as those involving chase scenes, recognize that the protagonist is not considering everything around them. The adrenaline is kicking in, and they are running. They are aware of a handful of things at best as their vision tunnels, and keeping that in mind can build suspense as they desperately search for an out of some sort. When anxious, the mind focuses only entirely on the stressors as a sort of biological response to danger. Even if they are perfectly trained, they are still reasonably concerned about bodily harm, or it wouldn't be an action scene. The sentences should get choppy, with raw motion of the body happening in the sentences. Very little exposition should be going on, beCAUSE THE ACTION IS FAST. NO TALK, ONLY FAST. All eyes should be on the movements. Jumping over a table and making people shout in surprise? Great! Explaining the rooftops of Venice and how the sun beats down on his neck? You already set the scene, don't talk more, the director just yelled "ACTION" so MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Going back to "research terms," knowing the precise words for things like "using his blade to deflect a blow" (parry/block) or "stepping away from an attack" (evade/dodge) can absolutely help you make your sentence structure match the speed of the action. If you want practice, I absolutely suggest making an exercise over writing fight scenes from video games, anime, and movies on your own. Even if it's just on a notepad to kill a few minutes, being able to compare how you wrote to something you see on a screen can make your scenes not only easier to follow but can also help you learn to focus on important aspects of the fight! =D

 

[Ganryu]

Give and take.
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Mowing down 50 people... isn't that fun to read. A bloody battle where both are struggling? More fun. TAKE DAMAGE as your character. Honestly the biggest advice I can give that people screw up on. More godlike you try to be, less anyone wants to read it. Switch it up to who's winning. Everyone likes an underdog. People like it even more when the person they like fails. It makes growth.

Tie personality into it
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How they fight should represent who they are. Is it elegant and efficient? Is it rough and straight forward? Tactical and thought out? Remember your 'voice' for the character. Now apply it to their movements

Have stakes
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See what everyone else said on emotion. What's at stake? Why are they fighting? Flashbacks are great during intense parts. People should have emotions during it. Fear when they are losing. Anger when an opponent plays dirty. Smugness when they get off a hit.

Ebb & Flow
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There are ebbs and flows in combat. Moments where someone's going to back off and take a break. This is also for the writing. The action shouldn't go and go and go, it should have some parts less intense than others. Maybe the two combatants talk or inner monologue? Maybe its counting their bullets/magic/weapons? Give a few seconds for the reader to catch up and take a break during this. This is where you explain what had happened, or what's about to. ITs maybe where they notice how damaged they are, and how damaged opponent is.

Then, during the 'flow', DON'T stop. The fighting part should have short choppy dialog if any. There's little time to think, just do. Cut someone off. Stab them. Dodge the strike. Don't elaborate. Feel, don't describe!

 

[catharsis.]

Wow! Thanks for all the responses, everybody! I really appreciate all of the people who posted their advice in this thread...there was a lot of nuances to combat I wasn't grasping, it seems like. Thanks again!
(Edit: Though what the Moderator says goes, I don't mind people continuing to post other combat-related advice or resources for it. I think it could also be a great help for others, too.)

 

[M.J. Saulnier]

As a long-time combat writer, fan of action and someone who has done a lot of action oriented RPs, detail is everything. The less you describe about what's going on, the less satisfying it is. I know the car rolled three individual times and the roof collapsed atop of them, but I want you to stimulate me more than that. I want you to force upon me the sound of the shrieking metal, the image the fragments of busted glass peppering the air like snowflakes. You've got to break it down to bring us into the action. Not give us some sort of blow-by-blow report.

With actual combat that detail is paramount, otherwise how do we know what's really happening? Emotion and thought soils action and fighting for the most part. There's little time to think or feel, only reaction, or lack thereof. When I write combat I write it differently than I would write the usual scene. The pleasantries, casual nuances and fluff all wash away. This establishes a sober, tense pace to the scene that is very crisp, point-of-fact. The more fluff you can replace with detail about what is happening, the more we can visualize what is happening. I want you to describe what parts of the anatomy are being used, struck, wounded, etc. Hell yes. Saying you threw a punch is like saying your character has a sword. Okay. What kind of sword? Are we talking a sharp slab of metal with a wrapped tang, here, or what? What do you mean by a sword? There are hundreds of them.

Detail is everything.

 

[Chaishi]

One thing I can recommend about it is reading how other people have implemented their action scenes in roleplays, but reading the books would be far more helpful with gaining an insight.

I think everything else was mentioned, so I wanted to put this out for you.

 

[Malphaestus]

With all manners of tips already available now, all I can offer you to do now is to try.

You can never get better at writing if you don't, actually, write. Find an acquaintance who can grade your progress, perhaps not literally.

 

[Wicked Jester]

So since I haven't seen anyone particularly discuss it apart from one very brief mention, let me touch on the rarest and either coolest scenes, or biggest flops there can be. The one vs many.
The first thing about the one vs many, is frankly it's overused by novice writers trying to show how strong and tough their characters are. When I was newer I completely admit to doing this myself. And this is where it can flop. If every fight is 1 vs 50 it has no weight. Another thing to realize is that pc vs pc should be well planned out in advance. Is there going to be a clear winner? How much damage will be taken on each side? Etc. If you aren't using a dice system, on the fly fighting can get extremely messy, especially if more than 2 people are involved. But ignoring those factors, let's talk about a few times pc vs many npc or npc vs many npc can be exciting and well done (or atleast serve a purpose/drive plot).

The wise teacher/master
Say your PC is in need of training, and there's Deus ex machina Grand Master here. The first thing to think about is the relative power of this master. How strong are they in relation to the rest of the world, once that's done how many enemies is an appropriate number for them to fight. This should realistically be a lower number like 4-8 people. Their fighting should seem effortless and ingrained in their body after years of combat. They move between enemies and either deflect or just tank attacks and dissable the enemies one after another separating each fight into a single one on one while keeping the others at Bay with off hand motions. Things like ip man or the raid are great films to watch with this style of fighting.

The "hero"
This is the guy who you never want to be. They're the one who shows up and obliterates the enemy army with a single move and takes away all the fun from everyone else. However they do have their place and that's as a joke. If everyone is aware it's going to happen and you get a hype enough build up for an anticlimactic chuckle it can be fun. I'm not good at this so I never touch the one punch man. (Which is the best example of this. You'll see how the joke delivery is around the anti climax of it)

The BBEG / The Big Ass Monster
if you have a persistent villain that will exist for a long time, or a sudden giant evil monster, don't be afraid to have fun with them. These are the opposite of the other fighting style, they're not feeling emotion, they're driving it. Describe the expression on those fighting them and how helpless they look. If it's a monster, play to the monsters attributes in it's fighting style. Make everything visceral. Don't be afraid to rip off and eat a few heads. People should feel the emotion and weight of these guys and have reason to hate and want to fight them.

The "final power up"
So say you've just had the last power up and are ready to go fight the final boss. Ok but that's so little time being an op badass, and that's where the final power up comes in. This is the most self indulgent, self hype moment, and you're writing it for you and that's absolutely ok. You vs a demon general and his army solo before you reunite with your party to fight the demon king. Sometimes you just want a super flashy fight where you steam roll the competition doing backflipping 360 no scopes. But there can also be purpose to them. It shows character growth, but it also can help define how strong the BBEG is when even as strong as you are it takes you and your group to fight them solo. But in total it's fine to be edgy and self indulgent on some occasions.


This has been long and extremely rambly and I could probably cut out a lot of it by proof reading, but it's 3am so nah lol. In total remember group fighting isn't a bad thing, but it should have a point and buildup. To show emotion of large scale, or drive plot.

 

[Vordak]

Paramount: show the interaction between characters. Fighting is never a solo ordeal, so there is bound to be both physical - and just as important, psychological interaction. To your own extent of knowledge, portray the strategy, response and adaptation, intent of the combatants: if fighter A keeps chucking jabs that connect and drive back his opponent, then fighter B will have 1) an emotional response (annoyed, frustrated); 2) an immediate tactical response (back off, throw less); 3) a change in strategy (from methodically walking down the opponent - to looking for a gap to slip in and respond in a short burst of pressure); 4) a change in intent (from going back and forth, feeling out the opponent- to loading up for a single decisive combination that turns the tide). Write the response for character B - and now the ball is in fighter A's park: his turn to respond now.

In other words, the backbone of any fight is the 'dialogue' occurring between combatants - in turn, a dialogue that can be metaphorical for events, circumstances and emotions outside of the fight.

 

[Idea]

Most of what I would say has already been said, and I’m pretty tired as I post this anyway, but I’ll give two small pieces of advice:

1. Do not fall into the trap of writing a scene as if it was visual. Whatever you are imagining is not going to translate into your reader’s heads. If you are writing a certain action because it looks cool, then you probably should reconsider. In writing the action is not so much about the action itself, but the meaning and weight which it carries. That a character threw a punch doesn’t matter. It does matter, however, that the punch was thrown by a character that was previously a pacifist. It does matter that the punch means the villain has just injured the hero or that they are forcing them back even a little.
You will find that even when the action is the interesting part, that particular action is not a simple blow by blow, but the fighting reflects the participant’s nature, personality and/or dynamic.

2. The weight I mentioned in my post, and several things mentioned in other posts- for instance, the emotions Chordling mentioned- are not something which should spontaneously be developed in the fight itself, as a rule of thumb. They will be stronger with adequate work to build them up beforehand. Set up the pieces and gradually build the tension for the emotions, stakes and dynamics of your fight as you write the story prior to the fight.

That is all. Hope this helps and happy RPing!