I think Iain Banks and O'Brian (the Aubrey-Maturin books) write the best fight scenes. Banks does all kinds of fighting very well as does O'Brian:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aubrey-Maturin_series
Fight Scenes in Fantasy and Sci-Fi
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I think Iain Banks and O'Brian (the Aubrey-Maturin books) write the best fight scenes. Banks does all kinds of fighting very well as does O'Brian:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aubrey-Maturin_series
1. Do you enjoy writing fight scenes? Why or why not?
Fight scenes are really hard for me, but I do enjoy them. Throughout the fantasy trilogy I'm currently writing, I have several different types. I have a few one-on-one fights, a few large battles, etc.
2. How do you execute your fight scenes?
I write them just like any other scene except my characters don't get to think much during fight scenes. They're too busy fighting.
In addition, my boyfriend is ex-navy and used to do a lot of martial arts and other types of fighting, so he often helps me choreograph and sometimes we act out the moves so I can see what the movements feel like and such. I'm lucky ot have him.
3. How much detail do you have in your fight scenes? How much blood, gore, how much attention to movement, stance, and such?
I don't get technical on terms. Most people don't know the terms anyway. I keep descriptions of blood and gore to what needs to be in the scene. If a main character gets sliced or something, of course I describe it, but I'm not in to long descriptions of gore and blood unless it's needed.
4. How do you weave elements of magic or technology that goes above and beyond swords, guns, hand-to-hand combat?
In my current fantasy trilogy, my FMC has some minor magical abilities that she doesn't know about in the first portion of book one, so obviously she's limited to swords, daggers and hand-to-hand. But later, she learns to use some of her abilities and can utilize them in combat a bit.
5. How do you maintain the urgency of the bigger character arcs during a fight scene? For example, you're writing from a character's POV who has everything on the line with this one battle. He'll get his family back, he'll save his village (your choice).
This depends on the type of fight scene. If it's a large battle that my character knows is going to happen, they'll think about it. But if we're talking about an ambush or unexpected fight, there's not a lot of time for thoughts and internalizing.
6. What authors do fight scenes well, in your opinion?
I like Brandon Sanderson's fights, but honestly, they are long and get boring after awhile. IMO
Fight scenes are really hard for me, but I do enjoy them. Throughout the fantasy trilogy I'm currently writing, I have several different types. I have a few one-on-one fights, a few large battles, etc.
2. How do you execute your fight scenes?
I write them just like any other scene except my characters don't get to think much during fight scenes. They're too busy fighting.
In addition, my boyfriend is ex-navy and used to do a lot of martial arts and other types of fighting, so he often helps me choreograph and sometimes we act out the moves so I can see what the movements feel like and such. I'm lucky ot have him.
3. How much detail do you have in your fight scenes? How much blood, gore, how much attention to movement, stance, and such?
I don't get technical on terms. Most people don't know the terms anyway. I keep descriptions of blood and gore to what needs to be in the scene. If a main character gets sliced or something, of course I describe it, but I'm not in to long descriptions of gore and blood unless it's needed.
4. How do you weave elements of magic or technology that goes above and beyond swords, guns, hand-to-hand combat?
In my current fantasy trilogy, my FMC has some minor magical abilities that she doesn't know about in the first portion of book one, so obviously she's limited to swords, daggers and hand-to-hand. But later, she learns to use some of her abilities and can utilize them in combat a bit.
5. How do you maintain the urgency of the bigger character arcs during a fight scene? For example, you're writing from a character's POV who has everything on the line with this one battle. He'll get his family back, he'll save his village (your choice).
This depends on the type of fight scene. If it's a large battle that my character knows is going to happen, they'll think about it. But if we're talking about an ambush or unexpected fight, there's not a lot of time for thoughts and internalizing.
6. What authors do fight scenes well, in your opinion?
I like Brandon Sanderson's fights, but honestly, they are long and get boring after awhile. IMO
I'm only going to answer number 4 until further notice:
I currently have (more than a few) fight/ sparring scenes in my WIP, and they both involve things other than simple melee combat. The better of the two involves a mysterious shadow dueling and attempting to capture a warrior for interrogation-- I found that when the magic began to be involved, it became more important and needed more detail and attention than the hacking and slashing. Also, I found it was better to describe the effects and feelings (from a close POV works best) of whomever was receiving the magic, and talk less about what the magic caster looked like/ what his magic looked like.
I currently have (more than a few) fight/ sparring scenes in my WIP, and they both involve things other than simple melee combat. The better of the two involves a mysterious shadow dueling and attempting to capture a warrior for interrogation-- I found that when the magic began to be involved, it became more important and needed more detail and attention than the hacking and slashing. Also, I found it was better to describe the effects and feelings (from a close POV works best) of whomever was receiving the magic, and talk less about what the magic caster looked like/ what his magic looked like.
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1. Do you enjoy writing fight scenes? Why or why not?
Yes. I always seem to get hyped up when writing them. It's the editing that's painful.
2. How do you execute your fight scenes?
I imagine them in my head and write down what I see. Sometimes, I have to act out the movements so I have a better idea of how my characters will react.
3. How much detail do you have in your fight scenes? How much blood, gore, how much attention to movement, stance, and such?
Enough so the reader will know what's going on, but I try not to write a play-by-play scene. Blood and gore amount depends on the characters and the story.
4. How do you weave elements of magic or technology that goes above and beyond swords, guns, hand-to-hand combat?
I try to make magic in fights feel realistic and keep the descriptions simple.
5. How do you maintain the urgency of the bigger character arcs during a fight scene? For example, you're writing from a character's POV who has everything on the line with this one battle. He'll get his family back, he'll save his village (your choice).
Urgency changes during my big fights from protecting friends and family to survival.
6. What authors do fight scenes well, in your opinion?
Ilona Andrews. Swords, magic, claws, or guns, they always manage to make a good action scene.
Yes. I always seem to get hyped up when writing them. It's the editing that's painful.
2. How do you execute your fight scenes?
I imagine them in my head and write down what I see. Sometimes, I have to act out the movements so I have a better idea of how my characters will react.
3. How much detail do you have in your fight scenes? How much blood, gore, how much attention to movement, stance, and such?
Enough so the reader will know what's going on, but I try not to write a play-by-play scene. Blood and gore amount depends on the characters and the story.
4. How do you weave elements of magic or technology that goes above and beyond swords, guns, hand-to-hand combat?
I try to make magic in fights feel realistic and keep the descriptions simple.
5. How do you maintain the urgency of the bigger character arcs during a fight scene? For example, you're writing from a character's POV who has everything on the line with this one battle. He'll get his family back, he'll save his village (your choice).
Urgency changes during my big fights from protecting friends and family to survival.
6. What authors do fight scenes well, in your opinion?
Ilona Andrews. Swords, magic, claws, or guns, they always manage to make a good action scene.
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Some guided questions:
1. Do you enjoy writing fight scenes? Why or why not?
I've gotten to where I like them better than I once did, as I've gotten some help with people I know who do them well and have gotten a bit more practice. But there are times when I'll run into a real headache associated with one.
2. How do you execute your fight scenes?
The things I've written with fight scenes thus far have been in limited third (with a deeper pov) or first person. So they will be from the pov of one of the characters in a fight (I may use a scene break to switch perspectives). So I always try to focus on the sorts of details, bodily awareness and emotions that particular character would have in that situation.
3. How much detail do you have in your fight scenes? How much blood, gore, how much attention to movement, stance, and such?
I try to include the details that I think the pov character would be attending to, keeping in mind that they are likely (unless an extremely level headed and experienced combatant) in "adrenaline" mode with the associated tunnel vision. I am thinking that one would not be thinking about physical details unrelated to the fight. Large sword swinging at your head? Sure. But will you know exactly what kind of sword it is? Maybe not. Guy wearing red and black livery, sure, if red and black livery means he's a friend or enemy. Details about his clothes and dress? Probably not.
I don't want it to sound like an instruction manual for combat techniques. I don't go into details like, "he went into the number three relaxed stance his master taught him back in his first year at the academy and that had always won tournaments for him...." I really think combat scenes tend to work better without too much explanation and when you allow the reader to connect the dots between an action and its reaction, rather than showing every little thing that happened between the character's sword thrust and his opponent falling to the ground fountaining blood.
4. How do you weave elements of magic or technology that goes above and beyond swords, guns, hand-to-hand combat?
I tend to show their effects. Explosions, loud noises, lightning arcing across a room. One of my characters is a mage, so I may show one of his spells like this:
"He launched a volley of dark energy, but it missed, blasting the display case and spraying everyone with glass."
5. How do you maintain the urgency of the bigger character arcs during a fight scene? For example, you're writing from a character's POV who has everything on the line with this one battle. He'll get his family back, he'll save his village (your choice).
I tend to think you'll be pretty caught up in the moment in a battle, so the big picture may be shoved to the back of the character's awareness. Honestly, one of the hardest things I find about writing in deep character pov is dealing with the fact that people often do have multiple levels of awareness or switch back and forth between concerns much more quickly than a very lean, focused and smooth narrative allows--and not just in combat scenes. You can only write one sentence at a time, so I find it's hard to "show" something happening at the back of a character's mind when he's also thinking of something else. If anyone can point me towards a writer who does this well in deep, unfiltered pov, I'd be grateful
6. What authors do fight scenes well, in your opinion?
Hmm, this is a tough one. One of the difficulties I had initially with writing combat scenes is I always tended to skim them in novels before I started writing seriously. I thought George RR Martin's battle scenes were pretty well done, especially the ones from Tyrion's pov. He did a good job, I thought, of capturing the feel of someone who was in over his head but was able to rise to the event.
I thought CJ Cherryh did a good job with hers as well in her Merchanter/Alliance and Chanur novels. She's the first author I remember running across in my youth (the 1980's, heh) who wrote in something akin to a deeper pov, and it tended to come out most strongly in her combat scenes.
Going back and re-reading battle scenes in some of my "old favorite" fantasy and SF books to see if I can pick up more pointers.
Hope my answers are at least somewhat helpful.
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Bernard Cornwell writes the best battle scenes of anyone living, IMO. They are vivid, brutal, visceral, and they flow like poetry.
Read his Saxon Chronicles. And Agincourt. And the Grail Quest series.
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I'll bite, and then I'll go and read what everyone else said 
1. Do you enjoy writing fight scenes? Why or why not?
I like fight scenes - but I don't enjoy writing them. They're probably the weakest part of my writing from my own (blinkered) perspective - I am constantly disappointed by my own efforts. Things are never as clear as I want them to be, and when I try to be clearer, I just end up with laundry lists of actions. Boring!
That said, there are two long (1,000 odd words) fight scenes in my current WIP - one at a key point in the first act, and a mirrored one in act three. They are important to showing the change in the POV character who is in both of them.
2. How do you execute your fight scenes?
Poorly? I write third person limited, so I stick with the main character and try to think about their experience. I find it particularly hard to manage pronouns in a melee, so I sometimes give opponents little tags (like "the blond one") to help.
3. How much detail do you have in your fight scenes? How much blood, gore, how much attention to movement, stance, and such?
My intention is for Bourne-style brutality. Results may vary. Bones break, and it should make you wince. There's blood, and it should make your stomach roil. It should be nasty without being overtly gory.
I have no martial arts training, nor do any of my characters so far. So there are no fancy stances or moves. That said, some of my characters are capable of beyond normal human speed and strength, and I hope to portray that, but these characters didn't magically develop super-kung fu powers to go with their physical prowess.
4. How do you weave elements of magic or technology that goes above and beyond swords, guns, hand-to-hand combat?
So far, I haven't really had to do this. My setting is very near future, and while there is some invented technology, none of it plays a great role in the fight scenes.
5. How do you maintain the urgency of the bigger character arcs during a fight scene? For example, you're writing from a character's POV who has everything on the line with this one battle. He'll get his family back, he'll save his village (your choice).
All the fight scenes I've written are key points on the involved character's arcs, which helps invest them with some meaning in the first place.
6. What authors do fight scenes well, in your opinion?
I thought the fight scenes in Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan were great. The opening is a brawl in a tiny flat, with exotic weapons all over the place, yet it's clear, kinetic, and interesting to read.
1. Do you enjoy writing fight scenes? Why or why not?
I like fight scenes - but I don't enjoy writing them. They're probably the weakest part of my writing from my own (blinkered) perspective - I am constantly disappointed by my own efforts. Things are never as clear as I want them to be, and when I try to be clearer, I just end up with laundry lists of actions. Boring!
That said, there are two long (1,000 odd words) fight scenes in my current WIP - one at a key point in the first act, and a mirrored one in act three. They are important to showing the change in the POV character who is in both of them.
2. How do you execute your fight scenes?
Poorly?
I write third person limited, so I stick with the main character and try to think about their experience. I find it particularly hard to manage pronouns in a melee, so I sometimes give opponents little tags (like "the blond one") to help.3. How much detail do you have in your fight scenes? How much blood, gore, how much attention to movement, stance, and such?
My intention is for Bourne-style brutality. Results may vary. Bones break, and it should make you wince. There's blood, and it should make your stomach roil. It should be nasty without being overtly gory.
I have no martial arts training, nor do any of my characters so far. So there are no fancy stances or moves. That said, some of my characters are capable of beyond normal human speed and strength, and I hope to portray that, but these characters didn't magically develop super-kung fu powers to go with their physical prowess.
4. How do you weave elements of magic or technology that goes above and beyond swords, guns, hand-to-hand combat?
So far, I haven't really had to do this. My setting is very near future, and while there is some invented technology, none of it plays a great role in the fight scenes.
5. How do you maintain the urgency of the bigger character arcs during a fight scene? For example, you're writing from a character's POV who has everything on the line with this one battle. He'll get his family back, he'll save his village (your choice).
All the fight scenes I've written are key points on the involved character's arcs, which helps invest them with some meaning in the first place.
6. What authors do fight scenes well, in your opinion?
I thought the fight scenes in Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan were great. The opening is a brawl in a tiny flat, with exotic weapons all over the place, yet it's clear, kinetic, and interesting to read.
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1. Do you enjoy writing fight scenes? Why or why not?
Sometimes. It really depends on the fight scene, where it is in the book, what's going to happen, etc. Most of the time, yes I do because magic just makes things more fun.
2. How do you execute your fight scenes?
Tension is key. There needs to be some sort of jeopardy the main character is in. Even if you know they are going to make it out, it has to seem like they aren't.
3. How much detail do you have in your fight scenes? How much blood, gore, how much attention to movement, stance, and such?
I give it a good amount of detail. The way I see it, you can describe a building for hours, but that's pretty boring (you can go out and stare at a building if you want). But with a fight scene, especially one with magic, that's something you can't see, that's something I need to show you.
4. How do you weave elements of magic or technology that goes above and beyond swords, guns, hand-to-hand combat?
Have to keep the magic interesting, it needs to do new, unexpected things or be used with unexpected items.
5. How do you maintain the urgency of the bigger character arcs during a fight scene? For example, you're writing from a character's POV who has everything on the line with this one battle. He'll get his family back, he'll save his village (your choice).
The fight itself should keep the urgency at a peak, if it doesn't, then the fight isn't working. There should be arcs inside the fight scene as well, and they should mirror the overall arc of the story.
6. What authors do fight scenes well, in your opinion?
Can't think of one I really enjoy the fight scenes in, but I would say Terry Brooks has a couple nice fight scenes.
Sometimes. It really depends on the fight scene, where it is in the book, what's going to happen, etc. Most of the time, yes I do because magic just makes things more fun.
2. How do you execute your fight scenes?
Tension is key. There needs to be some sort of jeopardy the main character is in. Even if you know they are going to make it out, it has to seem like they aren't.
3. How much detail do you have in your fight scenes? How much blood, gore, how much attention to movement, stance, and such?
I give it a good amount of detail. The way I see it, you can describe a building for hours, but that's pretty boring (you can go out and stare at a building if you want). But with a fight scene, especially one with magic, that's something you can't see, that's something I need to show you.
4. How do you weave elements of magic or technology that goes above and beyond swords, guns, hand-to-hand combat?
Have to keep the magic interesting, it needs to do new, unexpected things or be used with unexpected items.
5. How do you maintain the urgency of the bigger character arcs during a fight scene? For example, you're writing from a character's POV who has everything on the line with this one battle. He'll get his family back, he'll save his village (your choice).
The fight itself should keep the urgency at a peak, if it doesn't, then the fight isn't working. There should be arcs inside the fight scene as well, and they should mirror the overall arc of the story.
6. What authors do fight scenes well, in your opinion?
Can't think of one I really enjoy the fight scenes in, but I would say Terry Brooks has a couple nice fight scenes.
Some great responses! I'll have to jump back on in a day or two to look them over more closely. (Had eye surgery, so time on computer is limited.) Just saying thanks to all who have posted so far.
Some great responses! I'll have to jump back on in a day or two to look them over more closely. (Had eye surgery, so time on computer is limited.) Just saying thanks to all who have posted so far.
Gah! Here's to a quick recovery so you can get back to writing and reading
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Here's hoping it's the good kind of eye surgery, with lasers and stuff and then HD VISION.
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