Writing Action Scenes


We tend to think of action scenes as the kind we see in movies – fast paced, furious, violent and with lots happening etc, but in reality, action scenes can encompass many things in fiction, and are not always so fast and furious – they can be single character scenes providing action, or slower paced scenes between two characters which still contain action, for instance sexual scenes.
Action scenes don’t necessarily equal violence and chases.
Action scenes occur when there is a significant shift in the narrative – an argument or disagreement between characters for instance, or a character discovers a secret, or something is revealed.  Perhaps a food fight breaks out, or you might have a character competing in a race. Perhaps your characters have fled an aircraft with parachutes.  And action can take place without your characters even moving.
Many new writers assume they have to have lots of action scenes in order to maintain the reader’s interest and keep up a fast pace, but this isn’t always the case.
The key to writing good action scenes lies in the way they actually relate to the narrative.  In other words, action scenes should form naturally through the story and because of preceding events within the story. This is because action is directly related to reaction.  Characters act and react to other characters and situations.
Never force action when it isn’t necessary – the result will be artificial and stilted.
Writing Action scenes
They should happen because of the story, not because the writer thinks the reader wants them.  More importantly, they should also allow readers to feel as though they are part of the events unfolding in the story.
Many action scenes rely on description to support dialogue, and vice versa, so any key action scene should always ‘show, not tell’.
The pace can vary the narrative from slow to fast, to slow again etc.  This helps to vary the tension in the scenes in order to match the action. Creating atmosphere also helps action scenes because you are making the character act under pressure, you’re making them make quick decisions, backing them into corners and not letting them have it all their own way.
Handling Action Scenes
Writing action scenes is not always easy.  Some action scenes are written so badly that they prove difficult to read because they are so clumsy.  They inadvertently slow the momentum of the story, or they make the narrative stutter.
Think how the scene should play out in real time. Action means immediacy. If you have to convey a sense of panic or swift action – like a chase scene for instance – then the narrative doesn’t require detailed and long-winded descriptions of every movement. Instead be brief and to the point. 
To get an idea, try performing some actions that your character would do, and how they might react.  Quick actions require short, staccato words and brief descriptions, for example:
Dan grabbed Sam’s collar, pushed him hard against the door.
Sam swung his arm and caught Dan in the jaw, rocked him. As the big man stumbled back, Sam rammed a tight fist into Dan’s torso…
On the other hand, action scenes that rely on sensory details use longer words and a little more description. For example:
Dan raced down the corridor - heard footsteps behind him, loud across the cold floor, but he dared not look back.  He grabbed the doorknob, slammed against the door, hoping to God it would open…
The observant would have noticed something about these two examples.
They make use of verbs.  Action loves verbs; they’re the best words to use because they give your action scenes impetus.   
Another thing to remember is to keep some realism and don’t make your characters into macho superheroes who perform incredible feats of strength and agility just at the right moment.  Most main characters are ordinary people caught up in extraordinary circumstances, so don’t have them perform beyond their capabilities.  The result can be ridiculous.
If in doubt, as a writer, put yourself in your character’s shoes – could you do the kind of things that your character does? 
During my research for a novel, I undertook karate lessons to understand it and feel what it was like to practise it.  The character had to perform it proficiently; therefore I had to understand the movements and actions in order to realistically convey them.
How Many Action Scenes?
Be careful with the amount of action scenes you create. Too many will kill the story, whereas too few might not adequately support it. Combine the action scenes with slower, reflective to allow the reader to relax a little and contemplate the events before gearing up for the next action scene.
Remember that action scenes should be a natural result of the character’s actions and reactions to situations – the character’s ultimate goal should drive the story forward and thereby setting up proceeding scenes as it gathers pace. Each subsequent scene should be more dramatic than the preceding one, thus building up the pressure and tension until the conclusion.
The most dramatic and biggest scene should come at the end of the story – the denouement, the end game, the battle royale, so to speak.  Always save the best ‘til last.
Resist the urge to be self-indulgent with action scenes.  Instead think carefully how you want to write them.  Think in real-time, think realism, think immediacy, but most of all, make sure your action scenes evolve naturally.

Next week: Constructing scenes

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chapter & Novel Lengths

Just how long should a chapter be? What’s the best length? And does a novel have to fit into a set amount of words? These are just two of the most common questions asked by writers.   They assume they have to work to a strict template of X amount of words and X amount of chapters, usually because most novels have around 30 or 40 chapters and around 80,000 words.   Novel Lengths Firstly, let’s dispel a few myths - novel lengths are dictated by the story itself, not the writer or the editor or a specific written formula.   Secondly, writers don’t have to fit their word count into generic set amounts.   Again, the story will dictate how long the novel will be. It’s also worth knowing the different types of novels that work well with different word counts.   Uncomplicated stories containing minimal characters tend to be short – usually around 20,000 to 60,000 words.   These are called novellas. Longer, more complex stories, which contain a handful o...
Read more

What Makes a Story Dark?

If you’re a horror writer or you love to write dark, psychological stories and thrillers, or moralistic tales, this is the one question that needs an answer. Wanting a dark story and writing one are two different things, so how do you actually make a story dark? To answer that you first have to understand what is meant by ‘dark’. We usually define ‘dark’ as quantifiable elements that we know and are familiar with, but it’s more than that. Dark doesn’t necessarily mean scary or gory with a crazy psychopath going around chopping people into bits. Instead we have to think of ‘dark ‘as anything outside our accepted rose-tinted reality. Dark is the underbelly of our society; it’s the handling of ideas, themes, social issues and behaviours that would be seen as morally unacceptable. It’s less about fictional monsters but more about the real monsters that lurk in the shadows, something that is underscored by our fears and anxieties. It’s the unknown, because the things we don’t know ...
Read more

Modifiers, Intensifiers and Qualifiers - Part 2

Unlike modifiers, which modify words or phrases, an Intensifier is a term for a modifier that amplifies the meaning of the word it modifies. An intensifier is used exclusively to modify adverbs and adjectives and is placed  before the word it is meant to modify.  In simple terms, the intensifier emphasises adverbs and adjectives - it makes them more intense . The word is derived from Latin, meaning to “intend or stretch”. In grammatical terms, the intensifier lends no weight to the meaning of a sentence other than to give it an additional emotional nuance to the word it is modifying, however, since they modify adverbs and adjectives, they should be treated in the same way adverbs adjectives – used little and sparingly wherever possible within your writing. This is where learning to spot them will benefit your quality of writing. Intensifiers are attributive and serve only to fill space, so unless there is a valid reason to intensify the meaning and emotion ...
Read more