Let's Talk About Pacing Our Fight Scenes.
For Fast-Paced Parts:
Short words with single syllables. Immediately > at once/ endeavour > try/ indicate > point at/ investigate > check out.
Short sentences, the shorter the better.
Partial sentences to blaze through multiple senses and actions within a few lines.
Short paragraphs
Lots of verbs.
Few adjectives and adverbs.
Cut down on -ing form of verbs, as it can make words longer
Use simple past tense
Avoid conjunctions and link words.
Avoid internal thought - your characters are irrational, ruthless and in the flow of pure action.
For Slow-Paced Parts:
Use medium/long sentences
the paragraphs are longer: three lines minimum
Include longer words with more syllables
Use adjectives and maybe a couple of adverbs.
Insert the thoughts of the PoV character.
Words for Action Scenes
act, alter, attack, avert, back, block, bang, bash, battle, beat, beg, belt, bend, best, bite, blacken, bleed, blind, blister, blow, blunt, boil, bolt, boot, bore, bow, box, brace, brag, brash, brawl, break, breathe, brush, buck, bulgde, burn, burst, cackle, call, can, carry, cart, carve, catch, check, chop, chuck, clack, clank, clap, clash, claw, clear, cleave, click, cliff, cling, clip, close, club, cock, coil, cold, collar, come, con, connect, corner, cost, count, counter, cover, cower, crack, crackle, cram, crash, crawl, creep, crinkle, cross, crouch, rush, cry, cuff, cull, cup, curl, curse, curve, cusp, cut, dart, dash, deepen, dig, deep, dip, ditch, drive, drop, duck, dump, ede, effect, erect, escape, exert, expect, feint, fight, fire fist, fit, flag, flare, flash, flick, fling, flip, flock, force, gash, gasp, get, gore, grab, grasp, grip, grope, group, hack, harden, heat, help, hit, hop, hurl, hurry, impale, jab, jar, jerk, join, jolt, jump, keep, kick, kill, knee, knock, knot, knuckle, leak, leap, let, lever, lick, lift, lock, loop, lop, plunge, mask, nick, nip, open, oppose, pace, pack, pain, pair, pale, palm, pan, pant, parry, part, pass, paste, pat, peak, peck, pelt, pick, pierce, pile, ping, piss, pit, pivot, plot, pluck, plug, plunge, ply, point, pool, pop, pose, pot, pound, pour, powder, pray, preen, prepare, prey, prick, prickle, print, probe, pry, pull, pulp, pulse, pump, punch, pursue, push, quarry, quarter, quest, race, raise, rake, ram, rap, rasp, rear, retreat, rip, riposte, rivert, roar, rock, roll, rope, round, rouse, run, rush, sap, scale, scalp, scan, score,scream, seek, seep, shake, shape, sharpen, shock, shoot, shop, slap, slap, slash, slice, slick, slip, slit, smash, snap, snare, snatch, snipe, sock, space, spar, spark, speed, spike, spill, spin, spit, splash, spoil, spring, spur, spurt, spy, squirm, stand, steert, step, stick, strap, strike, stuff, suck, support, swat, sweat, sweep, swingm tack, tag, take, target, taste, team, tear, tent, test, thrash, throw, thrust, thud, tick, tide, tilt, time, tire, top, toss, tower, toy, trap, trick, trigger, trip, triumph, trouble, trump, try, tuck, tug, twril, twitch, weaken, wet, whip, whirl, whirr, whoop, whoosh, whop, work, zap, zip.
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Different Genres, Different Fight Scenes.
Romance
No real gore; write entertaining fight scenes with an illusion of reality
Avoid excessive arobatics or feats of unbelievable strength. Stay realistic - describe the weather, how the ground feels.
Add a layer of erotic tension.
Use injuries as opportunities to test the hero and heroine's relationship, for displaying touching and tender care.
Fight scenes in romance tend to be short (<700w)
Where there are several fight scenes: (1) he comes to her rescue - (2) she comes to his rescue (3) together they fight in the final showdown.
Fantasy
Fantasy fight scenes will primarily be enertaining, but have considerable grit.
Since readers needs to retain their suspense of disbelief in dragons, fairies, unicorns, etc. it helps to keep fights realistic.
Heroes will be skilled in using the weapon of their choice, and he climax of the fight will be prolonged, detailed and technically precise.
Science Fiction
Invent a special weapon for your book. To make it plausible, take a real-life weapon and extrapolate.
To make it interesting, the weapon will have a critical flaw or have consequences to the user which will make the plot more interesting.
Thriller
Fight scene in thrillera are very gritty, with real violence and gore. There will be several injuries and death.
However, the hero will also show off his skill in prolonged fight scenes, making it entertaining.
The suspense section is typically long
The hero will often have advanced level fighting skills.
Horror
As long as the blood is plot relevant, readers will want to see gore and grit.
The suspense and aftermath sections will be long, with unexpected twists that gets the hero behind his back.
Cozy Mystery
Cozy mystery won't have too much fighting involved, but if it does it will be be short.
Focus on how the hero struggles towards the next clue as a result of the fight rather than on the fight itself.
Historical
Fight in historical novels can be anything between entertaining and gritty.
Consider the periodic background, tech level, and relative wealth of your fighters before you give them weapons and armour.
In period where life expectancy was shorter and violence was more commonplace, your heros will be less bothered about seeing death, gory gutting, or having children in battle. Less qualms about killing.
In most periods and societies women didn't fight, and you must come up with a plausible backstory for her.
Literary
Either the fight takes place off stage or it is shown in all its realistic brutality.
Literary fight scenes are gritty and short.
You will choose to focus on the aftermath - play up the tragic, sinful, meaninglessness, etc. of violence for the reader and how it affects your hero's psyche.
Young Adult
YA fight scenes are entertaining, but it can escalate to be very scary.
he plot often revolves around he protagnoist performing implausible feats of fighting, often with exceptional martial arts skills.
Choose whatever martial arts teenagers find "cool" and build up your knowledge about it.
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