Writing Excuses Transcripts

Writing Excuses Season Two Episode 21: Fight Scenes

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/03/01/writing-excuses-season-2-episode-21-fight-scenes/

Key Points: Fight scenes in novels aren't just bad knockoffs of movie fight scenes -- show the emotions, thoughts, and motivations. Focus on pinnacles and nadirs. Make sure the reader knows where things are and what is going on -- do your setup work. Goals can make the actions sing. Consider your character's expertise, your reader's expertise, and the moral ramifications, then decide whether to go for blow-by-blow, abstract, beautiful writing, showing the cost, and what else goes into your fight scene -- or gets left out.
( blow-by-blow )
[Brandon] All right. Writing Prompt? Write a fight between two people who have never been in a fight before.
[Dan] And have to use their environment cleverly.
[Brandon] This has been Writing Excuses. Thanks for listening.