Hello's, as the title suggest I'm having a lot of trouble describing a fight scene, and would like some little tips and tricks from you guys ( if it affects it, the character is surrounded) I'm not looking for you to write the paragraph for me, though I'd doubt any of you would, any and all tips would be appreciated, Thanks, Zantorian
Keep it quick, don't be afraid to abandon the norms of grammar and punctuation when necessary, and avoid florid description. You want your words to punch the reader.
Use short sentences, active voice. Follow action with reaction. Focus on the present. So for example, if Bill was being kicked in the gut, he's not gonna start thinking about shoes, he's gonna scream in pain and perhaps regret this morning's breakfast (depending on the pace). In my experience, use paragraphs and single words to add some punch and regulate the pace and shock factor. Use strong verbs. Oh and keep the pace quick.
You could try watching one of your favorite action movie scenes where the guy gets himself surrounded and practice jotting down some moves. But try not to reveal everything , like the others said short sentences with high energy action verbs are best. Also, include some of what the guy, whose got himself surrounded is feeling , his adrenalin rush , his fear , his strength sapping. Think of some key images - They closed in like a pack of wolves , nailed him in the solar plexus , kicked his jaw back between his ears , spun , darted , the sound of fists colliding with flesh , plunged into the pack and grabbed the nearest set of shoulder and shot putted that mother. Lol. Have fun with it.
If you are writing from a character's limited viewpoint, make sure you don't over-describe things. Instead of describing exactly how your character got punched, describe a blur of motion, and then how your character felt (was in terrible pain).
The area of the belly just below the sternum. The place where, when you get punched that's when you go - oof! and double over.
Describe the characters panic or fear of losing in their inner monologue, throughout the fight. Add conversation in the fight. Describe how your character feels pain.. e.g. "Bob drove his fist into Johns belly, driving his breath away" "John's heart began to race as fear began to grip him"
I heard one way to do it would be to picture it as a film scene, like what would the camera be focusing on? How about a close up of the fist, then the emotion on the opponents face. 'I/he clenched my fist and looked into his eyes. I couldn't tell how he was feeling. Calm? Angry? His face revealed nothing. His arm moved and before I could acknowledge it, I had been pushed onto the floor, my face stinging.' When the actual fight happens though, usually it's very fast without much thinking. If the character doesn't know what he's doing, just say he moved his arm and felt it collide with something, and describe the pain.
That's the point my friend, you MUST lose to know what a real fight is like. Just get in a little scuffle with a friend you trust or something, luckily for me, i've been in many fights when i was younger so i know the basic feeling. I could give my perspective of it if you'd prefer that rather than risking a black eye lol.
Look up self-defense moves. They have pictures with discriptions describing what to do. I found reading about how to defend yourself (with the picture) helpful for writing fight scenes.
