I can understand writing a normal fight scene that could be equivalent to a brawl at a bar, or a man surviving a bear attack as they're just normal people that we can easily insert ourselves into for the scene. However when it comes to characters who regularly use spells, or has enhanced strength and durability, or wields a magic sword I'm kind of at a loss. It seems that a lot of fight scenes I make end up being either boring or repetitive, as I feel like I have to constantly point out that these aren't regular people and can both take and dish out more than the average guy. For people who write fantasy type stories, how do you go about making fight scenes that work in conveying what you want to convey to your readers?
I'm no expert, but I think an important element of this as a reader is really emphasizing the limitations and weakness of the characters. Fight scenes are tense in real life, and there are presumably things at stake. When you write about them, you want to convey the tension and the stakes. More tension equals a greater release.
I recommend to establish the magic conventions and magic use prior to the fight scene so that the readers understand the ins and outs of magic in your story. You can work this into your story or into prologue via different instances of your characters using magic in day to day activities to show the readers what they are capable of. The fight scene will then elevate those magical capabilities to a new level. (E.g. he used his magic sword to slice a stone pillar in half... the readers now know the capabilities of the magic sword)
It's much the same as making a mundane fight scene (or any other kind of high-stakes conflict) interesting--either have an interesting narrative to the progress of the fight itself or in the personal arcs of the fighters (or if possible, both). The video below is a great explanation of how to do this. When it comes to making superhuman characters feel impressive, maybe something like these suggestions? --Cut back to the "baseline" of regular people and their surroundings to remind the audience of the power being wielded. People getting knocked off their feet by backblast, the ground cracking under the feet of a character as they block a mighty blow, stray spells starting fires, etc. --Don't make it characters just smashing their power levels into each other. There are still going to be tactics, deception, feints, and the dozens of other ways people tip the odds in their favour in any kind of battle, and magic will increase those possibilities. For example, maybe one character throws up an Ice Shield, the Fire Bolt destroys it easily....but that was just a feint to produce mist which their water magic can now turn into a weapon! Maybe the power of the magic sword only works for a short time before it begins to consume the life force of the user, so a canny opponent can just stay on the defensive until the batteries begin to run dry. --Add things into the fight other than just "make the other guy fall down". Give the characters objectives other than just fighting, and the scene becomes more interesting, especially if the characters can use their powers to come up with unorthodox ways to deal with those factors. What if the duel is taking place in a burning house or sinking ship? What if civilians need to be protected, or the fight is also a chase scene to catch or escape someone? --Make the characters feel human, even if they're wielding great power. Maybe that mighty blow just left a light cut instead of taking Bob's arm off, but it's still going to hurt! Exhaustion, pain and emotion are still going to be factors that the characters have to deal with that will make them relatable--even if I haven't ever drained my mana reserves to dangerously low levels in a battle of wills with a demon, I still know how it feels to be exhausted.
Check out Brandon Sanderson's laws of magic https://coppermind.net/wiki/Sanderson's_Laws_of_Magic If magic is going to make a difference in the fight, then it needs to have defined constraints, otherwise anything you do comes off like a deus ex machina, in that there is no established basis for the victory. It is just arbitrary. For soft magic systems, where the rules are not well defined (example: Lord of the Rings), then magic should be either on the opposing side, or unreliable. Gandalf is too busy to help, and is so powerful that he can't be trusted near the ring anyway. But even the One Ring has well defined rules, in that its bearer cannot ever, under any circumstances, choose to destroy it.
Whatever you decide, write a method and stick to it. I Usually write a paragraph of what I am trying to achieve out of a chapter / scene. (including bullet points) I then write the story 2 line above it. Then it is always just a couple of lines away from what I have written and is easily at hand. I find this helps keep things on track. Be careful when showing also, a chapter of say 4.5k words can only hold so much show - tell - dialogue etc. A fightscene or paragraph will usually use up alot of show very quickly and if it becomes unbalanced by having to much show, we run the risk of the reader getting board. I definatley think less is more. When we are talking about a fight, we are talking about power, when we are talking about magic we are talking about power. In real life or stories, People / charcters have power over others even if they are just more persuasive / accertive. Overdoing the power thing for me is just a turn off. Thats just my opinion. Although if it is done properly it is the thing that holds the readers attention.
I compare the magic with something people can actually visualise. So however it is your magic works, compare it to feelings and objects and things that behave in a similar nature. Perhaps the magic crawls through your skin like the feet of spiders, a scurry of silent tippy-toes before it bursts through the hands, like the release of a web. Maybe it's sharp like the raising of one's hackles, like claws that dig. Maybe you move it the same way one moves water, hands sweeping through the air as if through nothing - but it's there, like pressure against your hand or heat in your palms. You get the idea.
1) Watch some anime. What you're describing, as far as people dealing and receiving more damage than normal, often appears in anime shows. 2) Have you ever read Chinese web novels (the English, not the Chinese)? A lot of them are wuxia (think Crouching Tiger), so their fights are over-the-top - you might get some ideas for how to deal with your problem there. Plus, they're fun to read. 3) Superhero shows and movies are also a good source of high-powered battles. Pretend they're using magic instead of powers.
