How to write Action Scenes?

  • Action is an Enthralling & Compelling Genre.
  • Action scenes may be the hardest ones to write as they need to balance Pace & Punch more than any other.

Summary – 4 Steps to write Action Scenes

If you want to write a great Action Scene focus on 4 main elements:

  1. The Stakes of the Scene, namely the Reward.
  2. The Relationships between the Protagonist & the Antagonist.
  3. How to use the Environment as a Weapon or a way out.
  4. The Specificities of each Character’s Fighting Style.
  • Actions Scenes should not stop the Story.
  • They should Enhance the Story.

Types of Action Scenes

The 4 categories presented generally overlap & you can transition between them.

  • Thwart & Rescue
  • What has been Stolen?
  • Who has been rapt?
  • Why?
    • Fame
    • Wealth
    • Knowledge
  • Who Stole it?
  • Who captured her?
  • Why?
    • Goal
    • Interests
  • How do you get rid of this Menace?
  • How do you get the object/person you’re supposed to recover/rescue?
  • Which way is the shortest to get out?
  • Chase & Escape
  • Who chases?
  • Who escapes?
  • Which vehicle do they use?
    • What is the size of the vehicle?
    • What’s their weight?
    • What’s their capacity?
    • What’s their state?
  • Does it have defensive capabilities?
  • Does is have offensive capabilities?
  • Where are we?
    • Is it clogged?
    • Is it cluttered?
  • Racing & Competition
  • How many contestants are there?
  • Which vehicle do they use?
  • What are their characteristics?
  • Does everyone use the same type of vehicles?
  • How is the Circuit?
  • What are its peculiarities?
  • Fight/Shootout/Battle Royal
  • Any Action scene may be construed as a Fight.
  • Fight here is synonymous to Physical Combat.
  • How many participants are there?
  • Which weapon do they use?
  • How experienced are they?
  • Where do they fight?
    • Do they know the location?
    • Is it Advantageous to them?
    • How is the field?

Choose your Weapon

  • Main Criteria
  • What weapon are you using?
  • Is it your only Choice?
  • Is there an Attachment to this weapon?
  • What are the quirks of this weapon?
  • What are the limits of this weapon?
  • No Weapon/The Body
  • Do you want to focus on the abilities of Humans?
  • Do you want to focus on the limitations of the human body?
  • Your Character gains Full freedom of movement.
  • But, she had Limited reach & limited mean to protect herself.
  • Does she wear an armor?
  • Does she wear Gloves?
  • Is the fighting style memorable?
  • Are the techniques easily Identifiable?
  • Are they easy to perform?
  • Action verbs: Punch, Kick, Grab, Scratch, Clench, Hold
  • Fights with white weapons:
  • Why are White Weapons are mostly reserved to the most Dramatic Fights?
  • Is it a Duel?
  • What is the importance of the Fight?
  • How is the weapon?
    • What’s its Size?
    • What’s its Weight?
    • What Distance can it reach?
    • What Moves can you make with it?
  • What Poise do you need to use it?
  • What Endurance do you need to use it?
  • What Strength do you need?
  • What Dexterity do you need?
  • What Agility do you need?
  • Is it a Blade weapon like a Dagger or a Sword?
  • Is it a Blunt weapon like a Mace of a heavy Axe?
  • Is it an Hybrid weapons like a Halberd?
  • Blunt
    • Action verbs: Crush, Puncture, Burst
  • Blade
    • Action verbs: Slash, Slice, Hack, Thrust, Slit
  • Fights with fire weapons:
  • What’s the size of the grip?
  • Are you comfortable using it?
  • Is it easy to conceal?
  • What’s the Weight of the weapon?
  • What’s its Recoil?
  • What’s its Fire speed?
  • How’s the magazine?
  • Which Distance can it reach?
  • What’s the Projectile type?
  • What’s its Precision level?
  • What’s the Marksmanship level of the Gunner?
  • Is it safe to use this Fire weapon?
    • Thumb Safeties
    • Grip Safeties
    • Trigger Safeties
  • Does it malfunction?
  • Who has used it?
  • How is the exterior of the Gun?
  • Is it high-maintenance?
  • Action verbs: Aim, Shoot, Pepper, Reload, Fire, Fling, Propel, Emit, Burn, Open Fire, Blow, Zap
  • Fights with Vehicles
  • Is the Vehicle Damaged?
  • Is the tank Leaking?
  • Does it have enough Fuel?
  • Does everyone use the same type of vehicles?
  • What differences are there between the vehicles?
  • Does it have defensive capabilities?
  • Does it have offensive capabilities?
  • What is the vehicle’s propulsion mean?
  • What’s its gas mileage?
  • How does it motor convert Energy?
  • Is it fuel-efficient?
  • What are its Thermodynamic characteristics?
  • What are its Electromagnetic pattern?
  • Action verbs: Reach, Collide, Wallop, Smite, Swat, Crash, Clash, Bang, Touch
  • Fights with Spells
  • What is the Element?
  • What is the Color of the Spell?
  • What’s its Shape?
  • How does it behave?
    • Does go in a straight line?
    • Does it rotate around the target?
    • Does it follow the target?
  • What is the use of the Spell?
  • Has it been deviated from the traditional use?
  • What type of Energy is it?
  • Who/What is Weak to this type of Spell?
  • Who/What Resists to this type of Spell?
  • Who/What is Immune to it?
  • Can it be used in Combination with others?
  • Action verbs: Dawn on, Comes to, Impinges on, Burn, Burst, Freeze, Cracks, Divides, Engulfs, Swallows, Kindle, Toast, Radiate
    • You can really use any kind of verbs when it comes to Spell as it is the most flexible category of weapon.
  • Fights with Words
  • Which words should you use?
  • Which words disgust your opponent?
  • Which words excite your opponent?
  • Which words enrage your opponent?
  • Which words sadden your opponent?
  • How can you create more intimacy with your target?
  • How can you create more distance with your target?
  • How can you exhaust her?
  • How can you threaten her?
  • Action verbs: Situation specific
    • Focus on the Emotion the Character wishes to Convey to pick your verb.

If you want to know more about creating unique Weapons.

Violence level

  • How does the Environment conveys Pain?
  • How is the Atmosphere?
  • What Natural Weapons are there?
  • What Synergies & Paradoxes are created?
  • Can the character see the threat?
  • Where is it?
  • Can she assess the level of menace?
  • The Environment itself can become a Weapon if the Character is familiar with it.
  • Is she Exhausted?
  • Is your character Unable to use the weapon?
  • Does she have to hinder herself to use it?
  • Does she spin because the weapon is to cumbersome?
  • Are the damages still miserable even if she 2-hands it?
  • How does she manifest her frustration?
  • Is her Body affected?
  • Does she suffer from an Illness?
  • Is she Overwhelmed?
  • Are there too many enemies?
  • Are the ennemies too powerful?
  • What advantage do they have on her?
  • Can she flee?
  • What level of Gore does the scene contain?
  • Is there Dismemberment?
  • Is there Disembowelment?
  • Is there Blood?
  • Are there Body Destructions?
  • Gore is not a necessity.
  • It is merely a figure of Amplification.
  • The difference between Action & Horror
  • In Action the characters are often in control.
  • In Horror the characters are rarely in control.
  • All depends on the Crisis the Characters are supposed to Face.
  • If you’re writing in a different Genre you’ll want to balance the moments of control & loss.
  • A proper balance helps enhancing the phenomenon of Fatality.

If you want to know more about Conflicts.

Action & Development

  • Who do the Characters Fight?
  • Why do they fight this Individual/Organization?
  • What are the Stakes?
  • What are the possible Outcomes?
  • Which Outcome is most relevant to the Characters’ evolution?
  • Which kind of Evolution?
  • How does this fight indicate the Story’s advancement?
  • What is the tempo of the Fight?
  • How far are we in the Story?
  • In which environment are we fighting?
  • How does this relate to the Stakeholders?
  • How is the Conflict displayed?
  • Is it Ascending?
  • Is it displaying the World’s evolution?
  • How detailed is the Setting presentation?
  • How does the Setting serve the Fight?
  • How is it integrated into the Story?
  • What happens before the Fight?
  • Where are the Characters before the Fight?
  • What happens after the Fight?
  • Where are the Characters after the Fight?

If you want to know more about Character Development.

Writing through her Eyes

  • Should you write at the 1st person?
  • Who’s Point Of View is it?
  • Does your fight needs More Dialogues?
  • Does it need Less description?
  • Keep Phrases Short.
  • Write only the Action Verb.
  • Why write at the 1st person?
  • Using the 3rd allows you to display the publics reaction to a fight.
  • 3rd person also allows you to go for a global description of the scene.
  • 3rd person Objectifies.
  • Do you need objectivity?
  • Or do you need Intensity?
  • Do you need Brutality?
  • What relationship do you want to create between the Character & the Public?
  • Do you want to distance the Character from the Public?
    • If so, you could always write from an exterior Point of View.
    • Here, you would barely display the Characters thoughts.
  • Do you want the Public to impersonate the Character?
  • Do you want her to approve the Character’s perspective?
  • Do you want to create a Contrast between the Public’s perspective & the Character’s?
  • Do you want to create a Synergy between the Public’s perspective & the Character’s?
  • Do you want to create a Paradox between the Public’s perspective & the Character’s?

If you want to know more about understanding your Character.


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