[Spike Francis]

I haven't yet needed to write anything literative which centres around a sword fight or a chase or anything like that, but I know I will eventually need to and really have no idea how it's done. I take solace though in the probability that there really is no 'good' way of doing it. You only need to read a Matthew Reilly book to know how much action scenes fail as a rule of thumb, but what worries me is that not even George RR Martin could really do them right. They're the weak point in any book they appear in.

I was wondering if anyone knows of any really good action sequences in a novel which they wouldn't mind linking, just so I have an idea of where to start. Thanks.

[swords]

The Warhammer (fantasy) and Warhammer 40K (Sci-Fi) series novels are all quite good with their battle scenes, extended hunts, chases... They are quite fast reading books. By using short sentences in the action scenes, it seems to cause me to read faster. I can sometimes plow through two 400 page novels in one 12 hour shift at work. The books are loaded with graphic descriptions of the action & effects of battle but many are also concerned with military strategy and discipline which helps to make everything much more realistic and not just mindless violence. Some of the books are almost 75% battle scenes/action so they've gotta be readable to keep you interested. They keep me interested anyway!

Unfortunately I can't link to any online examples but any bookseller who sells SFF book series (star trek, dragonlance...) ought to have some of the Warhammer series novels. Amazon has them all as used for almost nothing. You can read any Warhammer books which look good to you as they can be read as stand alones or collected and reread when more books of a certain legion/army/etc come out. I intended to buy only one of the Warhammer 40K books a couple months ago but I got so into it, I've read about 3 dozen of them now!

A few of my fave Warhammer 40K novels with big epic battles are:
Dark Disciple by Anthony Reynolds
Storm of Iron by Graham McNeil
Mechanicum by Graham McNeil
Daemon World by Ben Counter

And despite all the battles they still have some interesting philosophical expositions and stories to boot.

BTW I hate Warhammer short stories. Ignore the short story collections (Tales of Heresy and Heroes of the Space Marines) and go for the novels.

[kater]

James Barclay writes excellent action scenes and there's a thread around here somewhere (I think :)) about his ideas on them. I'll see if I can find it. Also David Gemmell - very clear what's going on in his sequences.

[zachariah]

Try The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

[swords]

There is also this book available:
Elements of Fiction Writing: Conflict, Action and Suspense
http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Writing-Fiction-Conflict-Suspense/dp/0898799074/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253402563&sr=1-1

I have it but haven't read it thoroughly yet.

[kmtolan]

Spike,

Action sequences are as "good" as the reader's preferences. What caught me was your thpughts that few books you've read came up to what you considered a good action sequence.

It's all subjective. In the end, you will write what you yourself like best.

Any action sequence, much like any other scene, is a miniature story in itself. It has a hook, a rising plot arc, and more often than not an abrupt climax. Myself, I tend to think about the following during my writing:

1. Narration to an absolute minimum. This is not the time to explain how a Mark IV blaster works.

2. Dialog, when spoken, tends to be short and terse. It also tends to be to the immediate point rather than some droning monologue. This is survival mode, not public speaking.

3. Sentence flow is crucial. Set up a rhythm as you might dramatic music. Short sentences rule - and in the few times I toss in a single word sentence, it would be during an action sequence.

4. Engage the senses. I can tell you from combat experience that every sense comes alive. I still remember the pungent smell of cordite to this day, and the drift of smoke columns in a pre-dawn silhouette against background lights.

5. Engage the emotions. This is where your characters shine. Hatred. Fear. The works, so to speak.

6. Tempo - otherwise known as pacing. It only slows when you absolutely want it to slow, as when you are setting up for that second unexpected assault.

Okay, so this is my take. The next person will have their own ideas to be sure, and none of us may be able to deliver what you're looking for. It's all subjective as said, and there is never a silver bullet or magic formula. In the end, you have to do what feels right for you.

Kerry

[tmso]

Wow Kerry - thank you so much for your advice. All very good points, I'll have to keep those in mind for when I write my next fight scene.

Spike, I think Kerry might be right about how subjective reading a fight scene can be. I tend to like fight sequences that are vague, with only a few key moves well described. So, I imagine all the ones that you don't like, I probably do. I like the ones that are very descriptive too, but I just like the vague ones better.

I really enjoyed everything, and I mean everything, that was done in Hunter's Run (by Martin, Abraham and Dozois). The chase, the river raft fight, the big 'cat' attack, everything.

[Laer Carroll]

Kerry, terrific advice.

I think Kerry ... right about how subjective reading a fight scene can be. I tend to like fight sequences that are vague, with only a few key moves well described.

The key word is "key" - giving our readers crucial and evocative detail but leaving out those the reader can supply, who will create more vivid scenes than we do because the details come from their own experiences.

We must write what we love to read, rather than what we guess our readers will love. If we don't enjoy our own stories, the chances are better that our readers will not enjoy them either.

PACING - I want to add how important this is. Those all-out hundred-yard dashes that go on for hundreds of miles exist only in first-person-shooter games or bad action movies. They grow tiring and monotonous when we read them.

The scenes that are more likely to catch and hold our reader's attention have rhythms: in several scenes taken together or several parts of the same extended scene.

There's the methodical checking of weapons and other gear while waiting for transport or a Go command. The stealthy or dashing approach to the target. The breathless or boring wait for the attack sprint. The sprint to the walls or caves possibly under fire. The desperate fight with the defenders. The methodical but not slow rendering of a fortress safe. The gathering of the treasure or database or hostages. The possibly hurried exit from the battle area before reinforcements can annihilate.

All these kinds of action contribute synergistically to the fascination of our readers with our stories. The different kinds of action are like the parts of a symphony, and we are the conductors who must ensure they work together.

The working together sometimes comes from contrast between two kinds of action. To my taste the Jason Bourne action movies are among the best around, and they use such contrasts well.

As in one scene in which Bourne has been captured and is sitting quietly under the eyes of a policeman. A CIA agent comes in to question him and is met with passivity. He answers a phone call from his boss and a key phrase alerts Bourne to an opportunity. He explodes into action, which is all the more startling and exciting because of the stillness which came before.

Laer Carroll

[hughhowey]

I haven't yet needed to write anything literative which centres around a sword fight or a chase or anything like that, but I know I will eventually need to and really have no idea how it's done. I take solace though in the probability that there really is no 'good' way of doing it. You only need to read a Matthew Reilly book to know how much action scenes fail as a rule of thumb, but what worries me is that not even George RR Martin could really do them right. They're the weak point in any book they appear in.

I was wondering if anyone knows of any really good action sequences in a novel which they wouldn't mind linking, just so I have an idea of where to start. Thanks.

Not always true. The biggest compliments I get about my first book are the action scenes. There's a half-dozen of them in my first novel alone, and they really power the story forward.

The key is to describe what's happening as simply as possible. Trying to inject too much flowery prose will ruin a good action sequence. You have to switch from writing with adjectives to writing with verbs and nouns. It just takes practice.

[Bremon]

For good action sequences...
hmmm...
if you want sci fi, i have always found that it helps to read modern/historical action...Michael connelly wrote some good sniper stuff in The War of the Rats. Stephen king does good action, and not just horror.
to do really nice fantasy action, i always liked RA Salvatore's Dark Elf series.