One of the most common questions I see online, regarding writing fight scenes is, where do you start your fight scene? Where do you even begin? There you are, poised and ready to let fly on the page, but all the movement you are getting in the scene is the blinking cursor. No worries, FightWrite is here to help. In this post with FightWrite, we will look at the first step in writing fight scenes, battles and brawls.
The Firster Step where to start your fight scene
Before we get to the first step of writing your fight scene, there’s an even “firster” step we need to get out of the way. That “firster” step isn’t on the page; it’s in your head. Being unsure of where to begin your fight scene is normal. The toughest part of any fight is the first movement. For one, objects at rest like to stay that way. To go from rest to action takes a little extra umph. Also, for fighters, the moments before the first strikes are incredibly important and not to be rushed.
It’s Not Uncertainty
If you have ever seen a professional boxing or MMA fight, you know that the first thirty seconds to several minutes are the fighters circling, not throwing strikes or throwing strikes that don’t land. It might look like the fighters are unsure of how to begin. The truth is they are examining their opponent to determine the best time and manner to strike. What looks like uncertainty is actually surveillance.
It’s Surveillance
That is where you are in your fight scene. You aren’t incapable. You aren’t stuck. You are sizing things up and gathering information. In other words, you are circling and surveilling. Like a fighter, you are gathering information. You just don’t know it yet.
Should AI Write Your Fight Scene?
The First Step
To begin your fight scene, determine the why behind it. I’m not asking why the fight is happening. I’m asking the whybehind it. Why a fight is happening is about the scene. The why behind the fight is about the story. where to start your fight scene
Here’s what I mean, why a fight is happening may be as simple as one character wants to mug another. Character A is taking money from character B and they end up in a scuffle. The why behind the fight is what brought character A to that point? Why does character A need money so badly he is willing to commit a crime? What does A stand to lose? What the heck is at stake there?
The Stakes of the Stakes
The stakes of a fight, what the character stands to lose, will determine how far the character is willing to go to get it. How far a character is willing to go determines the speed, intensity and style of fighting. Let’s look back at character A robbing B.
Scenario one – Character A needs money to buy a bottle of water. Wallet forgotten at home, A is on the street penniless and thirsty. A has access to a water fountain but A really likes bottled water. It’s a hot day. A is thirsty. Time is ticking.
Scenario two – Character A needs money to pay off a debt. The debt must be paid in the next fifteen minutes or the loan shark will harm someone A loves. A lacks twenty dollars. Lives are on the line. Time is ticking.
Same but Different
In both scenarios, A needs money and needs it quickly. But you tell me, in which case will A fight harder? In which scenario is A more likely to use a weapon? In which case is B more likely to be seriously injured or killed? Why the fight is happening is the same: A needs money. What changed was the why behind the fight.
A was still A: same childhood, same personality, same strength and skill. A didn’t discover super powers. What A did discover was a new why and that why changed everything.
When you change the why, the why changes you.
Step One, Part Two
Once you identify the why behind the fight, you will know the speed, intensity and style of the fight ahead. Provided that the characters behave normally, they not mentally compromised by substances, health or psychological issues, the stakes of the fight will be directly proportional to how violent the fight will be.
If the stakes of the fight are low, you know that the scene should probably not have a lot of physical contact, unless there are some circumstances in your story that demand it. It’s also not as likely the character will use a weapon. If the stakes are high, you know the opposite. The character will likely be more violent, more likely to use a weapon, more likely to take risks and risk their own life.
Step One, Now What?
Once you have an idea of how bananas the fight will be, you will have a better understanding of the level of injury the characters will inflict and/or sustain. Once you know how bad the injuries could be, you can better identify an injury goal for the scene. where to start your fight scene
The injury goal for the scene is a whole other post. But, in a nutshell, decide what injury the attacking character wants to inflict. It doesn’t have to happen, but you need to have that injury goal in mind because it will determine how the characters move. A character who means to shoot a bow will move differently than a character who means to slap. That injury goal is where blocking begins.
And there you have it. How do you get a fight scene started? You determine the why behind it. That why will impact the lengths to which the character will go. Under normal circumstances, how far a character is willing to go is directly proportional to the stakes of the fight. The higher the stakes, the more willing a character will be to do whatever it takes to reach their goal. And, trust me, the most dangerous character, both on the page and off, isn’t the biggest, fastest, strongest or most highly trained. The most dangerous character is the one who is simply the most willing. What makes a character willing? The why behind the fight. Where to start your fight scene
Until the next round with FightWrite, be willing! Be willing to write crummy, make mistakes and vomit out a rough draft that is more rough than it is draft. Be willing to struggle because struggle isn’t proof that you are doing something wrong. Struggle is proof that you are doing something! Keep writing!
