Writing Action Scenes

I do love a good action scene. One that gets my heart to racing, wondering who is going to win, what the ultimate consequences are going to be ... *sigh* A well written action scene will keep my brain churning for hours.

The sad part is, many write what they see on TV or movies. In many books, especially recently, I can name the scene of the movie the action in a book is based on.

I've decided to post a blog by Alisha Klapheke. Alisha writes YA, owns a Dojo with her wonderful husband, and is an expert on martial arts. When I write and have a question about martial arts, I go straight to her.

The original post was blogged on 12/10/12, on my personal blog, Writing from the Padded Room. Without further ado, Action Scenes: From a Fighter's Perspective.

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I had such great responses to my general blog about action sequences in writing that I went and found an expert on martial arts. That's right, my friends. Some not only kick butt and take names, this particular expert is also a wonderfully imaginative writer. I begged, pleaded, even asked nicely *gasp* for her to guest blog about an area many writers use what they see on TV as center point for their imaginations.

I'd like to introduce Alisha Klapheke, martial arts expert, YA Spec Fic writer and blogger at I Heart Words.  Don't forget to read the end for a few extra questions to get to know this great lady! 

Without further ado, here is her advice about action scenes in a book.

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Almost* every time I watch or read an action scene, I cringe. And it’s not because of the violence.

I teach fighting for a living. Specifically, I help people learn the techniques involved in MMA—Muay Thai kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Krav Maga—otherwise known as that crazy ass shiz those UFC guys do. So when I read/watch (I’ll use read from here on out, but what I say holds true for Hollywood, too.) action, any and all inaccuracies stab me in the metaphorical gut.

Example:

Good Guy—who has never trained for anything, but sports some nice, big muscles—jumps from a building, does a lovely tornado crescent kick to knock Bad Guy out, and returns to his apartment a little bruised, but totally okay to make out with his girl. 

Ugh. No. Don’t do that in your book.

First off, executing a tornado crescent kick is reeeally (say it like Jim Carrey) difficult. You have to practice that, no matter who you are or what your jawline looks like.

Second, there’s no way anyone with half a brain would choose to attack Bad Guy with such a weak, fancy kick. It’s called THE BALLS people. That’s what you go for. Or the neck. Or the eyes. You shove your knee or your foot or your fist into soft things that hurt. And it’s a hell of a lot harder than you think to do it correctly. Your MC would miss nine times out of ten, and that’s only if they’re worth a shit athletically. If they did hit what they were aiming for, they’d probably break/sprain/bruise the hell out of their hand, leg, or foot.

Lastly, muscles do not a fighter make. No, really. It’s true. Yes, professional fighters are jacked. But that’s just bonus strength for them. They could still kick all our tails without said guns, pecs, or gigantor thighs. It’s all in the technique, in how they use their weight and the bodies they have. I’m 5’3” and pretty dang skinny, but I can tap out big guys and deliver attack stopping strikes. I’m not bragging. It’s just the truth. But it takes training. Lots of it.  

So how can you craft a believable fight scene?

      If your character is going to fight and do it well, they need to train seriously for a year at least. Some will argue this. I’m just throwing an approximate time out there for newbies. I’m also assuming the assailant isn’t Jon “Bones” Jones.

• Give your character a brain. Make them do simple strikes like knees to the groin, elbows to the face, or kicks to the sides of knees, with the tops of the shin, or from the side, with the bottom of the foot. (This is a strong move that I never see in books. It will take down anyone, anytime. No knee means no move).
•  Make sure someone falls down. Heck, make everyone fall down. People fall during fights. They are not professionals. Those Jackie Chan, fighting-is-like-dancing scenes slay me. And not in a good way. Look up the word “ugly” in the Thesaurus. Real fights look like that.
• If your character is going to fight back after an attack, be sure to lay some groundwork beforehand. The shock of someone actually hitting you is stunning. Most people freeze up, cry, and do nothing but try to run away. Your character needs to do these things to be believable. If your character isn’t going to react this way, give us a reason. They need to have been roughed up before and dealt with it.
• After a fight, your character must be in considerable pain. They need to lie on the couch, take some Advil, and hurt for a good long time before the next make out session, fight, or alien landing. Not even Georges St. Pierre pops up ready for action two hours after a brawl. And I’m guessing your MC hasn’t trained for twenty odd years.

I wish you luck on your action scene! If you need help, ask a fighter, a cop, a marine…you get the idea. Do you research for this area of your work-in-progress just as you do for the setting or the history. If you put the work in, it will show, even to those who don’t know a lot about self-defense.

*I did enjoy the action in the movie Haywire. Though it was far-fetched at times, the star was an actual fighter who I enjoyed meeting at Randy Couture’s gym in Las Vegas. Her moves were accurate and mostly made sense for the situations involved. The triangle on the hotel bed was stellar. 

Now that I have a bit of a girl crush *sigh* I asked some really tough questions of Alisha. Ok, maybe not of the New York Times or Washington Post variety, but I thought they were relevant!

Now that I am assured I can hide behind you should we ever walk Las Vegas/New York/Miami together, tell us a bit about how you got into marital arts.

I shamelessly began marital arts classes (Krav Maga, specifically) while dating the instructor. I fell in love with both. Martial arts made me aware of my own physicality. I started noticing how I walked, what I was and was not capable of, and how much more I could do if I trained harder. It empowered me and molded me into who I am today.

What genre do you write and why?

I write young adult speculative fiction and fantasy. The teen years hold so many exciting firsts, which I enjoy exploring from fresh perspectives. I love fantasy and spec fic because, in them, truly ANYTHING is possible.

Best part of being writer. Besides the whole hiding in another reality thing. Oh, wait, that's my answer. Sorry. What is the best part about writing for you?

The best part about being a writer is creating, making something of nothing. Where there was once a blank doc, there is now a world of fascinating people fighting to learn more about themselves and teaching me about myself in the process. It makes me feel all powerful--bwhahahaha!

What makes you give out a girlie squee of happiness?

Snappy dialogue. New words. When they make a movie out of one of my favorite books (Mortal Instruments, 2013--squeeeee!)

Where would you like your writing career to go?

Over the river and through the woods to...oh, wait. Sorry. I want to write lots of really good books and I want a lot of really good people to read them. I fully embrace the addiction that is WRITING.

And finally, a favorite memory. 

One of my favorite memories is riding in the backseat of my Dad's powder blue Volkswagen Beetle, watching the road go by through the hole in the floor. We were on our way to the pool, and the world was perfect.