Writing Effective Fight Scenes A well-written, well-thought-out fight scene adds excitement and tension to a story, whether it's hand-to-hand combat between deadly enemies or of an all-a four-army skirmish for control of the world of Tolkienian grandeur. Writing a fight scene can be a complex process that may or may not work, following a few simple rules can ease some of the headache by at least knowing which traps to avoid. The decision to include a fight scene in the plot should not be taken lightly. Its purpose should not just be to spice up the plot, but to move it forward. If it doesn't add to the story arc, it shouldn't be there. Unless, of course, your story is about frivolous violence. If so, you may not have enough. But in most cases, it should propel your story forward, add tension, and move the plot forward. Here are some tips on how to do it. The stakes What are the stakes of your battle? What are the possible consequences for your main character if he doesn't win? Will he die? Or is it worse? Will his army/comrades/country fall into the hands of the enemy? Will his entire race be annihilated? Or is it better? Will he win the princess's hand and the day? Will he amass a fortune that he will use to conquer the world? The higher the stakes, the more tension needs to be built. Make the consequences high enough that you lose or gain something HUGE. Put everything on the line. Keep your readers clamoring for the result! Reloading is for Wussies One of the most overused clichés of shooting is the number of shots the characters have fired before stopping to reload. If people knew the real numbers, I think most of them would be surprised. Keep track sometime. Most are…middle of the road…I don't pretend to be (except at parties after seven beers), so if there's anything you'd like to add from the scope of your experience, please feel free to leave a comment. The more information, the better! So let's listen to it! Additional Resources: List of Martial Arts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_martial_arts List of Weapons: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_weapons List of Military Tactics: http://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/List_of_military_tactics Insane (yet successful) battle tactics from history: http://www.asylum.com/2010/02/22/insane-yet-successful-battle-tactics-in-history/http:// /www.badassoftheweek.com/VIDEO: The difference between a clip and a magazine http://youtu.be/UoSNHe413rYTactics: http://www.military-sf.com/Tactics.htm Additional sword resourceshttp://www .excaliburbrothers.com/eb/samurai-ninja-differences.htm