5 THINGS I DO WHEN WRITING ACTION SCENES
By Jennifer Chase
I love reading and writing action-oriented stories for my crime thrillers.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a movie or book—I love all the action with fights,
weapons, car chases, martial arts, or an old-fashioned shootout. It may sound
easy enough to write, but you might be surprised what it takes to make your fight
scene really shine and get your readers excited—an me too.
If you’re incorporating some type of fight scene into your story of any
genre, there are a few things that you should be aware of when prepping for it.
It’s not just a one-two punch and that’s the end of the fight. It may look that
easy, but I have a few tricks that help punch up the scene.
1. KNOW YOUR HUMAN ANATOMY
The first phase to writing a fight scene is to know and understand basic
human anatomy. Visit a reputable website(s), borrow a book from the library, or
purchase a book for research (highly recommended).
Did you know that you have 206 bones in your body? More than half of those
bones are in your hands and feet. Truly amazing. Take a closer look at your own
hands. Study the details of the bones, tendons, veins, and how your fingernails
are shaped. Think about it and how it would pertain to your characters. The
next time your characters are in a fist fight or searching for something to
defend themselves with, there are many possible scenarios of what can happen to
the body, specifically the hands and feet. Think about injuries, weaknesses,
and strengths.
It’s not just about the bones. By having an understanding of where the major
organs are located, such as the kidneys, solar plexus, liver, and the heart, it
will make the scene much more believable.
2. UNDERSTAND WEAPONS
I don’t know how many times I’ve read a novel where the author doesn’t
understand the difference between a revolver and semi-automatic gun. If you’re
going to use a gun as the character’s weapon of choice, know everything about
it—size, make, model, type of grip, how many bullets it holds, how to hold, and
how the safety works.
Weapons aren’t just limited to guns. There is a whole host of weapons that
could be used in a fight. Besides bare hands, the character can use hatchets,
hammers, knives, swords, bats, and just about anything that a person could use
to attack someone or defend themselves. I’ve used kitchen pots and pans to
implements found in a garden and garage for my character’s fights. The list is
endless. Whatever the weapon of choice in a fight—find out everything about it.
3. IDENTIFY SELF DEFENSE & OFFENSIVE MOVES
If you’ve ever taken a basic self-defense class or some type of martial
arts, it will help you on a fundamental level to know where your characters
should and shouldn’t stand during a fight. Know the stances, both for defensive
and offensive moves. How does your character stand? Where is the position of
feet and hands? What are some of the realistic capabilities for your character?
You can watch movie fight sequences or pick up a book on various fighting
techniques. Once you put your mind to it, there are almost limitless
possibilities to your character’s fighting techniques. Whether your hero is a
freestyle amateur or trained fighter, know your defensive and offensive moves.
4. DO YOUR RESEARCH
When you’re preparing to write a story, whether a book or script, make sure
to add to the research list your fight scenes. I know that it may not sound
like a big thing, but don’t drop the ball on understanding what you need to
know for your fight scenes.
You can get as detailed as necessary, whatever the fight scene dictates.
Plus, as an added bonus, whatever research you’ve done for one project can work
for other stories as well. I think you’ll find that preparing for your fight
scenes can be really fun as well as beneficial to the story.
5. SKETCH OUT SPECIFIC SCENES
This may seem extreme or even funny, but I cannot express to you how helpful
it is to take a plain piece of paper and sketch out your fight scenes—nothing
fancy just the basics. I do this for my crime scenes as well, when I have a
scene with several people involved, detailed action scenes, and when I need the
hero to kick some butt in a fight. Even if you’re not an outliner, it’s highly
recommended that you outline a good fight scene. It’s actually fun and helps
you to visually realize your scene. Try it. I promise it will help you make
your fight scene jump off the page…
Jennifer Chase is a multi award-winning and USA Today BestSelling crime fiction author, as well as a consulting criminologist. Jennifer holds a bachelor’s degree in police forensics and a master’s degree in criminology & criminal justice. These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent psychopath, providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells. In addition, she holds certifications in serial crime and criminal profiling. She is an affiliate member of the International Association of Forensic Criminologists, and member of the International Thriller Writers. You can visit her website at www.authorjenniferchase.com or connect with her on Twitter, Goodreads and Facebook.
OTHER BOOKS BY JENNIFER CHASE
Click Below for More Information on Books by Jennifer Chase!
Title: PRETTY BROKEN DOLLS: DETECTIVE KATIE SCOTT SERIES #6
Author: Jennifer Chase
Publisher: Bookouture
Pages: 302
Genre: Crime Thriller
BOOK BLURB:
In the thin light of the moon, the woman’s limp body hangs from the iron fence amongst the redwoods. Looped over the railings is the little gold locket her mother gave her when she turned sixteen. The picture of the girl inside smiles out at a future she’ll never see…
As day breaks over the fairground, Detective Katie Scott forces herself to take in another disturbing scene in front of her. A woman, the same age as her, found slumped in the carriage of the Ferris wheel, red lipstick dragged across her lips, her throat cut.
Katie doesn’t want to believe that the serial killer picking off women across the state has found their way to the small town of Pine Valley, California, but when her team finds a gold engagement ring hanging nearby, it’s a terrifying, but undeniable fact.
With a twisted killer on her doorstep, Katie knows if she doesn’t act fast, she’ll find more women left out in the cold like broken dolls. Her team hit dead end after dead end, but only she can see the vital link between the victims: a connection with Katie herself.
Katie has spent years pushing traumatic memories of her years in the military far out of reach, but she must confront them now or more innocent women will die. But as the killer circles closer and closer to Katie, what if the only answer is to give him what he wants? There must be another way…
Warning – This absolutely unputdownable thriller will keep you up all night! Fans of Lisa Regan, Rachel Caine and Melinda Leigh better hold on tight for a nail-biting rollercoaster ride!
PRAISE
5 Stars! “This is the first book in the series I have read – and I want more! Suspense up to the end, characters I enjoyed, and K9 units. Loved it!” – NetGalley
5 Stars! “As always this Jennifer Chase thriller just cries out to be read in one sitting. Here we see Katie get tangled up with a serial killer although it takes time before anyone takes her seriously. Great characters and a great story, I loved this book.” – NetGalley
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