3 Tips for Writing Action Scenes

1. Read action scenes

Honestly, the best way to learn to write something is to look at as many examples as possible. I’ve read plenty of “how-to” writing books, but I’ve probably learned more about writing from reading a good novel than a manual on how to write.

One example of a well-written fight scene is the iconic one between Westley and Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride. It’s fast-paced, compelling, and full of witty one-liners.

2. Use active voice

Short, pithy sentences quicken the action and heighten suspense. If, for example, you have a character on the run from pursuers; you need to give readers a sense of the tension that character is feeling.

Okay, so it might look like this:

“The young woman bolted into a forest. Her heart raced. Keep running, she told herself.”

Here’s what it would look like in a passive voice.

“A forest was bolted into by a young woman. There was racing in her heart. She told herself to keep on running. “

The first one is short, sharp and to the point. The second one is kind of clunky and awkward! It’s just not going to hit your reader like active voice will.

3. Set the pace

But hard-hitting doesn’t necessarily mean that it has to be quick! It can be a fast-paced, blow-by-blow tool to drive the plot forward, or a chance to explore character motivations. I’d suggest doing this through dialogue rather than a flashback. Interrupting the action with a flashback disrupts the flow of the scene.

Yes, I know this is going to sound weird. But the battle between Justin and Jenner from The Secret of Nimh is actually a very good example of using dialogue to reveal character motivations in an action scene. I highly recommend that movie, if you haven’t seen it already.