Writing Effective Combat Scenes
A combat scene that is well-written and well thought out adds excitement and tension to a story, whether it’s hand-to-hand combat between mortal enemies or an all-out four-army control-of-the-world skirmish of Tolkien magnitude. Writing a combat scene can be a complex process that may or may not work out, following a few simple rules can ease the headache a little by at least knowing which pitfalls to avoid.
The decision to insert a fight scene into your plot should not be taken lightly. Its purpose should not only be to liven 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. In that case, you may not have enough. But for the most part, it needs to propel your story, add tension, and move the plot forward.
Here are some tips on how to do just that.
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/companions/country fall into the hands of the enemy? Will his entire race be obliterated? Or is it better? Will he win the hand of the princess and the day? Will he amass a fortune that he will use to take over the world? The higher the stakes, the more tension there is to build. Make the consequences high enough that something MASSIVE will be lost or gained. Put it all on the line. Make your readers clamor for the outcome!
Reloading Is for Wussies
One of the most abused tropes of gunplay is just how many shots characters have fired before stopping to reload. If people knew the actual numbers, I think most of them would be surprised. Keep count sometime. Most go...
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... I don’t pretend to be (except at parties after seven beers), so if there is anything you would like to add from the realm of your expertise, please feel free to leave a comment. The more information the better! So let’s hear 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/UoSNHe413rY
Tactics: http://www.military-sf.com/Tactics.htm
Addl resources on swords
http://www.excaliburbrothers.com/eb/samurai-ninja-differences.htm
Have you ever shot a firearm before? If you have… don't you hate it when you hear that click-click noise when the firearm is empty! Now with the New York state safe act of the seven round clips law you will hear the noise a lot sooner than before. The seven round clips should be unconstitutional that New York State is putting into law. I don't think we should be regulated on the number of rounds we can put in a clip.
Every story had its reason why it happened, and these reasons have changed drastically since older days with the world evolving. The development of the world's technology and advancement humans contribute different aspects to life, the good and the bad. The evolution of the world is a result of violence because of the newer technology and having cruel, destructive sources at one's fingertips. With these and other contributions, the final results change every time it occurs, being for better or for worse. The results have changed over time as well, with it being land and freedom dominating the reason for violence, it is now becoming more of trying to fit in or get back at someone. Jodi's book is not like great literature since it follows violence as its plot line, but it does give a strong message about violence not being the
'The last thing I wanted to do in this picture was use the war simply
Clashing swords, miraculous survivals, pain of loss, and heroic sacrifice are all terrifying yet thrilling moments in a battle. The strong possibility of death and the frailty of human life add into the suspense of battle. Yet the reasons behind the wars, death, and suspense can be overlooked. The stories behind the warriors who have died will not be told again, but the stories of warriors still alive are what give the men strength to continue fighting against impossible odds. Ultimately, the reason of why a man would risk his life in battle is for someone, or something, he loves.
In America there are 89 firearms per 100 people (Moore) so it is safe to say most people will come in contact with a firearm in their lifetime. But when you do, will you know how to handle the situation? Guns can be deadly when abused and used incorrectly. There is a way to reduce the unnecessary deaths.
If you have ever picked up a handgun whether it ranges from a real gun to even a water gun, you know of how simple it is to use and or operate it within a matter of minutes. You simply enough pick it up, aim it, and squeeze the trigger. The gun does all the rest. The trigger pushes against the sear and the disconnector, this releases the hammer which hits the firing pin that expels the bullet from the cartridge. From a technical viewpoint, this process is almost child 's play. Therein lies the problem. Children have been shown to frequently handle guns, with dire results. According to the Center for Disease Control, 409 kids aged 14 or younger died in 2013 alone as a result of playing with guns (Center for Disease Control “2013, United States
Although many people have passed the background check and have and so completely the safety test, many people are able to hide the true intentions of wanting a firearm. Hunting and safety can be the main ideas for purchasing firearms, but people can buy firearms to just shoot random targets at an outside site which may be very dangerous if one does not know what may be beyond the target point. In a handbook called “Firearm Safety Certificate” by the Bureau of Firearms, it is quoted, “Be aware that if the bullet misses or completely passes through the target, it could strike a person or object.” When one is in doubt, one is not to shoot and is to observe and consider what may happen. Not only can they shoot out just for fun, but for celebration as well. On a website called “Nola” it is stated, “In Kenner on New Year 's Day, a man who apparently fired his gun in celebration, fired a shot that bounced off a metal pole and struck struck a woman in the stomach.” Many people in the past have been hurt by stray bullets which have been fired upon celebration or for fun, but as time progressed, people were forced more to obey the laws with new technology that is able to enforce safety precautions. With many accidental shootings that wounded and has killed people, rules have become stricter and laws as in “S. 150” which may be referred as “Assault Weapons Ban of 2013” have been passed to ban certain guns on the market and lower the availability of modifications on
The more you fight in the fight club the tougher and stronger you become. Getting into a fight tests who you are. No one helps you so you are forced to see your weaknesses. The film celebrates self-destruction and the idea that being on the edge allows you to be beaten becuase nothing really matters in your life.
People who own weapons should know their terrible, lethal power far better than non-gun owners. Once you pull a trigger in a vacant field and see a beer can instantly explode, you know there is no force on earth that can undo that destruction. Sure, shooting brings a rush--but it should also spur humility. At least in the gun culture I know, it does. (p. 7)
Guns are used 2.5 million times a year in self-defense. Law-abiding citizens use guns to defend themselves against criminals as many as 2.5 million times every year or about 6,850 times a day. This means that each year, firearms are ...
There are more than 44 million Americans own guns, implying that 25% of the adults in the US own guns and that 40% of the American households owning a minimum of one firearm. These gun owners normally possess 192 million firearms whereby 65 million of these firearms are handguns of all the legal owners of the guns, the main reasons for their ownership of the gun include sporting, hunting as well as home protection (McLeigh, 201-202). Among all the individuals who own the guns, 75% of them allege that self-protection is their chief reason for owning the firearm (Seabrook, 2014). The majority of the young people in the United States are normally surrounded by regular reminders of the threat that gun violence poses to their community. The constant
Each year in the US, around 30,000 people die from gunfire. Around half of these are murders, a little less than half are suicide, and the rest are lethal accidents. Of the annual 30,000 death toll, several hundred of the victims are children (Counterpoint: Gun Control Saves Lives).
In fact, some people believe that winning is more important than taking a stand because taking a stand doesn’t always accomplish something. While this statement isn’t 100% true since winning doesn’t always accomplish something either, it is important to disprove the belief that winning accomplishes more than taking a stand. This isn’t true because winning allows more people to follow suit and overall make a bigger impact than any single individual could. Beowulf led his warriors into battle and while he didn’t use them until his final battle, they still followed him. He was able to inspire Wiglaf to help him in his final battle against the Dragon and save their people. Wiglaf states, “I’d rather burn myself than see / Flames swirling around my lord” (761-762). When a win is accomplished, people tend to support the movement, but when someone takes a stand, people tend to join in on the
Now, there are people dying every day from gun action. From then to now 19,268 or more have died from unexpected gunfire or the choice of letting the trigger tap as its point against their head waiting for the clock to strike there dead line. There were toddlers
Gun safety is very important in the matters of teaching people that firearms are not a toy. One should always treat the gun like it is loaded. Too many people choose to play around with guns by swinging them around, tossing them to people, or aiming the gun at other people and pretending to shoot them. These are signs that people are much too immature and should not be handling a firearm.