# Writing Fist Fights



## Chanticleer (Feb 16, 2009)

So, I started out a story I posted recently with a fist fight: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2001938 

Honestly I think I need some help with these kinds of brawls. One, purely mechanical problem I encountered was the difficulty of posting indented paragraphs in .txt format, but really my problem was making the narrative... oh this is hard to express, "speed up" and "slow down" without sacrificing clarity or flow.

Does anyone have any suggestions for writing these types of scenes?


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## foozzzball (Feb 16, 2009)

1 - Double-space paragraphs. (Like this list.) Fastest method I know is to load it up in note pad, turn off word wrap, and just hit down-enter-down-enter repeatedly.

2 - How fast someone reads something is related to the number of words and the number of details. Sparse, short paragraphs are often read as being 'faster' than long, detailed paragraphs full of compound sentences.

His knuckles cracked across Pete's face. Something had broken, didn't know if it was his hand or Pete's cheek. <--- Faster than,

His knuckles dragged over Pete's cheek, each one clicking across the bone like the teeth of a saw. A blunt saw that bruised rather than gashed, but a saw none the less. It wasn't a clean, clear impact, and his hand hurt like hell. He thought Pete might have been worse off. At least if he tried smiling. Not that Pete had any reason to smile.


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## duroc (Feb 16, 2009)

I don't think the sound effects are doing you any justice, mostly because if someone punches you in the gut, it doesn't make a "thunk" noise.  Also, I think you need more detail.  You've got two guys fighting your character, and one's holding him, but how?  Does he have his arm around the character's neck?  Does he have the character's arms locked behind his back?  All those things are important details.  And another thing, if you get punched in the gut, and the wind gets knocked out of you, you're not gonna be in any shape to kick someone in the ear, "clumsy" or not.  Now, if the character had tightened his abdominal muscles before he got hit, then maybe, but that's still a stretch.  And it's still going to depend greatly on how the character's being held.


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## Shouden (Feb 16, 2009)

yeah, writing fist fights, or any fighting for that matter, is hard. I find just describing what I see going on in my head hard. You've got to remember that a good fight is like a dance. And just do your best to right down the actions. Anyways, good luck.


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## kitreshawn (Feb 16, 2009)

Most of the people who write good fight scenes do it in one of two ways.

1) Keeping things short.  This is useful for when one person is going to loose quickly.  Normally happens when one person starts to attack, is blocked, and then hit so hard he falls down.  Then the fight is over.

2) Glossing over the fight in that it is simplified.  You don't need to describe exactly each punch or attack.  Just the highlights.  If you are behind held, by who and where are they holding you?  What type of punch are you using (if that particular punch is worth noting)?  How solid are the ones that land and can they be shrugged off?  If you block, how in general would you describe it (with your hand?  Is it more of a parry?).  Don't simply give a blow by blow either.

I know #2 is not exactly clear, but that is because it is difficult to exactly explain what is meant without over simplifying.  And while I disagree with Shouden that a good fight is like a dance (very few really are, except on TV) dancing metaphors are usually well suited to describing a fight (tempo and beat and so forth) so he IS correct in that sense.

Really fights, especially physical ones, are the hardest things to write simply because you need to describe so much happening in such a short time, and do it WELL, while keeping it easy to understand and avoiding anything that sounds too hokey.


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## Chanticleer (Feb 16, 2009)

duroc said:


> I don't think the sound effects are doing you any justice, mostly because if someone punches you in the gut, it doesn't make a "thunk" noise.  Also, I think you need more detail.  You've got two guys fighting your character, and one's holding him, but how?  Does he have his arm around the character's neck?  Does he have the character's arms locked behind his back?  All those things are important details.  And another thing, if you get punched in the gut, and the wind gets knocked out of you, you're not gonna be in any shape to kick someone in the ear, "clumsy" or not.  Now, if the character had tightened his abdominal muscles before he got hit, then maybe, but that's still a stretch.  And it's still going to depend greatly on how the character's being held.



I'm fully aware that "thunk" made no sense, but it was a lot better than "squelch" my original sound.

By the way, I actually have kicked people after being punched in the gut, but if that jarred your suspension of disbelief I shall happily kill it and have a beat of some kind before the kick. (hey at least I knew it wasn't going to be accurate, he was aiming for the center of his head.)


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## VÃ¶lf (Feb 23, 2009)

Try to just tell, not show, piece by piece. I don't have a moment to read now, I gotta leave, I'll get back later. My general tip would be that it's best not to show everything in glaring detail, say if it were a fight to the death?


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## Shouden (Feb 23, 2009)

that's awesome. usually you want to show and not tell, but, probably, Volf is right on this one.


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## Tryp (Feb 23, 2009)

1. Watch Fight Club several times.  Get a feeling for the hits and kicks.*

2. Keep sentences on the shorter side.  Use a few key descriptive words rather than dragging it out into a run-on sentence.

3. Use literary devices, allude to what's happening.  Don't be too straight forward with it.


*I'm not serious about this one, but if you want to, it's a good excuse to see the film.


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## Shouden (Feb 24, 2009)

Tryp said:


> 1. Watch Fight Club several times.  Get a feeling for the hits and kicks.




I thought this was about writing fist fights, not torturing yourself.


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## VÃ¶lf (Feb 24, 2009)

Tryp said:


> 1. *I'm not serious about this one, but if you want to, it's a good excuse to see the film.



lol


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