My WordPress reader is simply not behaving today. It doesn’t even tell me when there are new posts to look at. I have to refresh and even then it’s iffy. So, I’m sure I’m missing posts as they come up. This is only the minor thing of this post.
For the last two days, I’ve been writing a giant battle scene. For anyone who read the first book, it’s bigger than the battle scene in there. Three armies, a moat monster, and 5 heroes to keep track of. This is putting me into new territory because some of the ‘scenes’ are rather small and I’m having to remind myself that it’s okay to be under 6 pages for a scene. How long can I write about Nyx hurling magic at the army while she’s safely behind a wall of archers? About half a page apparently. The guy taking on the moat monster is another one because there’s very little dialogue. It’s writing out similar to the Fizzle scene from yesterday.
I’ve learned a few things doing this:
- If a character has two big parts to play in the battle, it can help to space them out. It can help to use them as bookends for the overall scene. Luke has the opening and the finale of this battlefield scene, so there is a sense of closer.
- It’s okay to write short scenes if it’s all action and the scene is needed solely to set up something for the other scenes. For example, Nyx creating a cloud of fog is necessary for the following scene.
- A fight can’t keep going on for too long. You have to end it at some point even if it feels longer in your head.
- Banter can work if it fits, but don’t force it.
- Moat monsters can be smart too.
- Never be afraid to go back a few attacks when you realize the wrong character is winning the fight.
- Don’t feel bad about supporting characters not being shown in the battle. They aren’t as important as the main heroes. Again, don’t overextend since this is a busy scenario to begin with.
- Remember injuries that characters incur. Warrior with a leg injury shouldn’t be flipping and bouncing around like a rabbit on speed.
I’m still debating on if I should end the chapter in a dream scene or if that will take away from Luke’s big victory on the drawbridge. I don’t want to wait too long for the dream sequence, but it might be a short one anyway. It would give a break between Luke’s win and the heroes entering the Lich’s castle too. I’ll see how it all plays out.
Legends of Windemere 
“Moat monsters can be smart too.” That made me smile. Followed closely with the point about the wrong character winning. I found myself liking my last antagonist too much… that needed to be re-written, just a smidge!
Those are good points to keep in mind – do you do a big map/outline of the sequence? Sometimes I draw a scene so I can see it before I have to write it!
LikeLike
I chop down to what each character is doing and what needs to be accomplished to get through the battle. I had a small map to know where every character physically stood.
With the wrong character winning, this has happened before. I’ve written a few scenes where the enemy does something and the hero is unable to do anything else. This time it was the moat monster getting the hero in its mouth and racing around the battlefield to bash him around. I was thinking “this is so cool . . . how do you stop this thing?’
LikeLike
I like #8. Very good advice.
And good luck with your dream scene! I know you’ll fit it in there somewhere! 😉
LikeLike
Thinking of putting it in at the end of the chapter for a pause between big battle and fighting in the castle.
LikeLike
I like 6! I can think of a few times in history when that should have been done! 8 is also good because we’ve seen movies where they forget and put the injury on the opposite side in a subsequent scene! And thank you, thank you for 4! I haven’t personally been in many fights (not since I leaped off a flying swing in grade school and landed on a boy who was throwing rocks at me and hit him), but my general impression is that the adrenaline rush that focuses you on your opponent does not leave much time for casual banter!
LikeLike
Thanks. With 4, I think it depends on the type of fight and the characters. I grew up reading Spider-Man comics, so banter during fighting seems normal to me. Banter is something that can be used to give the action a break if it fits the character. I know the thing with Spider-Man is that the banter is to anger and distract his opponents. One thing I’ve found when I write swordfights is that it is kind of boring to have 3 pages of ‘slash, parry, dodge, slash, slash, trip, dodge, etc.’ without something else in there. Again, it depends on the type of fight and the characters involved.
LikeLike
Hu hu haaaa (I have a new post) Choooo!
I say go for the dram sequence at the end of the chapter. Great way to leave off so the reader is wondering until the next chapter if things were really happening or not. 🙂
LikeLike
That’s what I’m thinking. I can have the ‘sleeping’ character be slightly aware that her friends have made it into the castle too. So, it can work as a ‘time passes’ and I can spread out the action.
LikeLike
Multi tasking in fantasy writer should be a required part of the tool kit
LikeLike
Multiple personality syndrome a plus too.
LikeLike
I got that sh*t covered
LikeLike
This is great Charles. Number 8 is one of my pet peeves when reading a book. It bothers me when stuff like that happens. Like when at the beginning of the book the character was left handed but somewhere around the middle he became right handed…
LikeLike
I’m glad I leave dominant hand stuff out of my books. I’d always forget. Maybe everyone in Windemere is ambidextrous and they’re never forced to pick a hand. 😀
LikeLike
Lol…entire ambidextrous society…sounds like a good plan 🙂
LikeLike
I can see a world where adventurers are trained to use both hands since it would be very useful.
LikeLike
I can see that world too…glad you are going to write about it! lol
LikeLike
Well, in Dungeons & Dragons the warrior class called Rangers are trained in ambidextrous fighting. I think the other classes never bothered because they used either shields or magic. I’d think it would be useful no matter what. Woken up in the middle of the night by a goblin attack, you need to grab your sword with whatever hand is closest.
LikeLike
You’ve got that right. I hate when that happens by the way!! :-0
LikeLike