Speaker 1: Hello, everybody. Today we're talking about action of the violent variety, not the sexual variety. I've made videos about fight scenes in the past, but action scenes cover way more than that. Sure, physical fighting is action, but action can also be chases. It can be gunfights. It could be torture. It could be explosions. Really, action is anything that puts people in fight or flight mode, regardless of the threat. Action scenes require a special kind of finesse. People think that you just envision the chaos in your mind and then write it down. They're wrong. There's an art to writing action. There's a skill set to delivering pandemonium in a way that is clear, digestible, and entertaining to readers. That's where I come in. The three areas where I get the most praise regarding my writing is romance, dialogue, and action. Three wildly different things, which is weird, but I digress. I'm breaking down my ten tried and true tips for writing action scenes. Not just any action scenes, action that captivates readers. Action that's easy to follow but gets you amped up and excited. Action that makes you want to read more. Let me know which tip is your favorite in the comments below. I cannot wait to see the action scenes that you cook up. Let's get to it. Before we get started, a few quick announcements. First of all, you may already know that for the entire month of March, all of my merch store profits are going directly to United Help Ukraine. If you're looking at the calendar, you may realize, oh shit, March is almost over. So if you haven't ordered any writerly goodies, get on it now. We have hoodies, t-shirts, tank tops, posters, mugs, water bottles, face masks, all kinds of stuff, and 100% of the profits are going to Ukraine. I've got the link listed below. Please, please, please participate and help support an amazing cause. Second, in honor of The Savior's Champion's book birthday, I am hosting a massive sale. The Savior's Champion was released in April, just a few years ago. Since then, it has become a number one Amazon and Audible bestseller in multiple categories, and it was voted one of the best books of all time by Book Depository, an award I will cherish until my grave. And even probably after that, let's be real. So if you haven't picked up this dark fantasy romance yet, now is the time to do it, because it is on sale for just 99 cents. The sale is available internationally, but it's only going down for a limited time, so pick up your copy now. I've got it linked below. Get in on the action and see why so many people are calling Tablayla their OTP. On to the video. Today's topic was requested by one of my patrons over on Patreon, Diana. Diana wanted to know all about writing action scenes, how to make them suspenseful, how to set the scene, and that's what we're talking about today. It's all for you, girl. It's also for literally anyone else who's watching today's video, but hey, it's the thought that counts. Don't forget to subscribe to my channel. I post new videos on Wednesdays, and if you want to be alerted as soon as I upload, ring that bell. Now, I am breaking down my 10 tips for writing top-notch action scenes so you can bring the energy and the violence and keep your readers on the edge of their seats. Number One. Pick up the pace. Action scenes are fast-paced. Fists are flying, bullets are flying, and thus, text must be flying. The easiest and most effective way to do this is to utilize shorter sentences. I'm not saying every single sentence should be short, because when you do that, the scene reads as robotic. He punched the man. Then he ran away. His feet hit the gravel. He grabbed his gun. There's no nuance. There's no suspense or intrigue. You're putting your readers to sleep. The idea is to vary your sentence structure while still primarily relying on sentences that are on the shorter side. You should have a mix of sentence lengths, but a bulk of them should be medium or short, with a hefty one thrown in every once in a while. This goes a long way in picking up the pace while increasing the momentum in action. Number Two. Chop it up. This is not only a great way to pick up the pace, but also prevent readers from getting confused. A lot of newbie writers make the mistake of writing their action scenes in this giant wall of text. After all, you don't start a new paragraph unless the subject changes, and the action is all one subject, right? Wrong. Break up your action into shorter paragraphs. Punctuate the moment with natural breaks, like a loud noise, an explosion, or a scream. Even something as simple as a character rounding a corner and seeing something new could be a great way to mix up the content and change the subject. And don't forget, just because it's an action scene doesn't mean you can't utilize dialogue. Obviously, you don't want lengthy conversations, especially if your characters are, say, fighting for their lives. But it's also highly unlikely that they're completely silent. Maybe they're barking orders or bad-mouthing the enemy. Maybe they just yell, "'Fuck.' because they got shot." I mean, if I got shot, I'd definitely yell, "'Fuck.' I'm just saying." The point is, avoid a wall of text. Keep the scene moving and break it up with small paragraphs and dialogue. Number Three No One To Tell. As writers, we're constantly told to show, not tell. And that's true...to a point. In faster-paced scenes, sometimes it's a better idea to just shut the fuck up and tell readers what's going on. In action scenes specifically, the best time to tell is when you're in a transition or you're explaining a not-so-intense, not-so-important action. You could say, he pointed the muzzle away, put on the safety, and opened the action, making sure the chamber and barrel were clear. He loaded the ammunition into the chamber and closed the action, turning his safety off as he returned to fight. Wow. That was boring as fuck. Instead, you could just say, he loaded his gun. It's clear and to the point, which is important in fight scenes. Plus, it's got a lot fewer words, which as we already covered, helps to quicken the pace. And since it's not the most riveting piece of information, it's okay to just tell the reader and move on. Which brings us to Number Four No One To Show. No one to show and no one to grow. Showing definitely has its place in action scenes. There are certain moments where it shines. First up is damage. Showing an injury, explosion, or demolition is going to be way more powerful than telling. You could tell the readers, she hit him with her car, or you could show them the moment. She stomped on the gas, slamming her car into him and launching him over her hood. This sentence is longer than the first one, but it's not that long and it's way more interesting. The second place is to show your readers how your character is feeling, both emotionally and physically. If your character is afraid, driven, or angry, simply stating that doesn't leave an impact. Showing it is going to pack way more of a punch. And speaking of punching, how are they feeling physically? Are they in a ton of pain from getting their ass beat? Are they sweating because the building's on fire? Are they suffocating because they're surrounded by smoke? These are perfect opportunities to show the character's situation, which will help transport the reader and make them feel much more connected to the moment. On a similar note, Number Five, get inside your body. This is the easiest way to express both physical feelings as well as emotion. If your character is injured, get inside your body and try to imagine how that pain feels. Is it a stab, a twinge, or a throbbing ache? If your character is panicking, how does that feel inside their body? When I'm panicking, I usually get hot all over and I can hear my heartbeat pounding behind my ears. If your character is doing any kind of physical labor, their heart is probably racing and they're probably breathing really heavily. You don't want to stay inside your character's body forever. After all, this is an action scene. But adding these details from time to time will add to the realism and immersion. It reminds readers this isn't just cool explosions and awesome fighting. Your character's life is on the line. You're supposed to give a shit about them, remember? And you make them give a shit by getting inside your body. Number Six, powerful verbs. I talked about this in my fight scene video, and it rings just as true to action scenes as a whole. You're not writing super long sentences, and sometimes you're telling rather than showing, which means you have limited words at your disposal. Make them count by utilizing powerful verbs. Words like hit, move, run, or go may be accurate, but they're kind of boring, don't you think? Why not try slam, crash, barrel, hurdle, collide, pound, careen, crunch, shoot, bolt, blast, charge. You see what I mean? With one word, you can provide an accurate visual while also creating a visceral reaction. She didn't step on the brakes, she slammed on the brakes. He didn't run into the building, he bolted into the building. They didn't throw the grenade, they hurled the grenade. Powerful verbs provide power to whatever you're writing. You're eliciting impact simply by improving your word choice. It's an easy way to take your action scenes to the next level with little to no effort at all. Number Seven, ditch the introspection. This should go without saying, but if you're pausing your action scene to give your main character a page of internal monologue, you done fucked up. It's an action scene. They're fighting their way through a burning building, or they're trapped in a car sinking into a lake. They don't have time to reflect on their life choices or analyze the villain's appearance and maneuvers. The one exception to this rule is if your character is having a near-death experience. The whole life flashing before your eyes thing is kinda real, so it's okay to slow down the moment for this particular experience, but it doesn't have to be a full page. Let them have their regrets and move on. While it's important to get inside your character's body, you don't need to build a nest in their mind. Yeah, a thought here or there are probably relevant, but keep them focused on the task at hand. If they're in the middle of a gun fight and they're reflecting solely on their childhood, maybe a slower staked story is better suited for your skill set. Number Eight. Avoid info dumping. A big problem writers have with action scenes is info dumping. They wanna set the scene. They wanna describe the weapons. They wanna describe what everyone's wearing and the color of their eyes. No one gives a fuck. Yes, you need to set the scene, but this can be accomplished in a few sentences, or even one. If the setting is an abandoned warehouse, we don't need the square footage or the number of cobwebs. As it is, the words abandoned warehouse create a pretty clear picture on their own. As for weapons, sometimes it's as simple as saying a broadsword, a rifle, or an ax. And for God's sake, who notices the color of someone's eyes when they're in a life or death situation? Now, of course there are exceptions. If you're at the beginning of an action scene, but the action hasn't yet begun, this might be a good time to slowly set the scene. It gives you an opportunity to build suspense. If the weapon is especially unique or has magical qualities, then describing it might help. And if a facet of a character's appearance is vital to the plot, for example, the main character is looking for a villain with heterochromia, then mentioning this appearance is going to be important. But again, even if you do need to describe important things, you should never, ever info dump in the middle of an action scene. Or really, any scene. Please, I beg you. Number Nine. Believability matters. If you're writing about weapons, research them first. If you're writing about explosions, it might be a good idea to brush up on how explosions work. If you're writing about injuries, talk to a doctor or nurse. Because readers can suspend disbelief, but only to a certain point. I'm not saying you can't utilize far-fetched plot points, especially if you're writing speculative fiction. It just has to be believable. Otherwise, readers are going to be pulled from the scene. For example, say your character is engaged in an action scene and they break their ribs. If your characters have superpowers or magic on their side, like healing magic or super strength, then it might be believable for them to get up and continue fighting. But if they're a regular human, that's game over. This person is barely gonna be able to move, let alone save the planet. Broken ribs are painful as fuck. These are the sort of things you need to think about and approach realistically when crafting your action scene. And unfortunately, not enough people take these things into consideration when they're writing action scenes, especially in regard to regular human characters. And as my final note, Number Ten. Ease off the power fantasy. Action scenes are fun to write because they're action. We get to indulge in badass fantasies that we'll probably, hopefully, never experience in real life. But there's a line that, when crossed, starts to read as self-indulgence. If your character is invincible, this reads as a power fantasy. It's fine if they win. I mean, they're the main character. They're probably gonna survive. But they need to struggle along the way. Otherwise, it's not believable or entertaining in the slightest. If your character is unwaveringly confident, this also reads as a power fantasy. Action is scary. These are life and death situations we're talking about. Even if your character is an accomplished soldier, they should be feeling something other than supreme confidence and ease. You can make your character a hero without making it look like you're living vicariously through them. Bang them up a little. Give them scars and bruises. Let them be weak and vulnerable. Readers prefer it this way over the alternative. I promise. So that's all I got for you today. A huge thank you to Diana for requesting today's topic. If you'd like the chance to have a video dedicated to you, or if you want access to tons of other awards, check me out on Patreon. We have early access to videos. We have a monthly livestream. We have an exclusive writing group, as well as signed books. I have it linked below. Definitely check it out. Don't forget to subscribe to my channel. I post new videos on Wednesdays, and if you want to be alerted as soon as I upload, ring that bell. The Savior's Champion is on sale right now for just 99 cents, so if you haven't checked out my number one best-selling, award-winning dark fantasy romance, now is the time to do it. This is the cheapest it's ever been listed. Pick up a copy today. It's linked below. And be sure to follow me on social media. I'm on Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook, and BookBub, and of course, you can Tweet me, at Jenna Marassi. Bye. It's me, Pippa. Have you subscribed to Jenna's channel yet? Oh, you must. 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