ariadnaes

[ariadnaes]

D O G F O X   T A I L ; a character study 

❝The underworld of Falkenreik had a habit of calling him “little fox” when a deal was about to go bad. The way their hands twitched for their hunting rifles and grinned as if Aleksander was already a prize on the wall. 

He counted at least twenty ways to be killed in the drawing room above the White Stag gambling hall. Down two from last month after successfully providing Kos with one of the Cardinal’s recent specimens. And so he left, unscathed, sighing as he shook the night from his coat. 

This is what it takes, he told himself. This is what it takes for a world beyond the wishing well.❞

T A G L I S T

(send an ask to be +/-)

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[ariadnaes]

heart idioms all day 

[ariadnaes]

@writersnet event 1 · april 2021 / mythology

Title: A Glade of Lights

Word Count: 1.4k+ | Warnings: Crime, Dark

Deep in the forest, through a barrier, there was a glade where his demise awaits.

There was a graveyard with no crosses and tombstones. It was located deep through the thick woods and greenery of the forest. A clearing where the moon served as its marker, for those who’d want to lead themselves astray and for him.

No prayers were offered, no candles were lit. Even if anyone did, it’s not what they wanted. Its existence remained a mystery. The villagers stood countless warnings around the forest to keep everyone safe. And no one ever went there, not since few town daredevils never came back.

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[ariadnaes]

HUNDRED YEAR DAWN by @tsainami​ — a novella introduction.

GENRE: sci-fi fantasy > urban fantasy AUDIENCE: young adult/new adult CWs: amnesia, blood, body horror (minor), death (of a loved one & others), euthanasia, grief, needles. [will update as it goes] STATUS: drafting [chapters 2/10]

Seguir leyendo

[ariadnaes]

Quick Tips For Developing Complex Characters That Aid The Plot And Message Of Your Story

FRAMING:

One of the most important elements of character establishment is how a character is framed within the story. This can be shown best through their interactions with others, as well as their social capital.

Is your protagonist well-respected and recognised in their community? Does something about their lifestyle lead them to be treated poorly? Are they seen as experienced and knowing, or inexperienced and overzealous? Are they well-known or enigmatic? Framing a character as a top dog with a long way down to fall, or an up-and-comer clawing their way to the top against all odds, can make their place in the story and world feel richer and more complex. How others see them shapes how the reader sees them almost as much as how they see themself.

RELATIONS:

When developing characters with close relationships to others in the story, it’s important to consider how these relationships - as well as previous connections or their family history - shape their perspective and actions. Is your character used to taking care of people and making sensible decisions? Were they raised to value honesty, or to disregard it entirely? Do they consider themself a social pariah because of their relationship to the rest of their family, or do they feel comfortable in their standing?

This can also massively impact character motivation - is your character scared of hurting those around them, or desperate for revenge? Are they held back by a fear of putting their loved ones in danger, or does it spur them to take risks to keep them safe?

SYMBOLISM + MOTIF:

Giving your characters symbolism and repeated motifs can massively help to establish them thematically within the story, be they in dialogue, appearance or description. Associating a given character with a verbal motif (a repeated phrase or question) or with a physical descriptor (a colour, metaphor or symbolic comparison), especially when tied into interpersonal symbolism, can massively help to create depth in a way that is easier for a reader to grasp.

For example, if one of your secondary protagonists has struggled for most of their life with social anxiety or self-esteem issues, using a visual metaphor (e.g. a simile relating the character to an animal, or the world around them to some sort of environmental threat) can help outline and uphold development in this character, and to help their growth shine through, especially when such a metaphor is linked to the world they live in/the wider plot.

PARALLELS:

There are two significant types of character parallel that can really help make a character shine.

The first is interpersonal. Does your character have a foil in the narrative? Are they trying to follow in the footsteps of a significant figure in their life? Are they nottrying to, but it’s happening anyway? Does their story draw parallels to existing mythology, or classic narratives, and if so, does it subvert them?

The second type of parallel is more related to the narrative. If your story is about a decay - about a world or situation slowly getting worse - does your protagonist parallel this, or contrast it? Does their story end with them symbolising the dire situation they’re in, or emerging from it unscathed? If your story is about an ascent, or a plot, or a heist, does your protagonist get more and more hopeful as the story progresses, or do they dread the triumphant climax the closer it gets? How is their growth linked to this?

CONFLICT:

Every story has a conflict, but interpersonal conflicts of belief - especially between primary characters - can help establish a greater conflict in the narrative, and can also help make worldbuilding feel richer and more complex. How have your characters’ backgrounds shaped how they see the world? What are their political beliefs? Letting them argue, clash and disagree about world views and systemic problems, even if they’re fighting from the same side, can not only help characters individually feel more complex, but can flesh out the world you’re working in and provide more opportunities for conflict and development further down the line.

Does your protagonist get their beliefs from empathy or sympathy? Do they believe in doing what’s right, or doing what’s smart? Did a tough upbringing harden them to the world or make them kinder? Did an easy, happy childhood make them naive, or apathetic? No character should automatically have all the most palletable opinions. Explain where they got their views - it makes the whole story feel more broad.

Happy writing!

[ariadnaes]

SHE ROSE FROM WHISPERS AND ASHES — a writeblr intro.

ABOUT:

hi! i’m kaelyn, pronouns she/her. this is my writeblr, and my main is @fangsrunin where i post about literature and other aesthetics. 

my favorite books include a darker shade of magic, the invisible life of addie larue, the poppy war and these violent delights. i mainly write in the genres of high fantasy and dark fantasy. i also write for the dystopian genre sometimes. 

WIPS:

— whispers and ashes. 

a country torn by war. a girl who has deemed herself worthless. a boy who has no choice. a goddess who has be bound by her very own.

an outcast her whole life, xuefeng knows she has no place in a society which has refused to accept her. but when the celestial empire of tianxia goes to war, she faces a decision which will either stop the war or burn down the world.

introduction (coming soon!!); wip tag

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╭﹒❍﹒𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖕𝖎𝖓𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖂𝖍𝖊𝖊𝖑 — a writeblr re-introduction.

⋆˚﹆⟠﹒𝕮HRISTENING ! 

hi, my name’s aurora (aura / rora) and i use she/her pronouns! i was previously @winteranarchy on writeblr but i’ve decided to rebrand and reintroduce myself. my writing will be posted here on this blog and a list of my current projects can be found on this page, but i’ll also start being more active on my writing twitter @rorawrites. you can also find me at my main @warstorm which is my litblr where i post and reblog edits.  i’m a scorpio, slytherin, i/entj and vietnamese-australia. i’m a lover of literature and mythology as well as classical and fantasy novels and some of my favourite books include the night circus, the picture of dorian gray and perfume: the story of a murderer. please feel free to add me to any of your tag lists or chat with me through my inbox or dms, i’d love to get to know more you lovely people and get acquainted with your writing too !

projects and taglist below the cut.

⋆˚﹅♡⃕﹒𝕿HE 𝖁ISION !

₀₁・𝚌𝚛𝚒𝚖𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚏𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐

— The first installment in the Iron Star Duology.

Crimson Falling is the story of tempests, of serpents and of saints. It is the story of blood and the tragic fates of the decadent and the cunning. After a night of hallucinated memories leading to their nemesis’ body found floating in the school’s lake, a group of seven students become ensnared within a plot to cover up what they believe to be blood upon their hands. They soon begin to realise that their academy is not what it seems upon the surface, as they begin to unearth the curious evils that lie within the institute and the secrets thought lost and buried alongside the dead heiress.

introduction (coming soon!) | wip page | wip tag

₀₂・𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚞𝚗𝚜

— The first installment in the Silver Sun Trilogy.

The court has descended into madness. In a land where daylight rises and cedes in a cycle of seven weeks, a kingdom has awoken at the first fall of sun to their beloved monarchs beheaded; murdered by their own son and heir to their throne. The crown now falls into the lap of the youngest prince, a boy who never planned to hold such great power and had no clue on how to keep it. Amidst the battle for his rightful throne, Prince Castiel must not only deal with the rebellion that his brother ignited and his sister’s mysterious disappearance but also travel to the ends of the land to find the last enchantress, the only one who can save his decaying soul, before the sun sets on the seventh week. In a land of deceit, ambition and betrayal; with only one crown to be claimed and a desperate, incumbent prince determined to keep it in the wake of his parent’s assassination, tensions have never be higher within the Court of Silver Suns.

introduction (coming soon!) | wip page | wip tag

₀₃・𝚕𝚊𝚍𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚌𝚢𝚙𝚛𝚞𝚜

— A short story retelling of Pygmalion and Galatea set in the Decadent Era and inspired by Frankenstein, The Picture of Dorian Gray and Perfume: the story of a murderer.

When a single drop of blood falls into a sea of foaming sapphire and azure hues, a monster of beautiful destruction is created. The Birth of Venus catalyses within its sweeping strokes, an even greater beauty that it beholds; but even from the same likeness of the goddess, the Mériadec portrait outshines its predecessor both in aestheticism and in gore. At an Italian gallery exhibit in the year 1817, French portrait painter, Pascal Mériadec, is challenged by scornful critics to commission a portrait more beautiful than Venus herself. With each brush of paint upon his canvas, Mériadec slowly begins to fall obsessively in love with the woman in the frame; spending every waking hour with the girl whom he has named Eglantine, the Lady of Cyprus. Filled with the desperate desire for the love he shared with Eglantine to be real, the artist would do anything in his power to bring her to life, even if it meant leaving death in his wake.

introduction (coming soon!) | wip page | wip tag

₀₄・𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚙𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚞𝚡

— The first installment in the Pantheon Duology.

A world basked in ivory and gold, painted with age old myth upon every surface; hides the flaws of a government whose corruption will cause the downfall of their people. Unbeknownst to the revelling and immoral power of the city, the seeds of rebellion have long since been planted, flowers now blooming in the cracked pavement where blood and tears have watered them. The House of Pollux, one organisation in a triumvirate of self-proclaimed saviours, has set their sights on overthrowing the government and fighting the rising discord that threatens the city. Seven abducted prodigies, stolen from homes that have never belonged to them and from names they will never remember, are tasked with the infiltration and assassination of their country’s leader. These gifted individuals who have grown where the light has not found them, have now come forth to reclaim the world that belongs to them and to save the country from the clutches of beautiful tyrants. And thus glorious mutiny arises, in the name of the Pantheon.

introduction (coming soon!) | wip page | wip tag

₀₅・𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛'𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑𝚢

— Standalone Novel (possibility of a prequel novella).

Eternity appears to be a rather long time for punishment, no matter how malicious the criminal was, however, in her liminal state drifting between immortality and mortality, the Empress didn't care, rather she loved it. The Duchess of the Netherworld floats between beautiful places, corrupting them with her presence, rendering victims mad only for her mere entertainment. And when she tires of her station, she finds herself a new arena for her twisted games, each time a new setting that she has only dreamt of in her eternal torture. She does not greet you as you are welcomed through the entrance of The Winter Anarchy; an opera house of such opulence and decadence so uncommon to mankind. The vestibules of hell embrace your tortured and devious soul and you are welcomed like the mad sinner that you are. You are not dead though, not quite yet at least. She has saved you from such a fate for now and you really ought to thank her for her ill intended grace. You are a puppet, merely here to play a game… her game. Win and you shall be graced with the eternal glory, freedom and power of beings such as she is but lose and you must pay the most treacherous price for every drop of unholy blood running through your veins.

introduction (coming soon!) | wip page | wip tag

taglist. (tagging a few friends, mutuals and writeblrs that i admire. let me know if you would like to be added or removed from future taglists!) @vaelinor . @kalliopeian . @veiliza . @rapunzelle . @aeternve . @laythe . @xiyais . @queen-of-dust . @bintiskandar . @theheartbreakclub . @elizaabennet . @duskbourne . @ortolon . @sourrcandy . @atelierwriting . @sprigofbasil . @serpentarii . @herondalelucies . @thetragediies . @chuchoters . @parsel-tongue . @arkicts . @ikilledmyocs​ . @hiswraith​ . @oasis-of-you​

#aurora.txt #+writeblr intro #+mine #writeblr #writeblr intro #writers on tumblr #writersnet #writing community #sunsetdistrict&starfallisland #wtwcommunity

[ariadnaes]

FORGOTTEN SUN  a wip (re)introduction by @mahalii

genre : diesel-punk with hints of magic class : novel series outlined for three to five books current status : first draft ( 35k / 100k ) narration : third-person limited, multiple povs themes and tropes : the chosen one, found family, platonic and romantic love, enemies to friends to lovers, mutual pining + unrequited love, adventure, dead magic systems, warfare and imperialism, recovering from trauma, political intrigue, unlocking secrets of the past, and the fight for freedom content warnings : a lot of death, gun fights, the horrors of war, and light descriptions of gore and blood

━━  SUMMARY.

Alas, a millennium has passed since the warring twin cities have collapsed to ruin. Mankind is thriving. Deep in the glistening heart of the cities, airships of steel are found drifting along the clouds instead of the sea, rotormobiles roar on streets filled with pedestrians and their bot counterparts, and biplanes soar even higher than the spires of high-rises streaming with gold. It’s an age full of wonder. And an age full of a horrific and long-waged world war. 

Yet this all remains unbeknownst to Jenya Nasangkai, whose tedious life in seclusion bids her to wish for something phenomenal. But phenomenal has its price. In an instant, her entire world is flipped upside down when the merciless Kingsmen of the Imperial Realm raid her homeland, and all that she’s ever known is gone. Now left with nothing but a vengeful heart and mind, Jenya sets off on a fiery journey of dethroning the Emperor and ending this madness once and for all. But she isn’t alone.

A pilot arrested for something he did not do. A wanderer who can’t remember her own past. A robot who isn’t quite the same as those in the cities. A princess with high ambitions for her kingdom. A captain sworn to defend the throne. A soldier with his heart set on answers. An assassin sent to retrieve a special ring.

And it’s that same ring the Emperor killed thousands for just to have it in his hands. In a desperate pursuit of solving clues and unearthing secrets of the past before it’s too late, the team must put their differences aside if it means putting an end to this war for good. And they might. If they can find a long-prophesied Savior destined to bring peace to the entire world.

━━ MAIN CAST.

JENYA NASANGKAI. the reason. raven-black hair that falls past her waist; a tanned frame dappled with light freckles; bitter, seething anger and grief pulsating through her blood and veins. or could that be something else?

BENJAMIN KIRSCHT. the question. ash brown waves that flow with the wind; prominent veins trailing slender hands; deep scars and bruises from past adventures. 

RORIE DEROUX. the sign. golden hair that never meets her shoulders; chapped lips known to curl into a grin; dirt-smeared hands familiar with shooting a rifle.

PLEX. the answer. a silver gloss now hidden with tarnished rust; pliant limbs as tall as two men; small plants growing in-between cracks and long crevices.  

ZUZANNA KAESOR. the voice. golden-brown skin with an unblemished glow; marigolds and blue cornflowers hiding within handsome brunette curls; a silver septum ring to demonstrate rule. 

JIAN ZOË. the guide. jet-black wisps framing a sharp face; a blade from the finest metals sworn to never shed another’s blood. red-tinted lips sharing wisdom greater than even the wisest of men.

DARCI RISHKA. the revelation. features that can pass off as a corpse; a crooked nose that steers out of others’ business; mounds of grief and guilt buried even deeper than the bullet wounds of his fallen comrades.

THE RED SOLDIER. the mystery. hands stained with the blood of a thousand men; an unknown face hidden beneath the comforts of a golden helmet; voices in their head telling them to trust no one, even if that includes the emperor their heart pledged to serve.

MORE INFORMATION  [ WIP PAGE | WIP TAG | INSPIRATION ]

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[ariadnaes]

WHEN COMES THE DAWN --

Presenting | His Imperial Highness Prince Charles vi Aetier, Imperessor of the great Aetierian Empire and heir presumptive to the Phoenix Throne

Meidther |

Second child of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Dantalion vi Aetier in his marriage to Illysandre vi Soresi, consort-premier. The child of politics, of duty, of security—born happy and hale and perfect. He is named Charles after the great kings that came before him, in hopes that he, too, will live up to that name. He is his father’s pride, his mother’s joy, and the empire’s hope for stability. The Bonny Prince, the people call him. The Awaited Heir, the courtiers say. My little lion, his mother says, gazing upon him as if he will hang the moon and stars in the sky. My little king.

Vithail |

He lives sixteen years with the world at his fingertips, learning from the wisest, eating the best, clothed in the finest a prince could ever be. But he is empty. For all that Charles is loved, for all that he is favored, he cannot help but feel hollow. He flirts, he plays, hunts, rides, loves and is loved yet still that ache remains. He yearns for that something. Something more than his life of glittering jewels and strict lessons and impossible expectations. He yearns and yearns for an idea he does not know, only that it might give him fulfillment beyond the future that has been laid out before him.

Aphel |

He is sixteen. His heart is full of yearning, his future is laid clear, and it is bright and glorious. Then— she arrives. A half-sister who is spoken of in hushed tones only when he is out of earshot and she looks upon him with such loathing that it scares him. Now, Charles is pressured to fight for his title, to defend the birthright he never wanted, never craved, because what is he but prince and heir? What else is he?

"I wonder, more often than not, what it would be like to be anyone but me."

[Taglist + psd credit under the cut]

psd template: lolita by @/peripetteia // psd coloring: enchanted by @/weirdestwitch // images are not mine

WCTD Taglist: @schwarzekatze1999 @aloonycynic @danger-writes @dullahanofficial @chazwrites @andiwriteunderthemoon @authoressasusual @hell-yeah-fantasy @inky-duchess @thebestmollygrue @brimorganbooks @reignnyx @contes-de-rheio @word-by-word @writing-in-rain @ravens-and-rivers @starsfallings @mayawritesbooks @writerlywonders @serpentarii @sprigofbasil @mperialscribe @writting-in-blood @goosemixtapes @ryns-ramblings @bookphobe @semblanche @lend-your-lungs-to-me @hekat-ie @pen-and-inks @ccorpsidious @ninazeniks @zmlorenz @amoranza

Gen Taglist: @mortallynuttyqueen @myhusbandsasemni    @trapped-inadystopianovel @cacowo @n1ghtcrwler @carrot-made-of-teeth @writting-in-blood @fayoftheforest @sentient-pile-of-bones @love26435 @the-sun-will-rise-here @bearunicorn154 @notesby19   @mayawritesbooks @vitrichor @jauntymushroom @ glitterandstarshine @unholieds @ortolon @halostars

[ariadnaes]

@writersnet​ event 1 · april 2021 / mythology

⭒❃.✮:▹ the thurs - maidens. ◃:✮.❃⭒

a poem by eliza ormandy, inspired by The Poetic Edda

This is the story

Of the land of Ida

Whose virtues long vanished under vice and iniquity

When Minister Glum

Called the highest of the gods

To punish them all

To slaughter them all

To destroy them all

To the last

Odin heard him

He hastened to Thurs

Against the wind

To summon his daughters

To punish them all

To slaughter them all

To destroy them all

To the last.

But Glum, the traitor

First.

Part 1: Asvor

When Glum fled

From the service of the king

Called Osgrim,

As he hid himself

In a cave

In the deep forests of Ozur

Came Asvor.

The hair like fire

The eyes like a mountain spring

The skin like snow

Falling on a glacier

And Glum fell

Deep into sin

And as he lay on the ground

With wild joy

Asvor drew her crystal sword

To punish him

To slaughter him

To destroy him

And she did it quickly.

Part 2: Jodis

The people were strong

For their king was weak.

Osgrim, the failure

Alone in his castle.

And one day

Jodis stood before him.

Hair like a moonless night

Eyes like a hawk

The skin like warm sand

From the southern lands.

Osgrim pleaded

He threw himself down

And wept into the hem

Of her dress.

A dress of iron

But a Thurs-maiden

She has no sympathy for weakness.

And she drew her golden dagger

To punish him

To slaughter him

To destroy him.

That was the end of Osgrim.

Part 3: Yrsa

Now the people were

Unruly.

King and minister dead

And no one left whom they feared

For they were godless.

But Odin does not forgive such things

So he sent the third

Yrsa the Fair and the Terrible

The Destructive.

Hair like sea foam

Eyes like amethysts

Skin like granite

Of which the mountains are

She drew her flaming spear

With one stroke

With a howl of joy

She set the land of Ida ablaze

To punish them all

To slaughter them all

To destroy them all

Until not one was left

And the land a wilderness

So peace came back to Ida

Though at what cost

And for all eternity

Though a myth now

They shall be remembered

The three Thurs-maidens

The beautiful and the deadly

The terrible and the just

Three steel souls

Who travel on clouds.

taglist under the cut (ask to be +/-)

general taglist: @wherewindysurgeswend @buster-keaton @bookphobe @sadsentinel @aphaimaniis @tragediesoftory @ortolon

[ariadnaes]

winteranarchy → ariadnaes

url change, mutuals please signal boost !

#url change #sb please!

[ariadnaes]

WHERE LOST QUEENS RISE. wip reintroduction

MEETINGS AT THE FORK ON THE PATH TO DOOM.

it’s a story anneliese haft has heard a thousand times in the small hamlet she calls home. tucked away at the foot of the mountains separating the herrschaft of stern from the cursed lands, farnburg is as peaceful as it gets.

that is, until the eighth month of the tenth year.

there is a monster in the forest, and it demands sacrifice. each decade, the lord of stern sends a boy and a girl into the forest at the foot of the mountains. each year, they never return and the monster is appeased. the town stays quiet, and the boy and girl are never spoken of again. there is no happy ending.

this year, anneleise and her brother matthias haft are chosen. this is a story about the last monster.

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[ariadnaes]

T. S. Eliot — Portrait of a Lady

[ariadnaes]

𓏲・ ๋࣭   april 2021 event  𓍯・ ❨ ָ࣪

₀₄ ៸ ₂₁ WRITERSNET APRIL EVENT: MYTHOLOGY

the first event for writersnet is now live ! for the first network event, we have decided upon the theme of mythology. this month, with the theme in mind, we would love for you to share with us your wonderful creativity and your brilliant writing. as a network, we wish to showcase and support the excellence of as many writers as we can reach and so we invite you to be inspired by mythological stories from a myriad of diverse cultures from around the world and from various time periods in order to create an original writing piece for the event. 

to complete this event:

₀₁ ‣ join our network (optional)

₀₂ ‣ reblog this post !

₀₃ ‣ write an original piece in accordance to this event’s theme: mythology. this theme can be interpreted in any way you wish and the piece of writing can be written in any form (i.e. short story, poem, script, etc.). note that your writing can be as short or as long as you wish, there are no limits to your artistic license!

₀₄ ‣ post your event submission with the header:

@writersnet​ event 1 · april 2021 / mythology

₀₅ ‣ tag your work with #writersnet and #writersnet.0421

this event will be open from april 1 to april 30 and we are so excited to see what you all create. we hope you enjoy the event !

─ writersnet ᥫ᭡ 

#writersnet

[ariadnaes]

camp nano april 2021 project intro // COSMOPOLITAN

short synopsis

a young aristocrat (Alex) comes back from wwi, is pretty traumatised and begins a life as a glamorous but shady playboy in the notorious Cosmopolitan Café in London. He becomes the talk of the town while he really is searching for true love and adventure in that toxic maelstrom of champagne, gambling and countless affairs.

other important stuff

historical fiction/romance (lgbtq cast)

set in late 1910s/early 1920s Europe, mainly England 

status: 3rd (and hopefully last) draft, writing

current word count: 15k

goal: possibly something like 50k

this isn’t just for camp nano, it’s also my main wip and will also be continued after camp nano is over

wip page | wip intro | pinterest | playlist 

taglist under the cut (ask to be +/-)

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[ariadnaes]

How to Write Fight Scenes

Almost every writer struggles with fight scenes in one way or another, even the experienced ones. There are more components to a fight scene than to any other scene, in my opinion.

A fight scene combines dialogue, action, pacing, and every single other element of writing into a deadly concoction that can be hell to write and even more hell to edit.

That’s why I’ve provided a helpful list of tips that you can use to make your fight scenes the best that they can possibly be!

1. If Your Fight Scene Doesn’t Take Place in a Hot Air Balloon, Then It Probably Should

Now, this is not in the literal sense.

Hear me out:

A fight scene in a field where the two armies/teams collide head-on? Boring. Overused. Underwhelming.

A fight scene in that same field with those same two armies but during an earthquake where the ground is opening up beneath them? New. Avant Garde. Keeps the reader on their toes.

It doesn’t literally have to take place in a hot air balloon; what I’m saying is that you should push the circumstances of the fight scene to make it new and interesting.

A personal example is when I had a fight scene that really just wasn’t working for me; it was dull, it dragged on, and it was a bitch to get past the writer’s block.

But then, instead of having the fight scene out in the open like how I’d originally intended it, I made a split-second decision to have it take place in a tunnel, and let me tell you, it was AWESOME.

The new setting made the battle a lot more visceral; it was tight and cramped, and the characters were tripping on bodies and slipping in blood as they were jostled around in a tight space.

Doesn’t that sound more interesting than fighting in an open field?

Having the surroundings inhibit or alter the fighting style is what can make a fight scene truly a masterpiece.

Even if your battle has to take place in an open field, you can add different elements like an earthquake, the enemies’ swords being on fire, or different battle strategies to make it super cool experience.

Here are some examples of well-set fight scenes where the surroundings are taken into account to make it all the more interesting:

Club Fight (John Wick, 2014)

Carnival Fight (Stranger Things, Season 3 Episode 7)

The Hound vs. Beric Dondarrion (Game of Thrones, Season 3 Episode 5)

Jason Bourne vs Desh Bouksani (The Bourne Ultimatum, 2007)

Clarice Starling vs Buffalo Bill (The Silence of the Lambs, 1991)

Church Fight (Kingsman: The Secret Service, 2014)

Staircase Fight (Atomic Blonde, 2017)

Kitchen Fight (Sleepless, 2017)

2. Brevity is the Soul of Wit (AKA, Keep Your Writing Simple)

The way you write during a fight scene is a great way to keep a good pace.

Your readers should be on the edge of their seats, dying to know if their favorite characters are going to live or die; they don’t want to read big words like “indubitably” and “scintillating.”

Feel free to reference my post about writing pain here.

Your word choice should be gritty. It should reflect the desperation of the fight.

Don’t use long, winding sentences and flowy paragraphs for fight scenes.

Short sentence fragments.

Paragraphs that barely last a line.

Scattered, grammar-breaking clauses that put the reader in the same frantic state of mind as the characters.

(You see what I did there?)

Also, fight scenes are the major scene where the “show don’t tell” rule applies. If you only had a choice to follow that rule on one specific occasion, it should be during the fight scenes. 

The readers should know how your characters are feeling just by their actions, not by you outwardly stating it.

Example:

The knife shredded the sleeve of her jacket, blood bursting forth and running down her arm. It surprised her at first and hurt like hell, but it didn’t take long for her to grow furious.

Vs.

The knife shredded the sleeve of her jacket, blood bursting forth and running down her arm. Her eyes widened as she clamped her hand over the wound, but as she watched the blood trickling through her fingers, her expression contorted into something monstrous.

See how much better the second one sounds? You can tell exactly what this character is feeling even though I didn’t explicitly tell you.

Something else that also helps fight scenes is literary devices.

Similes. Metaphors. Onomatopoeias. Hyperboles.

If you use these (sparingly, mind you!) it can really give your fight scene that kick that you’ve always wanted it to have.

Examples:

She rose to her feet as blood streamed down her body in a torrent, her eyes blazing like a thousand suns.

He turned to regard his opponent with clenched fists and a smile like razors.

She fought like a wolf trapped in the confines of a human skin.

The buildings crumbled as if made from silk and twine rather than metal and stone.

Be careful not to overuse them, though! If every other line has a literary device, it loses its punch!

3. Your Characters Shouldn’t Be Invincible

You shouldn’t be giving your characters the “invincible plot armor” treatment.

While all of the unnamed lackeys get swamped by the “unimaginable power” of the enemy, they shouldn’t be coming at your main characters any slower than they come at everyone else.

Your main characters should be having the shit kicked out of them.

There should be something about the fight that makes the readers think, “Wait a minute, they might not survive this.”

For example, let’s take Character A. Character A is strong, fast, and well-trained. The perfect soldier. He can hold his own in a fight.

However, what if his dominant hand is injured? How will he compensate for the injury?

The point of a battle is saying “On what circumstances will my characters be able to win” and then pushing it just a bit further into the grey area between “decisive victory” and “devastating defeat.”

A character who relies on speed getting their leg injured.

An expert cavalryman whose horse falls halfway through the battle.

A flying character grounded by a wing injury.

A magical character running out of potions and spells.

You want to push your character to their physical limits, take them out of their comfort zone and plop them right into the thick of it.

Only then will your fight really build tension, and tension is what every battle needs in order for the readers to not feel like their time has been wasted; if they know the characters are just going to win, then what’s the point?

Here are some fight scenes that do a good job of not knowing if the main characters are going to win:

The Battle of the Bastards (Game of Thrones, Season 6 Episode 9)

The Battle of Winterfell (Game of Thrones, Season 8 Episode 3) (Although the characters have undeniable plot armor, you don’t know if the battle itself is going to be won or not)

The Final Battle (Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2, 2012)

T’Challa vs Killmonger (Black Panther, 2018)

4.  Study Other Fight Scenes

Whether they be in books, TV shows, or movies, a bit of research never hurts! (Which is why I’ve been putting recommendations throughout this post)

Watching fight scenes helps you get an idea of what you should describe, and reading fight scenes gives you an idea of how to describe it.

Besides, it’s a pretty fun kind of research, too!

Thanks for reading, I hope this helped!

[ariadnaes]

A   H E A D L E S S   G O D ; a camp nano reintro by @serpentarii 

genres ; the lighthouse meets scooby-doo ; magical realism ; coming of age ; novella ; y/a 

❝A silhouette engulfed her own, and she knew it was Shizu from the way it suddenly felt crowded. 

Ryder said, “Stop following me.” 

“I’m appalled, you never told me you had a sense of humor.” His shadow still against the gentle rocking of the waters, “Come with me to Grimsborough and I’ll tell you what happened to your sisters.” 

She whirled around, her fist half-poised to press into his stomach and make him stagger right off the dock.

“That’s not fucking funny, Shizu.”❞

word count goal ; 20k-25k  

T A G L I S T

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