crzywriter

i have a big problem, as was illustrated to me by jetmanjake. I've always known it existed, but i've been kind of ignoring it.

my novel's about war and stuff...but i can't write a battle scene.

does anyone have any advice or know of books i should read, etc.

thanks


~Crzy

Queasy Dillo

It takes some practice, but writing combat isn't much worse than any other situation.

First, you'll need to understand that you can't portray a large engagement in its entirety. There's just too much happening to get all in one glance. You can, however, capture a microcosm of the big picture.

You'll need to know tactics. For example, a police SWAT team will operate differently from a regular army - one relying on more on stealth an finesse and the other depending on brute force.

If you read any combat memoirs (or fiction), you should also note that all of them are written centered around one soldier and the unit immediately around him. Thus, the supporting characters will likely be present throughout the story.

There's lots of trick to writing combat, though I'm not sure if I can put them into words well enough to make my point.

**Shameless self-promotion**

I'd like to point you to a piece I started a while back. The title is 'Costadora' or some thing like that, and it's probably buried a few pages back. It can explain my advice better than I ever could.

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Ilan Bouchard

A nice way to do combat from a battle scene such as WWII or Vietnam, you can listen to a veteran describe it. Also, someone who knows the story of a veteran can usually give a nice story.

Other than that, I can't really help you.

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Bhauger

Write it like a bad anime movie. Oh wait, that'd be all of them...

First, it would help if you told us what kind of fighting this is going to be. Ancient? Mediaeval? Modern?

If mediaeval, then try using google to see what kind of armor your characters will wear. Then, see what kind of weapons they used, and how the armor was used against it.

For example, in feudal Japan, IIRC, they used weapons that made clean cuts, since they really didn't wear armor, or at least it was ineffective.

In Europe, they tried to hack at the armor.

Or, if it takes place in a fantasy world, I might suggest reading R.A. Salvatore, and perhaps George R.R. Martin(More historical).

Steer clear of Wheel of Time. That battle forms crap is useless and inane.

crzywriter

my battles take place in the future. i know that they must have some basing in reality, but putting them two hundred years ahead would give me some liberties, right?

Bhauger

What exactly is the problem you're having? Just describing what they do in battle? Then I suggest reading some sci-fi books.

crzywriter

yeh, read lots of sci-fi and fantasy. its just that when i write out a battle because i have tried, and then read it again later, it sounds so fake and unbelievable. Everyone here has given me wonderful advice. its not your fault.

~Crzy

Bhauger

I don't really know how to help you there. All I can say is try to emulate their writing style for battles.

Talia_Brie

So what kind of weapons are you using? Are we talking spacecraft, or rifles and bombs?

There are lots of ways to write a battle scene, but what has probably proved the most popular on this site goes as follows:

Think about the scene you're writing from the perspective of a roving camera. Occassionally you show glimpses of the entire scene, the frenetic activity of the two armies coming together. Then the camera flows down and focuses on one person, or one group of people. This is ideally your protagonist and their companions.

You then address this aspect in two ways. For some of the battle you focus on the noise, the emotions, and the sensation of the battle. The fear, the blood, the closeness of it all. One enemy after another looming up in front of them (or targets presenting themselves). Then occassionally, you choreograph an action sequence. Describe in detail one or two actions that show either desperation or prowess, depending on your hero. Remember when you're writing these close in sections that your protagonist never fights 300 people at one time, (s)he fights 300 people in a row, one or two at a time.

Then you flow outwards again and show the whole battle.

and repeat.

You do this until the battle is completed, or you think you've gone far enough.

One person who writes excellent battle scenes is Steven Erikson. It's pure fantasy unfortunatey, but I'd still say look at him as a good example. There's a magical battle at the beginning of Gardens of the Moon, a couple of desperate battles for specific objectives in Deadhouse Gates, a brilliant seige of a city (Capustan) and another taking of a city (Coral) in Memories of Ice. The last one, the battle for Coral, is exceptional.

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Bhauger

I'll have to add Erikson to my "To-read list." Right now, though, I'm about to tackle the first book in "The Prince of Nothing."

crzywriter

Last night I attempted to write this battle scene that has been killing me.

if i post it on a separate thread, will all of you guys tell me what I'm doing wrong? or (more unlikely), what I'm doing right?

~Crzy

crzywriter

Okay, here's the link to my battle post. please check it out and give me advice, either here or there.

http://www.writingforums.com/viewtop...804&highlight=

thanks

~Crzy