Hi there, so I've got a WIP (or at least a decently planned idea for one) that centres around a circus. I want the climax of the book to be the show, there's gonna be a lot of heavy action and then have it cut off and the show moves into a more mystical performance. I know how I'm going to write the more mystical section, but I was wondering if anyone had any writing tips for a fast-paced action scene? Thanks!!
Can I have an example of what your action scenes look like?
keep your sentences short! action scenes are supposed to be quick-paced and adrenaline inducing. nothing gives me that second hand adrenaline better than choppy, short sentences! also, you shouldn't be describing the obvious things. don't write about the moves being made in the fight, or the sword-tricks or whatever. instead, write shit like 'the sound of blades clashing together was almost musical, a symphony of metal and blood over the shouts of his companions', that kind of stuff. focus on the sharpness of a blade cutting into skin, the emptiness in one's mind after a weapon enters their chest/gut. a kid's doll on the ground, the red staining a companion's shirt, all that good stuff
One thing I've noticed that can make or break an action scene for me is location. If I can't tell where a character is meant to be, or where the characters are in relation to each other, or have some kind of vague idea of what kind of terrain they're in, then any details, however well blocked out, are completely meaningless to me. So I think it's really important to establish the basics before you go into the specifics - think kind of like an action movie. We get the zoomed out shot of the whole army and where it's at before we zoom in on the character and where they are, and then we can have however many rapid-fire spliced images as necessary.
Like crocs said, quick pace, strong words, and strong images are essential once you're in the middle of the action! but they work 100 times more effectively if we can understand them in context, or else the fast pace might lose the reader.