How to write Engaging Action Scenes
My top 6 Tips.
How can you keep your readers on the edge of their seats? The key lies in writing action scenes that engage your readers, causing them to worry about what will happen next and making them want to read on until the end of the book. Here are six tips you can use when writing action scenes that will keep your readers engaged and turn your story into an exciting adventure they’ll want to read over and over again.
Plan your action scene before you write it
When you’re writing an action scene, it can be helpful to plan the sequence of events beforehand. Think about the building blocks that make up a scene: what is the scene about? What’s its purpose? Who are your major players? Once you’ve answered these questions, it should be easier for you to break down what needs to happen in this particular scene and how.
Start with a sentence or two that sets the stage for where your characters are and what doing. You don’t have to include everything at once — just give the reader enough information so they understand what’s going on. Giving too much description makes the fight slow and dull. Next, describe the inciting incident — when something starts happening and kicks off the action (e.g., The bomb exploded at 10 o’clock). From there, continue by describing each step of the action as things unfold (e.g., Then she ducked under his arm and kicked him in his kneecap). Use dialogue as needed to convey who said what to whom and why. The key thing to remember is to not overdo it. Let you readers imagination flow! — They’ll fill in any gaps.
Keep your action scene short and sweet
The most important factor of action scenes is to keep them a page long at most. Otherwise, instead of a fiery firework it feels like a really dim and everlasting sparkler.
Action scenes should be short and sweet — think scene not novel. Focus on the important parts that move your story forward and get out of there fast. The longer it goes on, the more likely it is for readers to lose interest. You want to make them hold their breath as they read about what’s going on and why it matters.
Think about who the protagonist is and what their goal is in this scene- what do they want? Keep the action clear so readers know exactly where everyone is in relation to each other at all times.
Make sure your characters are actively involved in the action
One of the easiest ways to make sure your action scenes are engaging is to make sure your characters are actively involved in the action. As the writer, you have total control over everything that happens in your story and it’s important that you’re aware of this power. This doesn’t mean every scene has to be a fight, but when it comes to action scenes, it’s best if your protagonist is involved. The most powerful stories will include the protagonist fighting their own battles without outside help (i.e., Peter Parker trying to save himself from Doctor Octopus). If you want your reader to care about what’s happening, they need to see how they can relate. By making sure your main character is included in every action scene, readers will feel more like they’re part of the world and consequently care more about what happens next.
Use strong verbs to describe the action
If you want to write engaging action scenes, you’ll need to use strong verbs to describe the action. This will help create a sense of urgency and excitement that makes readers want to keep reading. Using strong verbs has another benefit for writers: it forces us to make a decision about which nouns or pronouns we’re going to use, which can lead us to make other decisions about plot points. One more reason to choose strong verbs when describing action is because they are easier to understand than passive ones. Readers shouldn’t have to stop in order to figure out who is doing what.
Be clear and concise in your writing
In order to be clear and concise in your writing, you need to be concise when describing what is happening in the scene. This will help your reader follow along more easily and understand what’s going on. Start out by defining the characters’ feelings, thoughts, and actions clearly. Then move on to setting up obstacles for the protagonist and describing their reactions in detail to these obstacles. Finally, end with a resolution of some kind (whether it is a success or failure). It may seem like fiction should just flow from your fingertips, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Fiction writing has rules just like any other genre, and following them can really improve how engaging your story becomes.
Make sure you mix action with dialogue! Too much dialogue can end up like an anime fight opening scene. Fun to watch the pictures, not so much to read.
Edit your action scene for maximum impact
This is the moment. The big action scene. And you want it to be great, but you’re not sure how. You’ve got a few good ideas and maybe some other scenes that you think might work, but which one do you choose? Let’s break down what makes an action scene memorable and why editing can make all the difference.
A gripping action scene should have an element of suspense or a sense of immediacy that heightens the audience’s attention for what comes next. To get there, first identify what you are trying to convey with your actions: Is this just physical movement, or is this more about mental acuity as well? Do you need to convey a sense of real peril so that readers will feel worried for the character in question? Or are they supposed to enjoy watching him take on adversity with finesse and confidence? Depending on your answer, edit your action scenes differently. For maximum suspense, don’t tell us too much about the details — instead show us through dialogue and motion.
You’ll probably find that not all of these help you, but that’s okay! The best way to try these tips are with prompts, but prompts can come in all different sizes, luckily I have a link here to help you out — Just click here! Hopefully with all of these equipped you’ll be on your way to writing fast-paced, enticing action scenes!
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