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Writing Fight/Action Scenes

May 30, 2011 by in category Lyon's Lair tagged as , , , ,

by Jennifer Lyon 
I never thought I’d be forced to do this, but here it is…
I might actually have to thank my brothers. All these years, I have credited my parents and my sister for giving me my love of reading that led to writing. But more and more, reviewers are bringing up the fight and actions scenes in my books. I have a writer friend who sends me her fight scenes to critique…and you get the point.
So how is it I can write fight and actions scenes when I have not taken a single martial arts class in my life?
Because the first years of my life were practically on the job training. One of my earliest memories is seeing my older brother do a flying jump, snapping a kick in mid air, and break a board held by my other brother. I can still hear the crack that board made.
A few years later, one of my brothers went on to become a black belt, and he co-owned a karate studio with a friend. I remember being in the studio one day, I was about eight or nine years old, and watching him and the friend spar. It was terrifying and exhilarating. I remember the long wall of mirrors and the blue mat, the pungent smell of sweat and male, the sounds of flesh hitting flesh, the shouts and grunts, and how fast it all moved.
And most amazing of all, the expression in their eyes when they saw a weakness in their opponent then planned and executed a strike—all at lightning speed!
It’s all vivid and tactile in my memory.
And that’s exactly how a fight scene, or any action scene, should read in a book. It must be vivid and present…not distant and vague. The reader wants to see and feel with the point of view character. Here are some of my tips:
Establish point of view and stay there. This character is going to show your reader everything. It will anchor your reader into the scene and help them “see” everything that’s happening. And the same time, it should be revealing more about your character too. This is an example from NIGHT MAGIC:
Phoenix sprinted around the side of the building, followed the blood trail of the witch to a ladder on the side of the church and started climbing.
It was an A-line roof two stories up. Damn, he wasn’t a fan of heights. Why couldn’t people do their business on the ground? Hell. He grabbed the edge of the roof and silently hauled himself up to the wickedly slanted top. The tiles were slick, and he had to lay flat on the slope to keep from sliding off. He looked around while digging his fingers into the raised edges of the tiles.
In this snippet, first tension is building because there’s going to be a fight on an A line roof—someone is going to fall off, it’s only logical. But as we’re in Phoenix’s head, we’re learning about his fear of heights. And notice that while he mentally gripes, his fear doesn’t stop him.
Never use passive writing in a fight scene (and I can think of a time when I broke my own rule!). Passive writing of Phoenix keeping a woman protected behind his back while fighting his attackers: “In an instant, the rogue was on the ground.”
Yawn. A more active version:
He didn’t want to move and expose the woman. He ripped off his chain, snapped it around the knife hand, and jerked. The rogue fell to the ground, and Phoenix flipped his knife to stab the blade through the rogue’s back—
Choreograph the scene. Draw out the setting and all your characters on paper. It helps you build a visual in your head and then you know where everybody in the scenes is. And more importantly, what they are doing. You must keep track of everyone through your point of view character’s eye. That way you don’t start out with five people in a fight and two just fade away never to be seeing or heard from again. Drawing it out really helps—even with my stick figure drawings!
Action/fight scenes must be building your plot, otherwise they are just filler. Readers recognize filler. Make your action scenes work for you. Gratuitous fight scenes are as boring as gratuitous sex scenes.
Fast paced writing. This is the place for shorter sentences and carefully chosen description. In this example Phoenix spots the rogues and a woman, and goes after them into an alley. This is the entire description of the alley:
The cool air was blighted by the combined stench of rotting food, copper, and urine. Scanning the narrow street lined with weak light that spilled from the street-lights and buildings, he looked left and spotted the tops of the rogues’ heads on the other side of the blue Dumpster.
Just enough to set the scene, give the reader of visual. And notice we get the visual as Phoenix is looking for his prey. Fight scenes should be tight, clean writing using only the words you need.
And that’s all I can think of at the moment. Except to say thank you to my brothers!
Okay now for a little promo: Romantic Times gives SINFUL MAGIC, out May 31st, a 4 ½ HOT and said:
The power of undying love truly shines through here, adding plenty of emotion to an otherwise dark and action-packed adventure. Another Lyon triumph!
SINFUL MAGIC hits the shelves on May 31st, I hope you’ll pick up a copy!
Jennifer Lyon always wanted to be a witch. When her witch-powers didn’t materialize, she turned to creating magic in her books. NIGHT MAGIC and SINFUL MAGIC are the third and fourth books in an enchanting, passionate and supernatural series. 

Visit Jen at www.jenniferlyonbooks.com or visit the Wing Slayer Hunter Lair on Facebook 
     
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Me and My Kindle

May 28, 2011 by in category Archives

I got a Kindle for my birthday.

I wasn’t certain if I wanted an e-reader. Then the publishing world changed, and I went from ‘do I want an e-reader’ to ‘which e-reader do I want?’ Then the prices on the Kindle went down, and everyone I knew suddenly had one. Still I hesitated. I mean, Kindle sort of puts you in the boat with Amazon, and I’d always been a loyal Borders customer, so I was looking at the Kobo, too. But that was it–just looking.

Then the choice was taken out of my hands. I received a Kindle and an Amazon gift card from my family for my birthday.

It took me a day to take a closer look at it. I sort of circled it, as if it were a suspicious package at the airport. I turned it on, pushed this button and that. Registered it at Amazon. Read the User Guide. Tried to figure out how to make capital letters and numbers.

Once I had the lay of the land, I loaded the gift card so I had a balance at Amazon. Now the question: What do I buy?

Answer: EVERYTHING!

I suddenly remembered books I’d been meaning to buy but hadn’t chased down yet. I went looking for them and with the click of a button, I had them. Wow. Talk about instant gratification!

Like most book lovers, I have a house full of books, more than I can ever read again. They’re piling up, and we might have to charge them rent soon! The Kindle takes care of that problem, since all books live on this slim little device. I can take a long trip and bring dozens of books with me without worrying about weight limitations on my luggage. I can eat my lunch and read at the same time because I can lean the Kindle against something and not worry about trying to keep the pages open.

On my Kindle, I’ve read more books in the past week than I have in months. Also, I’m more willing to take a chance on an unknown author, since if I don’t like the book, it won’t be living in my house forever, and the price is right (there are a LOT of books for under $5 out there). Suddenly I am reading again like I used to when life was easier and I had more time to go to the bookstore. Now the bookstore comes to ME.

So here I sit, my Kindle charging next to me in preparation for a Memorial Day weekend trip, completely converted. I’ve already discovered two new authors I would never have found in the bookstore, and I look forward to finding more.

I’m a believer.

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A Fantasy Life by Janet Quinn Cornelow

May 28, 2011 by in category A Fantasy Life by Janet Cornelow tagged as ,

I have decided to put Wild Honey up at Amazon on Kindle. I can do this myself since I own the e-book rights. The paperback is already there, but I have no way of checking if it is selling.

Debra Holland is the one who convinced me to do this and I have a chapter of her book, Wild Montana Sky, in the back of my book. She has a copy of the first chapter of Wild Honey in one of her books. A little advertising going on there.

I figure since I cannot sell the book again, I would post it myself. Debra has been doing well with hers. I am waiting for the formatted copy to come back in the next day or two so I can get it up.

If this works, I may put up my children’s book. Of course, I have to come up with a cover for it. I owned the cover for Wild Honey. I have found it is extremely hard to sell children’s books. Harder than adult books.

I have not done much writing. I have six classes I am teaching online at the moment and way too many papers to grade.

I also have become a grandmother, something I was beginning to think I would be too old to enjoy when it happened. My middle son Michael and his wife Jessi had Isabella Ruth three weeks ago. Of course I think she is the most wonderful thing in the world. In the looks department, she takes after her daddy. Irish genes can be really strong. However, she is a much better baby than he ever was. She is happy and sleeps at night.

She is contemplating the world.

Of course Chewbaca, my dog and my baby, is not quite certain what he thinks about her. When she started to cry the other day, he got very upset and wanted to examine her. I think he thought something was wrong and he needed to be involved in helping her.

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Agents/Editors: We Don’t Bite…Much

May 26, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as , ,

Instructor: Lynn Price

Dates: June 13 – June 25, 2011 This is a two week class.
Cost: Member Fees are $10.00 and Non-Member Fees are $15.00.

 

About the Class:
Filling a gap that exists in today’s writing reference manuals and writer’s conferences, this two-week online course offers a unique look at the publishing business and the submission process from the agent’s/editor’s viewpoint.
This one-stop-shopping class also will provide a thorough breakdown of the elements that go into a cover letter, synopsis, biography, and promotion plan.  Learn, too, about
·         Differences in publishers and what is a Print On Demand publisher versus print on demand printing technology?
·         What is a vanity press, and can they get my books on store shelves?
·         What’s the advantage to going e-book?
·         Should I care about distribution?
Added to the mix will be Lynn Price’s own special collection of common writing mistakes that often result in a rejection letter – point of view switches, comma misplacement, bad transitions between new paragraphs.
This fast-paced, two-week look at the publishing world will cover the whole enchilada so writers can become better at their craft and understand how the industry works.
About the Instructor:
Along with being the editorial director for Behler Publications, Lynn Price is the award-winning author of the novel, Donovan’s Paradigm, and of the writing reference book, The Writer’s Essential Tackle Box: Getting a Hook on the Publishing Industry.  Debuting last year as part of the Get It Write series, this second work provides “an insider’s view geared to inform and educate writers as to how we work, why we work, and the pitfalls to avoid.”
Since 2003, Behler Publications has been publishing best selling and critically acclaimed works chronicling personal journeys with socially relevant themes: stories that deal with how people are influenced and changed by their experiences and how they deal with those repercussions.  The books invite introspection: “I’m a better/more thoughtful/ smarter person for having read this book.”
In addition to extensive speaking engagements at writer’s conferences all over the country, Lynn also assumes a lighthearted and somewhat irreverent tone in addressing the many issues facing today’s writers on the Behler Publications blog: http://behlerblog.com/
This is a 2 week class. 
Member Fees are $10.00 and Non-Member Fees are $15.00.
Enroll: http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassJune11.html
*************************
Coming In July

“Breaking Things Down Into Threes”with Beth Daniels  

 

Plotting and more for plotters and pantsers: Plots require organization – even those written by pantsers. Why? Because all storytelling requires a flow, a smooth transition from one scene to the next. Getting it doesn’t require an outline though. All it requires is a system . . . a system of thirds.
This class is for writers at any point in their writing career from unpublished to midlist.

 

Date: July 11 – August 6, 2011 this is a four week class
Cost: $20 for OCC members, $30 for non-members
For more info: http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclasses.html
Want to be notified personally two weeks before each class? Be sure you’re signed up for our Online Class Notices Yahoo Group!
Sign up at the bottom of http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclasses.html or send a blank email to OCCRWAOnlineClassNotices-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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Red Letter Day

May 25, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as , , ,

by Mona Karel (Monica Stoner)

Confession time–I’ve been entering my author name in the Amazon search bar for the last month or so, not expecting to see much, but ever hopeful. I did find out Mona Karel was killed in a spy adventure published a while back. That all changed this morning. I typed in Mona, then Kar, and whaddya know? Up pops Mona Karel, ready for me to click on and see my book available through Kindle since May 22. Now I’m not going to say this was the best day of my life. But it’s right up there with the day I first saw my husband.

Since Black Opal Books hadn’t planned for a release until May 25. My editor (pause for a sigh of pride!) said Amazon sometimes released early, sometimes late. But since it was out on Kindle, it could go out everywhere.

So – it looks like I’m outed, all over the place. Wow, I thought my cover looked good on the wall, it looks incredible in a virtual book store!

http://www.blackopalbooks.com/index.php/my-killer-my-love
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-mykillermylove-549448-173.html
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/61404
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/My-Killer-My-Love/Mona-Karel/e/2940012506559
http://www.amazon.com/My-Killer-Love-ebook/dp/B00529AJ6Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1306249150&sr=1-1
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