Action Scenes

Write compelling action scenes for your novel

Photo by René Ranisch on Unsplash

Every novel is a tapestry woven from individual scenes that come together to form the larger narrative. Much like scenes in a play or a movie, these building blocks of fiction must be carefully crafted to advance the plot, develop characters, and immerse the reader in the story’s world. Here is a step-by-step guide to building a novel scene that captivates and engages.

Scenes are the foundation of conflict in a novel. Conflict drives the narrative and reveals character traits. When writing a scene, ensure there is some form of tension or challenge. This could be an external conflict between characters or an internal struggle within a character.

Setting the Stage for Conflict

For our example, we have the first encounter between the protagonist and the antagonist, who are rival gang leaders. Picture them meeting in front of an abandoned building. Consider the following questions to build a vivid setting:

• What does the building look like? Is it made of brick, concrete, or wood?

• Are there broken windows or graffiti on the walls?

• Do homeless people inhabit the building, or does it show signs of previous occupants?

• Is there junk or debris scattered around the building?

• Is there a parking lot, and if so, is it paved, dirt, or filled with potholes?

By detailing the physical surroundings, you create a rich, immersive environment that helps the reader visualize the scene.

Identifying the Conflict

For our example, tension arises from the gang leaders’ confrontation. To set the stage:

1. Introduce the characters and their motivations. What do they want, and what are they willing to do to get it?

2. Establish the stakes. What do they stand to gain or lose?

3. Create obstacles. How does the setting complicate their goals?

The conflict must be clear and compelling, drawing the reader into the scene and making them invested in the outcome.

The Weather

Weather can play a significant role in setting the tone and mood of your scene. It can also influence the characters’ actions and the scene’s outcomes. Describe the weather in ways that go beyond simple adjectives:

· If it’s foggy, mention the misty air and how visibility is affected.

· If it’s cold, describe the characters’ heavy coats or the shivering of someone without adequate clothing.

· If it’s hot, detail the sweat dripping down a character’s face or the oppressive heat radiating from the asphalt.

Consider how the weather impacts the scene. For instance, in a knife fight, a heavy coat could provide some protection, while a lack of clothing could result in more serious injuries. The weather should be more than a backdrop; it should be an active element in the story.

What makes the weather relevant to this scene? Why do we care if the weather is hot, cold, foggy, or rainy?

Let’s say there’s a knife fight. One of the gang members is stabbed in the chest. If he’s wearing a heavy coat, the knife might have grazed him. If he’s shirtless, the knife may have seriously injured him to the point that his friends had to carry him away. The weather in each of these scenarios makes the weather relevant.

Dialogue and Action

Now that you know the scene’s backdrop, weather, and what’s at stake, let’s hash out the dialogue and action for this scene. Like your story, each scene needs to have a beginning, a middle where the action occurs, and an outcome to that action.

Dialogue and action are the lifeblood of a scene. They bring characters to life and propel the story forward. When crafting dialogue, ensure it serves several purposes:

· Reveals character: Shows personality, background, and motivations through speech.

· Advances the plot: Dialogue should move the story forward or reveal important information.

· Creates tension: Use dialogue to build conflict or foreshadow events.

Combine dialogue with action to maintain a dynamic pace. Readers should feel like they are in the middle of the action and experiencing it with the characters. Avoid long stretches of dialogue without action, as this can become static and disengaging.

In this knife fight scene, there’s a beginning where perhaps one gang is on the lookout for the other gang, or perhaps they were talking about something entirely different, when suddenly they come face to face with the other gang. The other gang is on their turf. The leader of the first gang tells the leader of the other gang to leave. The leader of the second gang tells him to “stick it where the sun don’t shine”. The knives come out on both sides, and the two sides start fighting. One of the gangs comes out victorious, but not without someone getting injured.

Internal Monologue

Internal monologue provides insight into a character’s thoughts and emotions. It adds depth and allows readers to connect with the character on a more personal level. Use internal monologue to:

· Show internal conflict: Reveal doubts, fears, and motivations.

· Provide context: Offer background information or explain a character’s decision-making process.

· Deepen emotional resonance: Allow readers to experience the character’s emotions in real time.

Balance internal monologue with dialogue and action to maintain the flow of the scene.

Going Deep

If you want to go deep into the story, consider trying to view the action through each character in the scene.

This is one of my favorite tools in scene development, but this tool does best after the other tools have been used. If I want a scene with numerous characters coming together, I find it works well to view this scene through the eyes of every character there.

One reason I like to do this is that I don’t want any character to just stand there. Therefore, once the scene is established, I like to begin viewing each scene, beginning with the least important person in the scene up to the POV character.

Because Little Ray is the youngest and least experienced in the first gang, and he isn’t a major character, we’ll start by seeing the scene through his eyes. He’s afraid, but he doesn’t want to appear to be. He watches the two leaders square off, and he hangs back from the fighting as the rest of them start fighting the other gang. His eyes met the eyes of a member of the other gang. He was bare-chested. He looks scared, too, but the gleam in his eye tells Little Ray that that boy had something to prove.

Little Ray felt the sweat trickle down his face and his heart pounding in his chest. He reached into his pocket and felt the cold, hard steel of his new switchblade. He pulled it out of his pocket and opened it. At that moment, another member of his gang, Jimmy, who was fighting a member of the other gang, saw the boy from the other gang. He slashed the guy he was sparring with, causing him to back off. At the same time, he lunged at the boy who fell back. The leader of the second gang saw what happened to the younger boy and ordered his gang to retreat.

The younger boy of the other gang is Raul. He’s the leader of that gang’s youngest brother, and he has something to prove. However, he sees the fear in Little Ray’s eyes, and he wants to prove to his brother that he’s as brave as any other member of the gang. He thinks that Little Ray is an easy mark, so he takes out his knife and heads directly toward him. A gang member of the first gang saw that Raul was headed toward Little Ray. He slashes his opponent and then runs at the younger boy on the opposing gang and stabs him in his bare chest. Raul feels the hot, searing pain in his chest and watches as the world disappears around him. The leader of the second gang sees that the boy was injured and tells his men to retreat.

I would then describe the scene from Jimmy’s viewpoint from the beginning of the fight through until the end and so on through all of the other characters.

The POV character could be the leader of one of the gangs, but it doesn’t have to be. The POV character could be secondary in the scene. (More about POV in next week’s post.)

Let’s say that in this case, the POV character is not in the scene at all, but is observing the scene. Let’s say she is the leader of the first gang’s girlfriend, and she’s watching from the car across the road. As the POV character, she watches the scene unfold. She is horrified that Raul is going after Little Ray. She is relieved that Jimmy has stabbed Raul. She decides to put the car into gear. She drives toward the second gang to break them up, but they are already retreating when the car screeches to a halt at the sidewalk.

Conclusion and Transition

End each scene with a resolution or a cliffhanger that leaves the reader wanting more. Tie up the immediate conflict, but hint at future challenges. Use this opportunity to transition smoothly to the next scene, maintaining the narrative momentum.

In our example, the scene might end with the gang leaders parting ways, each pondering their next move. This sets the stage for the next encounter, building anticipation and keeping the reader engaged.

By following these steps, you can create scenes that are vivid, dynamic, and integral to your novel’s success. Each scene should contribute to the overall narrative, developing characters, advancing the plot, and immersing readers in your story’s world.