McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft

Planning battle scenes

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etoiline:
Hi there.

So, being a girl, I have a fairly stereotypical weakness in that I can't seem to wrap my mind around 'playing war.' I have a battle scene that I need to write in my novel, and I know some of the basics in it (like who's going to win, what the main character needs to do, etc) but it's very vague.

I have no concept of how big an army can be, like picturing a thousand men coming toward you.I mean, I know that's a large number, but I can't picture it. Jim (among other writers) has been helpful in this regard with Codex Alera, but I'm still stalling on writing the scene. Scenes, really. Trying to figure out how long that the soldiers would be at the front, troop movements, things like that...I obviously wouldn't make a very good general, but I suppose I have to be, to direct my characters.

So I'll learn, if you've got any ideas.

Oh, and how far could an army march in a day, over relatively flat terrain?

Thanks in advance,
~Cal

Mickey Finn:
This is funny, because I can't write a sex scene.* My scenes tend to be a lead up to it, then I find some interesting way of distracting the reader (including "Well...this is none of your business.")




*Despite being "the most feminine straight guy" many of my female friends know.**

**Which is patently false, given some of our friends, but I take it as a compliment and go with it.

pathele:
couple of questions to get a better understanding of what your are trying to do:
1) are you using military organizations similar to historic or modern military? or making up your own?
2) fantasy setting, using foot soldiers, calvary, archers (artillery)?
3) where do your characters fit into the organzations?
4) is this supposed to be an epic battle?

I tend to focus on the view and impressions of a few characters (so even large battles involve a lot of small unit or even single combat) And just give quick high-level descriptions of the overall battle.  Your reader will care about the overall battle, but should care a lot more about your characters and what happens to them.

-paul

etoiline:

--- Quote from: pathele on February 21, 2007, 09:23:24 PM ---couple of questions to get a better understanding of what your are trying to do:
1) are you using military organizations similar to historic or modern military? or making up your own?
2) fantasy setting, using foot soldiers, calvary, archers (artillery)?
3) where do your characters fit into the organzations?
4) is this supposed to be an epic battle?

I tend to focus on the view and impressions of a few characters (so even large battles involve a lot of small unit or even single combat) And just give quick high-level descriptions of the overall battle.  Your reader will care about the overall battle, but should care a lot more about your characters and what happens to them.

-paul

--- End quote ---

1) Most likely I will use conventional organization, but with changed names. My story is a quasi-medieval fantasy.
2) The enemy is big on ambushes. So most likely infantry. But my character is a hotshot with the bow, so probably archers somewhere...it's the first stages of a war, so only small groups are at the front now, perhaps no calvary...yet.
3) My MC is a scout, and he comes across a group much larger than his unit can handle. For a reason that I haven't figured out yet, though, they *have* to take on the enemy. I've got a spiffy way for them to do so, but that can't be the *only* fight. The MC has to be in some actions before this, so the commanding officer can trust him to do the spiffy thing...
4) it's not the battle of Helm's Deep or anything, but it's got to be good enough to wipe out the enemy and give the victors a little breathing space.

Thanks for your advice, Paul. And Mickey, we can be stereotypical together ;)

~Cal

DragonFire:
Sounds like your MC is a scout.
What I would do is have him behind enemy lines, messing up supply.
That's an important job, and well suited. Scouts need to be fast, intelligent and tend to prefer distance weapons.
As to having to take on the enemy, it's best if you can set it up so that the good guys will get smashed, UNLESS the baddies are stopped then and there.
This lets your MC go to work without looking like a glory hound.
Does this help??

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