McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Melee Combat, little help here...
Rabidpancakes:
Writing my book and doing ok. Getting help from Wolfhowls and others out here. Problem is trying to get my melee combat down to where everyone can appreciate it. Sounds great in my head, but could use some advice. Any authors or books you can recommend to me, I tend to get very technical when I get passionate. Wolfhowls recommended Troy Denning. Any other advice?
meg_evonne:
what is your point of view? If you have it charted/choreographed in your head and it looks and feels great then it might be that when you switch to another viewpoint to write it the confusion/dis-satisfaction comes in?
I find that clients reporting accidents have the same problem. It happens in 3D but they can't properly explain it until they are thinking in 2D... Try it sometime, look at an intersection and have a "mental accident" then try to explain it to someone---you think it's simple but it's not. By going to 2D on a piece of paper you can easily communicate it properly. You can go back in later to add "flavor" and "texture", but if your mechanics are off---the work will be off.
Can't beat Butcher's battle between spring and summer. I find them difficult to write unless I take the time to do my homework with the little lead or pewter fighters--which is the only way I can keep the combatants in order and in the right place at the right time. If it's smaller number of combatants you might pull up some of the 60's70's stuff like Ludum (Bourne books), Deighton (Any of them), Fleming (James Bond books) for ideas. Ken Follett is a master, I think.
Rabidpancakes:
Good call! I should have though about that from my traffic accident investigation days.
See, I can choreograph it just fine. Problem is I will tend to use very technical names from martial arts that only a practitioner of that art would be aware of. I think I need to get less technical. Maybe I'm wrong. Ludlum is a good Author though, Should have thought about him. Thanks. Anymore help I definetely welcome.
meg_evonne:
And I wish I had your technical names! If you develope a grid work..
Like Term in Martial Arts and Common/non-tech name (and list them below).
There is a person on these boards who dispices (sp) charts and glossary use, but if it's really slowing you down in moving forward...make one! Besides the individual will be on later to rant! I'm in a teasing mood anyway! (dig,dig)
I've thought I should take a martial arts class, as have always admired staff clubbing (how's that for non-technical) since my days watching Robin Hood (live action Sat AM). I'm only kidding. I'm sure there is a lovely term for staff choreography!
ballplayer72:
E E knight and Illona Andrews both do wonderful jobs of combat scenes, and so does Simon R Green, especially in the Deathstalker series.
Also, what setting are you in? magic or tech, swords, guns, fireballs, giant robots. Versus man, beast, demon, etc.
I like to think I'm pretty good at combat scenes, and I've never had a problem voicing my opinions, so if you would like, i would like to help.
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