706
Author Craft / Re: Melee Combat, little help here...
« on: August 14, 2007, 04:13:06 AM »
I humbly suggest you use any formal names for moves or strikes sparingly, if at all. Too many books go on about ""Eagle Claw Striking Fist of The Mystic Schoolboy", "Jade Mantis Striking the Cinnibar Monkey In Autumn Foliage," etc..... I'm sure you get the picture. My Obsidian Panda School will defeat your Steel Battle Carp Style!
Some of the best fights I've read were from John D. McDonald's "Travis McGee" books. The narration style and flavor changed, depending on how serious a fight was going on. I particularly remember phrases like "an uppercut that started somewhere around the floor and left me wondering where my head was going to land", it lends the sense of confusion and desparation that one feels when having one's brain sloshed around inside their skull. And with brawls where he had the other guy totally outclassed, the writing style was more calm, casual and perky even. A brutal paraphrase, "Eager to impress his audience, he came at me all studio black belt, "Hah!" and "Hiyah", so I stepped in and gave him a couple to the kidney, then eased him over to the couch and sat him down." And there have been times where McGee butted heads with a true professional, and got handed his ass. (For example, in one book, some MOSSAD boys left Travis McGee, Heroic Badass, wondering WTF? Hunh? Whuuzat?" )
Just a thought, and please remember, those aren't direct quotes, just soup from the bits I remember off-hand.
However, you go, good luck with the writing!
Some of the best fights I've read were from John D. McDonald's "Travis McGee" books. The narration style and flavor changed, depending on how serious a fight was going on. I particularly remember phrases like "an uppercut that started somewhere around the floor and left me wondering where my head was going to land", it lends the sense of confusion and desparation that one feels when having one's brain sloshed around inside their skull. And with brawls where he had the other guy totally outclassed, the writing style was more calm, casual and perky even. A brutal paraphrase, "Eager to impress his audience, he came at me all studio black belt, "Hah!" and "Hiyah", so I stepped in and gave him a couple to the kidney, then eased him over to the couch and sat him down." And there have been times where McGee butted heads with a true professional, and got handed his ass. (For example, in one book, some MOSSAD boys left Travis McGee, Heroic Badass, wondering WTF? Hunh? Whuuzat?" )
Just a thought, and please remember, those aren't direct quotes, just soup from the bits I remember off-hand.
However, you go, good luck with the writing!