Bored of battle scenes

[LloB1]

HI everyone just wanted to know if you have this problem i am having in writing my story. There is a big fight scene i am in the process of writing in my novel that has taken up a big chunk of the novel and is significant to the story. but i find myself getting really bored of writing the fight scenes. In a way i feel the endless fighting and explosions isnt adding to the outcome of the actual story only the ending of the fight scene will. I find myself desparately wanting the battle to end so i can continue the emotional character driven side of the story. Does anyone else here not enjoy writing fight scenes or battles, only wanting to get on with the rest of the plotline. Or are there any ways of getting around feeling bored of writing them? All ideas much appreciated.

[thecommabandit]

I suppose it depends what type of battle your writing about, if you mean the huge armies-against-each other ones then I imagine it would get really boring after a while, but one method I've heard about is to zoom in to separate battlefield duels when you can, which would make it more like writing a one-on-one scene than anything else. I find writing duels very fun though, especially the part where I pick up my foam sabre and act out the fights on my own! :P

[Talysia]

I don't have this problem at the moment, but I have in the past, and the best advice I could give is to try and approach the battle scenes from a different perspective - ie, maybe from someone who doesn't actually fight/a spectator or witness. That may not work for your story, but that was how I approached the situation.

[Dexter]

See, I feel the same way about all the description and backdrop that has to be so lovingly layed out for the Gentle Reader of our Sci-Fi/Fantasy. It must be done because they can't take anything for granted, but it just takes so much time and space. It is worth it though and so are the fight scenes. The more concrete, the more specific, as long as the pace doesn't suffer too much, the better. When I read, I find that I have more attachment where the object of that attachment is more sharply drawn. If it's down and dirty personal, I really feel it. If it's a sketchy broadstroke kind of thing, I simply make note of it.

[Piyi]

Originally Posted by LloB1

HI everyone just wanted to know if you have this problem i am having in writing my story. There is a big fight scene i am in the process of writing in my novel that has taken up a big chunk of the novel and is significant to the story. but i find myself getting really bored of writing the fight scenes. In a way i feel the endless fighting and explosions isnt adding to the outcome of the actual story only the ending of the fight scene will. I find myself desparately wanting the battle to end so i can continue the emotional character driven side of the story. Does anyone else here not enjoy writing fight scenes or battles, only wanting to get on with the rest of the plotline. Or are there any ways of getting around feeling bored of writing them? All ideas much appreciated.

I feel the sameway as you do. Actually, I don't even like reading fighting/battle scenes. I find them rather boring. I generally try to read through them quickly and then feel quite relieved when they're over. Most of the ones I've read are mostly action-filled with little character development, and I like to read character-driven stories. I wouldn't care one bit if the entire book contained not one fighting scene.

I wouldn't know how to write them either, so I haven't so far. The novel I'm writing right now doesn't have any battles in it (as of yet). Hopefully, if I write anymore books, they won't have any fight scenes in them either! I get the feeling that most readers do like to read battle scenes however (else why would they be in so many novels?); so if I was looking to publish, I may be in a bit of trouble with that. But since I'm just writing as a hobby, it doesn't concern me right now.

[Joel007]

Usually a few minor characters with their own agenda in the fight, and you can tell how the battle as a whole is going without staying in one place.

[LloB1]

Thanks for all your replies. I am assured that there are others who struggle slightly with keeping their enthusiasm when writing fight scenes. Talysia and thecommonbandits comments are a real help. At the moment thts exactly what im trying to do. zone in on certain characters. but the contsant explanation of their actions during fighting is quite a gruelling process.

[C Of K]

Originally Posted by Joel007

Usually a few minor characters with their own agenda in the fight, and you can tell how the battle as a whole is going without staying in one place.

Listen to this man.

There is a big fight scene i am in the process of writing in my novel that has taken up a big chunk of the novel and is significant to the story.

This sounds a lot like the 1st 4 chapters of my book. It's aboard a single star ship, firing on a space station. I have 3 view point characters, and several other characters you either meet briefly, or stay with for a time. I'll just say there is a lot of non violent confrontation aboard this vessel, while the battle is in procession. (MAKE IT INTERESTING...anyway you can.)

but i find myself getting really bored of writing the fight scenes. In a way i feel the endless fighting and explosions isnt adding to the outcome of the actual story only the ending of the fight scene will.

Endless fighting, and explosions, in and of themselves never will. Don't count on them as a crutch. There is a time, place and order for everything, when you are writing.

I find myself desparately wanting the battle to end so i can continue the emotional character driven side of the story.

Don't underrate the fighting with the idea that other stuff will be more exciting for you. It may, but when you get right down to it, you're the one writing the violence, you'll still be the one writing the other stuff.

Figure out what is really happening during any of the scenes you write. Find interesting and important ways to bring out the meat of your story. Believe me, there are hundreds of stories to be told during a battle. Pick a few.

Does anyone else here not enjoy writing fight scenes or battles, only wanting to get on with the rest of the plotline.

I love it.

[ray gower]

I think you have to be very careful with combat scenes, or a lot of other action type stories. Once you've read one set of 'parry, kick, thrust he's dead' you have pretty well read them all. If you have got bored with them, then your reader will too!

In any battle, very few (relatively) are actually fighting, nor does any single battle, or skirmish, last more than a couple of hours. Which in anybodies terms doesn't warrant more than a page.

Break up the fighting: Create lulls where you characters have become too exhausted to fight further, or is sickened by what he has seen.

Pull away from the local battle and explain what is happening on the larger scheme.

Add background, perhaps your characters are hiding in a trench while the enemy looses a massive artillery bombardment.

When going into detail, make sure there is some humour; Dry black wise cracks are not uncommon, make sure your characters aren't in a world of their own, they are fighting with hundreds, if not thousands, of others!

Help your reader to read and feel it. Pace the story with your sentence structure.
Use short sentences, so it can be read quickly, when there is a lot going on, you don't need much detail, because the reader should be reading so fast he he has read the next sentence before the last has sunk in. Which is probably exactly what your character is feeling!
Longer sentences when you are in a lull to build the atmosphere and describe the larger events.

[lin robinson]

Two writers who are really, really good at balancing excellent battle scenes with development, romance, history and what not are Bernard Cornwell (The Sharpe books) and George MacDonald Frazier (the Flashman series)

The latter handles complex battles really well, often by setting it up so that Flashman is a messenger for a superior officer, thus enabling him to scamper about the field. (Including both riding with The Light Brigade and standing with The Thin Red Line)

[Leisha]

Originally Posted by ray gower

If you have got bored with them, then your reader will too!

This is the best advice. If you've already become bored with the scenes, it's quite likely you won't have been putting your best emotionally gripping writing into them either. If you are tired already, your writing will reflect that.

The readers will always know!

[Funngunner]

(Sorry, if this seems rather vapid, I'm stuck at work popped full of cold and sinus medications... wheeee)

Another option, to avoiding a dragging battle scene, is to move on from it. I've seen David Weber do this several times, sometimes to good measure.
This would work for smaller-scale engagements, although if you do this leading up to a major confrontation, and then jump to the aftermath, you may alienate your reader. (Mr. Weber, again, I'm looking at you.)

Example:
Blah blah,
two armies poised to do battle.
Bob and Joe run at each other. Their swords clash...
JUMP
The bodies of the fallen, swollen and bloated (like my sinuses) covered the field of battle.
Blah blah blah

It's a double-edged sword, but if you time it right, it can build up some suspense about the fate of the battle.

Just my thoughts on that.

[Moogle]

Have you perchance thought about explaining the battle in vivid detail up until a crucial point and then skipping ahead in your narrative? The characters would be acting out their lives and emotionalities after the result (how far after is up to you). The advantage of this is that you could have characters reflecting back upon the crucial battle or their role therein, then again this has the possibility of giving away the outcome of the fight before you want it revealed.

However you can use this to your advantage and lead the reader into misdirection. For instance one faction or individual after the battle lives in luxury and is, at least on the surface, happy with the result. While the other character is shunned and downtrodden, eventually coming to the realization that they have actually won where it really matters.

Just some cliche food for thought.

[C Of K]

Sounds something like the direction comics have taken recently.

[LloB1]

Good point Moogle. Though I think doing it that way would slow down the fast pace narrative of the story im writing if i went backwards and reflected on the battle.