Writing Female Characters in Fight Scenes
Writing fight scenes is one of the most difficult aspects of writing fiction. Writing fight scenes for female characters is even more difficult. Especially, when you are not a trained fighter. If you're not careful, the scene comes across as a step-by-step, clinical action sequence rather than a cohesive, exciting encounter.
Fight Like a Girl is just what I needed to understand the difference in how men and women fight. The writing exercises give you a foundation to start with so that you aren't trying to pull a scene from the air while learning.
She not only provides easy-to-follow examples, she critiques fight scenes in other books and explains why and how the attack or defense used would or would not work. And her humor makes a book that could be dry and boring fun to read.
Detailing the factual differences men and women use in fighting is so helpful. Due to being (usually) smaller and less strong than men, women just don't have the muscle mass to fight the same way men do. That doesn't mean women can't fight effectively, though. This book helps the untrained writer to write scenes that are realistic, yet exciting and engrossing.
I keep this book on my desk along with my other most used writing books.
Extract from Blurb:
Women are not men with mammaries. They don't approach, handle, or react to violence in the same way. Aiki Flinthart is a long-time martial artist, archer, knife-thrower, assault-survivor, and author of 11+ novels.
In Fight Like a Girl, she brings her own experience, plus the results of extensive research and interviews, to the table for fellow authors.
Take care and stay safe,
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