Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts

Thursday, June 24, 2021

Book Review: Fight Like a Girl: Writing Fight Scenes for Female Characters

Fight Like a Girl

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,






Texas Ranch Wolf Pack Series




Thursday, July 27, 2017

Review: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to edit yourself into print

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King

A Review: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers

One of the 'rewards' I give myself when I publish a new book is a copy of the book just publishing in paperback and a book on writing or editing.

The most recent writing/editing book I purchased was Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to edit yourself into print by Renni Browne and Dave King.

All writers need editors. Unfortunately, logistics and finances don't always cooperate, especially for indie authors.

Though non-fiction writers also need editing, the topic for today is self-editing for fiction writers. With several years of professional technical and non-fiction editing behind me, it was interesting to learn fiction editing is different in many ways.

What surprised me and had me excited about this book is the number of examples. In every chapter, clear examples demonstrate how to use the training Browne and King provide.

Both authors, Renni Browne and Dave King, are professional fiction editors. Their chapter headings include: Show and Tell, Characterization and Exposition, Point of View, Proportion, Dialogue Mechanics, See How It Sounds, Interior Monologue, Easy Beats, and more. The appendices provide answers to the exercises in the book, as well as a list of top books for writers.

I'm going to go read more.

Later,