How to Write an Action Scene

Lights…camera…action!

I don’t know about you, but I love a good action scene. (I may have taken self-defense classes for this reason. Maybe.) So, how do you write a good action scene? What are the best practices, and what should you avoid?

Ready for a deep dive? Strap on your sword belt, load your Glock, and pull on those boxing gloves. The fight’s begun.

Must-Knows When Writing an Action Scene:

• Let your character’s thoughts and senses bring the action to life.

• Keep sentences short and punchy to speed up the pace.

• Know what the fight must achieve in your story.

• Keep talking to a minimum—people don’t chat much when they’re fighting!

• Ditch the fancy fight terms and just show what’s happening.

The 3 Advantages of Writing Action Scenes Over Films

Let’s start with the three advantages a written action scene has over a movie scene. Obviously, those are two completely different mediums, but the goal right now is to capitalize on our medium’s strengths.

1. Action Writing Unlocks Character Thoughts and Emotions

When writing a fight scene, it’s easier to slip in what a character’s thinking and their internal reaction to what just happened. This enables the reader to connect with the scene and character on a deeper level. Let’s dive into written fight scene examples that capture the raw, immediate feel of a struggle:

Riley fired off another round, then ducked behind the low wall, panting. Did I hit him? 

BANG! The garbage can a few feet away flipped over. Riley flinched. That was a no.

Mer dashed through another corridor, skidded into the maids’ quarters, and threw herself at Quinn’s door. It was locked. Panic consumed her. She banged, screamed, begged for Quinn to open the door. Behind her, the march of feet grew closer.

Take out those thoughts, take out those emotions, and it’s much harder to connect with or care about the scene.

2. Written Action Immerses Us in the Characters’ Senses

What does the character feel, hear, smell, even taste? This brings the scene to life, pulling the reader right into the moment. Pay attention to the sensory details in this scene:

Winston couldn’t stop coughing. The smoke surrounded him, stinging his eyes, obscuring everything. Distant shouts reached him, warbling voices that didn’t belong in this world of choking gray. A moment later, Winston felt a small hand on his arm. Katie had found him.

3. Writing Fight Scenes Allows You to Set the Pace

In a written action scene, you can slow things down and focus on a moment without having to use slow motion, which can be unnatural and very obvious in a movie. Based on your sentence length and how long the action goes on for, you can control the pacing of your scene.

Carla Hoch in Fight Write: Round Two suggests placing a line of description between every two or three pieces of action. This allows for balanced pacing and is a helpful tip for when and how often to include those sensory details and emotions we just mentioned. Check out the example:

Liam’s back hit the brick wall. He raised his arm just in time to block Greasy’s swing, then threw a jab. His fist met air. A second later, Greasy’s knee sank into Liam’s gut. Liam doubled over, gasping. Again. He’d lost again. And now he was dead.

The sharp tip of a knife touched his throat.

One could technically take out the “Again. He’d lost again. And now he was dead” and move straight to the next action point. But it allows us to connect to Liam, it raises the tension of the scene, and…it improves pacing. Too much action in a row can be hard to follow and swallow (hey, I rhymed!). Thoughts, emotions, and senses allow the reader to take it in much better.

Speeding Up the Pace in Fight Scenes

On a broader pacing scale, when you’re writing a battle scene, you can easily say “The sun was at its highest point when the Wyracks called a retreat.” Instead of showing the entire battle, you can speed up the pacing and show only what’s necessary. That’s harder in a film, where events appear “in real time,” and transitions can be a leetle bit more tricky.

Now for the tips on what to do.

Tips for Writing Action Scenes

Here are some practical tips to help you craft action scenes that are vivid, fast-paced, and emotionally engaging.

1. Decide the Injury for the Scene

What is the goal of your action scene? What needs to happen to your protagonist and the opponent(s) in this scene to move the plot forward? Carla Hoch explains in her first Fight Write book about how crucial this decision is. Not only will it affect the rest of the story, but it determines what moves and actions you want in the scene.

For example, does your MC need to sustain a scar so they’ll be recognized later on? Where will that scar be? The chin? What weapon would logically make that, and what’s the easiest way for that to occur? Plan out the logical flow of movements.

Maybe your MC simply needs to be shaken up so they realize they’re not infallible. Or, conversely, their success in the fight could show them they are, in fact, capable and ready to defeat the big baddie. It all depends on what your goal is with the scene.

Go into the scene with the goal/injury in mind. If you do that, you’ll be able to guide the fight toward that end.

2. Keep the Action Clear and Concise

Action scenes are not the place for long, complex sentences. Shorter ones help give that fast-paced sensation. Be sure to cut any extraneous words—fragments are encouraged as long as they’re clear.

I sometimes see sentences like this:

Mev stumbled backward as the second attacker lunged forward, grinning, swinging a broken pipe, clearly intent on winning the bounty. Mev was forced to duck and, struggling to regain his footing, searched for anything nearby he could use to defend himself.

Compare that with this:

The attacker lunged, swinging a pipe. Mev stumbled back, then ducked as the pipe whistled over his head. He glanced frantically around. Weapon. He needed a weapon.

The second version cuts the action into shorter, snappier sentences. Not only does that make the actions themselves clearer and easier to follow, but it allows the pacing to flow well. Of course, don’t take this overboard; you don’t need to keep every sentence short. That will likely create an abrupt, repetitive sensation. But lean toward the shorter side, especially to highlight important actions, and try to avoid piling on too many phrases in one sentence.

3. Show, Don’t Tell

You’ve probably heard this a hundred times. When you’re learning how to write action scenes, the toughest—and possibly most important—part is showing what’s happening instead of just telling it. It takes practice, but that’s how you make your scenes jump off the page. Take a look at this sentence:

The large man was quick, but Garm, of course, was quicker, and before the thug could pull his gun from his holster, Garm had the man in a headlock with his knife to his throat.

Now contrast it with this version:

The thug’s hand darted to his gun, but before it had left the holster, Garm had him in a headlock, knife to his throat.

Saying that the man was quick but Garm was quicker is telling. And while telling usually speeds up the pacing more than showing, in this case it’s only pushing off the action that shows what we’re being told. Why not just skip to showing the reader how Garm is faster than the thug?

In general, you want to show as much as possible in an action scene. It allows the reader to be right in there, their heart thumping and knuckles sore.

4. Keep Track of Your Characters

This is applicable if you have more than a two-person show. It can be hard to keep track of things when writing fight scenes. There’s chaos, loud noises, and general terror. But it’s important to at least establish at the beginning of the scene how many people are there and what they’re doing before zooming in on our POV character. This maintains clarity and allows your reader to picture events better. Having your protagonist take a quick glance around can be really helpful, and it’s why you often see a paragraph like this in a well-written fight scene:

One thrust, and the bandit was down. Thomas glanced to the side. Malt was facing off with a giant of a man, but his friend was grinning—he’d be fine.

There was a roar behind him and Thomas spun, raising his blade in time to parry the third bandit’s attack.

A quick look in that few seconds of “no one is trying to kill me,” and the reader knows what’s going on with the other characters. What you don’t want is several long paragraphs focused on your protagonist while the reader asks, “What’s going on with his mentor? His mentor is totally gonna die, isn’t he? The mentor always dies!”

As the fight progresses, allow small glimpses to catch your protagonist and reader up to speed. (This will also likely influence the protagonist’s actions if one of his friends are in danger...)

Now that you know how to write a good fight scene, here’s what not to do…

Common Mistakes When Writing Fight Scenes

Knowing how to write a fight scene in a novel also means knowing what not to do. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Do Not Write Blow-by-Blows

Readers can get easily bored if you have “Henry swung at Sinclair. Sinclair blocked, then thrust. Henry sidestepped and brought his sword down, but Sinclair managed to deflect the blow before stumbling backward, panting. Henry lunged forward.” And so on and so on.

Recall what we said above about pacing. Intersperse action with description. Readers don’t care so much about movements as they do about why the movements matter. Bring in that emotion by adding your character’s perspective. Allow the reader to experience the fight through sensory details and character emotion, and they’ll remember it much better.

2. Avoid Technical Fight Jargon

Related to that is how you’re describing the series of blows. Be wary of using technical fight jargon. As Carla Hoch says, your job is “to reach your reader, not teach your reader” (Fight Write, p. 26). She explains how readers might not know what a Superman punch is, but they’ll be able to relate to the sensory details surrounding the punch—the character jumping, the opponent’s head snapping back. Focus on that, not the name of a move (unless the character would naturally name it as it is).

3. Keep Dialogue Realistic During Fights

You know when you’ve climbed three flights of stairs and you’re panting and tired and sweaty? Would you be inclined to carry on a full conversation with someone at that moment? Probably not. Now imagine you were climbing those stairs while fighting off ninjas. You probably wouldn’t say a word—you’d be too busy surviving let alone breathing.

In a fast-paced action scene, it’s rarely realistic to have dialogue. Maybe a word here, a line there, especially if communication is necessary between characters to achieve their goal (e.g., soldiers). But there won’t be drawn-out banter between the MC and their opponent. It just doesn’t make sense. If you need them to have a convo, try to put it either before the fight, or slip some pieces in between, when they both back off to catch their breath (which can be a real thing).

From Tips to Takedown

All right, that’s enough for now! Got an action scene you want feedback on? I’d be happy to do a sample edit for you. Just reach out to EdelmanEdits, and let’s make some magic happen.

FAQs About Writing Action Scenes

How do you write a fight scene in first person?

In first person, the fight should feel like it’s happening right now—fast, messy, and personal. Your character won’t be analyzing every jab or kick like a coach; they’re reacting on instinct. 

Use short, sharp sentences to mimic the chaos. Focus on what they actually notice in the moment: the sting of a punch, the slam of a fist, the rush of fear. Internal thoughts should be quick and primal, such as “Don’t fall,” “Knife!” or “Get up!” Keep the action tight, the senses engaged, and the emotion raw. Think survival, not strategy.

How long should a fight scene be?

A fight scene should be long enough to inflict the injury (i.e., plot outcome) you need, short enough to be fast-paced and engaging. A quick scrap might take a few paragraphs, while a major, plot-heavy showdown could stretch over a few pages—or longer! Either way, it needs to keep the reader hooked.

Don’t let things get repetitive or overly detailed. Instead, focus on momentum: Every move should matter. Focus on character, make sure the stakes are raised, and keep the goal of your action scene front of mind. If the fight isn’t driving the story forward, it’s probably too long.