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Fight Write: How to Write Believable Fight Scenes
Whether a side-street skirmish or an all-out war, fight scenes bring action to the pages of every kind of fiction. But a poorly done or unbelievable fight scene can ruin a great book in an instant.
In Fight Write you'll learn practical tips, terminology, and the science behind crafting realistic fight scenes for your fiction. Broken up into "Rounds," trained fighter and writer Carla Hoch guides you through the many factors you'll need to consider when developing battles and brawls.
•In Round 1, you will consider how the Who, When, Where, and Why questions affect what type of fight scene you want to craft.
•Round 2 delves into the human factors of biology (think fight or flight and adrenaline) and psychology (aggression and response to injuring or killing another person).
•Round 3 explores different fighting styles that are appropriate for different What really happens in fights on the street? What is the vocabulary used to describe these styles?
•Round 4 considers weaponry and will guide you to select the best weapon for your characters, including nontraditional weapons of opportunity, while also thinking about the nitty-gritty details of using them.
•In Round 5, you'll learn how to accurately describe realistic injuries sustained from the fights and certain weapons, and what kind of injuries will kill a character or render them unable to fight further.
By taking into account where your character is in the world, when in history the fight is happening, what the character's motivation for fighting is, and much more, you'll be able write fight scenes unique to your plot and characters, all while satisfying your reader's discerning eye.
In Fight Write you'll learn practical tips, terminology, and the science behind crafting realistic fight scenes for your fiction. Broken up into "Rounds," trained fighter and writer Carla Hoch guides you through the many factors you'll need to consider when developing battles and brawls.
•In Round 1, you will consider how the Who, When, Where, and Why questions affect what type of fight scene you want to craft.
•Round 2 delves into the human factors of biology (think fight or flight and adrenaline) and psychology (aggression and response to injuring or killing another person).
•Round 3 explores different fighting styles that are appropriate for different What really happens in fights on the street? What is the vocabulary used to describe these styles?
•Round 4 considers weaponry and will guide you to select the best weapon for your characters, including nontraditional weapons of opportunity, while also thinking about the nitty-gritty details of using them.
•In Round 5, you'll learn how to accurately describe realistic injuries sustained from the fights and certain weapons, and what kind of injuries will kill a character or render them unable to fight further.
By taking into account where your character is in the world, when in history the fight is happening, what the character's motivation for fighting is, and much more, you'll be able write fight scenes unique to your plot and characters, all while satisfying your reader's discerning eye.
240 pages, Paperback
Published June 11, 2019
98 people are currently reading
397 people want to read
About the author
Carla Hoch
10books20followersCarla Hoch is the author of the Writer’s Digest book Fight Write: How to Write Believable Fight Scenes. She is the blogger of FightWrite.net and podcaster of the eponymous FightWrite podcast. Carla has training in nearly a dozen martial arts and fighting styles and regularly teaches workshops on the mechanics of fighting for writers as well as the craft of writing fight scenes. She trains outside of Houston, in the People's Holy Republic of Texas where she lives with her family, paranoid guinea pigs and judgmental cat.
Carla Factoids:
- When Carla was in 5th grade she wrote to People Magazine and told them how much she loved their article on the E.T. movie star Henry Thomas. People Magazine wrote her back, she still has the letter, and helped Carla become an official member of the E.T. fan club.
- She was the Sam's Club Employee of the Month once. She was also surveilled by Sam's Club to see if she was stealing money but it turned out she was just super bad at counting down her cash register. They kept her and raised her as their own.
- She was almost suspended in high school for shooting spit balls. It wasn't so much the spit balls. It was that when she was told to write an essay on why she shouldn't shoot spit balls, Carla argued that her spit balls were a cry for peace and if everyone would put down their guns and pick up straws the world would be a better place to live!
- She is a descendent of William Shakespeare's mother's sister.
- She is really good at making popcorn on the stove.
- Carla has training in hapkido, MMA, Muay Thai, street defense, iaido and Filipino martial arts and is belted in judo, aikido, TKD and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
- Both her late father and late aunt were professional writers
Carla Factoids:
- When Carla was in 5th grade she wrote to People Magazine and told them how much she loved their article on the E.T. movie star Henry Thomas. People Magazine wrote her back, she still has the letter, and helped Carla become an official member of the E.T. fan club.
- She was the Sam's Club Employee of the Month once. She was also surveilled by Sam's Club to see if she was stealing money but it turned out she was just super bad at counting down her cash register. They kept her and raised her as their own.
- She was almost suspended in high school for shooting spit balls. It wasn't so much the spit balls. It was that when she was told to write an essay on why she shouldn't shoot spit balls, Carla argued that her spit balls were a cry for peace and if everyone would put down their guns and pick up straws the world would be a better place to live!
- She is a descendent of William Shakespeare's mother's sister.
- She is really good at making popcorn on the stove.
- Carla has training in hapkido, MMA, Muay Thai, street defense, iaido and Filipino martial arts and is belted in judo, aikido, TKD and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
- Both her late father and late aunt were professional writers
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
March 31, 2023
This is the best book on writing fighting and action scenes ever!
I write a LOT of action scenes in my books, but I want to make them as realistic as possible so that’s why I got and read this book. And boy does it do just that and more! The author covers everything from fist fighting to weapons to poisons, injuries, bleeding out (sounds gross but it’s actually really helpful for those of us who torture our characters *cough* which I never do *cough*), and more with tips and nuggets of wisdom scattered throughout that already has me making plans to tweak those scenes in my story very soon.
I HIGHLY recommend this book to any writer who writes lots of action/fight scenes and wants them to be as realistic as possible. Try this book; you won’t regret it. ☺️
I write a LOT of action scenes in my books, but I want to make them as realistic as possible so that’s why I got and read this book. And boy does it do just that and more! The author covers everything from fist fighting to weapons to poisons, injuries, bleeding out (sounds gross but it’s actually really helpful for those of us who torture our characters *cough* which I never do *cough*), and more with tips and nuggets of wisdom scattered throughout that already has me making plans to tweak those scenes in my story very soon.
I HIGHLY recommend this book to any writer who writes lots of action/fight scenes and wants them to be as realistic as possible. Try this book; you won’t regret it. ☺️
June 16, 2019
I read a LOT of books that lend themselves to one sort of fight scene or another. Many times, an author has crafted a great story, only to crash and burn when it comes time to describe a fist fight or a gun shootout or a knife duel. It is no secret that a story can swiftly unravel if your fight descriptions don’t match with reality.
Enter Karla Hoch, a writer who has also personally studied many of the fighting styles described in the book. “Fight Write� is a reference book for writers who find themselves (or, their characters) in a situation where violence is about to rear its head. Handling the scene incorrectly can generate reader scorn, ridicule, or outright dismissal. Ms. Hoch offers the tools to get it right.
Not that one could build a book of fight scenes from her book alone. Well, you could, but even the author admitted at times that she was providing us with the basics, which gives us a starting point to conduct further research. On the plus side, there are so many options that just those basics alone fill out an entire book.
The book offers insight on many topics, ranging from the obvious chapters on weapons or close quarters combat to considering how the terrain, weather, or different people may affect the scene. There is even a brief overview of the legality of killing another person (the aftermath, what happens immediately and later on when your case reaches the courts). It is very encouraging to see that Ms. Hoch did her own research, and she lists those people who assisted and vetted her words.
I recommend this book to anyone writing about weapons, fighting, or any type of violent act. Most writers have not had the opportunity to wrestle with someone in a back alley or point a gun (or have one pointed at us!) from ten feet away or less. If you can’t look back at the experience, all you have left is research. This book is a wonderful addition to your research shelf (and if you don’t have one, today is a good day to start). Five stars.
While I originally received an electronic version of this book from NetGalley (my thanks also to Writer’s Digest Books), once I finished the ebook I purchased a physical copy for that research shelf I mentioned above.
Enter Karla Hoch, a writer who has also personally studied many of the fighting styles described in the book. “Fight Write� is a reference book for writers who find themselves (or, their characters) in a situation where violence is about to rear its head. Handling the scene incorrectly can generate reader scorn, ridicule, or outright dismissal. Ms. Hoch offers the tools to get it right.
Not that one could build a book of fight scenes from her book alone. Well, you could, but even the author admitted at times that she was providing us with the basics, which gives us a starting point to conduct further research. On the plus side, there are so many options that just those basics alone fill out an entire book.
The book offers insight on many topics, ranging from the obvious chapters on weapons or close quarters combat to considering how the terrain, weather, or different people may affect the scene. There is even a brief overview of the legality of killing another person (the aftermath, what happens immediately and later on when your case reaches the courts). It is very encouraging to see that Ms. Hoch did her own research, and she lists those people who assisted and vetted her words.
I recommend this book to anyone writing about weapons, fighting, or any type of violent act. Most writers have not had the opportunity to wrestle with someone in a back alley or point a gun (or have one pointed at us!) from ten feet away or less. If you can’t look back at the experience, all you have left is research. This book is a wonderful addition to your research shelf (and if you don’t have one, today is a good day to start). Five stars.
While I originally received an electronic version of this book from NetGalley (my thanks also to Writer’s Digest Books), once I finished the ebook I purchased a physical copy for that research shelf I mentioned above.
August 18, 2024
I've read some books on writing fight scenes before, but haven't felt like the other books I've read really delivered what I was looking for. This book does. Great practical advice for how to write fight scenes that not only feel believable--but also keep readers glued to their seats.
October 19, 2023
Amazing!
From punching, to daggers, to firearms, to anything lying around.
To bleeding, breaking, bruising, and death.
This book will answer your questions in a conversational style. Useful writing tips are sprinkled throughout.
Fun facts at the end of each chapter made me alternately laugh or think.
The author is honest in her descriptions of wounds and death. Things got gory, at times.
Hoch reminds writers their goal is to serve and honour their readers. With realistic fight scenes, yes, but to use wisdom in how deeply you go into details, and what details to include or leave to the reader's imagination.
I learned so much, and will be returning to this book again!
Heartily recommended!
From punching, to daggers, to firearms, to anything lying around.
To bleeding, breaking, bruising, and death.
This book will answer your questions in a conversational style. Useful writing tips are sprinkled throughout.
Fun facts at the end of each chapter made me alternately laugh or think.
The author is honest in her descriptions of wounds and death. Things got gory, at times.
Hoch reminds writers their goal is to serve and honour their readers. With realistic fight scenes, yes, but to use wisdom in how deeply you go into details, and what details to include or leave to the reader's imagination.
I learned so much, and will be returning to this book again!
Heartily recommended!
September 9, 2019
Awesome book. All about pain and weapons and fighting and yeah... I love it.
May 12, 2020
OH. MY. GOODNESS.
Where has this book been all my writing life? This is an amazing resource for any writer, not just one who has fight scenes in their book but anything involving weapons. You need this book by your side for any project; I definitely will have it nearby always.
Awesome, thorough work done on this book. LOVE IT! <3
Where has this book been all my writing life? This is an amazing resource for any writer, not just one who has fight scenes in their book but anything involving weapons. You need this book by your side for any project; I definitely will have it nearby always.
Awesome, thorough work done on this book. LOVE IT! <3
February 1, 2021
Really helpful resource covering all kinds of aspects of writing fights--including some topics that you don't necessarily think of being related to fighting. The author wisely doesn't try to cover every facet of every topic but goes over the basics and gives pointers on how to think in terms of your story's unique culture, geography, setting, etc. and work with it to create realistic fight scenes. The tone is friendly and humorous, but the author is obviously well-versed in her subject matter. If I ever need to write a really good fight, I'll probably be looking at this again. :)
Stylistically, I had only a couple of small complaints. There are helpful lists of definitions, but not every term that's used later makes it into these lists, leaving me flipping around trying to figure out the meaning of a term that I can't picture. Also, sometimes the instruction centers around what you *should* do to defend against x or y kind of attack, or how not to leave yourself open for it, etc., which left me a bit in the dark about how to write characters who (like me) never knew any of this and (unlike me) haven't read this book. ;) Also, a warning that the talk of blood, injuries, and death can get gruesome at points--which the author does on purpose to show the very stark reality you're dealing with as an author when writing scenes like this. If you have a sensitive stomach, you may want to skip some of these sections...
Content--mentions of blood, wounds, dead bodies, etc.; some uncomfortable details about different fighting techniques, history, origins of certain types of weapons, etc.; one play on words that alludes to a profanity without using it outright
Stylistically, I had only a couple of small complaints. There are helpful lists of definitions, but not every term that's used later makes it into these lists, leaving me flipping around trying to figure out the meaning of a term that I can't picture. Also, sometimes the instruction centers around what you *should* do to defend against x or y kind of attack, or how not to leave yourself open for it, etc., which left me a bit in the dark about how to write characters who (like me) never knew any of this and (unlike me) haven't read this book. ;) Also, a warning that the talk of blood, injuries, and death can get gruesome at points--which the author does on purpose to show the very stark reality you're dealing with as an author when writing scenes like this. If you have a sensitive stomach, you may want to skip some of these sections...
Content--mentions of blood, wounds, dead bodies, etc.; some uncomfortable details about different fighting techniques, history, origins of certain types of weapons, etc.; one play on words that alludes to a profanity without using it outright
August 11, 2024
This was more of a preliminary skim read, but I’ll definitely be buying this and marking it up. So, so helpful
April 8, 2023
I might come back and fill out this review more later, but honestly this book is exactly what it promises to be. I loved it. My husband hated it... he was terrified every time he looked over my shoulder. That's what he gets for interrupting my reading time. It's informative, fun, snarky, and covers a lot of ground. I'm sure I'll be coming back to it a couple hundred times.
July 30, 2019
Informative, helpful, and humorous. A must-have for any writer who deals with fight scenes or even injuries in their books. I’ve learned a ton, and I’ll never tire of Carla’s writing style.
August 18, 2019
Fight Write should be on every author’s desk that writes fight scenes no matter your genre. It also doesn’t matter how much fighting you're writing about, be it a tussle or a huge fight scene and it also doesn't matter the level of author you are, this book will help you write believable fight scenes that will grab your reader’s attention and heck, it might even grab you more new readers because of the depth of believable fight scenes you’ll be writing.
Cala Hoch goes into detail about weapons, people’s different height and how it would affect them fighting, different fighting techniques and so much more. Believe me, you'll find something in this book that will help you become a better writer and you’ll be glad you bought this book.
Cala Hoch goes into detail about weapons, people’s different height and how it would affect them fighting, different fighting techniques and so much more. Believe me, you'll find something in this book that will help you become a better writer and you’ll be glad you bought this book.
February 21, 2022
This is one of the most informative books that an author writing fight scenes can get their hands on. Carla covers all her bases and proves how knowledgeable she is time and time again—but in an engaging way. I’ve already seen its effects on me, as I’m paying more attention to how fights in movies and shows play out. I feel like my appreciation for well-written fights has increased so much just in the ten days it took me to read this. I highly recommend it to all authors writing any sort of action scene. Even if you just enjoy watching and reading fights, this book will also grow your appreciation for the excellent ones.
May 17, 2024
I finished this book in 2 days, and took pages of notes. So helpful. Definitely will be referring back to it!
January 9, 2021
This was great!! I skimmed some of the more technical descriptions because I think some chapters are intended to be used as a reference that you flip through while writing, and realistically I am not going to remember all the definitions of different types of knives, swords, etc. However, I thought that this was great for the psychology it briefly goes into on fight scenes, where best to strike, injuries, death, and so on. Some of this was definitely basic information but it was great that all this information was condensed into one very readable book. The author also had a great voice and while I usually struggle with nonfiction, they made this book very easy for me to get through.
March 17, 2021
I never thought reading about fighting techniques could be fun until I started reading this book. I must have a grim sense of humor. I probably should not laugh about the stuff in the book, but the author has such a great sense of humor that I couldn't help it. Before I read this book, I was very timid of including any fight scenes in my books (not that I didn't try. They're probably just embarrassing). Now that I've finished this, I feel more confident. I just have one request: Please, oh please can the author write more books? 'Cause I need them.
June 9, 2019
Who would think that an entire book could be written about the construction of a fight scene? Carla Hoch has given us a book that has an entertaining and enlightening central focus. The writing, at times, is almost anatomical in its attention to detail. An interesting reading choice for any composition class.
February 14, 2022
This book was excellent! General enough not to be overwhelming or exhaustive, but specific enough to give solid details for writers and leads to follow up on. And it covered absolutely everything (including a section on fights between humans and robots!), even if at times the details made me feel a tad squeamish. Highly recommend!
June 2, 2019
Great writers tool for creating believable and knowledgeable fight scenes. I got a lot out of it and will reference it for years to come.
March 11, 2021
First of all, I totally regret not picking up this book earlier. Especially, when NetGalley approved this ARC back in 2019. Due to various reasons, it took me more than a year to get to this book and start reading. But boy, when I did�
I can’t explain how fantastically this book has been written. Just can’t.
But I’m going to let you know why you need to read this book. And have it on your shelf.
As a writer, this book is going to be immensely helpful for you. More so, if you’re writing a fight scene or planning to write one, and you have no clue as to how to show it or what are the technicalities of a scuffle or shooting a rifle. This book on your shelf will come to your rescue whenever there’s a chance of such a scene and your characters are just standing face to face, clueless and confused about what to do next.
This book will first cover the basics of a fight � which includes the questionnaire. What is the fight about? Why is it happening? Why is it happening now? Why not before? When did this actually start? How are the characters fighting? Where is the fight taking place? What does this fight mean to your characters? What do you want the results of this fight to be? What will happen if this fight does not take place at all? Why is this fight important to your book?
The first section of the book will make you think about your story, characters, scenes, backstories, and a lot more by asking questions like mentioned above. It helped me personally to get back into my work-in-progress after a long hiatus.
Little Tip: Whenever coming across these questions while reading the book, keep a notebook handy. Try to answer as many of them as possible. These notes will be quite significant for your progress with that novel you’re trying to write.
Next comes the functions of your body and mind � before, during, and after the fight scene. This section will make you understand your characters better as well as their intentions. Is your character a sadist psychiatrist? A scared high schooler? A confident pick-pocket? Or an angry bartender?
More questions: How will the high-school student react when she’s slapped by her fellow classmate? How will her body respond? How is the pick-pocket going to steal that expensive gold watch from the hand of your protagonist? Will the protagonist notice? If she does, will she kick the pick-pocket or punch him in the face? How will a dragon react to a spear coming right at him? Will he be able to move fast enough to dodge it? Or will he be able to melt it with his fiery breath?
The second section will tell you about what goes on in the fighter’s mind and how his or her body should move as per the scene.
Subsequent sections of this book will take through all the fighting arts there are. Hand to hand, on the ground and a ton more technical terms were used in this book. Several forms of fighting were explained such as jiu-jitsu, karate, taekwondo, etc. Everything has been touched upon on the basis of your character's size and strength as well.
After introducing you to the various forms of fighting, the author will walk you through the weapons. Yes, everything starting from a folding knife to a long sword to a shotgun to a vial of poison. She had laid bare the technicalities of using these weapons and even the effects of using them.
Lastly, she’ll touch upon the injuries that are a vital part of a fight scene. What they look like? What they feel like? How might your character feel when knocked out by someone? How is your character going to continue fighting for survival when he has already been stabbed in the stomach? How much blood loss can cause a human to die? Why does someone faint when they see their own blood?
This book contains a plethora of information and it is not a book that is to be read from page one to last. It’s a reference book and I’m glad that I came across it and will continue to refer to it whenever I want my characters to fight.
What made this read a hell of a lot more fun was the humour in Carla Hoch’s writing. I was laughing out loud while reading some parts, to be honest. I totally became a fan of her after this book.
I can’t explain how fantastically this book has been written. Just can’t.
But I’m going to let you know why you need to read this book. And have it on your shelf.
As a writer, this book is going to be immensely helpful for you. More so, if you’re writing a fight scene or planning to write one, and you have no clue as to how to show it or what are the technicalities of a scuffle or shooting a rifle. This book on your shelf will come to your rescue whenever there’s a chance of such a scene and your characters are just standing face to face, clueless and confused about what to do next.
This book will first cover the basics of a fight � which includes the questionnaire. What is the fight about? Why is it happening? Why is it happening now? Why not before? When did this actually start? How are the characters fighting? Where is the fight taking place? What does this fight mean to your characters? What do you want the results of this fight to be? What will happen if this fight does not take place at all? Why is this fight important to your book?
The first section of the book will make you think about your story, characters, scenes, backstories, and a lot more by asking questions like mentioned above. It helped me personally to get back into my work-in-progress after a long hiatus.
Little Tip: Whenever coming across these questions while reading the book, keep a notebook handy. Try to answer as many of them as possible. These notes will be quite significant for your progress with that novel you’re trying to write.
Next comes the functions of your body and mind � before, during, and after the fight scene. This section will make you understand your characters better as well as their intentions. Is your character a sadist psychiatrist? A scared high schooler? A confident pick-pocket? Or an angry bartender?
More questions: How will the high-school student react when she’s slapped by her fellow classmate? How will her body respond? How is the pick-pocket going to steal that expensive gold watch from the hand of your protagonist? Will the protagonist notice? If she does, will she kick the pick-pocket or punch him in the face? How will a dragon react to a spear coming right at him? Will he be able to move fast enough to dodge it? Or will he be able to melt it with his fiery breath?
The second section will tell you about what goes on in the fighter’s mind and how his or her body should move as per the scene.
Subsequent sections of this book will take through all the fighting arts there are. Hand to hand, on the ground and a ton more technical terms were used in this book. Several forms of fighting were explained such as jiu-jitsu, karate, taekwondo, etc. Everything has been touched upon on the basis of your character's size and strength as well.
After introducing you to the various forms of fighting, the author will walk you through the weapons. Yes, everything starting from a folding knife to a long sword to a shotgun to a vial of poison. She had laid bare the technicalities of using these weapons and even the effects of using them.
Lastly, she’ll touch upon the injuries that are a vital part of a fight scene. What they look like? What they feel like? How might your character feel when knocked out by someone? How is your character going to continue fighting for survival when he has already been stabbed in the stomach? How much blood loss can cause a human to die? Why does someone faint when they see their own blood?
This book contains a plethora of information and it is not a book that is to be read from page one to last. It’s a reference book and I’m glad that I came across it and will continue to refer to it whenever I want my characters to fight.
What made this read a hell of a lot more fun was the humour in Carla Hoch’s writing. I was laughing out loud while reading some parts, to be honest. I totally became a fan of her after this book.
May 31, 2024
Had a few interesting fun facts, some I did and some I didn't know, but overall this was basic fighting knowledge that I already knew for writing. The many references and quotes from American military and American corporate news was gross. I also disagree with the author's suggestion in how to write fight scenes. She suggests not using technical fight terminology because it's presumed the average reader is ignorant to this vocabulary, and even suggests not to teach the reader about fight terminology. I think it's bad advice because learning is part of reading, we don't always pick up a book and know all the vocabulary contained within.
August 13, 2022
I love Carla's dry sense of humor as she approaches this topic of crafting believable fight scenes. This will definitely be a go-to guide for me with my writing.
July 5, 2020
The facts are Super helpful.
Whether writing a small/large
action/ fighting scene, this book has you covered.
5 stars.
Whether writing a small/large
action/ fighting scene, this book has you covered.
5 stars.
February 22, 2021
This book is awesome, guys!
Carla Hoch goes through every type of fighting you could think of, from hand-to-hand to sword fighting to guns, with detailed but easy-to-follow descriptions. The book outlines different fighting styles, types of weapons, and there’s even a chapter on fighting aliens and robots! It’s chock full of very helpful information and a good dash of humor to go with it, too. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is struggling with writing fight scenes in their books—or even for people who aren’t, because it never hurts to learn more. Five stars, awesome reference and research book!
Carla Hoch goes through every type of fighting you could think of, from hand-to-hand to sword fighting to guns, with detailed but easy-to-follow descriptions. The book outlines different fighting styles, types of weapons, and there’s even a chapter on fighting aliens and robots! It’s chock full of very helpful information and a good dash of humor to go with it, too. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is struggling with writing fight scenes in their books—or even for people who aren’t, because it never hurts to learn more. Five stars, awesome reference and research book!
January 26, 2021
Where has this been all my life? Managed to cover a lot of territory while still giving a satisfactory depth of information on each topic, not to mention the section "How to Load and Fire a Civil War Muzzleloading Rifle with a Paper Cartridge in Just Eight Easy Steps" pretty much automatically gave it 5 stars. The balance in style between knowledgeable and witty also made it a fun read - I actually laughed aloud several times.
January 13, 2024
Informative and fun to read
February 15, 2021
Useful and fun, with applicable advice for purely narrative concerns as well as technical detail. I’d recommend this to anyone writing fight scenes. My copy is filled with scrawled notes and dog ears on top and bottom. Looking forward to putting it to use!
August 14, 2019
I was only a quarter of the way through the digital ARC of this book when I went online and ordered a paperback copy for myself. I already knew this was a reference book I wanted on my shelves. I imagine I’ll be dipping into it often.
I know nothing about fighting in real life and up until now I haven’t included many physical fights in my novels. This is partly due to my ignorance and partly because I don’t find long descriptions of battles and fights very interesting to read. But when this book came up on Netgalley, I thought it might be of some use on those occasions when I just couldn’t avoid writing about an aggressive physical encounter. I didn’t really have any expectations beyond that: a few tips to help me avoid looking stupid when I was writing fight scenes. I certainly didn’t expect to be blown away by what Carla Hoch has done here.
She has combined knowledge from the fields of physiology, psychology, sociology, statistics, language, as well as martial arts, battle strategy and even law, into a handbook specifically tailored to the needs and concerns of fiction writers. And if that makes the book sound dry and academic, it isn’t. Hoch writes in an easy-to-understand style, with plenty of examples to illustrate her points. In fact, her tone is so casual, and at times even jokey, that it grated on me occasionally in the beginning. But this is a very minor criticism and doesn’t diminish the usefulness of the book in any way.
And that usefulness goes beyond fight scenes. There is good information here for deepening characterisation in all kinds of situations. For instance, one chapter, entitled Pre-Incident Indicators, details behaviours that can signal predatory intent and lead to an aggressive incident. This was gold. My mind went immediately to the villain of my current novel in progress, a manipulator who does end up perpetrating violence. I was pleased to realise that I had instinctively included some of the behaviours mentioned by Hoch in early appearances of the character. But I noted down a few other gems to sprinkle through relevant scenes. It was at this point that I bought the book.
The remaining three quarters of the volume contains detailed information about Fighting Styles, Weaponry and Injuries. I’ve never felt the desire to know how it sounds/looks/feels to be stabbed, but some day, I may need to know exactly that to write a realistic scene. Carla Hoch has my back.
Hoch doesn’t restrict herself to describing human conflict either. In the section on Fighting Styles, alongside many forms of martial arts, she includes points to consider if your character is fighting a robot, an alien or a mythological creature. There is even a short section on Psychological Warfare.
I unreservedly recommend Fight Write to writers in any genre who want to create vivid, realistic, heart-pounding fight scenes that also add richness both to plot and characterisation.
I know nothing about fighting in real life and up until now I haven’t included many physical fights in my novels. This is partly due to my ignorance and partly because I don’t find long descriptions of battles and fights very interesting to read. But when this book came up on Netgalley, I thought it might be of some use on those occasions when I just couldn’t avoid writing about an aggressive physical encounter. I didn’t really have any expectations beyond that: a few tips to help me avoid looking stupid when I was writing fight scenes. I certainly didn’t expect to be blown away by what Carla Hoch has done here.
She has combined knowledge from the fields of physiology, psychology, sociology, statistics, language, as well as martial arts, battle strategy and even law, into a handbook specifically tailored to the needs and concerns of fiction writers. And if that makes the book sound dry and academic, it isn’t. Hoch writes in an easy-to-understand style, with plenty of examples to illustrate her points. In fact, her tone is so casual, and at times even jokey, that it grated on me occasionally in the beginning. But this is a very minor criticism and doesn’t diminish the usefulness of the book in any way.
And that usefulness goes beyond fight scenes. There is good information here for deepening characterisation in all kinds of situations. For instance, one chapter, entitled Pre-Incident Indicators, details behaviours that can signal predatory intent and lead to an aggressive incident. This was gold. My mind went immediately to the villain of my current novel in progress, a manipulator who does end up perpetrating violence. I was pleased to realise that I had instinctively included some of the behaviours mentioned by Hoch in early appearances of the character. But I noted down a few other gems to sprinkle through relevant scenes. It was at this point that I bought the book.
The remaining three quarters of the volume contains detailed information about Fighting Styles, Weaponry and Injuries. I’ve never felt the desire to know how it sounds/looks/feels to be stabbed, but some day, I may need to know exactly that to write a realistic scene. Carla Hoch has my back.
Hoch doesn’t restrict herself to describing human conflict either. In the section on Fighting Styles, alongside many forms of martial arts, she includes points to consider if your character is fighting a robot, an alien or a mythological creature. There is even a short section on Psychological Warfare.
I unreservedly recommend Fight Write to writers in any genre who want to create vivid, realistic, heart-pounding fight scenes that also add richness both to plot and characterisation.
October 3, 2021
What a wonderful read.
September 27, 2021
Great reference for writers in all genres! Complete with glossaries and real-world examples.
July 12, 2019
I once attended Carla Hoch's session in a Realm Maker's Conference, where she demonstrated various fighting techniques for a bunch of writers. This is kinda like that, in book form.
Fight Write is a great writing resource. It doesn't just give you basic information about various fighting styles and weapons, but it also directs you to think about how to write a fight scene, and what sort of stuff you should think about when writing it. (Tip: it's not so much about the technicalities that most readers won't know, but about how it feels).
Hoch is hilarious, both in person and in text, so this doesn't turn into a dry and boring textbook. It also goes a little into the psychology of fighting and how and why people react in different ways, gender differences, scene and environment... and how you can "test" fight scenes and scenarios without getting yourself actually beaten up. (Eg.: Never been punched in the eye? Think about how you reacted when you poked your eye; same reaction, just worse injury)
*bonus: there is a chapter on Fighting Aliens and Stuff if you're writing SFF. ;)
Biggest takeaway: When writing a fight scene, it's not just about the fight. It's about the people involved and their motivations.
I mostly read this because I've been struggling with some fight scenes in my WIP and I've bookmarked like a lot of things to re-read as I fix the WIP, so I can safely say this is a very useful book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Writer's Digest Books via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Fight Write is a great writing resource. It doesn't just give you basic information about various fighting styles and weapons, but it also directs you to think about how to write a fight scene, and what sort of stuff you should think about when writing it. (Tip: it's not so much about the technicalities that most readers won't know, but about how it feels).
Hoch is hilarious, both in person and in text, so this doesn't turn into a dry and boring textbook. It also goes a little into the psychology of fighting and how and why people react in different ways, gender differences, scene and environment... and how you can "test" fight scenes and scenarios without getting yourself actually beaten up. (Eg.: Never been punched in the eye? Think about how you reacted when you poked your eye; same reaction, just worse injury)
*bonus: there is a chapter on Fighting Aliens and Stuff if you're writing SFF. ;)
Biggest takeaway: When writing a fight scene, it's not just about the fight. It's about the people involved and their motivations.
I mostly read this because I've been struggling with some fight scenes in my WIP and I've bookmarked like a lot of things to re-read as I fix the WIP, so I can safely say this is a very useful book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Writer's Digest Books via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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