Writing Fight Scenes by Rayne Hall – Book Review

"Success in a fight depends on three factors: Strength, Strategy, Skill. To win a fight, your protagonist needs at least one of them. Otherwise, a good outcome is implausible."

Writing Fight Scenes by Rayne Hall is an encyclopedia of writing tips, tricks, and knowledge about the writing fight scenes regardless of the genre you have in mind. It's truly a gem and an excellent reference. 

Hall even provides a scene from her medieval-set dark epic fantasy novel Storm Dancer and challenges the reader of Writing Fight Scenes to pick out what they have learnt from reading the book in the sample.

Before Writing Fight Scenes begins, Hall notes that she alternates the hero between male and female in order to give examples for both. The book is also filled with story ideas and prompts, making it a writing resource at all levels.

"If your heroine defends herself with a garden hose, a toilet brush or a curling iron, the readers will root for her and enjoy the fight. This works especially well in 'entertaining' fight scenes."

Comprised of 34 chapters on anything and everything you can think of, the book handles topics from male and female fighting techniques to nautical and animal warfare (each has a separate chapter).

Hall begins from the beginning, what type of scene is the author interested in writing? "Gritty or Entertaining" marks the first chapter, followed by the selection of "Setting", "Structure" then moves on to weapons with chapter dedicated to "Swords", "Knives and Daggers", "Staffs, Spears and Polearms" to "Improvised Weapons" and more on the topic.

"If the thought of brutal violence makes you sick, and if you can't stand the sight of blood, don't attempt to write a gritty scene."

One of the things I truly enjoyed is Hall's "Blunders to Avoid" at the end of each chapter which as the name says are items to be avoided while writing and which act as a summary to the chapter.

Chapters in Writing Fight Scenes are fairly short, making the leaning process easy and enjoyable. While the book handles quite a massive amount of content and information, Hall ensures that you get the gist of the trade without getting bored.

"To create additional suspense immediately before the fight, describe some of the noises of the location: the croaking of a bird, the slamming of a door, the roar of a lorry on the nearby road."

Two of the most important chapters – for me – in the book were "Make the Reader Care" and "The Final Showdown". An important aspect I personally might have overlooked when writing. Another is the "Genres" chapter in which Hall mentions almost every popular genre and how fight scenes are handled in them.

Other important chapters were those on "Pacing" and "Euphonics"; the latter involves creating a sense of foreboding, fear, victory or defeat in your writing.

Hall also provides YouTube links to videos to help writers navigate what she's saying and see some 'live' samples.

Overall, Writing Fight Scenes by Rayne Hall is a highly recommended read. For me, it will remain an important reference to go back to whenever I want to write a fight scene or whenever I need inspiration for such a scene.

"If a novel contains several fight scenes, then the last one (the climactic showdown between hero and villain) is probably the longest."

Writing Fight Scenes is also the first book in the Writer's Craft series by Rayne Hall. 

Overall rating: 10 stars  

Feel free to check out Nadaness In Motion's other book reviews of Rayne Hall's books: The Colour of Dishonour (short story collection set in the Storm Dancer world), Writing about Magic (Writer's Craft series Book 7) and Thirty Scary Tales.

Keep up with Rayne Hall via Twitter. 

Need more writing help?

Check out these books (and reviews)

The Writer's Lexicon by Kathy Steinemann

Writing about Magic by Rayne Hall 

Write Your Book in a Flash (non-fiction) by Dan Janal

What Is a Cozy Mystery? Guest post by Kirsten Weiss

The Negative Trait Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi

Cornered by Nada Adel Sobhi - Poem

A flurry of voices,

A treble of feet,

A thousand choices,

No, just one: Defeat!

The wind howls,

The people pray.

The mighty general scowls;

There is no other way!

The end is near,

Yet on they pray.

Death is here,

Yet they still look to the day.

Bones and teeth clattering,

The cold sweeps through,

Walls of hypocrisy shattering,

To crumble and not rise anew.

Eyes open wide,

No way to turn,

Nowhere to hide,

Tonight the liars burn!

Run, Run, Run! But where to?

Looking here and there; cornered,

To the forest, to the river some go,

Backwards, forwards; nowhere to go.

The drums of war resound;

The general has come.

Then silence. Not a sound.

Death has come!

Photo credit: Unknown. Image found online. Not mine.

This poem was inspired by JJ Sherwood's Kings or Pawns novel, although I must note that I was a little more than half-way through the book (which is a must read!)

Check out the my five-star book review of the novel here.

Your comments and reviews for my poem are highly appreciated. 

Children of Lightning - Book Review

Children of Lightning by Annie K. Wong is what I call a strange story. There are a lot of characters. There were some interesting aspects like how the names given at birth have a significance and changing them could affect the life of the person – or creature involved. I also enjoyed the use of poetry and songs.

"Power unchecked is ultimately self-destructive." This quote probably best describes the novel and the main character.

The description of some of the characters in the novel, all of whom are creatures, was weird throughout. There are Plurans, which are Medusa-like creatures that for some reason can't have male children and accordingly have to mate with one of seven Ophidians. The latter are snake-like creatures but throughout the novel I could not really picture them; I also felt the description given to them was constantly changing.

The mating ritual is considered a 'deadly dance'. "Lonely and sorrowful, the pluran grieved in song and the Ophidians were charmed. They agreed to help the pluran conceive if she would serve them. Thus began the covenant that inspired thrill and dread for all plurans."

Although all the creatures in Children of Lightning were created from the "Lucerie Lightning" (a kind of comet that hit their land), there is obvious class distinction. The plurans are looked down upon most of the time.

One of the main themes of the novel is the names given to the plurans. The mother described in the early chapters begot a daughter, whom the ophidian named "Wriven" meaning "fierce". However, the mother did not like the name changed it – without the child's knowledge – to "'Tithren' meaning 'Victory'".

The novel also focuses on destructive ambition, particularly Tithren's.

"All seven of these serpentine monsters lurked in the Shadowlands, preying on living beings. They would eat anything, including a snake-haired pluran like Mother."

I liked that Tithren had clear flaws, which were greed and a temper, but there was no development, which was one of the main aspects that bothered me in the novel. The narrator constantly said that Tithren "couldn't control it." (It being her killing spree and selfishness).

After her first kill, Tithren goes on a killing spree. She also seeks to become something like a Rend Apex – the one in charge, which makes her short-tempered, stupid and a murderer.

Continuing with the character development part, I thought that after learning her real name Tithren would become fierce and wise, but she just become blood-thirsty and stupid. She is also extremely selfish - to the point of insanity for her and to the point of ridiculousness for the reader.

"Confused and careless, she pulled the dagger out. Blood poured from the wound like a waterskin punctured."

The fight scenes were awfully strange. I couldn't picture any of them. The colours of the ophidians were bright and dark at the same time. It could just be me, but I just imagined a big blob of colours some with spider legs, some with a snake body.

There was also a lot of gore, and mixed with the colours – it didn't go so well.

Starting part III, the time frame begins to get jumbled. Nine years and a war have passed, which we don’t know was between which species.

There are hardly any likable characters, just Junpo and probably Tithren's mother.

The novel kept me going and I wanted to reach the end to see what would happen but I felt the ending wasn't strong enough. I also didn't like the main character, Tithren, and it's hard for me to enjoy a novel, where the protagonist isn't likable – and more like obnoxious.

There are several interesting quotes in the novel, which was fun: "We came as one, a diamond from the sky. Together we must stand, or we will all perish like a teardrop shed and evaporated."

At the end of the day, I ask myself: would you recommend this book to others? In the case of Children of Lightning, my answer is No.

Note: I received a free copy of this novel in 2015 as part of a blog tour, but because I didn't like the novel, I had to withdraw from the tour as I could not promote a book I didn't like.

Mystical - the first instalment by Michael Weekly - Excerpt

Mystical by Michael Weekly

(Mystical, #1)

Published by: Limitless Publishing

Publication date: 8 December, 2015

Genres: New Adult, Urban Fantasy

Synopsis:

When Eliza Rose found out she was a witch, she thought she’d be casting spells…

However, it turns out Eliza is on her way to becoming a mystical assassin. But first she has to start college with her best friend Dawn Roberts and her feline familiar Jared. If you think college is stressful, try finding your best friend being seduced—nearly to death—by a venomous fairy. Something is horribly wrong, and Eliza must find out what it is.

Knowing who’s who in the Mystical world can be a burden—or save her life…

Murderous mermaids, seductive fairies, and manipulative elves are terrifying enough, but pure witches can become corrupt…and they’re the most dangerous creatures of all. Eliza struggles to discover the source of this chaos, but is repeatedly attacked—and saved by a shadowy figure. On a very personal note, Eliza must learn whether corruption is beginning to claim her mother.

Her strongest ally might be handsome, enigmatic Donovan—but he is hiding a shocking secret…

Donovan wants nothing to do with his old gang—not after the things they’d made him do. But when he meets Eliza, he’s both frustrated by her amateur skills and impressed by her emerging strength, and he feels compelled to help her grow into the assassin she’s meant to be.

Every answer has a price, and there are beings born to corrupt the pure.

Eliza fights to master her skills before it’s too late, while Donovan must determine whether Eliza can be saved…or if she must die to keep her out of the hands of those who would use her powers to reign over all of Mystical.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27787105-mystical

An excerpt/extract from Mystical:

I attempt to move and save her. Instead, I clench my hands into a fist, my throat is dry, and my heart drops inside of my chest. My hands are shaking, and I’m struggling to breathe properly. I can’t lunge forth. I’m too nervous.

I press my lips together. Anxiously, my eyes slide from left to right as I try to think of what I can do to save this innocent girl. I glance down as soon as I hear something moving below me. Gravel on thin strands of weeds puckers out of the ground slowly and slithers up my calves. I cringe as the feeling of the moist dirt on my skin stings my legs.

The sweet wind his wings create brush against my face, intoxicating me and causing my neck to numb. I become drowsy, my vision becomes blurry, and I forget about trying to save her. I’m paralyzed in this peaceful reverie. The smell of fresh roses controls my thoughts and actions. My eyes daze and, though I blink twice to wake myself up, I don’t want to fight against this calm feeling.

It feels amazing.

The weeds continue to wrap around my legs, holding me in place. I shake my head, trying to fall back into reality. I press my lips tightly together and focus on cutting off the weeds slowly. With each slash, it feels like my movement and reactions are slowing down. It must be the scent causing the nerves in my body to act strange. I cover my nose and continue cutting the strands of weed silently. Each cut increases the growth beneath me. The mud from the gravel thickens, gluing me further in place.

The girl moans in pleasure while the weeds attach to me and cling onto the fabric of my clothing. The noise she is making and the weeds from underneath me are overwhelming me. My heart picks up frantically, and my lips feel dry.

The strange creature caresses his prey’s bruised body. There are glowing hickeys all over her skin. He allows the weeds to slither around her neck slowly. He leaves another colorful hickey on her skin. He kisses her neck, eventually pulling on her skin with his sharp teeth.

The scent of his tongue sliding slowly on her neck flows over to where I’m being held captive. My lips part as her eyes roll back into her head. I can feel my mind and thoughts drifting away with her. I want the creature’s lips on my skin just as much as his prey does.

Think, Eliza, think. Stay focused.

I shudder as the cold wind tickles the tiny hairs on my skin. The guy stops kissing the girl and the moans fade away. He looks up and scans his setting. His eyes lock on my hiding place. I increase my cutting movement as fast as I can. He smirks at me with colorful drool dropping to the ground from his white blade-like teeth. His red lips glimmer in front of me in the shadows.

He lets the weeds take over the girl’s body, preserving his meal for later. She is still stuck in ecstasy. Her eyes slide in my direction. Even though she must be in pain, she’s smiling. Weeds form around her body, slither up, and then slap across her eyes and mouth.

The creep holding her captive flutters toward me slowly. He reaches out as weeds beneath the ground and roots spring up and wriggle around my ankles and neck. They travel up against my thighs and then slap across my mouth, preventing me from screaming. I am lifted up against the wall, just how the girl is in front of me.

I raise my dagger to try and cut the weed covering my mouth, but I lose my grip and it falls to the ground. I panic, struggling to breathe, but the same scent crawls into my nostrils. Its sweet taste overpowers my senses. My heart beat slows down drastically as my eyes follow the monster, who is floating in front of me, grinning wickedly. He touches my skin with his soft hand, sizzling and calming my emotions. My heart skips a beat.

It’s finally my turn.

As part of the tour there is a blitz-wide giveaway for a hardcopy of Mystical + swag and ebook copy. The giveaway is open internationally.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pre-order via Amazon.

About the Author:

Michael believes he is a mad scientist experimenting with his own imagination. He enjoys world building and having alluring conversations with his stubborn characters.

He is your author of The Mystical Trilogy, Casso and TESTED.  He specializes in many genres such as Fantasy, Urban Fiction, Dystopian, Young and New Adult. Most of his inspirations come from fairy-tales, music, and his curious what ifs.

You can find him anywhere to snuggling in a comfy seat with hot cocoa Netflix binging, or taking a soothing walk along the forest lines. Possibly diving in a tank with sharks, but that would be too insane.

He is a shopaholic east coaster living in Virginia with his fury companion Coco, where the two live happily ever after.

Connect with the Author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormichaelweekly

Twitter: https://twitter.com/michaeldweekly

Tumblr: http://abcdmikey.tumblr.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14430583.Michael_Weekly

Alpha Fighter Cover Reveal

Alpha Fighter by Ava Ashley

(The Alpha Fighter Series #1(

Publication date: December 15^th, 2014

Genres: New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

Savannah Santos is on the run, almost out of options and cash. The daughter of a motorcycle club king, she fled everything she ever knew to get out of an arranged marriage to a rival club’s prince. Her plan is to follow her career dreams and not endanger anyone by getting too close. But she wasn’t expecting her new roommate to be her dream guy.

For Cooper Quin, being any girl’s dream man, is nothing new, but he’s determined to stay exactly that: a dream. His focus is on killing it in the brutal MMA ring. A former Navy SEAL with a dark past of pain and betrayal, falling in love is the last thing he intends to do. But his sexy new roommate is nothing like one of his usual one-night stands. With her, it feels safe to let his guard down.

Cooper knows a little about running from the past; Savannah’s is still looking for her. He can’t leave her alone, but pursuing her might be the MMA fighter’s undoing. She knows she can’t stay forever—not with two outlaw gangs searching everywhere to bring her back.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23676363-alpha-fighter

About the Author:

Amazon bestselling author Ava Ashley may look like the girl next door, but her steamy romances reveal a very naughty side. Raised in small town Ohio and now living in Homer, Alaska it’s amazing that she hasn’t increased the average temperature in her area of the state with her steamy writing. And she loves reading new adult romance novels as much as she enjoys writing them.

Ava likes spending time outdoors and does a lot of hiking and cycling with her husband and four children. When she can get away on her own, she’ll often take pen and paper along, find a secluded spot and let the environment inspire her. Of course, that inspiration frequently results in characters tearing each other’s clothes off, but you would expect nothing less from a romance writer.

Author links:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8388054.Ava_Ashley

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAvaAshley

http://avaashley.com/keep-me-posted.html