Who doesn't love a book which manages to utilize the sentence "I felt like a granddaddy cobra" in a genuinely useful manner?

Christine Haggert has managed what I always needed but never quite realized I wanted: an actual, useful guide to writing fight scenes. She tackles this topic in a friendly, conversational voice rather than a detached and cold one; rather than feeling intimidated as I often do with guidebooks, I felt encouraged and cheered on by someone who understands the struggle and wants to make things easier. Not only does she explain how to set up and handle fight scenes, but she also takes the time to explain the nuances of how to handle the repercussions and how to believably write characters who win (or lose) these altercations - and when it's best to leave out the detailed fight scene altogether.

I already knew I was in love with this book by the second chapter, but once I reached the section where she insists that writers should actually keep track of injuries and cover the lingering wounds both psychological and physical... There were stars in my eyes and little heart emojis all over the place, I tell you. Okay, not literally, but I was thrilled all the same!

One of my biggest pet peeves in writing - both televised and literary - is watching a character get beaten half to death only to have their wounds make zero impact within ten minutes or less. I gave up on a television show I once loved, in fact, when my favourite character went from being nearly presumed dead with a disfigured face and flayed skin to having a small bandage and perfectly functional eyes in the next scene, not even a black eye or 'permanent' scar. (I can understand the limitations of makeup budgets, but at least make it last the entire episode which only spans a day to a week.) Given that few other fans of the show cared so much about this, I thought I was just crazy for caring so much about these kinds of details. I thought maybe I was doing it wrong myself when injuries in my writing held realistically timed repercussions for the characters. Heck, I thought it was just my OCD flaring up and making me latch onto things which others found meaningless. So reading this published author explain that these things truly are important? Yeah, that made me feel validated. It made me feel like maybe I have what it takes to become a published author myself someday and that there ARE people out there who'll care enough to appreciate the effort and thought I place into these things.

But I digress. That's but a small blip on the radar when it comes to this book. Written with the paper format in mind - Haggart often encourages readers to write on the pages for future reference - this is almost a workbook or a journal of sorts: the aspiring author's scratchpad for figuring out the elusive beast that is Fight Scene Writing. It includes step-by-step guides, cheat sheets, recommendations, and - for want of a better term - discussion questions to ponder about the characters involved, the environment, and the fight itself. In fact, it's made to guide you through actually writing a fight scene of your own while reading; the only reason I didn't do such is because I'm currently on a binge of writing things without combat. Maybe I'll come back to this another time and give it a go!

Overall, I'm pleasantly surprised that a book which is so relatively short packs such a punch... pun intended. Some of the information was new to me, even though I've read what must amount to hundreds of "how to write a fight scene" guides online over the past two decades. For that alone, I say this book is absolutely worth every penny for those considering the purchase: it brings new information and techniques to the table, in a way which doesn't act self-superior like so many other guides.

That said, I wouldn't call this book perfect. The fact it references character sheets and anatomy diagrams available on the author's website rather than providing those within the book is somewhat detrimental to following the guide. After all, not everyone has constant internet access or even owns a printer (or has access to one), and I tend to expect that all necessary instruments other than perhaps an ink pen are included in workbooks and guidebooks. It's for this reason - and this reason alone - that I chose a 4-star rating instead of awarding 5 stars. I hope to see this change when the new edition is published, rather than remaining as-is.

{ Note: I received a digital review copy of the second edition of this book through NetGalley. My review is solely my own opinion, and the only condition for receiving this review copy was that, if I choose to provide a review, it be genuine and honest. }

The book gives you exactly what it says - advice on how to write fight scenes. I learnt a lot from this book, so I definelty recommed it to anyone who has or plans to write some fight scenes.
I just wished it would use prober examples to show how it's done well and not well....
Received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love books about the mechanics of writing. This is a great example of an easily readable, succinct guide that focuses on a little covered area of many stories, writing a great action scene. Christine is a self proclaimed "rental ninja" who explains in clear detail the essential elements of writing a believable, heart-gripping fight scene in any novel. Her advice is practical and includes several great exercises to prompt real thought about the aspects that might make your fight scene much stronger. My favorite piece of advice was to block out the fight using gummy bears and mark them in places they'd have been injured.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.