The stretch of story takes place in Chapter 10 of the Grobug Tales chapter book. It features Tut discovering and engaging an enemy Mockwing in battle.
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What do you think of the results?
Look at for a 10 Minute Drawing video tomorrow!
October 04, 2023 – VIII
A form swept out of the narrow field of vision. Tut burst forward in pursuit. Shining Arms shot forth to ensnare the fleeing form. With a screech, the Mockwing wheeled around and soared toward Tut. It’s eyes blazed with cold fury and it flapped it’s wings of mist. Tut pulled in the luminous tendrils as quickly as he could. The bird spun in a corkscrew pattern that wrenched Tut off course.
[13 minutes, 71 Words]
Comments:
The Joys and Challenges of Writing Action Scenes
In a recent 10-minute burst of writing for my middle grade fantasy novel Grobug Tales, I drafted an aerial action sequence between two characters. Grobug Watcher Tut is pursuing a mystical bird-like creature through the misty skies. They engage in a supernatural dogfight, with Tut lashing out with tendrils of light to try and ensnare his elusive foe.
I found myself laughing as I wrote this intense back-and-forth. Crafting exciting action beats brings me a unique sense of joy as a writer. However, condensed battle scenes like this one also pose some interesting challenges.
First, economy of language is crucial. Action needs to move fast, so sentence structure and word choice must be tight and precise. At the same time, vivid details are still important to engage the reader’s imagination. Finding the right balance is key.
Second, varied sentence structure and unexpected twists help create a feeling of dynamism and unpredictability. The passage can’t just be subject-verb over and over. I try to throw in descriptive clauses at opportune moments and vary whether the subject or object leads the sentence to keep things moving.
Lastly, reflecting on genre terminology is worthwhile. I realized after writing this scene that the term “dogfight” may not be familiar to young readers. It originates from aerial battles in WWII, and there is no reason for me to use it in the context of this story. While the Grobugs have been around for a long time and they do get involved with humans, they have a distinct culture and I need to reflect that in how I write what they are doing. Any story focused on Grobugs should give the reader a sense of wonder and otherness as they explore a world that is not quite their own.
Overall, writing a fast-paced, entertaining action scene requires thoughtfulness amidst the exhilaration. But when done right, few things are more fun to write or read! Let me know in the comments if you have any other tips for crafting great action sequences.
MJ Muñoz 