choosing styles for a novel

[gregsabo]

Hello,

 

I'm writing a fantasy novel involving a lot of fantastical fight scenes. I have a good idea of what I want to happen in the fights, but I need to develop a fighting style for each character. They each use different weapons, as shown:

 

-male with sword

 

-female with staff

 

-male with bare hands

 

-male with single axe

 

I want their styles to be more impressive than effective, as they won't be used in real-life.

 

I would appreciate any links or other references for any reccommmended disciplines

 

Thanks a lot from a martial-arts newbie!

[foreveryoung001]

Welcome to the board. I do not know much about it, but there is a MA called Capoeira(sp?) that is supposed to be very flashy... flips and spins... I don't know how effective that would be in real life, but it might add the type of spice you are looking for. I'm sure there are others on this board who know more about this art, and might have some links for you.

 

Good luck with the book.

 

Do you have a title, or a basic plot that you would like to share?

[Little Dragon]

how about using unique styles which most people dont know..like arnis(phillipino stick fighting..2 sticks),or getting sum grapplings in there like ju jutsu,aikido,hapkido,etc.

[Fat Donkey]

Yeah, why go for such standard characters and weapons Why not give them exotics like hook swords, monks spade, tri-sectional staff etc.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

If you're sriting a fantasy novel..why not have fantasy arts?

 

Plus you need to consider this,. If you are going to use a style with a specific name which is out there now, then you're going to have people that are taking that system reading (hopefully anyway) your novel, and you're going to have to be accurate in your descriptions of techniques, or people will call * to what you're saying. Are you wiling to do the massive research associated with being able to describe 4 different types of arts and their various application names?

[Shane]

I think for sure having one of them performing Capoeira would be pretty neat.

[White Warlock]

I agree with Shorinryu. Being a writer myself, i know full well the biggest mistake is to write about something without having performed sufficient research. Fantasy writing is some of the most 'flexible' writing available, but it should also be considered the one that requires the most research, in order to present a viable picture in the mind's eye of the readers.

 

What i'm saying is, if you don't know the systems yourself, then i suggest you stick with making up styles for your characters to be proficient with. When describing what one or another character is doing, it's also a good idea to stick to 'describing' the actions in somewhat generic fashion, rather than name-calling them and getting caught up in details. Think of the process in writing a confrontation as you would remember one. I.e., details unspecific, with only a few things that stick firmly in your mind of the conflict. Expressing it in such a way becomes much more visceral to the reader... i.e., it shouldn't be expressed in a 'cogent' manner, as much as it should be expressed in a 'gut' manner.

 

What not to do:

 

"Keal lunged back in to a half stance and performed a reverse-punch to the solar plexus of Mako. Reeling from the impact, Mako wheeled back and retaliated with a spinning back kick, only to have it blocked by Keal's upper block"

 

Last comment. I only write about what i know. Fantasy writing allows you to apply what you know, and then to flower it with something 'nobody' but you knows... because you made it up.

[foreveryoung001]

WW, would that be along the same lines of the old quote, "Sell the sizzle, not the steak!"?

[47MartialMan]

Yeah, but the "steak", when done to "taste", is nice to "consume".

[Red J]

Coming up with a fantasy style would be a "novel" approach.

 

It gets my vote.