In The Mouth of Authors

To make the fighting scenes in my low fantasy novel more realistic, I went to see a trainer for historical sword-fighting last week, both to barrage her with questions and to develop realistic choreographies for the fight scenes in the novel. Since I figured some of what she told me might be useful for you too, I put together a small list for you. Big thanks to Gladiatores Munich and Jeanne for making time! (Here are some more pictures if you’re interested.)

Caveat: I’m by no means a sword-fighting expert myself, so take these nuggets with a grain of salt – I might have misremembered or misinterpreted some of the things Jeanne told me. If I did, feel free to tell me.

1.) Weapon choices need to make sense

Let’s start with a truism: always ensure your character’s weapons make sense for a.) their profession, b.) their cultural background and c.) the environment they’re going to fight in. A farmer probably couldn’t afford a sword and might use a knife or threshing flail instead, and someone who doesn’t want to be noticed probably wouldn’t be milling about sporting a glaive or another large weapon. Also, soldiers native to a country with wide open plains would be more likely to carry long-range melee weapons such as spears or large swords, than those from a country consisting of mostly jungle or dense forests. The same applies to situations: if your character is going to be fighting in close quarters (even just a normal house), he’d get little value out of a spear or even a longsword, as there’d be no space to swing it effectively.

2.) Boldness often beats skill

In real swordfights, recklessness was often more important than skill. The fighter who was less afraid of getting hurt or wounded would often push harder, allowing them to overpower even more skilled enemies.

3.) Even a skilled fighter rarely stands a chance when outnumbered

While a skilled (or lucky) fighter might win a two-versus-one, it’d be extremely unlikely for even a single master swordsman to win against superior numbers, even just three and if they’re below his skill level. The only way to plausibly pull this off would be to split the opponents up, perhaps by luring them into a confined space where you could take them on one by one. The moment you’re surrounded, you’re probably done for – because, unlike in Hollywood, they wouldn’t take turns attacking but come at you all at once.

4.) Dual wielding was a thing

… at least in some cultures. I often heard people say that people using a weapon in each hand is an invention of fiction. And while my instructor confirmed that she knew of no European schools doing this—if they did, it’s not well-documented—she said it was a thing in other cultures. Example of this include the dual wakizashi in Japan or tomahawk and knife in North America. However, one of the biggest problems with the depiction of dual wielding in novels/movies/games are the “windmill”-type attacks where the fighter swings their weapons independently, hitting in succession rather than simultaneously. Normally you’d always try hitting with both weapons at once, as you’d otherwise lose your advantage.

5.) Longswords were amazing

Longswords might seem boring in comparison to other weapons, but they were incredibly effective, especially in combat situations outside the battlefield. The crossguard allowed for effective blocking of almost any kind of attack (well, maybe not an overhead strike of a Mordaxt, but still), the pommel was also used as a powerful “blunt” weapon of its own that could crack skulls. Though they were somewhat less effective against armored opponents, the long, two-handed hilt allowed for precise thrusts at uncovered body parts that made up for it.

6.)  “Zweihänder” were only used for very specific combat situations

Zweihänder—massive two-handed swords—were only used for specific purposes and usually not in one-on-one combat as is often seen in movies or games. One of these purposes was using their reach to break up enemy formations. In fact, one type of two-handed sword even owed its name to that purpose: Gassenhauer (German, Gasse = alley, Hauer = striker)—the fighters literally used it to strike “alleys” into an enemy formation with wide, powerful swings.

7.) It’s all about distance

While I was subconsciously aware of this, it might be helpful to remember that distance was an incredibly important element in fights. The moment your opponent got past your weapons ideal range, it was common to either switch to a different weapon or just drop your weapon and resort to punching/choking. A good example of this are spears or polearms—very powerful as long as you maintain a certain range between you and your opponent, but the moment they get too close, your weapon is practically useless. That’s also why combatants almost always brought a second weapon into battle to fall back one.

8.) Real fights rarely lasted over a minute

Another truism, but still useful to remember: real fights didn’t last long. Usually they were over within less than a minute, sometimes only seconds – the moment your opponent landed a hit (or your weapon broke or you were disarmed), you were done for.

9.) Stop the pirouettes

Unfortunately, the spinning around and pirouetting that makes many fight scenes so enjoyable to watch (or read) is completely asinine. Unless it’s a showfight, fighters would never expose their backs to their opponent or even turn their  weapon away from them.

10.)  It still looks amazing

If your concern is that making your fight scenes realistic will make them less aesthetic, don’t worry. Apart from the fact that the blocks, swings and thrusts still look impressive when executed correctly, I personally felt that my fights get a lot more gripping and visceral if I respect the rules. To a certain extent, unrealistic and flashy combat is plot armor. If your characters can spin and somersault to their heart’s content and no one ever shoves a spear into their backs as they would have in real life, who survives and who doesn’t noticeably becomes arbitrary. If, on the other hand, even one slip-up can result in a combatant’s death, the stakes become really palpable.

That’s about it! I hope this post is as helpful to some of you as the lessons were to me. Again, if anything I wrote here is bollocks, it’s probably my fault and not Jeanne’s.  I’ll try to post more stuff like this in the future.

Cheers,

Normal

Added

Affirmed

Commented

Conceded

Continued

Mused

Remarked

Said

Spoke

Stated

Suggested

Told

As a Question

Asked

Begged

Inquired

Probed

Queried

Questioned

Quizzed

Tested

As an Answer

Answered

Began

Countered

Clarified

Described

Elaborated

Explained

Informed

Replied

Responded

Retorted

Happy

beamed

cheered

chimed

giggled

laughed

praised

rejoiced

thanked

Angry

Argued

Bellowed

Berated

Chided

Countered

Demanded

Fumed

Goaded

Growled

Hissed

Ranted

Reprimanded

Roared

Scolded

Shouted

Snapped

Sneered

Thundered

Sassy/Playful/Sarcastic

Bantered

Bragged

Hinted

Jested

Mimicked

Mocked

Quipped

Smirked

Bossy

Challenged

Commanded

Decided

Demanded

Detailed

Determined

Insisted

Ordered

Anxious/Sad/Worried

Cautioned

Groaned

Gulped

Stammered

Stuttered

Trembled

Whined

Of course this is not a complete list, so feel free to add on!

What is it called?

Is it monotheistic or polytheistic?

What is the name of each deity?

Are they considered a god?

Does their name carry a special meaning?

Do they identify by any gender considered “traditional” in the context of your world?

What are they the deity of?

Is there any one myth or legend that they are most known for?

Is there a certain way for people to worship them?

Do they have any special abilities or responsibilities in the world?

Do people use “God” or “god”? Does it depend?

Are there any temples in your world?

Are they dedicated to any one deity, or open for all worship?

Are there any events held there? (Like weddings, funerals, scheduled times for group prayers, anything like Mass in the Catholic Church?)

How well decorated are they? Why?

Is it considered commonplace to offer sacrifices to any deity? What are the most common sacrifices?

How do people pray?

Is it out loud or silent?

What do they usually pray for?

Is there a specific time during which people are supposed to pray? Does it matter at all?

Is there a position in which they usually pray? (Kneeling, standing, bowing, etc.)

Is praying a group activity or meant to be solo?

Are there any religious holidays? What is celebrated?

Does anything religiously involved occur during or soon after birth?

Does anything religiously involved occur during or soon after death?

Do people believe in an afterlife?

Is there anything like a heaven/purgatory/hell system? What is yours like?

If so, how can someone guarantee themselves a spot in any one place?

Is there anything promised in each part?

Who are the most well-known figures of your religion? Why are they so well-known?

Is there a special book or anything like it that people following the religion go by? (like the Quran, the Bible, the Torah, etc.)

What does it state?

How closely is it followed, and why?

Is there a hierarchy of sorts in religion?

Who holds the highest position, and how did they get there?

What are the following ranks, and what comes with each of them? Special responsibilities/abilities, etc?

What is the lowest position? Is there anything lower than a regular follower of the religion? How did they get there?

Do expectations change at all with age?

Are children brought into the religion at a young age, or are they given a choice?

If they are brought in very early, is there ever a period where they are given the opportunity to leave?

Do the deities, if any, view children and adults differently? Is it about age in any respect?

How does this religion treat people who aren’t followers?

What is the general opinion on trying to convert “non-believers” to their religion?

How are the general interactions?

How much does religion affect the relationships a person might have?

How does this religion, as a whole, view and treat people of different varieties?

People of Color?

Members of the LGBT+ community?

Anyone who falls outside of what bigots might consider “normal” or “right”?

SO YOU WRITE DOWN A WORD

BUT ITS NOT THE RIGHT WORD

SO YOU TRY A NEW WORD

BUT YOU HATE THE NEW WORD

AND YOU NEED A GOOD WORD

BUT YOU CANT FIND THE WORD

OH WHERE IS IT

WHAT IS IT

WHAT IS IT

WHERE IS IT-

“It’s just a scratch. You worry too much.”

“Ah… ! Don’t press there!”

“Just put a bandage on it and I’ll be fine.”

“That looks bad. Really bad.”

“Try not to look at it.”

“That hurts!”

“You’re going to need bedrest for at least a few days.”

“I’m going to be stuck in bed for how long?”

“That’s nothing, you big baby.”

“Here, let me help. I’m good at this sort of thing.”

“I can’t feel it. That’s bad, right?”

“Can you move?”

“How can something so small hurt so much?”

“It looks a lot worse than it is.”

“You’re a terrible patient.”

“Will you hold still? I can’t do anything if you keep squirming.”

“Wow, I’ve never seen skin turn that color before.”

“It’s just another a war trophy.”

“Shut up and let me help you.”

“I don’t care how tough you are. You can’t ignore that.”

So you want to make an OC?: A Masterpost of Ways to Create, Develop, and Make Good OCs!

i made this masterpost in hopes that it helps you in making your own OCs ah;; it can also apply to developing RP characters i suppose! if you’d like to add more resources then go for it sugar pea (´ヮ`)!

How to Write Better OCs:

basic tips on how to make your oc even better

tragic backstory? learn how to write one/make yours great

writing specific characters

a wordier, great guide on how to develop your character

kick out those vague descriptions and make them AWESOME

Character Development:

how to actually make an OC

Q&A (to develop characters)

more Q&As

giving your character a backstory

how to write an attractive character

Diversity

adding more racial diversity

avoiding tokenism, AKA, how to add diversity to your cast not just because you “need” it

writing sexuality and gender expression (doesnt include non binary, if you have a good ref to that, please add on!)

masterpost on writing more diversity into your story

cultures of the world

guides to drawing different ethnicities (not just a great art reference, but also really helpful in appearance descriptions!)

Mary Sue/Gary Stu

Test to see if your character is a Sue

Explains subdivisions of Sues/Stus

Powerful Characters Don’t Have to Be Sues

Villains

villain generator

need an evil sounding name for your evil character? bam

villain archetypes

what’s your villain’s motive for being a villain?

Relationships

character perceptions (What your character thinks of themselves and what others think of them)

how to write strong relationships between two characters

8 ways to write better characters and develop their relationships with others

OCxLove Interest Handbook 

develop your couple with good ol’ Q&A!

how to write realistic relationships

how to write relatives for your characters (this is more OC related to a canon character, but will help in writing family members in general)

ARCHETYPES

12 common archetypes

8 archetypes for male/female characters

female archetypes (goes pretty indepth from two main categories)

a list of archetypes

NAMES

how to name your character

random name generator

most common surnames

surnames by ethnicity

APPEARANCE

tips for better design

basic appearance generator

pinterest board for character design (includes NSFW and images of skeletons/exposed muscle (?) so tread carefully!)

clothing ref masterpost

DETAILS

give your character better powers

a list of professions

proactive vs reactive characters

positive and negative traits

interest generator

skills generator

motivation generator

123 ideas for character flaws

list of phobias

Sad boii

Based off of this pic:

What one thing does your character delight in that they never want anyone else to find out about?

Most people possess an affinity for something that others would consider unexpected or unpopular. For example, the neighborhood biker boy from Persona 4, Kanji Tatsumi, has a surprisingly sensitive side, going as far as to sew stuffed animals and other “cutesy” memorabilia. Does your character possess such a fondness?

If so, what causes this character to be ashamed? Does society tell them liking it is wrong? Did their upbringing cause them to believe so? What first exposed them to this pleasure? Was it something pure or corrupt? If someone showed them this, was it done for malicious intent or for mutual enjoyment? 

How does this affect their relationships with other characters? Does someone share their affinity and/or another reject it entirely? Does the character attempt to hide their secret at any cost? What would it cost them if it was exposed?

1. QUEST - the plot involves the Protagonist’s search for a person, place or thing, tangible or intangible (but must be quantifiable, so think of this as a noun; i.e., immortality).

2. ADVENTURE - this plot involves the Protagonist going in search of their fortune, and since fortune is never found at home, the Protagonist goes to search for it somewhere over the rainbow.

3. PURSUIT - this plot literally involves hide-and-seek, one person chasing another.

4. RESCUE - this plot involves the Protagonist searching for someone or something, usually consisting of three main characters - the Protagonist, the Victim & the Antagonist.

5. ESCAPE - plot involves a Protagonist confined against their will who wants to escape (does not include some one trying to escape their personal demons).

6. REVENGE - retaliation by Protagonist or Antagonist against the other for real or imagined injury.

7. THE RIDDLE - plot involves the Protagonist’s search for clues to find the hidden meaning of something in question that is deliberately enigmatic or ambiguous.

8. RIVALRY - plot involves Protagonist competing for same object or goal as another person (their rival).

9. UNDERDOG - plot involves a Protagonist competing for an object or goal that is at a great disadvantage and is faced with overwhelming odds.

10. TEMPTATION - plot involves a Protagonist that for one reason or another is induced or persuaded to do something that is unwise, wrong or immoral.

11. METAMORPHOSIS - this plot involves the physical characteristics of the Protagonist actually changing from one form to another (reflecting their inner psychological identity).

12. TRANSFORMATION - plot involves the process of change in the Protagonist as they journey through a stage of life that moves them from one significant character state to another.

13. MATURATION - plot involves the Protagonist facing a problem that is part of growing up, and from dealing with it, emerging into a state of adulthood (going from innocence to experience).

14. LOVE - plot involves the Protagonist overcoming the obstacles to love that keeps them from consummating (engaging in) true love.

15. FORBIDDEN LOVE - plot involves Protagonist(s) overcoming obstacles created by social mores and taboos to consummate their relationship (and sometimes finding it at too high a price to live with).

16. SACRIFICE - plot involves the Protagonist taking action(s) that is motivated by a higher purpose (concept) such as love, honor, charity or for the sake of humanity.

17. DISCOVERY - plot that is the most character-centered of all, involves the Protagonist having to overcome an upheavel(s) in their life, and thereby discovering something important (and buried) within them a better understanding of life (i.e., better appreciation of their life, a clearer purpose in their life, etc.)

18. WRETCHED EXCESS - plot involves a Protagonist who, either by choice or by accident, pushes the limits of acceptable behavior to the extreme and is forced to deal with the consequences (generally deals with the psychological decline of the character).

19. ASCENSION - rags-to-riches plot deals with the rise (success) of Protagonist due to a dominating character trait that helps them to succeed.

20. DECISION - riches-to-rags plot deals with the fall (destruction) of Protagonist due to dominating character trait that eventually destroys their success.

Vulgar is a conlang (constructed/fictional language) generator created to help literally generate a language for you. No, really. No tricks, and it’s super simple to use. It’s my favourite tool right now for writing fantasy, even as someone who loves creating his own languages, it’s an amazing starting point.

Want a random conlang, straight away, with no prep or fuss? Just visit http://vulgarlang.com/index.html and click “Generate New Conlang”… and that’s it. Scroll down and through your brand new, generated, completely original conlang. 

If you’re a little more advanced in terms of conlanging and want to specify IP phonemes to be used, you can add them too, but even with no knowledge of linguistics you can create a language at the click of your fingers.

This version of Vulgar is completely free, sure…. but! the guy who created it has not only made an amazing thing (which I repeat, is absolutely free at it’s most basic point), but is also planning on updating it more and more!

Under the “Buy” tab on the Vulgar website, he links to his email, where you can offer to pay for the full version of Vulgar, which is a total steal right now at a sale price of only nineteen dollars. Considering professional conlangers and linguists could charge you, like, a metric fuck ton of money for the same data you’re getting here for just nineteen, that’s a major steal.

Not to mention, buying the alpha build now gives you free access to all of it’s updated versions, which I can guarantee are just going to get better and better! I’ve already bought it and I adore it, and this is a tool the likes of which we in the conlang community have never seen in such an awesome way.

I frequently use it as a sarcastic retort, but, honestly; there will be subtle hints.

How people express anger is unique to them. They may use profanity. They may change their sentence structure. They may pick their words more deliberately and deliver them with more force. They may raise their voice. They may lower it. They may smile, no really, this can be a tell. Their idiomatic use of the language may shift slightly. They may give very little outward sign, but their behavior towards the person who pissed them off will change. They may use more pejorative terms for the subject of their ire. Or, they can yell, scream, and throw a tantrum, that is a legitimate option. Obviously, they won’t be doing all these things at once, and this isn’t an exhaustive list.

It really depends on who your characters are.

That said, the tells for a character should be mostly consistent to them. A character who gets quiet, methodical, and downright malicious, when they’re angry probably isn’t going to then get into a screaming match, unless it’s to manipulate someone else.

Tells that alter how a character’s dialog flows can be effective, but very difficult to actually pull off. It’s something worth experimenting with. It’s a useful tool to have as a writer, because it will allow you more flexibility with how you structure dialog for your characters. Just, be ready to tweak it around a bit until you get the hang of it.

Also, as a personal nitpick, unless someone’s actually being charged with a crime, or introducing an airborne piece of literary canon to the scene, “throwing the book” just doesn’t work. It’s a decent, but sadly abused idiom. Give the poor thing a rest.

As for what you’re looking to say in an argument? Remember your characters’ goals.

Every argument starts with two characters who want different things from a scene. Even if one of them just wants the other to go away and leave them alone.

At that point, your characters’ jobs are to advocate for their position, or undermine the other’s. As the scene starts they have a lot of options for how they can approach that goal, but as they choose their approach, they’ll whittle down their options. You can think of this as the characters building inertia in their approach. Someone who’s aggressively derisive of the other character’s position will have a much harder time walking it back, then someone who takes a more neutral approach. Alternately, you can have a character who’s building up their opponent’s position, only to start ripping it apart once their opponent’s emotional guard is down.

I realize the irony in answering your fears about your scenes being too mechanical with a strictly mechanical approach to character interaction. The point is to remember that the scene needs to go places. If it starts with two characters in a room talking about what to do next, they need to state their case, respond to their opponents’ objections or alternatives, and the actual point of the argument needs to move naturally.

For the dialog itself, you will probably benefit from showing your characters anger, rather than explicitly telling the audience that one of your characters is slightly irked now. Focus on how their demeanor changes, not what those changes mean.

-Starke

Alternative words