Writing a cool action scene, or perhaps some kind of heist? Look no further than the Herbaliser. They’re a live dance act, playing funky grooves whilst maintaining that minimalist thing I spoke about with Explosions in the Sky. Reminiscent of the Ocean’s movies’ soundtracks by David Holmes, I can’t help but nod my head and grin when I listen to them. They work perfectly when I’m trying to bring the cool to whatever I’m writing and have sound-tracked many a character entrance in my head.
Good action scenes. I hadn’t realised how exciting a written action scene could be until I started working my way through the Matthew Riley books. The man is a genius. For me, a well-composed action scene means one where you can see what’s happening as it’s happening. The ideal scene will carry you along with it, unable to break free or think about anything else. You are visualising, imagining in real time.
David Gemmell also did this wonderfully well, creating vivid fight scenes one frame at a time. I often get caught up in a book, forgetting where I am and what the time is, but it’s rarer for me to experience real excitement and a real physiological response. A great action scene does exactly that, setting my pulse racing and my hands clenching.
As a writer this challenge is ever-present. To take my reader to the edge of their seat, following the action with those nervous twitches you hope no one on the tube notices. I’m still figuring out what works and what doesn’t, but for me the visualising is key. I need to be able to see what’s happening easily and every step of the way. Break the logic, or skip a beat and you’re lost. As soon as you have to stop or look back a few lines to figure out what exactly is going on, the momentum stops and the spell is broken.
Are there any authors whose actions scenes you especially love?