: Re: What's Essential In A Combat Scene? I've just been reading a bunch of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files books. Although they were the most enjoyable read I'd had in ages I always found myself skimming

@Angie602

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I think the important thing is to keep the combat interesting (as trite as that sounds).

Something like:

Alonso dropped down on his right knee, swinging his dagger upwards, just like the Italian maestros. Bardolph stepped back fractionally, uncannily anticipating the thrust. Bardolph snarled and slammed his fist into Alonso's face.

Staggering back, Alonso felt a flicker of fear in his chest. He'd not measured himself against someone with Bardolph's gift for several years. Spitting bloody froth, he swept the dagger, slicing across Bardolph's ribs.

Obviously needs work, but it removes some of the "this is only the mechanics of a fight" and injects a small smidgen of emotion, maybe some back-references and the like.

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