Lesson overview

Detailed practice
Story - Narrative
Middle years and up
science fantasy
worldbuilding
setting
Phoenix
S F Said
sci-fantasy
action scene
fight scene
multiple actors
sequencing action
expressive punctuation
em dashes
repetition
dramatic action
word choice
controlling pace
pacing
intensity
tension
escalation
reversal
evoking excitement
vivid action
dramatic reversal
action scene structure
project
A standard trope of science fantasy is the fight scene (because in the distant future, what better way to resolve conflict than a punch-up or dogfight?). In this lesson we model a firefight in Phoenix. We explore the consistent theme of dressing up something very ordinary to sound more fantastical. More importantly, we examine how to structure and write complex action involving several people, and structure the battle with a miniature narrative arc.