Young Writers Society

Obviously, if its a duel, its probably the climax of the battle or struggle or whatever it is. And, for me, I find that the most successful battle/climax scenes are the concise ones. Tell what needs to be told, nothing more or less. If you're thinking of using a word or phrase you've never used or need to look up, forget it. No one wants to be distracted or have a super long, boring climax.

Change points of view. What I like to do is--if combatant 1 shots/slashes/attacks combatant 2, follow the motion. The reader is imagining 1 attacking 2, so go with their minds' eye. Follow the attack and block, and change POV.

Maybe it sounds childish, maybe superficial, but it works for me--pretend its a movie. Picture the scene and get the pacing. If there's an amazing dodge by one character or an awe-inspiring charge, which would be featured in slow motion in the movie, then describe it in slow motion (not slowly, but with more detail and/or sentences).

Environment. If your duel is on a castle-top, use the fear of falling to your death as fuel for the fight. If it takes place in a cluttered room, have your combatants hurl random stuff (this can be humorous, if you want it to be). Your battle takes place in the forest. Cool. Have them dodge behind trees, trip over logs, get snared in thorn bushes. Punish your fighters with the environment.

Along with that-- Don't keep your battle in the same little 5x6 area. Use all the space available. Rooms--use the walls, ceilings, staircases, not just the floor. Forests--have one fighter bolt, and the other give chase. Make them jump a river. Ect.

Experience and rejection. It's simple, the more you write battle scenes, the better you get. Me, I normally write at least 3 different versions/scripts of each scene. Don't be afraid to do the same. You may come to a point where the hero has to choose--save the damsel or rescue his pal. Write both and see which one speaks to you.

So, hopefully that was helpful. Good luck!