Action Scenes

Yesterday, I was revising one of my high-paced action scenes and I was having a little bit of trouble with it. What happens next? I kept having to ask myself, but I couldn't come up with a satisfactory answer. My characters were reacting to high-stakes happenings by meandering. They dawdled in replying to demanding questions and didn't seem to care that time was of the essence.

Then I realized the problem. I was listening to one my usual soundtrack for editing and revision: barely-there ambient soundscapes. So I switched to another revision soundtrack. This one was a mix of classical tracks. Still, not exactly helping me to get in the right frame of mind. Then I just broke down. Sure, I was in the midst of revising and not technically at the drafting stage, but I needed some drafting music. Specifically, music for drafting action scenes.



For me, nothing quite compares to thumping bass and action movie soundtracks for suggesting movement and urgency. When I played these tracks, a strange thing began to happen. My pen matched the rhythm of the scene. Suddenly, words were flying from it as fast as my imagination came up with them. My characters were running, fleeing, and getting it done. For me, it's the best way to get a scene moving when it's stalled. Plus, it's actually pretty fun. Maybe you'd prefer a different mix of music: metal or drum and bass or what have you -- but still, you should try it.