Aspiring Writers Info: Planning Battle Scenes

[alfreda89]

Patricia C. Wrede talks about how to get past the "OMG I need a good battle" feeling. One of her suggestions is something that I've used for years, too. If the subject matter is incomprehensible, then start with a book written for younger readers and work your way up.

I've gotten grief for this, mentioning it on research panels. Perhaps I should have stressed the "No, you don't REMAIN at the middle school level, you just start there!" aspect?

Recommended.

Comments

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Ever since I first had to write about life-in-a-mediaeval-castle, my first move has always been to the children's section. Children's non-fiction is brilliant: concise, accurate, and illustrated. With labels, to show you what's a merlon and what's a crenel, what's an embrasure...

[scott-lynch.livejournal.com]

There are so many utterly fantastic, thorough, heavily illustrated "children's" educational books on just about any general subject a writer could need. I have a ton on castles, knights, pirates, etc.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

Yay! More fans of well-done kid's nonfiction!

We should all do a panel on this sometime, and wave around a lot of books.