Writing Fight Scenes

INSTRUCTOR: Nyri Bakkalian
TIME: Sunday, March 3, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. CST
PRICE: Early bird price: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Monday, February 26. After Monday, February 26: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here.
LOCATION: Online via Zoom
LEVEL: All levels
CAP: 15

Combat is, by nature, confusing and disjointed, whatever form it might take. From a bare-handed fistfight to movements of small or large fighting units or vehicles, it is anything but neat. How do we do justice to this complexity? How can we embrace the fact that recollections of combat are often fragmentary or even contradictory, and how best can we be sensitive to the fact that they often go hand in hand with things like PTSD?

In this workshop, academic historian turned speculative fiction author Dr. Nyri A. Bakkalian will guide you on an exploration of the complexities of writing a well-crafted, believable fighting scene by especially leaning into the bodily and sensory elements of combat. Can my character deliver a soliloquy in earshot of an assault gun? What does regularly worn armor smell like? How is combat sometimes absurd and even hilarious? You will engage with this and more. Our aim is to help you write a more well-rounded depiction of whatever form of combat is your focus, one that can convey its essence responsibly and engagingly.

This event is funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance. This project is generously funded by the Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, and Mid-America Arts Alliance.