A helpful book for the aspiring writer on the topic of writing believable fight scenes. It isn't simply enough to bring two characters together and have them start throwing punches. There are three basic questions a writer needs to answer before a fight scene. Why is the fight happening? Where is it happening? Who is involved? There has to be clear motivation for the fight, the psychology of the those involved needs to be clear and many more details are needed to make a fight both exciting and believable. for the reader while advancing the story and smoothly fitting in with the flow of the narrative. Quite frankly, it is the details that also makes the fight scene exciting for the writer to write. This book helps the writer with building a fight scene that works for both the reader and the writer..

Fight Write should be on every author’s desk that writes fight scenes no matter your genre. It also doesn’t matter how much fighting you're writing about, be it a tussle or a huge fight scene and it also doesn't matter the level of author you are, this book will help you write believable fight scenes that will grab your reader’s attention and heck, it might even grab you more new readers because of the depth of believable fight scenes you’ll be writing.


Cala Hoch goes into detail about weapons, people’s different height and how it would affect them fighting, different fighting techniques and so much more. Believe me, you'll find something in this book that will help you become a better writer and you’ll be glad you bought this book.

Writing a decent fight scene can be pretty difficult. As an aspiring writer myself, I wouldn’t know how to begin. There is so much to consider that it can be overwhelming. Fight Write by Carla Hoch is a great resource! Writing a fight scene is not just about how to write kicks and punches. There are weapons, fighting styles, injuries, and so much more! I had not considered many of the things outlined in this book. There is so much to writing realistic fight scenes, such as character motive, weather conditions, where to fight (place), differences in what would kill or just injury someone, weapons and how to use them, etc…

Fight Write also gives you the vocabulary used to describe the different fighting styles. You learn to think about the Who, Where, and Why of your fight scene for all characters involved. I definitely would recommend this in print because I think it is easier to make notes and tag certain pages! Illustrations would have made this resource even better! A great go-to reference for any author who wants to incorporate believable and realistic fight scenes!

I was only a quarter of the way through the digital ARC of this book when I went online and ordered a paperback copy for myself. I already knew this was a reference book I wanted on my shelves. I imagine I’ll be dipping into it often.
I know nothing about fighting in real life and up until now I haven’t included many physical fights in my novels. This is partly due to my ignorance and partly because I don’t find long descriptions of battles and fights very interesting to read. But when this book came up on Netgalley, I thought it might be of some use on those occasions when I just couldn’t avoid writing about an aggressive physical encounter. I didn’t really have any expectations beyond that: a few tips to help me avoid looking stupid when I was writing fight scenes. I certainly didn’t expect to be blown away by what Carla Hoch has done here.
She has combined knowledge from the fields of physiology, psychology, sociology, statistics, language, as well as martial arts, battle strategy and even law, into a handbook specifically tailored to the needs and concerns of fiction writers. And if that makes the book sound dry and academic, it isn’t. Hoch writes in an easy-to-understand style, with plenty of examples to illustrate her points. In fact, her tone is so casual, and at times even jokey, that it grated on me occasionally in the beginning. But this is a very minor criticism and doesn’t diminish the usefulness of the book in any way.
And that usefulness goes beyond fight scenes. There is good information here for deepening characterisation in all kinds of situations. For instance, one chapter, entitled Pre-Incident Indicators, details behaviours that can signal predatory intent and lead to an aggressive incident. This was gold. My mind went immediately to the villain of my current novel in progress, a manipulator who does end up perpetrating violence. I was pleased to realise that I had instinctively included some of the behaviours mentioned by Hoch in early appearances of the character. But I noted down a few other gems to sprinkle through relevant scenes. It was at this point that I bought the book.
The remaining three quarters of the volume contains detailed information about Fighting Styles, Weaponry and Injuries. I’ve never felt the desire to know how it sounds/looks/feels to be stabbed, but some day, I may need to know exactly that to write a realistic scene. Carla Hoch has my back.
Hoch doesn’t restrict herself to describing human conflict either. In the section on Fighting Styles, alongside many forms of martial arts, she includes points to consider if your character is fighting a robot, an alien or a mythological creature. There is even a short section on Psychological Warfare.
I unreservedly recommend Fight Write to writers in any genre who want to create vivid, realistic, heart-pounding fight scenes that also add richness both to plot and characterisation.

I once attended Carla Hoch's session in a Realm Maker's Conference, where she demonstrated various fighting techniques for a bunch of writers. This is kinda like that, in book form.

Fight Write is a great writing resource. It doesn't just give you basic information about various fighting styles and weapons, but it also directs you to think about how to write a fight scene, and what sort of stuff you should think about when writing it. (Tip: it's not so much about the technicalities that most readers won't know, but about how it feels).

Hoch is hilarious, both in person and in text, so this doesn't turn into a dry and boring textbook. It also goes a little into the psychology of fighting and how and why people react in different ways, gender differences, scene and environment... and how you can "test" fight scenes and scenarios without getting yourself actually beaten up. (Eg.: Never been punched in the eye? Think about how you reacted when you poked your eye; same reaction, just worse injury)

*bonus: there is a chapter on Fighting Aliens and Stuff if you're writing SFF. ;)

Biggest takeaway: When writing a fight scene, it's not just about the fight. It's about the people involved and their motivations.

I mostly read this because I've been struggling with some fight scenes in my WIP and I've bookmarked like a lot of things to re-read as I fix the WIP, so I can safely say this is a very useful book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Writer's Digest Books via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

*** I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley. ***

If you want some action in your writing, take a look at this reference. The author did quite a bit of research for each of the chapters, surprisingly including all types of references that I didn't expect in the book, like historical differences, technicalities of firearms, and the differences between the ways men and women fight (at least in the USA). There were parts that included psychological warfare and battle, non-direct ways of fighting, other weapons, etc, as well as the physiological effects of fighting and dying. It was an extremely thorough read on how to write fighting in such a way that it makes sense to the reader!

I read a LOT of books that lend themselves to one sort of fight scene or another. Many times, an author has crafted a great story, only to crash and burn when it comes time to describe a fist fight or a gun shootout or a knife duel. It is no secret that a story can swiftly unravel if your fight descriptions don’t match with reality.

Enter Karla Hoch, a writer who has also personally studied many of the fighting styles described in the book. “Fight Write” is a reference book for writers who find themselves (or, their characters) in a situation where violence is about to rear its head. Handling the scene incorrectly can generate reader scorn, ridicule, or outright dismissal. Ms. Hoch offers the tools to get it right.

Not that one could build a book of fight scenes from her book alone. Well, you could, but even the author admitted at times that she was providing us with the basics, which gives us a starting point to conduct further research. On the plus side, there are so many options that just those basics alone fill out an entire book.

The book offers insight on many topics, ranging from the obvious chapters on weapons or close quarters combat to considering how the terrain, weather, or different people may affect the scene. There is even a brief overview of the legality of killing another person (the aftermath, what happens immediately and later on when your case reaches the courts). It is very encouraging to see that Ms. Hoch did her own research, and she lists those people who assisted and vetted her words.

I recommend this book to anyone writing about weapons, fighting, or any type of violent act. Most writers have not had the opportunity to wrestle with someone in a back alley or point a gun (or have one pointed at us!) from ten feet away or less. If you can’t look back at the experience, all you have left is research. This book is a wonderful addition to your research shelf (and if you don’t have one, today is a good day to start). Five stars.

While I originally received an electronic version of this book from NetGalley (my thanks also to Writer’s Digest Books), once I finished the ebook I purchased a physical copy for that research shelf I mentioned above.

This is such a useful book. Writing fight scenes is hard and most resources you find can be rather dry. But this book is fascinating, hilarious and useful.

I wasn't even all the way through the first chapter before I wanted to put what I was reading into practice.

A must read resource for all writers.

I really liked this book because it is obvious since the beginning that the author not only knows what she is talking about but she also undertook an enormous amount of research.
The theme of the book is at times very heavy, with a lot of information being thrown at the reader but the author defuses that by being funny, interacting with the reader and predicting our own thoughts in a way that is at times scary and never lets you forget that she is really good and speaking directly to each one of us.
It took me a thousand years to read this book because I was actually taking notes while reading it. Not only does she make use of other literary examples, but she also explains every movement in a way that is easy to picture
Throughout the entire book, you can find footnotes that let you further your own research and in the most technical chapters, the author herself tells you where to look for more information.
Also, each chapter ends in a little curiosity related to the theme that gives us a moment to breathe while still learning something.
This is a great book, that goes from the psychological consequences of killing someone to the components of a knife to what to expect from all kinds of wounds.

Who would think that an entire book could be written about the construction of a fight scene? Carla Hoch has given us a book that has an entertaining and enlightening central focus. The writing, at times, is almost anatomical in its attention to detail. An interesting reading choice for any composition class.