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So the novel I am writing has a lot of shoot-outs in it, the characters are able to take on enemies and survive, but its by taking cover, using suppressive fire, flanking, etc..
I am curious how you would write such a combat sequence. Should I describe it blow by blow? How do I describe "he shoots at the enemy soldiers" without it getting repetitive as fuck?
Describing the sounds of the guns? I've tried using words like "barking" and "chattering" to describe the gunfire. But it's hard to insert it between lines of dialogue without feeling samey.
I dunno, anyone got any examples of well-written shootout scenes? My novel is probably a really lame story but I at least want it to be well-written lame story.
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Use your imagination
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>>7459026
Rip off some famous military biographies. One Bullet Away, Storm of Steel, etc.
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Focus on the tactical mindset. Where are they positioning themselves and why? How are they scanning the environment? How do they come out from around cover to shoot without getting shot themselves?
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>>7459074
As someone in the military, let me answer this for you.
>AH FUCK AH FUCK AH FUCK AH FUCK
>INSTINCT INSTINCT INSTINCT
>AH FUCK AH FUCK AH FUCK AH FUCK
And repeat that for a minute.
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>>7459026
There are countless ways to describing a firefight, but there is an answer in your picture, you dolt :-)
Read Roadside Picnic, read Prisoners of Power. Every second Strugatzki book contains submachineguns and shootouts. Heed to their example.
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>>7459026
Well, first of all, are you describing this from the first person perspective of the third person perspective?
If it's the first, listen to this >>7459132
person and realize that any description of the action will not be coherent and will be filtered through the adrenaline haze of the narrator. Also, without protection your hearing will get blown out, your ears will ring, your head will hurt. Think about that and stay away form cliched descriptions.
Listen to the people who told you to read some famous bios. Also, watch some helmet cam footage, that could be helpful. Don't feel like you have to describe every detail as if it's a report. Convey enough for the reader to follow the action and focus on what matters to the characters and the plot.
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>>7459026
Well, do you want to describe it realistically or would you like to describe it to where it's entertaining? It's two different things.
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are you writing it from an onlooker's perspective, or from the perspective of someone in the fight? if the former, then you have more flexibility to use clichés and describe tactical movements and such, whereas if it's the latter you can create more of a 'show not tell' at the expense of it being as in-depth as the other method. Either way, good luck anon
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>>7459026
You should ask yourself what part of the story you're telling that requires this shoot-out and wrap the story up in those details. Why do we as readers give a flying fuck that these people are being shot at/shooting back? Give us a reason.
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