In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Phil Yates look at a historical fiction novel Phil is writing. They discuss writing action scenes and managing a big cast. They look at how dialogue empowers combat scenes, switching POVs in the middle of a chapter, keeping track of characters, picking the pain for the reader, and cast combinations.
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Or if you would rather watch Jeff and Phil talk, check out the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/yIA29F8c2vQ
Hi Phil, I enjoyed hearing about your story. Your writing style of conveying historical facts, especially in your action scenes, reminded me of author Lee Child and his Jack Reacher series. Child weaves factual information beautifully into his stories.
Jeff, you reminded me how important it is to ground the reader whenever a change in setting occurs. What was new to me was when you shared that if the emotional state of the character changes and we don’t note it, the reader automatically assumes the character remains in the same emotional state as before. This makes a lot of sense, as it seems like an additional way to decrease the potential burden on the reader. It was also very helpful to be reminded that after an action, we need a response from the character, whether through verbalization, body language, or internal thought. Additionally, you mentioned that if internal thought follows the action, it builds anticipation. The discussion was very helpful.
Jeff, thank you for providing these podcasts. The information, knowledge, and experience you and your guests share continue to help me hone the skills I want to develop, to become a writer whose stories people enjoy reading.
Phil, I wish you well. Please let us know when your book is published!