Resource: How to Use a Weapon
Violence, fights, tension–three words that often carry a story a long, especially anything in the fantasy, sci-fi, or action-adventure realm. Whether it’s hand-to-hand combat (see older resource posts), or weapon usage, fights should be as realistic as possible: the focus should be on the fiction, the characters, and story, not your reader scratching their head saying “that could never really happen.” Here are some resources I hope will help as you embark on your more “weapon-based” scenes:
Basics/Writing Scenes With Weapons:
Knife Fighting Do’s and Don’t’s
Writing: Guns, Bullets, and Shooting
The 8 Most Realistic Hollywood Gun Scenes
Realistic Writing: Gun Tips
7 Things Guns Cannot Actually Do
Writing Realistic Melee Fighting with Wesley Chu
10 Tips on How to Write Believable Crime and Murder Scenes
How to Fire a Handgun Safely and Correctly
How to Use a Knife in a Combative Situation
Hand Held Weapons: Basics of Knife Fighting
Knife Grip and Holding Techniques
Knife Fighting Techniques
Remember, not all your characters will be experts, but if they are, the technical usage is important. If your character is a novice, not all of these resources will be helpful to you, but it’s important to note what works and what doesn’t in these scenarios.