The 6 Ways to Write Intense Scenes Involving Your Protagonists
Defining “epic” is difficult. It is somewhat complicated to express in words. What does it mean that something is epic? What is very big? What is unique? However, it didn’t take us long to recognize something epic when we saw it. Our chest is filled with a powerful feeling of illusion, awe, wonder, anticipation, and expectation. We know that we are dealing with something very important, very impressive, and certainly worth seeing or reading.
These things are the ones that when they come out alone, they turn out well. As writers, we know that things often do not go the first time, much less go well. But today, we turn to an expert, whose defining moment came when he produced the pilot of Black Coffee, a comedy show streamed on Funny or Die. Yes, we are talking about George Khouri, who as a young filmmaker, writer, actor, and producer, continues to earn respect in the industry of his work and his knowledge.
The recipe for writing an epic scene
Khouri adds, “the truth is that this is a very free and experimental recipe. Apart from the ingredients that are going to be mentioned, of which you only must take a few, it is enough to season to taste and serve.”
1. Important characters faced
The first step is to pick up two or more important characters from the top shelf. Depending on the flavor we want to give to the scene, we can choose characters that are important for different reasons. They can be the best swordsmen, the best negotiators, or even the best chefs in the world. What are the important conflicts, the confrontation? One pushes to one side, and the other to the other. It doesn’t have to be a fight. As such, it can be a political conflict of interest, a purchase of something, or even a seduction game. These characters must be not only important to the story; they also have to be important to our audience.
But the most important thing is that there is a conflict. One character wants something, and the other wants something else. And both cannot be, so who will be the one to get away with it?
In the case of not having two important characters, one can be replaced by a difficult enemy, be it another character, such as the bad guy who has tyrannized the earth, or something more metaphysical like depression. Don’t be afraid to experiment!
2. The stakes are high
The second step is to take a good spoonful of risk and sprinkle it on the situation. The ideal is to take a pinch of “if you lose, bad things happen” and another little bit of “if you win, good things happen,” to taste. Be careful, don’t go overboard with proportions! If not, your epic scene will taste like overkill.
If you are very daring or daring, you can even combine the flavors for interesting risks! What if our heroine avoids something bad if she wins, but they also take something good from her without winning? What a dilemma you will have!
3. Victory is at odds
To balance the sauce, you have to let it cool down and then boil it. You have to thicken it and then lower it. The confrontation has to go from one side to the other. Both opponents have to gain ground and lose it. This contrast balances the mixture, allows both to shine on the palate of our reader. If only one of them dominates, the sauce will be unbalanced, and in the end, it will not taste epic. What emotion is there in a battle in which the only one can compete?
4. “It only happens once in a lifetime”
To give it a special touch, you have to find something unique. Is this the first time in history that the five knights of the elements unite to defeat evil? Will they seal each other’s seduction with a kiss in the wake of Halley’s Comet? Is there a three-way tie, and does it have to be broken? Sometimes this touch is what shapes the entire epic. This unique and unrepeatable moment, like the union of two characters hitherto confronted, maybe what lasts on the palate of the reader.
5. Wit
It’s time to dazzle critics with your wit and creativity! A show of ingenuity on the part of the characters can turn an ordinary scene into something epic. There are many ways to be creative, so I can only recite the three basic formulas of creativity that you will have to fill with your ingredients.
Formula 1: Combine two things: Ice magic and Fire magic can create a vapor cloud if used one after the other! Combine two effects for a third new and different effect.
Formula 2: Use something out of its usual context: Illusory magic is entertaining, but it can be a great way to create a distraction in the middle of combat!
Formula 3: Use something different from usual: You may not want to shoot anyone in outer space, but you can use the shot’s momentum to move in the absence of gravity!
6. Trace defeat to the limit
Combine the previous elements to produce a very tasty effect: The reader thinks that everything is lost. This scene does not taste epic. Our protagonists are going to lose, but at that moment, the final touch of flavor arrives that turns things around! Just when he thought he wasn’t going to like it, the scene becomes his favorite epic flavor.
Watch out! This is precisely where our scene can deflate and burst like a poorly baked souffle. You have to know where to get that new element that will allow our scene to turn around. If we take it off our sleeves, readers won’t like it at all. The best thing is that this soothing flavor is one of those we have already presented before. Perhaps we add a touch of ingenuity to surprise, which always looks good. It has to feel like part of our dessert from the beginning, not a final addition, so that it doesn’t collapse.
