I am brand new here and am loving everybody's Fan Fiction, but I have a quick question before I start posting my own stories.

Does anybody have advise on writing Lightsaber duels? I have the image perfectly in my head and have a basic understanding of what I am writing, but any advise on the topic would be fantastic. I just do not want to create some battle that is a pain to read or even think about.

Thanks for you time.

Well, you can describe general moves like jabs, stabs, slahes and parries. Never go into detail and outline each of your two hundred something moves, just give a general idea like:

Revan had the advantage, since he had the element of surprise. Malak slashed his lightsaber at Revan, but Revan got around him and started a flurry of strikes from all directions. Malak parried them, but lost a few and had his skin scraped. Raging in anger, he charged at Revan engaged himself into a heated Kata. The battle then went over to Malak's side, and Revan found himself on the defensive. Eventually, Malak stabbed a computer console - a split second mistake, which Revan took to his advantage. He sliced Malak's hand off, leaving the fuming Sith Lord shocked.

Give an idea of how the battle is going, who is fighting how, the fighting styles, the environment and so on. Mention the important points in the battle and detail only the beginning, end and if it is an important battle, the middle.

Good Job explaning^^

And be sure not to make it 3 seconds long:D

Sabretooth covered most of it. But be sure to describe the shift of the drama, as you can make the reader see it from many different perspectives, though you have to focus the story on the perspective you want teh reader to look at it.

For example, give the shift of feelings (exhiliration, fear, thrill, hate, anger, passion, vengance, ct.) to support one of the characters, and of course follow the Echani teachings. Give your characters teh moves that can reflect both their character and they way they are feeling. For example, if somebody is angry and just want blind vengance on his/her opponent, you wouldn't have them feinting gracefylle left to right with patience.

I am brand new here and am loving everybody's Fan Fiction, but I have a quick question before I start posting my own stories.

Does anybody have advise on writing Lightsaber duels? I have the image perfectly in my head and have a basic understanding of what I am writing, but any advise on the topic would be fantastic. I just do not want to create some battle that is a pain to read or even think about.

Thanks for you time.


The best thing to do is read SW novels like Revenge of the Sith, Shatterpoint, and Labyrinth of Evil, and some people's fanfiction. That will give an idea of how to do it.

Personally I know nothing about how to describe a lightsaber battle, but do you guys know "I, Jedi" from Michael A. Stackpole?
His lightsaber battles are VERY detailed but they're still awesome.

I would have to agree to read SW novels, and compare and contrast what you personally like and dislike about them. Personally I hated the battles in shatterpoint but LOVED Labyrinth of Evil and Episode III, though the descriptions were similar there were small differences that affected my reading pleasure.

I now can't remember off hand if it was the end of Labyrinth of Evil or the begining of Ep.III as far as the novels went, but the dual with Dooku was my absolute favorite in all of the books i've read (everything in timeline prior to Ep.IV nothing after). Must say when I finally saw the movie I was very disapointed with the Dooku battle, partly because the novel version was so good.

^^^That was in ROTS. There isn't a LOE movie

There isn't a LOE movie

far as the novels went,

Its been a while, and I read LOE and ROTS as it were one book all in a couple days. I just remember while watching the movie thinking something about it starting with LOE, but i'm pretty unsure. My point is the Dooku fight in the novel, whichever one it was in was in my opinion THE BEST in all of the Prequel era books.

*edit* ok just went and looked through the end of LOE, and my memory was fuzzy. Sorry the Dooku battle is in roughly the same point of the ROTS novel as the movie.