How to Write Action Scenes That Keep Readers Hooked
The (Surprising?) Technique to Create Thrilling Action Scenes
📝 931 words. ⏳ Estimated reading time: 6 or 7 minutes.When it comes to writing action scenes, it’s easy to think it’s all about speed, guns firing, fists flying, and people running for their lives. But if that’s all you give your readers, your action might feel flat, like watching a movie on mute. So how do you make those intense moments pop off the page and keep them engaged?
I learn a lot by re-reading Whispers by Dean Koontz last week.1
Slow Motion for Emotional Impact
Yeah, you read that right. To make action scenes exciting, you don’t always need to speed things up. You need to slow them down.
One great example is Dean Koontz in his novel Whispers, where he wrote a 17-page action scene with no guns, no car chases, and no explosions. Instead, it’s a man stalking a woman in a house, and Koontz stretches out every tense moment to maximize suspense.
In real life, things might happen fast. If someone’s chasing you, you won’t have time to think about why they’re after you, how much money they have, or whether their shoes are Prada or knock-offs. But in fiction, you want your reader to feel every heartbeat, every breath, and every creeping thought.
You’re creating an emotional experience, not just showing what happened.
Fiction Isn’t Reality
Here’s another pro tip (I learned it by reading too!): fiction doesn’t have to be realistic. In fact, it is all about stylizing reality to get the reader hooked.
If we wrote scenes like they happen in real life, they’d probably be pretty boring. In reality, a high-speed car chase might be five minutes of someone driving, followed by ten minutes of them sitting in traffic.
Instead, action scenes need to focus on how your characters feel in the moment. Show us the fear, the anger, the adrenaline pumping through their veins.
In Whispers, Koontz does this by diving deep into the mind of the character, Hilary, as she realizes she’s in danger. He pauses the action to show what she’s thinking, stretching out the scene to make the reader experience her fear.
Why Does This Matter to Readers?
Readers don’t just want to know what’s happening—they want to experience it. That’s the real payoff for them. A well-crafted action scene makes them feel like they’re right there, inside the story, living through the adrenaline rush, the panic, or the intense tension. It’s not just about describing a fight or a chase; it’s about letting the reader step into the shoes of the character and feel the emotional stakes.
This is why slowing down and using all the tools at your disposal matters. When readers connect emotionally to what’s happening, they’re more likely to stay engaged. They’ll turn pages not because they’re rushing to get to the end but because they’re fully immersed in the experience. By slowing down time and focusing on the emotional beats of the scene, you’re giving readers a deeper, richer experience.
If you skim over action, they may never feel the full impact of what’s at stake. But when you let them soak in every moment, you turn a simple fight or chase into something memorable—something that sticks with them long after they’ve closed the book.
Use All the Tools in Your Writer’s Toolbox
To write a gripping action scene, don’t just describe what’s happening. Use dialogue, thoughts, and descriptions to add layers to the moment. Here’s how Koontz does it:
Dialogue: When Hilary faces the stalker, they exchange a few words laced with tension. It’s not about what’s being said; it’s about what’s not being said.
Internal thoughts: Hilary knows something’s wrong, and Koontz gives us a peek into her mind, which ramps up the suspense. In reality, she wouldn’t have time to think so clearly. But this is fiction, and in that realm, we get to explore those moments.
Description: Koontz throws in a creepy metaphor, comparing the stalker’s smile to a wolf about to pounce on a rabbit. This kind of description adds a layer of dread without needing more action.
Make Time Your Friend
Action scenes don’t need to be a sprint. In fact, taking the time to let things unfold can create an even bigger impact. Koontz even writes that “the world was a slow-motion movie” during the action, because when you stretch time in fiction, you can dial up the intensity. Readers will be emotionally invested in what’s happening, and they won’t just rush through to see what happens next.
Write for the Thrill (The Bottom Line)
At the end of the day, you want readers to feel like they’re in the middle of the action, not just observing it. To do that, slow things down, dive into your character’s mind, and use fiction’s greatest tool: emotional impact. Fiction is your playground—don’t be afraid to play with time, thoughts, and emotions to make every action scene a thrilling ride.
What’s the payoff for readers? The thrill of experiencing the story on a deeper level, of feeling the tension in their bones, and of being so immersed in your writing that they lose track of time. That’s why your action scenes matter—and that’s why it’s worth taking the time to do them right.
Now go write some action scenes that leave your readers hanging on every word. Just don’t be afraid to stretch those tense moments—they’ll thank you for it later.
Until next time!
—Simon
Hey there! I’m Simon, a business owner who’s totally passionate about writing (and one day, I hope to marry the two!).
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I know, it’s been written ages ago. I don’t know exactly when I read Whispers at first, but it’s been on my re-read list for quite a long time.