Dan Sharp: How to Write Fight Scenes

Dan Sharp received the Outstanding Professor award at the University of Florida and has been to numerous countries around the world as an invited speaker. He is a member of WAG’s speakers bureau, and on May 4, he will present the program, “How to Write Fight Scenes.” He will point out that conflict, whether it involves fisticuffs or merely harsh words, is a fork in the road for our characters, and deserves careful attention to details. Sharp will provide insights into how a fight can develop and resources to improve our accuracy in describing them. He might even display or brandish some “weapons” but they will be fake and shown for demonstration purposes only.

Sharp is a research scientist by profession and a martial artist by avocation. He is also the author of hard-hitting action-adventure novels. His Mae Arnold —The Fifty-Niners is a historical thriller in which a young, recently widowed, woman seeks employment at Pinkerton’s Detective Agency in hopes of solving her husband’s grisly murder. Her first assignment pits her against a cold-hearted businessman who cancels people instead of their debts.

He has always held an interest in brain function, and through his studies, it became clear to him that fear is a learned phenomenon and the ability to manage the fear reaction can be learned. The talk he gave to WAG a while back, “12 Tips to Help You Beat the Public Speaking Jitters,” was very well received.

Plan to join us on May 4, and in the meantime, check out Sharp’s blog posts on his website, https://dansharp-writer.com/fiction.