I really do not like writing climactic battle scenes. (If you have never guessed that, good.) They’re hard. I have to get everyone in a plausible place for the things to happen that I want to happen, and it’s hard for me. Also, I just don’t much like writing those scenes.
Yesterday’s battle went badly wrong for the good guys at least twice and had three significant surprising moments; at least, I hope readers will find them surprising. Oddly enough, the twists all came out of plot elements laid down long, long before, even though I did not have any idea I would use those elements in those ways until about two or three days ago, when I finally worked out this final battle scene in my head. Remarkably, this tends to happen to me. I expect my subconscious mind does that, but I can’t tell it’s happening until I realize, Oh, right, that would actually work perfectly.
I probably don’t have to specifically add that in the end, the battle went seriously wrong for the bad guy, in a way he probably (definitely) did not see coming.
I am now writing the denouement. I can’t even express how much better I like writing the denouement than the battle. Every book is like that for me. I love denouements.
But for now, the battle: Snowy landscape; boreal forest; long stretch of open ground; bad guys in a pretty decent position, good guys in a fairly bad position; various important complications that have never complicated any battle scene in the real world.
This is the song I played on repeat for a lot of the time while I was writing this scene:
The Crüxshadows: “Winterborn”
Dry your eyes
And quietly bear this pain with pride
For heaven shall remember the silent and the brave
And promise me they will never see
The fear within our eyes
[My eyes are closed]
We will give strength to those who still remain
So bury fear, for fate draws near
And hide the signs of pain
With noble acts
The bravest souls endure the heart’s remains
Discard regret, that in this debt
A better world is made
That children of a newer day might rememberand avoid our fate
And in the fury of this darkest hour
We will be your light
You’ve asked me for my sacrifice
And I am winterborn
Without denying, a faith is come
That I have never known
I hear the angels call my name
And I am winterborn
Hold your head up high
For there is no greater love
Think of the faces of the people you defend
And promise me they will never see
The tears within our eyes
[My eyes are closed]
Although we are men with mortal sins
Angels never cry
And in the fury of this darkest hour
We will be your light
You’ve asked me for my sacrifice
And I am winterborn
Without denying, a faith in God
That I have never known
I hear the angels call my name
And I am winterborn
And in the fury of this darkest hour
I will be your light
A lifetime for this destiny
For I am winterborn
And in this moment
I will not run
It is my place to stand
We too shall carry hope
Within our bloodied hands
And in our dying
We’re more alive
Than we have ever been
I live for these few seconds
For I am winterborn
And in the fury of this darkest hour
We will be the light
You’ve asked me for my sacrifice
And I am winterborn
Without denying, a faith in man
That I have never known
I hear the angels call my name
And I am winterborn
Within this moment I am for you
Though better men have failed
I will give my life for love
For I am winterborn
And in my dying, I’m more alive
Than I have ever been
I will make this sacrifice
For I am winterborn
Here is the song, if you’d care to listen to it.
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My go-to battle music is instrumental, and a lot is from one anime’s soundtrack. This isn’t bad, but I think Cruxshadow isn’t quite for me.
The Teen says for battle music the Tolkien Ensemble’s Battle March of the Ents.
For one-on-one battles Blind Guardian’s Time Stand Still (At the Iron Hill), it’s ‘heavy mithril’ and tells of Fingolfin against Morgoth. Heavy mithril isn’t usually to my taste but this band’s Tolkien-inspired stuff has grown on me since the Teen found it.
Instrumental is good for me too, especially Two Steps from Hell. I kind of do like the march of the Ents, but the problem is I really, really disliked how the ents in the movie version were tricked into doing the right thing. I would hate to have that in my mind. “Heavy mithril” is certainly an evocative term for what I gather is a style of music? I’ll have to check it out.
I hated the way the movie handled the Ents. The music I referenced has nothing to do with the movie as far as I know. It was made by a Danish band/group. I don’t like everything they did – I hate their female singers, they sound all wrong for elves or Goldberry – but the male chorus pieces can be pretty good. They also did one of the better renditions of the Song or Durin. (It’s not boring to listen to.) Clamavi de Profundis has also put music to Tolkien very well.
Heavy mithril as far as I can tell is heavy metal with Tolkien influence or words. The gist of the exchange between the Teen and I when she found Time Stands Still (at the Iron Hill): ‘That’s a lot of screaming.’
‘Well, that bit is the formalities.’ “Formalities?”
you know, Come forth, you cowardly wretch and fight me if you dare, you king of slaves and shadows” — that sort of thing.”
“Someone did a song about Fingolfin against Morgoth???” followed by tuning in. The lyrics can be found at
darklyrics.com and other places. along with the rest of the Nightfall in Middle Earth album.
It’s a bit like listening to the King of Elfland’s daughter album which came up here once – I think Craig brought it up – you wouldn’t think the music would work, but once you give it a chance – however weirdly it does work.
My go to instrumentals for battle music come from the soundtrack for Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. Battle Scherzo is great for fast paced scenes. but there are bunch.
I’ll have to check all this out. This has been a really good year for me finding music I like. Maybe some of this will also work well for me.