Lupe Garza asked Jonas Saul:

Just finished The Terror, there is never a dull moment when it comes to Sarah Roberts. Loved the book. As I was reading the book I kept coming up with questions. But after I finished it and read the Afterword my questions were answered. One part that I am curious about is the part where Sarah is fighting Mason while on the dash cam. I tried picturing the moves she is doing. Do you practice those moves first? lol

Jonas Saul Hi Lupe!

When I'm writing a particular scene such as a fight scene, I don't practice the moves first. For me, I see the characters in my head like I'm watching them on a TV screen. I can see how close they are to each other, the look on Mason's face, his determination, the choice he has made to have a gun on Sarah. I can see Sarah's face and feel the heat of the day pasting her shirt to her back.

When she edges closer, I see that and write what I see. Then, as she lunges forward, I write those movements as they happen. None of that is planned or outlined. I let the characters battle it out and watch as it happens. The one thing I do know is I want Sarah to walk away from that situation and I write it in a way that she does. Although when I started writing that scene I didn't know she would break Mason's nose and arm. That was something that just happened as it happened. Then, for the rest of Mason's scenes I had to remember those injuries.

Hope that answers your question and thanks for asking!! ;-)
Jonas

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