Prop: Rapier

Idea Prompt for 10/10/2009

SOURCE: Descriptionary: A Thematic Dictionary, page 455. I randomly chose “rapier,” a weapon frequently used in hand-to-hand combat.

WHAT WAS I THINKING… Since it’s the weapon of choice for swashbucklers, how can this cliche be avoided by a writer searching for new ideas? Well, what are some uses for a rapier that don’t involve hurting another person?

Say a collector had a few rapiers hanging on his walls, yet he was short on practical implements around the home. How could he repurpose a rapier to be more useful?

Still, if you want to exercise your mental muscle, stick to a rapier’s original use.

IMAGINE… a swashbuckling fight with rapiers a-flashing!

… THE POSSIBILITIES: Many a Romance novel incorporates hand-to-hand combat, especially with swords, so it’s useful to be familiar with weapons like the rapier.

Research the weapon. Compare some Errol Flynn movies (with relied mostly on foils) with the Richard Lester Musketeer movies (which used rapiers). How does fight choreography change with the difference in arms? What are some basic tactics when dueling with rapiers?

In your writing, describe the sound of steel on steel, how it feels in a person’s hand when striking another’s weapon.

THE EXERCISE: Create three original reasons why two people would engage in a swordfight.

NOTE: If you’d like to develop these Ideas further, just leave a Comment and share your work.