Weapons, they can range from a simple commonplace item being used, to a unique historical or futuristic weapon. In order to best write a story that includes the use of a weapon you have to understand why the character has the weapon (where did they get the weapon and why they are wanting/needing to use it), and how they are using the chosen weapon (how does the weapon function, are they defending or attacking, do they hope to wound or kill or keep their opponent from harm.
First, you have to know what weapon they will use, then you can look into how they use it to serve their purpose.
Depending on the setting of your story, your character will have different weapons available to them. Your character’s physique will also impact what weapons they can use. You don’t want a katana being used in colonial America, just like you don’t want to give the shortest weakest character a giant sledgehammer.
Different settings and time periods will give you different weapons to work with. Find the weapons unique to the culture, and find what common weapons are available as well.
Once you have a weapon, or at least a type of weapon, in mind you have to look into how the weapon is used. The better you understand the weapon, the better you’ll be able to write the weapon.
First, there are the longer range weapons your character may use. These may require your character to have clear eyesight and a steady hand. Depending on the setting it could include guns, bows, crossbows, or spears and other thrown weapons. These keep your character from being up close with their target.
Then, there are close range weapons which can either be blunt weapons, or bladed weapons.
The blunt weapons can include staffs, maces, and hammers for example. Aside from some staffs, blunt weapons are primarily for the physically stronger characters. A blunt weapon is often heavy, making the character and their attacks slow but powerful.
Blades however, allow for a much wider variety of characters. Blades also come in many different forms, with swords, knives, and axes being the most common.
An axe can be geared towards a stronger fighter like a hammer would, or towards the average. They can be small like a hatchet, a large battle axe, or even with a double blade. The type of axe used would depend on the character and situation.
Knives, they are usually a backup weapon or used for stealth. A knife is easily concealed and simple to carry. A character gets themselves into a sticky situation, but luckily they have a knife still which is just enough to give them the upper hand. Or they’re on a stealth mission and need to keep things quiet, they have their knife. A knife is relatively simple to use and understand, making it a universal choice for any situation.
Swords are probably the most iconic weapon choice, but they do come in many varieties. Depending on the setting, there can be many unique swords to choose from. Swords come in various lengths and wielding styles, from a single handed short sword, to a two handed longsword. The type of sword your character uses depends of their physical capabilities and their personal fighting style.
If there’s any types of weapons (Or specific ones) that you are interested in, feel free to ask more about them. I’m always willing to talk more about them.
Double-Edged Swords, Guns, Quarterstaffs-
But I should probably improve in that part, so this is very useful!