 Action/Adventure: October 31, 2007 Issue [#2044] |
  Action/Adventure
This week: Edited by: Puditat  
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Life without action is static, and by necessity, it would therefore be dead. Action writing takes the normal and shares it for all to live vicariously.
Adventure is the spice: the exciting, adrenalin-pumping, thrill that makes one feel so alive. Everyone has an adventuresome spirit. Maybe dreams of excavating some long-lost treasure, visiting a new country, or trying a new flavour of potato chip.  Some of us prefer our adventures to come between the pages of a book, and many of us like to write that adventure.
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At a Moment's Notice
Oh me, oh my. Um, right....this newsletter is needed, and it's needed now, or at least pretty soon. Oh, yes, I can do it. Help! Did I say I could? Right then...  Welcome to my guest Action/Adventure editorial!)
Does this sound familiar? Whether it's an unexpected last-minute trip, or a life and death decision, sometimes life throws things at us just to see how we'll react. Doesn't this sound like the perfect scenario for our action heroes and villians?
Tossing an unexpected event or random piece of information at the characters of a story brings along plenty of tension, room for the pace to increase, and a whole lot of emotional revelations about the characters. In places where a plot may be thin, bolster it with something totally unexpected. Further increase the stakes by making that unexpected event have a limited time frame - something that needs an immediate action or decision.
eg. On the way to rescue his sister, the hero sees another person in peril who he has the ability to help. He has to decide then and there what to do.
eg. While in the process of stealing a horse, a bulll starts a rampage and charges through the barn. Does the thief take the time to grab the saddle, or ride away bareback?
The unexpected may be a temporary glitch in the path, or it may have long-reaching effects on the storyline.
In order to bring authenticity to the ordeal, consider what your own reaction might be.
Example: Joe, the gunslinger, lines up his mark and discovers his target is a boy of about seven. He was expecting an adult. What would he think and which emotions would be troubling him? Does the need to make a decision panic him, calm him, upset him, or fluster him? Does he nibble his toes to help him think it through, or does the gun fire because he starts twitching under the pressure? Does he react without thinking, think and miss his opportunity, or carry on as if nothing had changed? -- except for the tell-tale furrow carved briefly between his brows a moment before the bullet exits the barrel.
This is great, a wonderful tool at our writing disposal. So let's take a look at a few things to consider:
1. As with most things, too much can be very bad. If everything is always thrown in, last minute, or unexpected, then the story may limp into contrived obscurity.
2. Don't create loose ends. Any hiccup should have a resolution - death, passing on information, whatever fits and is plausible.
3. The surprise should have an explanation. Not that you need to create a sub-plot, but do write in some reasonable explanation. For example: how did our bull, from the example above, happen to be loose and angry in the middle of the night?
4. Where increased tension and danger is desired, use a time critical surprise, as in the bull scenario.
5. Use this as a writing technique to get past a 'writer's block' moment. Writing in something completely unexpected can rejuvenate the inspiration and may just be worth keeping. If not, it's an easy matter to remove it once the flood of ideas it generated are safely recorded and under control.
I hope you have some fun adding the unexpected to your stories. Be wary though - it might become a life of its own and take your story in an unintended, but exciting direction.
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A charming children's tale.
Interactive stories are perhaps the epitomy of surprises in the character's journey, so I had to feature at least one. I always think it is exciting to get in at the beginning and help set up paths for people to add to.
A good range of talented authors write within this entertaining setting.
Campfires are also prone to the introduction of the unexpected. They make interesting and diverse reads.
Here's a chance to exercise the unexpected.
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 Very good suggestions. It's difficult to get inspired to read a piece that has even that tiny hook misspelled, no matter how good the hook is. If we decide to sell the piece, we are asked to sum it up in a single sentence so I think of this as good practice.
Raine
Practice at our art is always a good thing. 
Good tips! I never read a story that apologizes or is "typical". If you don't think your story is good or interesting, why should I?
Trisha
Yes! It's just not appealing is it? |
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