 Action/Adventure: June 11, 2008 Issue [#2442] |
  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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** Image ID #1092365 Unavailable **
Realism vs. Super Powers
Isn't it thrilling to write a chase scene?
Do you feel your heart pound as you shape the dire misfortunes or bold escape of your characters?
There is nothing quite like the heady feeling of being 'in the zone' where your writing flows and the words lay themselves from your fingertips with nervous energy and excitement. There are certain things that make their way into the scenes that require a little editing afterwards. Spelling and grammar, of course, but also the subtle details, or not-so-subtle missed details.
What is the problem with this scene...
"The moonless night loomed overhead and Petra's breathing sounded exaggerated from her cautious dash to the austere gates that kept court at the end of the drive. An internal argument over whether she should go created such a clamour that she almost wished for the silent lock-up she would find in her room should her parents discover this act of rebellion. Still, she wavered by the open gate, knowing that to step beyond was to commit to her act of defiance. She saw Jake turn the corner of her street and knew that she had little time left. Should she leave her 'good life' behind for Jake's transient world of sideshows at every dingy circus they could find, or retreat to the social niceties of marrying Oliver Cuthsberry for a life of stability, plentiful provision, and boredom?"
Did you find the error? "moonless night" and "saw Jake turn the corner"! Now unless our heroine has super powered eyes, there is no way she could have seen him. It is true that there might have been streelights, Jake might have carried a torch, or her eyes had so adjusted to the dark that she could detect the moving black object from the rest of the blackness...however the scene does not say those things.
These are subtle little areas where it pays to present a more thoroughly explainable situation. Readers are not fools and too many of these unexplained 'abilities' will begin to ring as too convenient or even laughable.
So while you are tending to those pesky typos and grammatical faux pas, spare a little thought for the humanness of your characters and have them react to the environment in a way that maintains credibility.
From the responses to my last issue, I received this cliche alternative which gave me a big smile... "in cold blood - in stiff liquid". Thanks strayndnjcv!
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 Hey Puditat, Very insightful newsletter. It gave me a new way to approach old cliches.
I appreciate you highlighting my little story. I received tons of reviews. Super cool!
Best regards,
Coolhand
Wonderful to hear you got some reviews out of the feature! 
Sweet newsletter nice job....but its kinda hard to read the words...but it's awsome
Natarakun
Thank you for the kind words. The format was an error, a bit of an oversight I made when submitting the newsletter.  I apologise for the text colour. 
great newsletter...
strayndnjcv
Thank you. 
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