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Action/Adventure: December 31, 2008 Issue [#2802]

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Action/Adventure


 This week:
  Edited by: Kate - Writing & Reading Author IconMail Icon
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Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

Each day is a blank page, an adventure to be written, action and re-action ~ be pro-active

Greetings! I'm honored to be your guest host for this week's Action & Adventure Newsletter, the week I celebrate three years of my Adventure in our Community of Writers and Artists.

*Star**Heart**Star**Heart**Halfstar*


Word from our sponsor

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Letter from the editor


         One can say that life itself is an adventure, as we daily encounter (fellow writers, we don't merely pass by, we notice) something to solve, surmount, answer, question - you get the point*Rolleyes* And we can write of such adventure, real or invented, in a number of genres. Adventure stories and poems can be romantic, historical, science fiction, fantasy, mystery....

         Action, by definition, is movement. Action and Adventure stories and poems therefore are intense, forceful and maybe violent. The action keeps your reader involved, on edge, and needing (not just wanting) to keep reading*Thumbsup*

         *Star*Action is movement. We don't want to see it interrupted by reflection, internal thought. We want to see the characters react to the situation, their environment.

*Bullet* For example, we wouldn't want to read that "Jack ran quickly across the parking lot, thinking that a sniper could be in one of the cars." Instead,. how about,
*Bullet* "Jack darted across the parking lot, gun raised to pan the tangle of cars, each a potential sniper's shield."

Not perfect, but you see that I traded adverbs and adjectives for descriptive words to make it more vivid, more active, less introspective.

         *Star*Keep up the pace with shorter, cleaner, sentences and paragraphs. Again, if we eliminate the picturesque descriptions, the action stands on its own. Your hero (or villain) would not be contemplating the myriad stars lighting his way beneath a cerulean sky as he/she plots the next move. He or she would be engaging in the next move.

         *Star*Movement. An Action and Adventure moves the characters from one place to another. The story moves from one locale to another; from a jungle with insurgents chasing potential hostages to a city with terrorists chasing your hero. (I 'borrowed' this from 24's prequel as an example.)

         *Star*Clean, crisp transitions from one scene or sequence to another. This maintains momentum and keeps the story or plot on track. We don't see the hero or heroine sleeping and dreaming, or having a nice relaxing dinner, or in the washroom (unless perhaps he/she busts through the door after a villain).

         *Star*Dialogue that's on point and moves the plot along. This means few, if any, extraneous dialogue tags. Stick with "he said," or "she replied," ejecting the spent shell casings. - Then move, once again. Dialogue can also thus introduce a shift in point of view.

         *Star*Backstory cut. In an Action & Adventure, readers don't want to spend a chapter on the hero's childhood fear of spiders. Dialogue, or disgust expressed with a shudder upon finding one in a weapons cache akin to his mother's utensil drawer gives the reader the picture and forwards the plot (weapons cache - utensil drawer - both have knives).

         *Star*Minimize pathos; be realistic. For example, when in hand-to-hand combat, your hero can trade a comment or two with the villain, perhaps recall a past battle or maybe a time they were on the same side, in a few words. But your hero would not engage in such a discourse if the battle were being waged by trading fire a block away, or across a field.

         *Star*Know your facts. Readers of Action & Adventure do. Embelish with realistic possibilities. For example, if your character downloads a list of counteragents to your cellphone, then exchanges the cell for a prisoner, it may have a code command ot self destroy the data upon replay. (This was done on 24 and a friend broke open his cellphone to look for such a chip (possibility) - what with gps encoding (fact). He didn't find it, and had to get a replacement cellphone for the one he broke).

         *Star*If you like to write it, you already do this - read and watch Action & Adventure. The challenging movement, action, plot advancement, to the satisfying resolution is what keeps you reading, and writing it!

Keep it Active!
Keep Writing!
Kate
Kate - Writing & Reading Author IconMail Icon


Editor's Picks

Submitted for your reading (and reviewing) pleasure in response to a prior guest appearance where I near sang a dirge for the 'hero' ~ check out the following Adventure Story-Poem by monty31802

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1005222 by Not Available.


Moving about our Community is an adventure ~ and you will encounter some good action. Enjoy the read ~ and I hope you let the writers know how you enjoyed vicariously the adventures.

 The Dawn of a New Age: Act 1/Chapter 3 Open in new Window. (18+)
The situation escalates as violence breaks out, just as Kiev had predicted...
#1510032 by RememberMe Author IconMail Icon


 Destination: Berlin - Chps. 26 & 27 Open in new Window. (ASR)
Sharon and Dimitri are chased through Brandenburg. Max finds Eddington.
#1224609 by StephBee Author IconMail Icon


 The chase continues: Open in new Window. (E)
Theres no escape! No surrender! No compromising with enemies such as these!
#1447253 by wayne w. williams Author IconMail Icon


 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1290309 by Not Available.


 High Speed Open in new Window. (13+)
This is quite simply the most riveting car chase you will EVER read!
#1098316 by FieldingSound Author IconMail Icon


 Celestial Time Chase Open in new Window. (13+)
This is my favorite poem.. others suck...
#954515 by Solar Author IconMail Icon


 The Chase Open in new Window. (13+)
Alex Black and Jason Green are in a high speed pursuit with a dangerous felon.
#1068835 by Lil Padawan Author IconMail Icon



Want to get in on the action ~ check out this interactive adventure.

 The Chaser Open in new Window. (13+)
Marshal to bust up fugitive-aiding organization. GPs for good additions.
#1351875 by Avid Reader Author IconMail Icon



Looking for an adventure? Ready to create your own action? You'll find some motivation here daily ~ enough to give you "The Writer's CrampOpen in new Window. [13+]*Wink*

FORUM
The Writer's Cramp Open in new Window. (13+)
Write the best poem or story in 24 hours or less and win 10K GPS!
#333655 by Sophurky Author IconMail Icon



 
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Ask & Answer

         Thank you for welcoming me to your virtual home. I get to come back next month if you'll have me, and I invite you to tell me about your favorite action & adventure stories and poems - and share some you've written.*Thumbsup*

         Wishing each of you joy, inspiration, and success in all your writing (and other) action the coming year,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Until we next meet,
Keep Writing!
Kate
Kate - Writing & Reading Author IconMail Icon

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