This week: Your Own Adventure Edited by: Legerdemain  
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Your Own Adventure
When I was young, there was a ski 'mountain' in Wisconsin that had a coaster rail you could go down in the summertime. Similar to this https://youtu.be/Lztr0h6K__g?feature=shared You rode the ski lift to the top with your little individual car hanging on the side of your seat and when you reached the top, the staff would put the car on the rail and off you would go! As you reached hills and curves you could pull on a brake stick in the middle and slow down if you wanted. I imagine now, I'd have to sign waivers, put on a helmet and a five point restraint before heading down. (Yes, I drank out of the garden hose, too.)
There are tons of things on my bucket list that I'm probably too old and wise to do now. That human sugar glider suit looks like a blast! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wingsuit_flying But it doesn't mean I can't explore the internet and watch someone else take risks while remaining safe and comfortable in my office.
Some of that thrill can certainly cross over to your stories and even your world-building. Gliding through the air could be a new mode of transportation in your world. So if you're not wealthy enough to travel to space, or brave enough to jump from a perfectly functioning airplane, doesn't mean you can't experience it through others and write about it.
Be brave, and Write On!
This month's question: What daring thing would you try?
How do you use that in your writing?
Answer below  Editors love feedback! 
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| |  | TANGLED (E)
Life lessons from a kite string lead to a helicopter rescue.
#2148612 by Dan Seidel  |
Excerpt: The grandfather looked on at the boy with the tangled kite string. The boy tried to clear the tangle by pulling the strings on both sides of it. The mess tightened into a ball of knots. The boy dropped it on the ground wanting to give up. But he did not want to give up on flying the kite. He tried again and further constricted the knots. His shoulders slumped in visible frustration.
Excerpt: Uncle Thomas worked in the local silk mills, the worlds largest. Millions of silk worms were raised to keep the mills humming.
When WWII came, each paratrooper needed a parachute, so a new plant opened. Uncle Thomas became a foreman, able to indulge in an occasional good cigar.
Excerpt: I lay there rolling around in the dirt holding my ankle. The pain spiked paths through my body. Was it broken or just twisted? Would this ruin my war or my entire career? I lay there gritting my teeth as the initial shock began to subside. The droning of aircraft engines ebbed until the only sound was my breathing and the bellowing of parachute silk as the last of the battalion hit the drop zone.
Excerpt: The name's Blond, Dick Blond, and being a private eye is the game. Occasionally there is a bit of freelancing for the government agency, who of course, will remain nameless.
| | | Punishment (13+)
Angus finds himself in an unfamiliar environment.
#2090433 by Joy  |
Excerpt: Angus’s tether connecting his spacesuit to the ship was sloppily attached to the bay, but the connection worked as far as his oxygen supply was concerned. After the explosion, others who were knocked off the ship without their suits now drifted in the space as corpses, but Angus was still able to breathe and think.
| |  | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1840218 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: Behind her, Sage could hear Linda's dog pursuing her through the swamp. She stumbled, a small scream errupting from her mouth, before she managed to catch herself. Looking over her shoulder, she prayed that he hadn't heard her. She was counting on the wolfsbane that grew around the swamp, to cover her scent, but if the werewolf had heard her, he would be on her in seconds.
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1615912 by Not Available. |
Excerpt: No one knew how the boats got there; they just appeared overnight as if by magic. We were all stunned. We had been on this island for what seemed like an eternity, maybe it was an eternity….
Excerpt: “It’s today! It’s today!” Kayla shouted.
“It’s 5 o’clock in the morning, Kayla. Go back to sleep,” Brielle replied with a yawn. Kayla and Brielle were sisters, twin sisters in fact, and today was the day of their thirteenth birthday party. They considered this birthday in particular to be the most important because it declared them officially teenagers. As a “reward” for turning teenagers, Kayla and Brielle’s parents promised them they could have their party at the brand new amusement park.
| | Freefall (13+)
On the other side of the world is the perfect place for me to skydive.
#1985374 by Moarzjasac  |
Excerpt: The Aegean Sea from 11,000 feet is beyond spectacular. The water changes in color from aquamarine green to a deep sapphire blue unequaled anywhere else. We are finally here. Delores and I have talked about taking this trip since our junior year in College. Our tenth anniversary seemed to be the ideal time to indulge our dream. It is spring and early enough to avoid both the blistering heat and the Meltemi Winds of summer.
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This month's question: What daring thing would you try?
How do you use that in your writing?
Answer below Editors love feedback!
Last month's "Action/Adventure Newsletter (January 17, 2024)" question: What topic or genre would you like to try?
buddhangela's Wounded Not Dead  : Another way to make yourself more comfortable writing in a genre you’re unfamiliar with is to become familiar with it–start reading books in that genre and get to know if. If you want to write a story that involves a trans character, read a couple stories with trans characters in them–or read some issues of a trans magazine (they’re out there!) Talk to real live queer people, or veterans, or indigenous peoples to hear their views. There are many solutions to ignorance beyond taking a stab at it and hoping for the best. Just my $2.
s  : What topic or genre would I like to try? To be honest, I think I've tried everything I want to. I've had scifi, horror, fantasy, Western, romance, thriller, steampunk, solarpunk, alternate history, erotica, comedy, war and mainstream works published, and there's probably more genres I've written that haven't been published.
Here's the thing - I used to write spec fic (scifi, horror, fantasy) exclusively, and all my work was pastiche. I saw an interview with some author who said we should read all genres and incorporate those ideals into all other genres. Mix and match. Well, reading other genres told me I could write them as well, so I did. Once I started incorporating the elements of romance stories into my longer works, I started selling my horror novels. Taking the tension of a horror story helped me sell my Westerns. Thriller concepts made my scifi more realistic.
So, yeah, I've tried most. I'm not saying I've been successful, but I've tried.
Scotty1615 : Horror
Scarypotato-doing bettertoday : I wanna try romance but at the same time I don't like Hallmark movies...steamy makes me kinda gag. But I also think I could potentially write a weird Steampunk romance or supernatural.
Sky D. White : Romantic, thriller, or even horror would be good too
Khola Mousethyme : My writing tends to cross genres. My young adult novels are mystery/horror/and a bit supernatural. My other novel is sci-fi/fantasy. My Hallmark stories are mostly Romance. I even have a collection of Erotica. I don't know if there is a genre I wouldn't try except maybe comedy......
Sum1  : I would love to write a horror story that scared the readers, not one that makes them say, "Meh"
s : I think I've tried most genres. Some I do not feel I can write - I could not write a BIPOC-based or LGBTIQ+ story, for example - because those are not my stories to tell, but everything else is fair game.
THANKFUL SONALI Now What?  : Thanks to WDC I've tried out many new genres! 
buddhangela's Wounded Not Dead : Writing a true mystery novel would be a giant learning experience for me, more complex and involve so much more planning–that'll have to wait. Horror is a genre I think would be fun and I could more likely explore with shorter stories.
jackson : I consider a lot of topics, but stick to the ones I know. My life, westerns, a little romance, fantasy, horror, mystery and some that do not fit in WDC's genre list. Some topics I would not touch using the hands of someone else.
KitKat  : I've loved the concept of mysteries, but was always intimidated by them because of how much planning would need to be done. But I've been in a horror/thriller zone in my workshop writing so who knows....maybe I'm brave enough to try a genre fusion and I'm ready to add a mysterious twist!
kimauge : horror and mystery, crime. It's strange genre to me.(about writing)
Elisa the Bunny Stik  : I'd say that a large portion of my port is comprised of writings on controversial topics. My long term short story cycle will continue that tradition thanks to polyamory being a core component.
J.R. PETE : I have no desire to write horror. I think I would like to attempt to try mysteries. To be honest, I just don't believe I have the wherewithal to create one with any semblance of cohesion or believability. 
oldgreywolf scribbles : Science fiction covers a continually widening venue, and many subjects/genre are in my worldbuilding. (My stories are more limited.)
Supposedly, people with my personality type are low on EQ, so that'd require research. (My future wife will contribute.)
Kate Brandon : I've recently wanted to take a shot at medieval fantasy. I've been playing a lot of Baldur's Gate 3 recently and have been getting some inspiration from the Forgotten Realms.
Bob : I've never tried mysteries either. If I did such a thing, I would lay the story out from the end with the murder solved, who it was, why they were killed, whether it was accident or premeditated, how it was done, and of course who done it. Then I'd establish a cast of potential killers and who had motive to do the dirty work. Then I'd have to create a string of clues leading to the killer. Then gather the characters in a central location and confine them there until the inspector solved the plot. Wife loves those things and she has read John Sanford's Prey series every one, and all the off shoots. I, of course, read them when she is done with them, then they are relegated to her collection in the basement.
Anna Marie Carlson : Political Confusion.
Happy to write : not sure the better question would which ones am I willing to try and when am I going to so
elephantsealer : I would like to write mystery; however, I must wait until I have thoroughly researched this side of writing. If I am to write a good mystery, then I should, in fact, I must do this research because I know definitely nothing about how to write mystery...
Thanks to everyone for your fantastic replies! Legerdemain
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Action/Adventure: February 14, 2024 Issue [#12417]
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