  Action/Adventure
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As the old adage goes, “A man is not judged by his words, but by his actions.” So too is it with your characters.
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As the old adage goes, “A man is not judged by his words, but by his actions.” So too is it with your characters.
I remember the first time I saw ‘Terminator’. Arnold walked into the police station and uttered that now famous line, “I’ll be back”, and then moments later crashed his speeding car through the front window of Police Headquarters. In fact, through the entire movie, he probably only spoke a handful of lines, but by his actions, we knew what kind of character he was.
This is the power of action--cause and effect.
The lonesome gunslinger, the silent Apache, the rescuing hero, even the homicidal maniac, they all speak through their eyes--through their actions. It’s what defines them as characters.
So how do we write them? How do we characterize someone with little or no dialogue?
Well, the first thing that comes to mind is mannerisms: gestures, ticks, gesticulations like nods, shrugs, motions, accompanied by deeds and actions.
One of my all-time favorite westerns was ‘Hombre’ with Paul Newman. The man literally had a lot of hard bark on him. He was raised by Indians, spoke very little, but when he did speak, he cut through all the civilized etiquette and said exactly what he meant in but a few words.
A good challenge would be to practice writing your main character as a mute. How would he express himself? How would he communicate with all the other characters? This would force you to write more like this…
The look of distracted grief and horror slowly left her eyes. It was replaced with a gruesome sort of intelligence that sparkled there like tarnished silver. Her cheeks, which had gone as pale as milk when she finally understood what had happened, began to fill with dark red color. Her lips peeled slowly back from her teeth. She bared them at the person in front of her. Two hoarse words slid out of her open mouth, hot and hoarse and rasping: “You…bitch!”
-'Needful Things' by Stephen King
When I write, I try to visualize the moment, or the scene, as if it were a movie running inside my head. If so-and-so does this, then the effect would be this. If the killer pulls out his gun, then how will the other character react? It has to be natural and believable, as if it were happening to you.
What we see in real life applies here--so always observe people and their behavior. What is the reaction of a mother when she is told her child has been killed? What happens to her body, her face, her eyes, her shoulders, all her mannerisms as those horrifying words finally sink into her brain?
Try it and see for yourself how it affects your writing. Actions speak louder than words.
Until next time,
billwilcox
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ACTION FEEDBACK
Nikola has stepped down from the Action/Adventure Newsletter and I'm sure her creative articles and expertise will be sorely missed by all. Here is some of the feedback she received from her last newsletter.
uakidd writes:
It is short and easy to read. I feel like I am a student again. Easy to know one goes with a supporting star. Simple instructions for the beginer like me. Topic disclosure is great. Hiking and or something off the sofa. Details of the sunset dismiss. Well written it is!
larryp says:
Nikola
Thank you for featuring my story Lijemon in your newsletter. I liked your article about choosing your character. As a young boy, I began watching westerns with my Grandpa and developed a love for the old cowboy movies. This is probably where my character Lijemon orginated. I thought this story out for a few months before I actually wrote it down. I first tried to write a poem about it, but was unable to do so successfully. I wanted to show Ligemon as a man who was not your typical "desperado," and I wanted to reveal the executioner as a compassionate man, which would take both out the the typical stereotypes.
kansaspoet
Larry
Robert Waltz  adds:
I never thought of going to magazines and newspapers for ideas about character descriptions! I usually just see them in my mind's eye. Sometimes I borrow features from people walking around downtown - and in my town, that's a mixed crowd.
I would imagine that going to magazine photos for character description would result in a somewhat idealized look for the character - though I supposed it depends on the mag.
SHERRI GIBSON  remarks:
Like you, Nikola, I always paint a picture in my mind as to what my characters look like from the coloring of his/her hair and eyes, down to his/her physical appearance and traits. Great newsletter!
billwilcox stutters strangely:
A fine newsletter Nikola. I try to become my characters. They are as alive as I am, and tell me what I need to write. But, of course, I've been told I need therapy too.
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Action/Adventure: September 13, 2006 Issue [#1255]
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