  Action/Adventure
This week: Using Emotion Edited by: Legerdemain  
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The purpose of this newsletter is to suggest a few inspiration ideas to the action / adventure author.
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Using Emotion
Krish D.  suggested in the newsletter feedback: "I don't know if it has been covered before, but I thought a good topic might be the writer's emotions. For instance, when I write a scene (or draw a picture), if I know it's going to be an intense, or emotional scene, I try to tap into that emotion when I'm writing. What this does for me, is to write a scene that I know will mean something more to the reader. Fight scenes should make your heart pound, death scenes should be devastating, and plot twists should be shocking!"
Very true! Emotion plays a big part in any story. If the reader can't relate and feel what emotions the author is trying to convey through the characters, then the story is lacking. Rising emotion should lead to conflict or climax. When I'm writing, I think about what kind of music would be playing in the background if the story were a movie. Remember the movie Jaws? The music sounded like a heartbeat, beating faster and faster, taking the emotion of those watching the movie with it. Then...BAM! We didn't see the shark; we only saw the girl gasping and getting pulled under. Think about the background of your story as the music in the movie. Use it to foreshadow upcoming emotion and conflict. Happy background "music" can indicate contentment and well being. The tempo of your writing can speed up or slow down the movement in your action.
After that movie, how many people were afraid to swim in the ocean? Even though the shark looked a little fake and there wasn't a lot of horrifying gore, the movie was frightening. The first few bars of the music is recognizable. As an author, we want to create memorable scenes in our stories. Show your readers what your characters are feeling, involve them in the story and make their heart pound too. It's okay to hold something back for the end, for a plot twist or surprise ending, as long as the clues were there in the story not just a random ending tacked on.
When reviewing writing, be sure to let the author know if you felt emotion while reading and if the characters were believable. It is very helpful during edit when an author knows where to step up their work and what character needs authenticity. And where their character should say, "We're gonna need a bigger boat." Write on!
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Excerpt: I never paid more than a penny for a phone call back then. It was easy. The pay phones had nickel-dime-quarter slots on top. You just held a penny in the nickel slot with your thumb, and, as you released it, flipped the heel of your palm down quick on the coin return. If you did it right, you heard a mechanical "ding" and then the sound of the dial tone in the receiver. It might take you several tries, or a dozen, if you weren't having any luck. But, this day, I was having luck. I got my "ding" the first time, and started dialing Donna's number.
Excerpt: Night is closing in fast. It's chasing dusk's last spray of light. Soon we will move with nervous calculation, but for now we huddle with our weapon, the cool hardness steady in our grips as our eyes peer into the jungle exploring every shadow and silhouette illuminated by the full moon climbing into the turbulent skies above Da Nang. Its yellow face keeps jumping in and out between clusters of dense trees, taunting us with eerie shapes that appear angry and unforgiving. I am tired of crawling on my belly, tired of smelling the rancid stench of sweat and dirty bodies seasoned by the lives of so many men lost.
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Excerpt: I remember my father's arms highlighted by the sun lowering into twilight. They are tanned and muscular with the outlines of his muscles and veins writhing and shifting like a snake in the sand as he lifts the black trash bag and its weighty contents into the flatbed of his white '97 Chevy Silverado. He wears a white Stetson cowboy hat that he sometimes lets me wear, and, in those moments, I pretend to be John Wayne saving the lady or fighting the Indians. But I soon have to give the hat back to my father, the real John Wayne, or at least that is who he is to me. This is, of course, before I understand that the world is not all good. This is before I know that my father killed my mother.
Excerpt: Beneath the reflections of cold uncaring stars, Simon Nabo dreamt of a red-haired child with large green eyes that seemed too old for her face
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Excerpt: Purr-652 narrowed his eyes, waiting. Across the street, Yowl-218 strolled out of the alley. He twitched his tail once ... twice. That was the signal.
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Excerpt: Now, of course, I've always followed your advice in every matter, Mr. Buffett, and as I'm sure you're aware, I own considerable shares in your Berkshire Hathaway and faithfully submit checks to you each month so you will continue to grow my portfolio in the admirable way you've done in the past, but hearing those teens discuss your advice made me eagerly hold my breath and listen avidly.
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Not much time left for round one in this contest but bookmark it for future rounds.
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Sci-Fi writers, check this out!
A great daily contest, stretch your imagination!
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Excerpt: Terry dropped a can of worms next to my bare knees. They were still alive, wriggling around each other with a slow but frantic effort to get out of the sunlight. Their squirming made me nauseous but I couldn't take my eyes away. Rust spotted the outside of the old coffee can like a dalmatian. It was half full. I couldn't imagine using all of these worms in one weekend.
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This month's question: What writing devices do you use to show emotion in your stories? Send in your answer below! 
Last month's question: How would you use nature as a backdrop for your rising action or emotion?
Doug Rainbow replies: I see nature in fiction as having at least three functions: (1) As part of the setting nature can define or enhance the mood of a scene; (2) Nature can be an actor and move events, e.g., a blizzard, hurricane, or gentle rain; and (3) Nature can serve as a metaphor to symbolize such elements as danger, tranquility, change, etc.
Annette  says: Yes, I agree that adding nature to a story heightens the drama. After going camping for a week during spring break, I can definitely feel the thrill of walking in pitch black darkness and remember the fear of what might be in that darkness. Great newsletter, it's inspiring to remember how easy it is to crank up the volume in a story by putting it into a certain setting.
LJPC - the tortoise sends an answer: Hey, Leger! Thanks for a great newsletter. Haunted houses have their place, but the great outdoors is naturally more scary -- why else would we work so hard building houses to keep it at bay? -- Laura |
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Action/Adventure: June 30, 2010 Issue [#3831]
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