  Action/Adventure
This week: Cardboard Cutouts Edited by: Storm Machine  
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"I never look back, darling. It distracts from the now." Edna Mode from The Incredibles
"A true hero isn't measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart." Zeus from Hercules
"Venture outside your comfort zone; the rewards are worth it." Rapunzel from Tangled
"There's no one I'd rather be than me." Wreck-It Ralph from Wreck-It Ralph |
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Hello, I'm Action Hero. I'm afraid of spiders. My favorite color is cerise, but if the red's too dark I prefer blue. All my spare time is spent playing video games in my parents' basement.
No, this isn't how we write stories. It's more of an info dump, and it does nothing to get a reader to think it's going to get better.
Action Hero runs in, gets in trouble, needs help to turn it around. Which Action Hero? Any or all of them - if you make them out of cardboard.
Each scene that takes place will change the characters. Lost his dog? Had a fight with her best friend? Broke the favorite piece of furniture? The consequences will rebound through the rest of the story. Think about how these things run over in your real life- once enough things go wrong, that energy boils over to every single possible way.
Oh? Fight with your best friend, then you mistyped numbers and you're overdrawn in your bank account, and then you crash your car into a tree. These things tend to have a domino effect, and part of the reason might be because your character starts to believe it.
Remember to stay in character. Don't play it cautious because the writer knows all the pitfalls ahead. Is your character impulsive? Run in without thinking about that cave might hold spiders or snakes or whatever other worst fear could lurk there. Does your character get thrown off if something doesn't go according to plan? Put 'em on the spot and watch them falter. Let them be human, let them develop, and let them fall on their faces.
I always like it when the character can pick themselves up and start over after failure. It isn't easy, but it's worth doing. |
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Joey's Spring has Sprung 
Hey Storm,
What a surprise to find my quick short highlighted in your newsletter. Sometimes things just write themselves. I had Felicity in my pocket; she is one of my best-supporting characters in another story. When I got the picture prompt used in this piece. I thought of her in her early years, before she became a Paladin.
You are so right about the boring parts of a story; I find myself page flipping all the time, that is the only way to get through a 600 page George R. R. Martin. (just to name one.)
I try to remember the words of the late Elmore Leonard. I had the honor of attending one of his last lectures at Detroit Mercy University. Asked by a fellow in attendance to what he attributed his success. Mr. Leonard said "Always pay attention to your surroundings, the people, places and things you need for your stories are just sitting there waiting for you to pick up on them. Always keep a pen and something to write on in your pocket, and on the counter outside the shower, because you never know when an idea is going to pop into your head. And most importantly never waste time writing the parts that can be skipped over.
The wife loves Felicity and demands I write a prequel to tell her story before she meets Rainey Molsen in their three book Fantasy adventure. I see that you're a steam-punker--I have a bit of steam in these stories; it just seemed to fit. But that was before I discovered the sub-genre of steampunk. I am thinking of adding more steam to these stories as it is so much fun and by far easier than magic.
Anyway, I just wanted to pop in and say you did a great job with this newsletter. I found it concise and informative. Thank you for the plug as well, I am most honored to have one of my silly efforts highlighted as an editor's pick.
Joey C.
Thank you! Keep writing, even if it's 'silly'.
Quick-Quill 
This was great information. As some of us head to the October planning of NANO this is very helpful
Ah, yes. October is here, and NaNo is just around the corner. Good luck, and I hope you find your story.
Nixie Martell cheerleader 
One sentence and the follow-up comments gave me the precise knowledge I was looking for to explain this to a writer. It wasn't an action/adventure story, but the theme still applied.
"If the next part only encompasses travel from one destination to the next, do not put that on paper."
Once I read about an author who couldn't figure out how to move her character from work to home. She finally just skipped a detailed explanation and showed her character arriving at his house. I always remember that.
Thanks again. I read one of the stories you highlighted here. It was an excellent story written by a newbie. Sorry for the chattering. ~Nixie
Chatter away, Nixie. I'm glad you enjoyed the story and the newsletter!
Arizona Lawman 
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In the latest news letter, the Kurt Vonnegut line struck right to the core of the problem. The dilema of a person writing an action adventure is to envelope the reader. I have found this extremely difficult to accomplish, though I work on the problem each day.
I would very much like to thank one of my reviewers for pointing out a plot discrepancy I had not notice in the character developement. Without M. Prelooker-We Got This, I might not have noticed, but I'm sure my readers would have, so she is my hero at the moment.
I read each action/adventure newsletter and find interesting information each time. This is the first time I have commented.
Welcome to the comments section! I hope all your reviewers are similarly helpful. Good luck. |
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Action/Adventure: October 07, 2015 Issue [#7257]
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