writerly ways

[cornerofmadness]

I've been thinking about action scenes. It's been pointed out that I don't do nearly enough of them. I can't actually argue that. It's a fair point. I think in many ways it's the sort of books I read. I read predominantly mysteries which are far more talky than actiony. It's the genre I've read the most and no doubt has the biggest influence on me.

I actually don't like long action scenes. They bore me to tears. I think that's why I liked Butcher's Dresden Files and hated his full on high fantasy. Those action scenes went on and on without end. It's why I'm getting very tired of a lot of shonen manga like Bleach and Naruto, the endless battle scenes are a yawn.

So I need to find a mid point between endless boring fight scenes (because reading about fighting is about as exciting as reading about dancing or any other sight-driven activity) and not enough action.

I'm thinking of making a bit of an outline for my next Nano. I have three ideas the old woman urban fantasy, a sequel to splinters but can't find a cohesive plot yet and to do pure fanasy with Tenaldi the poison gardener and I think that might be the winner because I have some ideas for characters, him, the insane, now-immortal war goddess 'blessed' soldier, Tenaldi's friend and she's a warrior, maybe a couple of other warriors from the city's walls and a princess/prince who have been bastardized by their insane father from a neighboring country (ala Mary and Elizabeth Tudor) so his new favored wife's kid will rule and they've been hidden out in Tenaldi's queendom.

Anyhow I thought maybe if I write down at least one action I want in every chapter I can achieve a better balance between talky and action. It's a thought at any rate.

As for writing I'm not actually doing much of it. It's hard. I can't shake my depression so I don't write. When I dont' write, I get more depressed and it becomes a vicious circle.

And Happy Birthday to sillymagpie

Yearly word count -

35254 / 115000 words. 31% done!

Comments

[kerkevik-2014.livejournal.com]

Sex scenes are my most daunting; since I wrote mostly femslash, but I don't write action at alI I think. Not really an action film fan.

Finally got around to doing other than constantly obsessing over all the little things my condition makes me think I HAVE to do; started going through stories in an attempt to both seriously catalogue them, and knock something loose in my writerly brain.

It seems to have worked.

Written four stories; one though is a complete re-write of a story I wrote about thirty-five years ago in the last couple of days after months on no interest. So far it's going well, though one is very Dark with a capital D, which I was prevented from posting yesterday evening as it was raining and until a couple of hours ago I had no internet at home.

Feeling good about it again, though said drabble is going to be a bit nerve-wracking.

kerk

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

I'm so with you about not liking long fight scenes. I flip through them so fast when I'm reading that sometimes I miss who won and have to look back. I also don't like them much on screen.

What I do when I write and need to have them is have a lot of talk going on while they're fighting. I'm sure that's not so realistic, but just can't do the long descriptions of who hit who.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I'm relieved I'm not the only one who isn't that excited by action scenes. Even in movies I preferred endless action more as a teen than now.

I definitely flip past action scenes if they go on too long, ditto sex scenes.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Honestly sex scenes are daunting for me too. I think in many ways I'm just plain tired of writing them. Being a female often writing gay men I obsess over am I doing it right? And I'm not thrilled to read sex scenes so that doesn't help.

I'm glad you're getting stuff knocked loose. I hope it gets better as you go. Good luck posting the darker fic.

Hear you on the internet woes

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

I just got back from Star Trek Beyond and had some moments there when I was wondering if I was going to leave before it was over. The old Star Treks (the first TV ones, ST and STNG) were not so fight-heavy. This did have some great special effects, and I liked the plot and characters, but at least half of it was fight scenes.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

that's too bad. that's the worst thing I've heard about it. People seem to be loving it.

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

I loved it! That's why I didn't leave. Great characters, fun plot, much that was perfectly in line with the original series especially the ethos of the community vs the lone ranger. Very fine humor, and the added characters were perfect. Special effects, too--delightful.I'd see it again, but there was too much fighting.

The NYT review weighed in on this: (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/22/movies/review-star-trek-beyond.html?referrer=google_kp) "The Hollywood rule book stipulates that the climactic sequence should involve the noisy destruction of a lot of buildings and an extended hand-to-hand fight between the good guy and the main villain. The villain should be motivated by the usual villainous grudge. Millions of lives should be in danger, and the actual casualties should be numerous and filmed bloodlessly enough to preserve the PG-13 rating."

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Oh good. I see what you're saying. Just a bit too much fighting.

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

Also, Jon Pine.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

haha.

And yes that article definitely agrees with you.

[silvrethorn.livejournal.com]

Keep in mind that there are action scenes and there are scenes in which something happens. Fight scenes (and sex scenes, because wrasslin' is wrasslin') do tend to get tedious unless the writer takes the impressionistic route and avoids the oh-so-slow blow-by-blow. Focusing on the main character's emotions as he/she battles can make a fight scene feel gritty and relevant. On the other hand, doing a blow-by-blow account of your ninja character as she scales castle walls and creeps toward her assassination target can be a suspenseful page-turner if done well, i.e. the reader cares about the ninja (or her target). I think it's all in how an action scene is presented and how skillfully the writer builds the reader's emotional investment in the characters and the outcome. A discussion, disagreement, or verbal sparring between characters is also very much an "action scene," even if they're just standing in a park yapping at each other. If there's plot movement, it's an action scene, or at least a something-happens scene. The same characters holding a conversation that _doesn't_ move the plot forward goes in the same bin with the fight scenes everyone skips over. Again, it's all in how the scene is handled.

I've written nothing either, but it's because of that damn contest I'm judging, not writer's block. I need to get my shit together for the Florida MWA chapter's Freddy awards, too, said shit being the first twenty pages, double-spaced, of Ashland Angels. The Freddies open Aug. 15th and close Oct. 15th, so I can't screw around. Would you be interested in beta-ing the entry when I finish it? I need all the eyes on it I can get. MWA is way bigger than the RPLA, and looking amateur is not an option.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Yes in this I was conflating action with fight scene (and I meant the latter). And you're right, it's definitely in how it is handled (Butcher definitely handled them differently between Dresden and Fury series)

I'm not so much blocked as not making time for my writing that and depression which again not so much a block but the inability to even move.

Sorry that contest is sucking up so much time. And yes I'd be willing to beta your thing when it's done.

[silvrethorn.livejournal.com]

Depression makes everything too heavy to move. So does stress. It's impossible to get into your good-writing head space when your brain is spinning with stuff that needs done, or when it decides everything completely sucks so why bother. Been there, doing that.

I'm not sure why the Freddies stop with the first 20 pages. I know from experience that the first chapter or two can be 500 times better than the rest of the manuscript--I've recently had to read two complete finalist entries that went to crap after a great start. So why reward writers for writing a great lead-in to a lousy novel? Less time-consuming for their judges, I guess. Thanks for being my beta. I won't have anything ready to read until after your trip. I'm having to completely rewrite everything after the prologue because that first 20 pages is exactly where all the wandering around in search of a plot occurred.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Yes depression and stress make everything suck.

Hmm I guess they think that to impress agents, you only have the first 20 pages so that's all they're looking at. But yes it doesn't really represent the story.

Actually if you can hold off til September that would be better. I have two deadlines in August and classes will be starting in a couple weeks so I'm swamped. Unless there's a rush for your own deadline.