Sir Fedlund Overby
02-14-07, 05:09 PM
Drawing upon the "Discuss creative writing strategies" aspect of the RPC, it is my hope to go through some of the more difficult categories of the judging rubric to try to understand how to improve my (and your) writing.
Today's topic is Action. The rubric definition is found at the bottom of this post.
Questions to be answered:
What makes good action?
What makes bad action?
What are strategies for effectively portraying action in writing?
What are some traps to avoid while trying to write action?
How do you avoid falling into a "play by play" (X does this, then does this, then does the next thing) style when trying to describe action?
As a point of reference (and becuase I want feedback on my writing) I submit the following thread: Blots of Light (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=3817&page=2)
I recieved a 5 in the category of action for this thread, meaning it was not so atrocious as to be miserable, but not particularly good either. (And yes, I am partially starting this thread because I don't like 5, I think I should score higher than that on everything, and want to learn how) Feel free to use sections of my writing as examples, positive or negative, and suggest methods that could have been employed to improve the action.
Feedback and comments are welcome from any and all. Banter away.
Action (10) ~ This can be explained in virtually the same way as dialogue. For an example, consider The Lord of the Rings. When the Witch-King of Angmar was slain, it was because he had ignored the hobbit Pippin, who was able to creep up from behind him and stab him in the heel at an opportune moment. This is entirely fitting with Pippin's character...he cannot block the attack of a man, jump backflips, or cast spells. But he can crawl quietly and wait for a chance to strike. His action made sense for his character. Similarly, a dullard might not come up with a battle strategy in the thick of things, but he might be able to appear at a lucky moment and swing a sword just in time to protect a friend's life.
Keep in mind that action is not limited to fighting! For example, a character might have a favorite book. A player could begin a thread with her reading it for a third time, and commenting on it as a friend walks in. Another example may involve a character who collects old coins - in a quest, one could come across a trove of them, and have the character go to great lengths to keep a hold of them as the quest progresses. Think of action as being just what it says: anything a character DOES. Just like dialogue, action is not defined by how cool a maneuver is or how intelligently the character planned and executed it. Rather, action is scored based on whether or not a character does what fits with the character.
Today's topic is Action. The rubric definition is found at the bottom of this post.
Questions to be answered:
What makes good action?
What makes bad action?
What are strategies for effectively portraying action in writing?
What are some traps to avoid while trying to write action?
How do you avoid falling into a "play by play" (X does this, then does this, then does the next thing) style when trying to describe action?
As a point of reference (and becuase I want feedback on my writing) I submit the following thread: Blots of Light (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=3817&page=2)
I recieved a 5 in the category of action for this thread, meaning it was not so atrocious as to be miserable, but not particularly good either. (And yes, I am partially starting this thread because I don't like 5, I think I should score higher than that on everything, and want to learn how) Feel free to use sections of my writing as examples, positive or negative, and suggest methods that could have been employed to improve the action.
Feedback and comments are welcome from any and all. Banter away.
Action (10) ~ This can be explained in virtually the same way as dialogue. For an example, consider The Lord of the Rings. When the Witch-King of Angmar was slain, it was because he had ignored the hobbit Pippin, who was able to creep up from behind him and stab him in the heel at an opportune moment. This is entirely fitting with Pippin's character...he cannot block the attack of a man, jump backflips, or cast spells. But he can crawl quietly and wait for a chance to strike. His action made sense for his character. Similarly, a dullard might not come up with a battle strategy in the thick of things, but he might be able to appear at a lucky moment and swing a sword just in time to protect a friend's life.
Keep in mind that action is not limited to fighting! For example, a character might have a favorite book. A player could begin a thread with her reading it for a third time, and commenting on it as a friend walks in. Another example may involve a character who collects old coins - in a quest, one could come across a trove of them, and have the character go to great lengths to keep a hold of them as the quest progresses. Think of action as being just what it says: anything a character DOES. Just like dialogue, action is not defined by how cool a maneuver is or how intelligently the character planned and executed it. Rather, action is scored based on whether or not a character does what fits with the character.