Lights! Camera! Action!

Without action, your novel's going nowhere. But your readers are. For a hike.

Action is the basis of your entire plot, the movement, the tension and the conflict. Without it, you don't have a story to tell.

So let's get busy and plot some fun.


Plots in Motion

By definition, any important event in your novel is considered part of the action. Even if your two main characters are lounging on the beach. (After all, you can find "action" on the beach, right?)

One character's train of thought can also be considered a major plot point, if he or she is in the middle of figuring out whodunit or some other important information.

It doesn't take energetic activity every page to keep your plot moving. Even in a thriller or horror novel, you should have a few breaks in the tension, or your readers will have a heart attack.

But don't let your momentum stop entirely, either. You need to keep a balance between frantic activity and leisurely strolls.

How do you do this?


Pacing Yourself

Some novels plod along with only mild highs and lows. This is not a bad thing, if you're writing a more laid-back novel.

If you're writing a thriller, such a pace is the kiss of death.

But how do you convey a faster pace with mere words?

By mirroring the action with the structure of your words and sentences.

Start with varying your sentences' rhythm. Lead the readers in slowly, hinting at the explosions about to take place. Then, start jarring them to life. Create shorter sentences. Shorter paragraphs. Make them breathless with short, sharp words.

Once the action is over, let them relax a little with longer sentences again. You'll be amazed how constructing your sentences and paragraphs can heighten tension and increase pace.

For example, read the following two brief scenes and choose which one creates a better pace for the action involved.

He ran straight toward the line of trees in the vain hope they would provide camouflage from his pursuers. Far behind, he could hear an occasional whinny and once, even the baying of a dog. He tried to move faster so he could reach the relative safety before they could see him through the mist. The trees seemed miles away, though.

...yawn...

A smudge of dark must be trees ahead. He gulped damp air faster, forced his aching legs to keep running. A whinny carried on the faint breeze.

His chest tightened. The mist thinned around him. Soon, he'd be plain to see. The trees mocked him, miles ahead, still.

A dog bayed. He jolted. Choked. Raced the echo to the trees.

The first rendition feels miles away from the character's plight. Yeah, you know he's in peril, but you aren't in peril with him.

In the second version, you begin to feel the pounding heart, the fear squeezing your chest. You can hear the horses and dogs chasing him, feel as exposed as he's about to be. You can be the character.

Notice the sentences get shorter as the tension mounts. No extraneous words are used, and the ones used have impact.

That's what conveys your action best. Fitting words to the pace, whether it's leisurely or frantic.

So, next time you get to the action, make it come alive!