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Printed from https://writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/4160
Drama: January 12, 2011 Issue [#4160]

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Drama


 This week: Heroes and Thrillers
  Edited by: Joy Author IconMail Icon
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Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

"The hero is a feeling, a man seen
As if the eye was an emotion,
As if in seeing we saw our feeling
In the object seen and saved that mystic
Against the sight, the penetrating,"
Pure eye."

Wallace Stevens

"The hero was distinguished by his achievement; the celebrity by his image or trademark. The hero created himself; the celebrity is created by the media. The hero was a big man; the celebrity is a big name."
Daniel J. Boorstin

"Most people aren't appreciated enough, and the bravest things we do in our lives are usually known only to ourselves. No one throws ticker tape on the man who chose to be faithful to his wife, on the lawyer who didn't take the drug money, or the daughter who held her tongue again and again. All this anonymous heroism."
Peggy Noonan


Hello, I am Joy Author Icon, this week's drama editor.Our discussion in this issue is the usefulness of placing a hero inside a thriller.


Word from our sponsor



Letter from the editor

My take on a free clip-art

Welcome to the Drama newsletter


         Now that we are in January, do you feel the excitement of the New Year, a beginning we welcome with our hopes and resolutions?

         2011's possibilities are as intricately woven as a spider web to make us feel entrapped in the middle of it, but that is the thrill and the beauty of starting anew. Thomas Mann said, "Time has no divisions to mark its passage; there is never a thunderstorm or blare of trumpets to announce the beginning of a new month or year. Even when a new century begins it is only we mortals who ring bells and fire off pistols."

         So true. At this time, like Odysseus with his Odyssey, I feel adventuresome at the start of another exciting year.

         Although I expect 2011 to be a thrilling experience for me, not all stories can be thrillers. A thriller in fiction boasts of a fast tempo, close calls, narrow escapes, and unexpected plot twists and turns with daring deeds. Add to it the human condition and a hero, you have a dramatic story of the highest caliber. As the hero Odysseus was a strong and believable character, his story stood the test of time.

         Odysseus had positive assets and fallibilities. Like every human being, his actions brought joy and appreciation or pain and suffering to people around him. He embodied the ideal human qualities of his time, yet was tested with the toughest of challenges, since he traipsed around the Greek gods and other beings with supernatural gifts. He didn't have great strength, but he had courage and intelligence. He was the mortal who faced Cyclops, the one-eyed immortal giant, bravely.

         A good idea to keep in mind is that the main characteristic of a hero is his courage and daring, and adding a hero to a thriller boosts the reader's interest and may elevate the story.

         A powerful and credible main character is the first requirement of a thriller as well as other types of fiction. The second requirement is the unity and authenticity of information, concerning story's setting, its situations, and other elements. This information might include the rules of the society, police procedures, or facts pertaining to politics, medicine, and law. The third requirement is the careful placement of unexpected twists and turns and the logical attachment of subplots to the main plotline. As an additional enhancement and literary flair, some dark comedy or comic relief can be useful.

         What binds a good thriller together is the action and the pacing of it. Action thrills, but give it a slow pacing, the reader will yawn, close the book down, and go to sleep. Give it a too-fast pacing, the reader will be lost inside excessive information or he will be overtaken by too much tension to continue with the story.

         Whether you write a thriller with a hero as the main character or not, I wish 2011 to bring you much success in your writing life and in all things that are important to you.

         May what you write delight you, and what others see in your work delight them.

         Happy New Year!




Editor's Picks

          *Gold*   Enjoy!   *Gold*
*Reading**BalloonR**Music1**Music1**Music1* *Clock**BalloonR**PartyhatV**Reading**BalloonR**Clock**PartyhatV**BalloonR**Reading**BalloonR**PartyhatV**Clock**BalloonR**Reading**BalloonR**Clock**PartyhatV**Music1**Music1**Music1* *BalloonR**Reading*


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#1732126 by Not Available.

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Fading Stars Open in new Window. (18+)
Resolutions are meant to be broken...
#1197457 by iKïyå§ama Author IconMail Icon

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 Beginnings Open in new Window. (18+)
"Laurence weighed the pouch in his hand. It bulged comfortably..."
#1183544 by silverfeathers Author IconMail Icon

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Dirt-Stained Hero is a story of simple heroism in the most desperate of circumstances.
#1481840 by beyondstories Author IconMail Icon

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Instructional Articles

Ten Writing No-No's Open in new Window. (E)
Emerin shares her writing expertise. Either that, or she got really bored one afternoon.
#1282400 by emerin-liseli Author IconMail Icon

Expanded Power Revision Checklist Open in new Window. (E)
Part I of the Writers Workshop: Revision checklist with examples.
#1108215 by David E. Navarro Author IconMail Icon

 Give your magic character Open in new Window. (E)
Some personal opinions on how to make good use of magic in your stories
#549942 by The Forgotten Author IconMail Icon


Rush to register for this fabulous contest, which will run between January 13 and January 28.
15 for 15 Contest --- Closed Open in new Window. [18+]
Do you have 15 minutes? Come in and join this contest!
by Leger~ Author Icon


 
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Ask & Answer

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Your Drama Newsletter Editors: esprit Author Icon Adriana Noir Author Icon Fyn Author Icon Joy Author Icon
Thank you for reading our newsletters and for supplying the editors with feedback and encouragement.

*Bullet* This Issue's Tip:
In shorter fiction, establish the basic setting information quickly; if possible, consider putting it in the midst of a dialogue.


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*Bullet* *Reading* Reading Recommendation: A book with drama *Reading*

If you have a recommendation, a few words on a book or a product review, send it to me or to this newsletter. I'll highlight it here. *Smile*

by Hyperiongate Author Icon

ASIN: 0765349051
ID #110576
Product Type: Book
Reviewer: Hyperiongate Author Icon
Review Rated: E
  Setting:
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  Overall Quality:
Amazon's Price: $ 1.99


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Feedback for "Use Your Characters' MisinterpretationsOpen in new Window.

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Vivian Author Icon
Thank you for giving writers more help with writing, and thanks for highlighting "Show Don't TellOpen in new Window. ~~ Viv


Thank you, too, Viv *Smile*.
For the generous and continuing instruction and TLC.
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BIG BAD WOLF is Howling Author Icon
Sometimes when you look at a piece, you catch the things you missed./c}

True. And Thanks. *Smile*
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