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Printed from https://writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/5411-A-Little-Vignette-is-All-You-Need.html
Action/Adventure: December 11, 2012 Issue [#5411]

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Action/Adventure


 This week: A Little Vignette is All You Need
  Edited by: Leger~ Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

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 purpose of this newsletter is to help the Writing.com author hone their craft and improve their skills. Along with that I would like to inform, advocate, and create new, fresh ideas for the author. Write to me if you have an idea you would like presented.

This week's Action / Adventure Editor
Leger~ Author Icon


Word from our sponsor



Letter from the editor


Sketching a New Character

If you're a busy person during the holidays and don't have time to write stories, think about sketching down some small vignettes. Holiday travel might be tiresome, but waiting for trains or planes can be a great opportunity to write down a few character sketches. Like the guy at the airport with the burlap sack; why is it tied with a red string? What does he have in there? Is it an animal? A snake? Is he getting on MY plane?

Or the tall guy coming down the gateway ramp...will he remember to duck through the doorway? Oh yes, he did. Check out his hands, those are some long fingers. Like...E.T. I wonder if he'd be good at picking locks, or stealing wallets. Hm, it would be hard to get lost in a crowd if he did. Or the lady with twin babies traveling without help. What if there was an emergency and she could only help one child, which would she choose?

Overheard cell conversations on trains can be rude, but interesting. A little notebook and pen could be the perfect thing to jot these thoughts down, or a phone with a notepad application. (Don't stare at people and then write things, be discreet or you might be someone else's sketch.) So enjoy your holidays, and if you encounter someone odd, don't be annoyed, create a character!

This month's question: Where do you get your best character ideas?
Send in your reply below! *Down*




Editor's Picks

 Trains and Lemon Pies Open in new Window. (18+)
Hometown memories of friendship
#1903933 by Kynthia Rose Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: The rush I was feeling had never felt finer than the time my friend, RayRay and I had found what probably was a stolen bike on the ground near the end of Weehawken, when I felt the warmth of the summer wind beat upon my face as we had raced down the viaduct, cruising down to Hoboken at a reckless speed. Well anyway, as usual, our night began unplanned. While other kids picked fights and played gangsters, we searched for other sorts of entertainment.

 The Train Riders Open in new Window. (18+)
Oregon wind cutting the riders deep, whispering her secrets to them; their death, perhaps?
#1612255 by RjWaller Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: Both Tramp and Hawk knew plenty of fellow riders who had lost a leg from missing a jump on or off the moving monster. Railroad spikes were used to hold the boxcar doors open. They would be pounded in the slider track using a second spike as a hammer; many men had lost a hand trying to stop the 1200 lbs door from closing in on them if the spike gave way, their hand being crushed by the weight of the door or even torn from their body. Some had even lost their lives either to the trains or, if they managed to survive the ride, the elements got them sure enough. Not many men knew how to survive the elements. At night, in the desert, it can freeze you out; and during the day fry the skin right off you.

 End Of The Line Open in new Window. (E)
A train ride with an unexpected destination.
#1399994 by Jeff Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: As the train left the station, I showed my investors how the train operates, walking them through the steps to bring it up to speed. Once it was running full steam, we relaxed and enjoyed the picturesque desert landscape passing by outside. One of the investors asked me about the potential labor strike; I assured him it was of little concern. With what I paid my workers, they couldn't afford to strike.

 The Burn Open in new Window. (18+)
The true story of a little girl and how she survived a 3rd degree burn to her right hand.
#1337991 by Lionness Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: The doctor smiled that tight smile that I had seen in adults before, the one that means they are not really happy with you at all, and they are just smiling to keep from screaming. I cringed when he raised his hand to grab another bandage. I didn’t mean to, I couldn’t help it; I thought he was going to hit me. The doctor shook his head and left the room.

Auronium Open in new Window. (18+)
A planetary expedition reveals a forgotten civilisation, a rare element and a surprise...
#1831749 by Squeekachu Author IconMail Icon

Excerpt: That is, how the entire dome was built out of Auronium. Building something out of Auronium was like weaving a city out of sunlight. Something impossible. In their wildest dreams, it never even occurred to them for such a rare substance to be used this way.

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1891412 by Not Available.

Excerpt: Peter walked closer to Hannah allowing their biochip processors to interface. On a developed planet, one could send messages across the globe with a single thought using the powerful net uplink. Here in the Red Zone of New Mauritius, they had to be less than six feet from each other. In her mind’s view, Hannah saw a connection request superimposed over the beetle’s blue form.

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#1454880 by Not Available.

Excerpt: Everything clicked into place for Elaine. The trips, the late nights "working" when she couldn't reach him on his office phone, his quietly setting aside their plans for the future.

 
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Word from Writing.Com

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Ask & Answer


This month's question: Where do you get your best character ideas?
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