 Action/Adventure: December 21, 2005 Issue [#780] |
  Action/Adventure
This week: Edited by: John~Ashen  
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Action/Adventure! It comes in many forms, not just books and movies. Some people get their thrills fantasizing about being thrust into a bizarre situation. In this newsletter, I'll be offering advice on how to write an adventure plot based on taking your main character out of his natural environment. Enjoy  -- John~Ashen |
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The Displacement Plot
What Is It?
"Displacement" is when something is moved from its natural environment. In story plots, this means taking your character out of his comfort zone and throwing him into completely new circumstances. To get the character into the new environment, you usually have to use a leap-of-faith plot device like a rift, wormhole, time machine, wish, spell, or dream. The character must then struggle to adjust to the new situation without support from the former life.
Why Use It?
Once your character is displaced, the reader is instantly excited at the expectation of the clashes caused by the requirements of the new situation. You'll tread over obvious ground like confusion and ingenuity as the person tries to fit in. If you can include tidbits the reader did not imagine, you'll endear your readers more to the story. As the story progresses, the plot can be measured by the character's desire to revert to the old situation. Generally in the beginning he prefers the old ways, then he finds he can handle things, and finally he prefers the new situation.
Existing Examples
The simplest displacement is cultural. Consider how confused an exchange student is, yet life is better after he starts to learn the language. In the movie Mr. Deeds, country bumpkin Adam Sandler was transplanted into fast-paced New York. In Romancing the Stone, a romance novelist is lost in a jungle full of drug dealers and violent paramilitants.
Another common displacement is by time. The recent movie A Kid in King Arthur's Court is a modern version of a classic and an excellent example and is not just for kids. Kate & Leopold is a romantic example, and The Final Countdown is a kind of teaser alternate-history example.
Some displacements turn all the rules upside down, like in the Planet of the Apes movies. Unlike Charlton Heston, Bruce Campbell found his way back at the end of Army of Darkness.
Another popular displacement style is the body-swap, usually between parent and child (as in Freaky Friday). In Big and 13 Going on 30, Tom Hanks and Jennifer Garner (Affleck?) found themselves whisked into the adult world by unwise wishes. All these movies highlight the differences in generation gaps.
The ultimate example is probably Alice in Wonderland. Unfortunately, it uses what I consider to be the worst plot device for mixing things up: it was all just a dream. 
Suggested Displacement Exercise : Scenario One of "The Writing Assignment" [13+] shakes up all the rules by declaring you a survivor of a thermonuclear war!
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--- PICKS ---
Some of the best new act/adv pieces on the site:
Three chapters so far in a plot somewhat reminiscent of Titan A.E.
An excellent tale in modest yet tongue-in-cheek style.
Encouraging us to broaden our experiences:
Jumpy story but very instructive for its detailed fight scenes.
Sounds like a tall tale to me
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Jedi Moose  wonders: I have a cliche question for you. What do you think about using them in dialog? I can see a great reason to avoid them in the rest of your writing, but when I am nosey and listening in on conversations in public places, a whole lot of people do use cliches in their everyday speech.
Response: Indeed, people use a lot of cliches in everyday speech -- it is doing so which makes them cliche! I believe cliches can be an excellent tool in story dialog. They are properly used as filler speech for common folk in common situations. Alternatively, overuse them in a smarmy main character until they sound so foolish that the reader despises that person as much as the protagonist does.
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