 Action/Adventure: March 08, 2017 Issue [#8173] |
  Action/Adventure
This week: Animals in Action/Adventure Edited by: Kitti the Red-Nosed Feline  
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Animals can be excellent characters or character companions. The emotions we feel towards them can be used to great effect. However, please don't just use them for the shock factor.
This week's Action/Adventure Newsletter is all about other species, and the stories you could tell.
Kitti the Red-Nosed Feline |
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When I was a little girl, I went through a period of time when I loved horses. I still do, but back then my room was covered in posters of horses and ponies and I read horse-related fiction like there was no tomorrow. Most of those stories were filled with adventure, and a touch of drama, but there was always a happy ending for both the rider and the horse, which was a must for me.
There is a connection between humans and other animals, and this connection can be used to great effect in the action/adventure genre. Who hasn't watched Homeward Bound or Ice Age, or Up? In The Hunger Games, a scruffy cat is a constant throughout the trilogy and eventually triggers the healing process of the main character. In Jean M. Auel's Earth's Children series, a wolf, a horse and a lion feature in some of the tensest, but also most touching scenes, and they are crucial to the development of both character and story.
I love animals. I love a good book and a good movie. In the last couple of years, though, I have avoided movies with animals like the plague. When I see such a movie advertised, I think "Oh, the cat/dog/horse/other species is going to suffer and/or die", because it's all become a bit predictable. The film industry counts on that emotional connection and thinks that the shock factor makes for a good story. To me, it's become old and something I'd rather not watch.
Not that it's a new thing. Bambi does not have an easy time of it, after all. I remember watching Ben - a story about a boy and a rat - when I was younger and I could not stop crying for a good while afterwards. It's just that I don't particularly enjoy the suffering, and that I can relate all too well to the loss, plus I think that for a story with animals to be effective, there is no need for either.
A dog can still win over a kid in need of a friend, and faithfully assist in character development without having to be sacrificed. The purr of a cat can soothe even the saddest character.
There are many clever ways in which an animal can be used to enhance a story. The animal in question does not need to be a dog or a cat or one of those classically seen as a companion, either. There are so many species who can be used with a bit of creativity. How about bees, or stick insects, or mice, or puffer fish? Thinking about those creatures immediately puts to mind some interesting stories.
For example, stick insects are great at blending in. It can be difficult to spot them. They could easily be spies, or characters you'd want on your side to help you survive a dangerous situation. Puffer fish are fish who are not that great at swimming - a bit of a setback when you have to live in water - but they have a great defense mechanism and they are poisonous to most predators. They can be an inspiration for someone who does not fit into their natural environment that well. Someone who has been hurt, and might wish to take revenge... All it takes for the effective use of animals in fiction is to learn about the species in question, and ideas will pop up.
In the meanwhile, I can recommend a novel called The Darkest Evening of the Year, by Dean Koontz. It is about a lady who rescues abandoned and endangered golden retrievers, but who then finds herself in trouble and in need of rescue. This is a darker and more emotional story, but I found it worth a read. Or if you want to sit back and watch short, easy adventures involving species not usually seen as heroes and villains, I can recommend the Minuscule series. Enjoy the tales of ladybirds and ants, snails and caterpillars. There is even a movie, packed with a whole load of action and smiles.
I wish you lots of inspiration, possibly of the furry/feathery/scaly/finny type.
Kitti the Red-Nosed Feline |
Speaking of Action and Adventure... "The Quills" [ASR] are being judged at the moment, which means that it will not be long until we will know our 10th annual Quill Awards (2016 edition) winners.
Here are some of the nominees in the Action/Adventure genre:
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The Action/Adventure Newsletter Team welcomes any and all questions, suggestions, thoughts and feedback, so please don't hesitate to write in!
Wishing you a week filled with inspiration,
The Action/Adventure Newsletter Team |
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