This week: Let's Get Started Edited by: sgcardin
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“Action is the foundational key to all success.” – Pablo Picasso
Action: The state of doing; organized activity to accomplish an objective
Adventure: An undertaking of a hazardous nature; an unusual or exciting experience.
Professional editors always say start your story with some action. Can the information drops. Nix on the everyday ordinary things that people do. Start with the action. This newsletter I’ll look at the pros and cons of starting your story off with some action.
I’m sgcardin and I’m your Action/Adventure Guest Editor this week.
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The whole purpose of starting your story off with some action is to grab the reader’s attention right away. When you do this, you’re quickly engaging them in the story and the characters. By Creating a sense of immediacy, the readers want to know what happens next.
What is the best kind of action to start with? You don’t necessarily need a big action scene, but consider starting in the middle of some action happening. Perhaps our main character is tackling a problem or trying to overcome a challenge. It could be as small as trying to get a computer to start, or as dramatic as running after a crook who just stole a lady’s purse. Starting mid-scene with action hints at tension or conflict right away and suggests something important is at stake.
What makes action meaningful is when it reflects a deeper character trait. External struggle can reflect more emotional or personal struggles which help us connect with the characters.
Starting your story off with action accomplishes two things: #1 – it establishes a strong narrative hook, and #2 – helps secure the reader’s investment. The story begins at an interesting point of time and compels the reader to want to know more.
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| | | The Traffic Stop (E) 13 minutes late, but still lucky (3/12 - 3/13/09 Daily Flash entry) |
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Feedback from my last Action/Adventure newsletter dated 19 MAR 2025:
Question for you: Have you read or watched the movie/mini-series of the above mentioned books?
thekindred I did read The Stand when it first came out. Couldn't tell you anything about it. I Love the movie Hunt for Red October. I tried to read TC (Tom Clancey) and couldn't do the technical stuff. The story is what I want, I love all his other movies too. I like Action Adventure. I read Deception Point by Dan Brown an all-time favorite action/Adv. as well at Last Man by PT Duetermann.
From the Newsfeed dated 29 DEC 2025:
Question for you: What's your favorite action/adventure movies:
staine
The Abyss, Aliens, Road House ), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Predator, I could go on and on, sorry.
glarg1675
My fave action movie is Die Hard With A Vengeance.
daveryan
There are a lot of good candidates, but if I had to choose just one it would be Midnight Run with Robert de Niro and Charles Grodin.
mwayne
Any of the Indiana Jones movies. The Goonies is a good one for relaxing and non-thinking.
4provinces
Pulp Fiction
sgcardin is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. You can find her story, “Journey of the Heart” on Amazon Kindle. Can James help save Rachel’s winery?
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Action/Adventure: January 21, 2026 Issue [#13528]
