Action (narrative)

In literature, action is the physical movement of the characters.^[1][2]

Action as a literary mode

"Action is the mode [that] fiction writers use to show what is happening at any given moment in the story," states Evan Marshall,^[3] who identifies five fiction-writing modes: action, summary, dialogue, feelings/thoughts, and background.^[4] Jessica Page Morrell lists six delivery modes for fiction-writing: action, exposition, description, dialogue, summary, and transition.^[5] Peter Selgin refers to methods, including action, dialogue, thoughts, summary, scene, and description.

While dialogue is the element that brings a story and the characters to life on the page, and narrative gives the story its depth and substance, action creates the movement. Writing a story means weaving all of the elements of fiction together. When it is done right, weaving dialogue, narrative, and action can create a beautiful tapestry.^[6] A scene top-heavy with action can feel unreal because it is likely that characters doing something—anything at all—would be talking during the activity.^[7]

See also

• Action fiction
• Action film
• Pace (narrative)
• Show, don't tell

Notes

1. ↑ Kempton (2004, p. 67)
2. ↑ Turco (1999, p. 81)
3. ↑ (Marshall 1998, p. 142)
4. ↑ (Marshall 1998, pp. 143–165)
5. ↑ (Morrell 2006, p. 127)
6. ↑ Kempton (2004, p. 67)
7. ↑ Kempton (2004, p. 75)

References

• Kempton, Gloria (2004), Write Great Fiction: Dialogue, Cincinnati: Writer's Digest Books, ISBN 1-58297-289-3 
• Marshall, Evan (1998). The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing. Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest Books. pp. 143–165. ISBN 1-58297-062-9. 
• Morrell, Jessica Page (2006). Between the Lines: Master the Subtle Elements of Fiction Writing. Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest Books. ISBN 978-1-58297-393-7. 
• Turco, Lewis (1999), The Book of Literary Terms: The Genres of Fiction, Drama, Nonfiction, Literary Criticism, and Scholarship, Hanover: University Press of New England, ISBN 0-87451-954-3