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Action

Action

Definition:

Class of creative works characterized by a greater emphasis on exciting action sequences than on character development or storytelling.

Purposes:

• To experience accomplishment, attainment, triumph, or victory through the character’s actions
• To induce excitement
• To appeal to conscience
• To understand the psychological forces behind the hero’s actions

Characteristics:

• Typical forms: short story, narrative poem, novel, video, play (script), graphic novel
• Subgenres: action drama, action comedy, action thriller, caper/heist, science fiction action, action horror
• Dialogue, psychological tension, and sequence of action descriptions combine to make the scenes click
• Sequencing that takes into account happenings before, what is taking place now and what could/should happen next
• Every action brings about a subsequent opposite reaction
• Contains section breaks to help pace scenes
• Frequently contains a “physical male” in contrast to stereotyped female
• Serious themes, character insight and/or emotional power
• Violence as an agent of change or vehicle for expression
• Elements of adventure (e.g., car chases, shootouts, explosions)
• Elements of the thriller (e.g., plot twists, suspense, hero in jeopardy)
• Often combines with other genres, such as mystery, horror, science-fiction, and romance

Themes:

• Realization of destiny to achieve the common good
• The individual can make a difference
• Often “critiques” the status quo and/or use of violence

Characters:

• Action heroes and their physical struggle
• Isolation of the hero (e.g., unable to assimilate to the status quo)
• Action protagonist reacts to express discontent with an unacceptable world
• Realistic monologue/dialogue (or narration) that reveals the character’s thoughts
• Realistic morals, motivations and responses that glorify the action hero through intensity of experience and out of the ordinary abilities (e.g., private investigator who rises above betrayals and conspiracies; the detective hero)
• Villains
• Victimized characters provide motivation for action and reasons to resist, be revenged or be rescued
• Focus on psychological forces behind the major characters’ actions

Setting:

• A “space” or “spaces” in which the action takes place (e.g., the city, the prairie, a combat zone)
• Essential to the narrative, mood and revealing of character
• Often serves as a metaphor for “the loner” (e.g., wilderness, Arctic Circle, desert)
• May take place in a single location (e.g., building or vehicle under threat by enemies)
• May have a science fiction setting
• Any time period

Plot:

• Fast-paced (real or fictionalized)
• Progressive development understood through interrelated “episodes”
• Physical/emotional struggle related to the hero’s internal condition of isolation
• Progressive development through character’s engagement with events
• Suspenseful climax (turning point)
• Exciting (white knuckle) moments
• A roller coaster ride of chills and excitement end, but not always happily
• Often “critiques” acceptability of the status quo and characters’ use of aggression or violence

Author’s craft:

• Developing the hook: asking questions, posing problems, economy and clarity of language, crystal clear imagery, establishing mood, using “one-liners” (e.g., This is what happened.)
• Summarizing history/background
• Stage or scene setups (sketching settings, introducing characters, an event in progress)
• Developing “complications”
• Building tension and suspense
• Characterization of the hero through the plot
• Developing the climax and “turning point”
• Logical resolution
• Developing psychological tension (e.g., the way the characters feel and think, their emotions of panic, surprise, satisfaction or dismay, and their responses to sights, sounds and smells)
• Believably describing mechanics of movement
• Interconnections (“threading” the episode)
• Technical detail (researching strategies)
• Action verbs in opening sentences
• Purposeful dialogue that integrates into the action scene with natural flow
• Terse, lean sentences introducing new twists or turns

Grade Level Instructional Scope for COMPREHENDING the Genre and Text of Action:

Booklists:

• Grade 6

Access to the Documents:

Complete K-8 Genre Project
From the Michigan Department of Education

Complete K-8 Genre Booklist
From Kent Intermediate School District