NYC Midnight : Creative Writing & Screenwriting Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > GENERAL DISCUSSION > Creative Writing Corner
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Action
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Action

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>
Author
Message
AnAki View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 15 May 2021
Status: Offline
Points: 3
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AnAki Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Action
    Posted: 15 May 2021 at 12:22am
For the action part, does our 100 word story have to be about the action? Or is it ok that we mention the action in the story?

Edited by AnAki - 15 May 2021 at 12:22am
Back to Top
Dark&StormyNight View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Black Belt
NYC Midnight Black Belt
Avatar

Joined: 23 Apr 2019
Location: Ohio
Status: Offline
Points: 3457
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dark&StormyNight Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2021 at 12:27am
The action must take place within the story.  The rules explain it a bit further:

‘ The assigned action must happen within the story. For example, if the assigned action is “building a sandcastle”, then the action of building a sandcastle must happen in the story. Referencing the action through dialogue only is not acceptable. For example, a character that says to a friend “Want to build a sandcastle?”, is not acceptable without the actual action of building a sandcastle taking place. The action can be physically performed by the characters, but it can also take place in a flashback or flash-forward, a memory, a hallucination, a dream, or in a character’s imagination, as long as it happens within the story.’
Back to Top
AnAki View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 15 May 2021
Status: Offline
Points: 3
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AnAki Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2021 at 12:33am
Thank you very much! This helps a ton!
Back to Top
ZoeLou View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Black Belt
NYC Midnight Black Belt
Avatar

Joined: 19 Jan 2020
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 2809
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ZoeLou Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2021 at 9:28am
Out of curiosity - does anyone know if I can get away with the action being a metaphor? For example would "dancing" count if I said "the candlelight danced across her face" etc?
SSC R1: The Many Faces of Gemini

All my NYCM work: Author Archive
Back to Top
Danimal View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Newbie
NYC Midnight Newbie
Avatar

Joined: 15 May 2021
Location: Shawnee, OK
Status: Offline
Points: 48
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Danimal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2021 at 11:52am
I had the same question as AnAki. I get that the action has to be taking place versus just referenced, but what I'm not clear on is whether the action has to be the primary action of the story. If the action is "Flying in an airplane." Does the story need to revolve around flying in an airplane? Or can it be secondary? Can the protagonist fly somewhere and the primary action happens when they get there?
Danimal "I'm too lazy to do the fancy link thingy" N. Stink
MF C1 Dogfight
https://forums.nycmidnight.com/c1-g105-dogfight-comedy_topic41137_page1.html
Back to Top
LadyArkham View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Black Belt
NYC Midnight Black Belt
Avatar

Joined: 21 Nov 2020
Status: Offline
Points: 3806
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LadyArkham Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2021 at 12:01pm
It does not have to be the primary action of the story, and it can be metaphorical as long as you make it clear what action is the action - I think the example given in the official guidance is if the assigned action is "changing a spare" that can be changing a spare tire, but also changing into a spare outfit or other looser interpretations. 
Back to Top
Draiglas View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Black Belt
NYC Midnight Black Belt
Avatar

Joined: 09 May 2020
Location: UK
Status: Offline
Points: 2416
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Draiglas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2021 at 1:31pm
Originally posted by Danimal Danimal wrote:

I had the same question as AnAki. I get that the action has to be taking place versus just referenced, but what I'm not clear on is whether the action has to be the primary action of the story. If the action is "Flying in an airplane." Does the story need to revolve around flying in an airplane? Or can it be secondary? Can the protagonist fly somewhere and the primary action happens when they get there?

It doesn't need to be primary. For one of the MFC250 rounds, I had the action be a background event to showcase someone's loss of memory - I could easily have picked something else to do that but for the rule that the action has to be there. I didn't get DQ'ed
Back to Top
Danimal View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Newbie
NYC Midnight Newbie
Avatar

Joined: 15 May 2021
Location: Shawnee, OK
Status: Offline
Points: 48
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Danimal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2021 at 3:40pm
Thanks!
Danimal "I'm too lazy to do the fancy link thingy" N. Stink
MF C1 Dogfight
https://forums.nycmidnight.com/c1-g105-dogfight-comedy_topic41137_page1.html
Back to Top
wisemel View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Black Belt
NYC Midnight Black Belt
Avatar

Joined: 21 Jan 2021
Location: Nova Scotia
Status: Offline
Points: 2442
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote wisemel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2021 at 5:10pm
I have relaxing as an action. My main character is doing things that might lead to relaxing for others (laying down, drinking wine) but is clearly not successful at relaxing herself. That might not be good enough? I'm content with what I've written, but I'm half tempted to write another piece that's more on the nose.
Back to Top
ConorJames View Drop Down
NYC Midnight Newbie
NYC Midnight Newbie
Avatar

Joined: 31 May 2020
Status: Offline
Points: 38
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ConorJames Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2021 at 10:43pm
My assigned action is “making an apology”, but the rules say that the action cannot be in the form of dialogue. If I have a character say the words “I’m sorry”, does this fulfill the action? Or do I have to spell it out and say, “I’m sorry,” she said, apologizing. I’m trying really hard to minimize my word count.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.05
Copyright ©2001-2022 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.203 seconds.