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How Picky? Action/adventure/suspense/thriller

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Popsicle Crows View Drop Down
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    Posted: 16 Oct 2021 at 11:08am
I had action/adventure last time and wanted to write and adventure but got called out on having too little action.
For the 250, I got suspense/thriller.

Can those be separated? I'd like to write a pure suspense but I'm not the slightest bit interested in the thriller part. Do these always have both aspects?

I still have half a day to come up with something but I just want to nap as soon as I think about having to write more "action" for a thriller. I'm a distinctly un-thrilling kinda gal.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Yeti Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Oct 2021 at 11:10am
From what I’ve read, I think you need to incorporate both, but it’s fine if there is more of one than the other. So maybe a lot of suspense with a dash of thriller in there, that’s noticeable. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote alelha Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Oct 2021 at 11:14am
Originally posted by Popsicle Crows Popsicle Crows wrote:

I had action/adventure last time and wanted to write and adventure but got called out on having too little action.
For the 250, I got suspense/thriller.

Can those be separated? I'd like to write a pure suspense but I'm not the slightest bit interested in the thriller part. Do these always have both aspects?

I still have half a day to come up with something but I just want to nap as soon as I think about having to write more "action" for a thriller. I'm a distinctly un-thrilling kinda gal.


You can write suspense or thriller:

If your assigned genre contains more than one genre such as Suspense and/or Thriller, you may write a Suspense story, a Thriller story, or a story that includes elements from both the Suspense and Thriller genres. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Popsicle Crows Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Oct 2021 at 11:32am
Thanks so much for the quick replies! 
Okay, all good. I'm off to a dark place but hopefully and entertaining one Tongue
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote theinquisitor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Oct 2021 at 11:42am
It's very hard to write a suspense without elements of thriller (or vice versa) anyway. You'll be fine.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote BlackGate Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Oct 2021 at 12:09pm
Action adventure is a single category but here it's "Suspense and/or Thriller" so as long as you have one you're golden.
Micro 250 R1 - The Iron Harvest
Micro 250 R2 - The Phantom
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote nod1v1ng Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Oct 2021 at 6:47pm
Originally posted by Popsicle Crows Popsicle Crows wrote:

I had action/adventure last time and wanted to write and adventure but got called out on having too little action.

Was this in a micro challenge or one of the longer prose contests? In 250 and 100 it is Action AND/OR Adventure, but in the longer challenges it is Action/Adventure which implies that you need both. 


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Popsicle Crows Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Oct 2021 at 8:07pm
Originally posted by nod1v1ng nod1v1ng wrote:

Originally posted by Popsicle Crows Popsicle Crows wrote:

I had action/adventure last time and wanted to write and adventure but got called out on having too little action.

Was this in a micro challenge or one of the longer prose contests? In 250 and 100 it is Action AND/OR Adventure, but in the longer challenges it is Action/Adventure which implies that you need both. 



Good catch! Thanks. Last time was ssc so it must have been action/adventure but this time it's the 250 so it IS suspense and/or thriller. Yippee! 
I'll be paying more attention next time Embarrassed
Thanks!

Edited by Popsicle Crows - 16 Oct 2021 at 8:08pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote joswhale2772 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Oct 2021 at 8:31pm
Purely anecdotal but in Short Story Round 2 I did a story that was 100% adventure rather than action (all about children on a make-believe adventure), and in Microfiction last year did one that was 100% suspense and no thriller (about a situation of racial tension), and placed first and second in my group for both with no comment from the judges about the genre - so I think you can do either one, as long as the links to the genre are apparent within the story :) It might depend on the judges that you get!

Edited by joswhale2772 - 16 Oct 2021 at 8:31pm
FF2020: 1st Place
MF 250 2021 Round 2: https://bit.ly/3J9N6Kr
MF 250 2021: https://bit.ly/3lXcjyd
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Popsicle Crows Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Oct 2021 at 10:13pm
Originally posted by joswhale2772 joswhale2772 wrote:

Purely anecdotal but in Short Story Round 2 I did a story that was 100% adventure rather than action (all about children on a make-believe adventure), and in Microfiction last year did one that was 100% suspense and no thriller (about a situation of racial tension), and placed first and second in my group for both with no comment from the judges about the genre - so I think you can do either one, as long as the links to the genre are apparent within the story :) It might depend on the judges that you get!


That's positive news! I'm still unsure if my story has enough suspense but now I'm kind excited to get action-adventure again for one of the next comps! I was dreading it before, lol.
Congratulations too on your placements, amazing results. Look forward to having a good read of those.
Thanks for chiming in, it really helps to get so many perspectives.
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