A Lack of Action

[meddow]

One thing that really saddens me is that in my little corner of fandom (fandom is so large I don’t even want to pretend I know what’s going on in some areas) there seems to be a lack of action/adventure fic. Now I know I’m a bit of an oddball, I am after all the girl who managed to get a discussion of Lancaster Bombers into a fic. But surely I can’t be the only person who would list action/adventure as her favourite genre? Heck, I’ll be happy with more suspense, mystery or classic horror (as in not so much darkfic, but movie type horror).

I know I could just get off my little high horse and write more of my own. I have a bit. Everyone who has read Growing will know I was quite happy to have Neville attacked by a pack of werewolves and I’m writing a Norrington mystery/horror which will have some action parts. But I don’t want to be writing it all the time, I want to be reading it as well.

In Harry Potter, we have established adult characters that fight crime for a living, Kingsley, Moody and Tonks. We have Remus, Bill, Arthur, Molly and various others who are members of a freedom-fighting group. So why are we preoccupied with writing so much fluff and angst without much plots when we could write plots where they do something, discover something and grow as characters while providing entertainment for me?

Hell, it’s Harry Potter. Magic exists so one is not even confined by the laws of physics (though as if science ever constrains Hollywood). That goes the same for Pirates. In a world with un-dead pirates and gigantic sea monsters, why is there not more swash buckling, dangerous creatures and the like?

I do think it is harder to write then romance, comedy and drama. Foreshadowing is really important and you really have to know where you are going as the plot has to be tight and I suppose that conflicts with some writer’s style of writing as they go.

Or maybe I’m not looking the fight places. Maybe if I were interested in different characters and different pairings then I would stumble across more fic. I know there is quite a bit of action/adventure fic with Harry as the lead. But I don’t find Harry particularly interesting so I don’t go looking for it.

Though is it not weird that since the Harry Potter and Pirates are, at their hearts, adventure stories, the fanfic writers are not picking up on this. Back in the days when I read a lot of West Wing fanfiction there were very few action/adventure or mystery type stories, but the show being a political drama that was to be somewhat expected. Or is it because Harry Potter and PotC are adventure stories that we write more romance, humour and fluff?

Is it because the vast majority of people in fandom are women and I'm different in that I'm a female who likes to see swordfights and stuff blow up?

I don’t know. But I would love to read some more good action/adventure fic.

Comments

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

The thing is, people want the sex.

I thinkwhat it is is that inthe books, you get all the "genfic" stuff you need: action, friendship, parental relationships. So the fics become about the romance.

I do wish there were more action/adventure. It does have potential, and it can still work with romance. And there are good action/adventure fics I've read that I can link, if you'd like.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Yeah, people wanting porn could explain it. As does the want of romance (hence the amount of fluff). Though I find that two people getting together can be that much more interesting when spurred on by external circumstances, such as fighting for their life and the like. I think you have a good point. People want to expand on the romance aspects. Though I prefer people do that and have a plot.

[melusinahp.livejournal.com]

Well, the two things aren't mutually exclsive. ;)

But, yeah, many writers - myself included - are just lazy and only write to puch specific emotional buttons without bothering with things like plot and story. I get all excited when I read a fic that has a well-written, well-thought out plot, but they are few and far between.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think romance and action/adventure can mix. So long as you don’t fall into the cliché, it can mix really well.

That’s a bit of a shame. Though I understand, plotting can be a real bitch, especially with longer fics. I've spent ages agonising over plot before.

[nfwbls.livejournal.com]

Well if you're weird then I'm weird because I'm also a female who likes to see swordfights and stuff blow up :) That and political intrigue/mystery are my favorite things to read.

I wish I could write them, honestly - but it's hard to write, especially in a short piece. And I uh... suck at it. (That said, I've committed to writing a plotty piece for remus_reads so... yikes) But yes, I too would like more action/adventure fics in non-Harry-centric HP fic. Especially ones that involve Kingsley - he's such a blank slate that I've completely built him up in my mind as a really interesting action kind of character.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

I love political intrigue and mystery as well. Not enough of those fics either.

It is hard to write it in a short piece. I wanted to try and get a action/adventure fic in the rt_challenge but could not manage it.

Kingsley fic would be interesting. He could be such an interesting character and I’ve been meaning to write Kingsley fic for ages. Problem is he’s so much of a blank slate and separate from the rest of the characters that the plot ideas do not come easily.

[ceares.livejournal.com]

Here from metafandom-hope you don't mind.

I'm also a female that loves action/adventure movies and shows-sword fights, things blowing up etc...the odd thing is it usually bores me to tears to read it in extended amounts(short stories are fine, but not novel length and not the sole focus) and I can't write it to save my life.

The reading thing is weird, and I really wish I enjoyed it in literary form, but I'm the same way with mysteries. Love to watch them, can't stand to read them.

The writing thing is just a matter of either not being able to actually do all that plotting without major holes or inplausibility or just thinking that I can't, so it works the same. I basically agonize of any story I'm writing that has action/adventure in it.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

I don't mind. It's great having people from off my f-list comment.

I can see where you are coming from. Reading and watching are different experiences. Seeing an explosion happen is very different from reading about and the same goes for a sword fights and the like. Though, reading allows a person to get into a characters head and experience what they are going through. So each has their advantages and disadvantages and it’s probably personal preference if you like one and not the other.

[angiepen.livejournal.com]

[Here from metafandom. [wave]]

If you're into RPS there's quite a lot of action/adventure/espionage and all that sort of thing, maybe because "canon" doesn't mean the same thing in RPS and AUs are incredibly common. Here are a couple of links:

The Archer (http://legomyarrow.livejournal.com/?skip=40&tag=fics:the+archer) -- This is a spy novel with a bunch of the Rings guys, plus Eric Bana 'cause he's sort of an honorary Ringer and is gorgeous besides. :) There's an international spy organization that's being attacked by a rogue agent known only as the Archer. A small group of agents of various disciplines is gathered to track him down and eliminate him. It starts fairly slowly, with six characters and their various dynamics to establish, but soon enough there's plenty of explosions and gunfights and whatever all else one might want. And all along is the question of who the Archer is. This one brought RPS fandom to a screeching halt for a while -- when a new chapter went up, word would spread through YM and everyone in the RPG I was playing in at the time would thunder off to read, leaving scenes abandoned, LOL! It also spawned its own fan club. And icons. [points up]

Eagle's Nest (http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=sindahise&keyword=Eagle%27s+Nest&filter=all) -- Don't let the /? chapter numbers scare you off. It's finished, and there's a sequel even, although the sequel's in progress. This one is about an organization that locates and trains psychics to "find" things, and sells their services to governments and other organizations. It has a spy novelish feel, although the guys aren't actually secret agents. The people running their organization are in it for the money, though, and see the employees as so many machines to be used to crank out cash. The manipulation gets nasty and things blow up, with chases and gunfights. Another one that spawned a fan club and icons, and even an RPG. :)

Enjoy!

Angie

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Maybe the lack of canon makes people more creative with scenarios since there are no rules.

Thanks for the recs.

[pinkdormouse.livejournal.com]

Here via metafandom and that's a big yes from me to more action/adventure stories in fanfic. And more detective/mystery stories too.

Not that I write in HP or PotC, but I read in them, and would read more if there was more of the genres I like involving the characters I like.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

I totally agree. I would probably read much more fanfiction if there were more of the genres I like to read.

[jetamors.livejournal.com]

*wanders in from metafandom*

There is some action stuff in HP, though it's hard to find. It seems like a lot of authors write one or two adventure stories, instead of specializing in them. However, you might want to check out Cas (http://www.fictionalley.org/authors/cas/) and Robin4 (http://www.fanfiction.net/u/22909/)'s stuff.

Some recs for various individual fics:

1975 (http://www.schnoogle.com/authorLinks/Narcissa_Malfoy/1975/) by narcissam

Adventures in Curse-Breaking (http://www.ravenclaw.us/efiction/viewstory.php?sid=158) by Lady Narcissa

I Have a Rendezvous with Death (http://www.fictionalley.org/authors/paracelsus/IHARWD.html) by Paracelsus

Imperius Quidditch (http://www.thedarkarts.org/authorLinks/Alec_Dossetor_and_Teri_Krenek/Imperius_Quidditch/) by pharnabazus and Teri Krenek

Balance (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/599029/1/), by rabbitandjinx (this is one of my favorites)

The Broken Victory (http://www.schnoogle.com/authorLinks/Kate_Lynn/The_Broken_Victory/) by Kate Lynn

Crossing Bridges (http://www.skyehawke.com/archive/story.php?no=324) by Tien Riu

Harry Potter and the Book Wyrm (http://www.sugarquill.net/read.php?storyid=238&chapno=1) by Jelsemium

Harry Potter and the Legacy of the Light (http://gramarye.freehosting.net/hp/story.htm) by Gramarye (which crosses over with The Dark is Rising)

If It Hadn't Been for the Owl (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/310299/1/) and In the Presence of Angels (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/421981/1/) by Seldes Katne

Oblivious (http://www.thedarkarts.org/authorLinks/Jess_Pallas/Oblivious/) by Jess Pallas

The Pop Goes the Weasel (http://dejabu.robot-army.org/PGW.html) trilogy by durendal, which is also really funny

Running Close to the Ground (http://www.thedarkarts.org/authorLinks/After_The_Rain/Running_Close_To_The_Ground/) by a_t_rain

Uric the Oddball and the Wild Hunt (http://www.schnoogle.com/authorLinks/Ariana_Deralte/Uric_The_Oddball_And_The_Wild_Hunt/) by deralte

Cassandra Claire's Draco Trilogy (http://www.fictionalley.org/authors/cassandra_claire/) has a lot of action too, though a lot of people don't like it.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Thanks very much for the recs. They should keep me busy for quite a while :)

[joandarck.livejournal.com]

From metafandom - to leave you the absolutely useless comment that I too am female and love swordfights and things blowing up. Hello the sisterhood!

...But I don't find that it tends to work for me in fic - yes in mainstream fiction, no in fan fiction. I don't know if that's because character stuff is what I'm reading fanfic for, or because the writers don't love adventure for its own sake and that comes through.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Maybe there just needs to be more writers that like adventure for adventures sake then.

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

[via metafandom]

I also love action-adventure, both reading and writing. (Especially when it's combined with a slash romance!) SGA has quite a bit of this genre; older due South stories do as well, although the current trend is away from it, IMHO.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

Actually, when I used to read SG-1 fic there was quite a bit out there. There was still more fluff, comedy and angst, but I didn't have to hunt as hard to find it. That's probably why I notice it missing from PotC and Harry Potter fandoms.