Escalation or Twists. What Carries A Story Better?

Most people reading my blog know that I'm involved in a blog chain through the Absolute Write Watercooler.

FWIW, this was my submission.  Note, that my story has a slight twist and so do some of the other blog chain submissions.  It reminded me of a discussion I'd had with friends about story format/styles.  When it comes to action-oriented stories, particularly science fiction and fantasy, I've noticed most of the stories fall into two major categories.  Escalation and twist.

Escalation based stories seem to start action fast and early.  As the story progresses, the action drives it.  While this is interesting to me early, I tend to get a little bored with them about half-way through. I've read a number of sci-fi/fantasy books that seem to fall into a generic mold.  Have you read stories that do this?

Open with an unusual finding - Mysterious temple, space ship, planet, portal, hidden lab, secret government facility...  Main characters enter/investigate (even though they shouldn't - like going upstairs to hide in a horror flick rather than running out the door or calling 911 on a cell phone) and are attacked by small creatures, or lightly armed guards.  Small arms takes care of the immediate threat, but then the threat gets bigger - new traps requiring something different:  new technology or bigger guns.  Some stories give multiple concurrent scenes from different POVs - ground troops, aerial attacks, orbital combat.  All going on at once and while they're tied in together, it's still a variation on the same theme.  The nice thing about those is that they do give different angles on the storyline, but still follow the same formula - action intensity.

Unfortunately for me, it's like watching a comedy.  I actually don't find most comedies funny.  Why?  Because I spend all my time looking for the joke.  What makes a joke funny? Timing/execution, and surprise.  There's usually no surprise in comedies.  Some are amusing, but in general, I get bigger laughs from dramas where the joke comes out of left field.  If I want to watch a "comedy" on TV, I'll watch pro wrestling.  That's basically an action sitcom to me.

Action stories are much the same.  I like anticipation.  When I've read books using escalation, I've been tempted to skip whole chapters if they seem to just continue the action or increase it (more soldiers, bigger weapons, or other "bigger action").  At the very least, I sometimes read topic sentences and skip the rest of the paragraph. In the worst case scenarios, I just put the book aside.

Why don't I give specific examples of these story?  Simply put, they're published and I'm not, so who am I to judge?  I'm willing to bet those who read this post will have one or two of their own examples.

As for the twists, those are my favorites.  These stories may not always keep up the pace of action, but tend to keep my interest better even in the slower partsYou don't know what's going to happen and can't skip whole chapters.  I want to look for the surprise, the plot twist and complexity.  That's what carries a story for me.

I know that I'm oversimplifying, but it seems to be the trend that I've seen.

Anyway, let me just end saying Merry Christmas and

Write On.

December Blog Chain

Last month, the AW blog chain focused on drabbles (stories 100 words or less).  This month the bar has been set higher.  Actually lower - word count that is.  Below is my submission for the December blog chain - hint fiction (25 word stories), followed by a list of all chain participants.  Enjoy and

Write on.

Agent Wilson stared at the Senator’s body and then glanced at the fresh prick on his finger from zipping the hooker’s dress.  Then he collapsed.

December Blog Chain Participants

Auburn Assassin http://clairegillian.wordpress.com/ and  her submission

jonjon.benjamin http://jonbonbenjamin.blogspot.com/ and his submission
Yours truly
CScottMorris http://cscottmorrisbooks.com/
Proach http://desstories.blogspot.com
Aheila http://thewriteaholicblog.wordpress.com/
GradyHendrix http://www.gradyhendrix.com/
AimeeLaine http://www.aimeelaine.com/blog/
Regan Leigh http://www.reganleigh.com/
HillaryJacques http://www.hillaryjacques.blogspot.com/
Ad. http://everingoodstead.wordpress.com/
Orion_mk3 http://nonexistentbooks.wordpress.com/
Regypsy http://www.regypsy.wordpress.com
Dolores Haze http://dianedooley.wordpress.com/
Semmie http://semmie.wordpress.com/
ElizaFaith13 http://girlgamersunite.blogspot.com/
ania http://aniavesenny.blogspot.com/

AW Blog Chain Drabble: Into the Light

For NaNoWriMo month, members of the Absolute Write Watercooler decided to put together drabbles as part of the monthly blog chain.  My drabble is below and all links in the chain will follow it.

Into the Light

A light pierced the darkness that had held him.  It was too bright, but he couldn’t turn away as it called to him.  Then came the voices, muffled at first, but slowly becoming clearer and louder.  He couldn’t understand what they were saying, but knew they were calling him.  That it was his time.

Despite the comfort he’d felt in his life, he knew that was over.  It was time to surrender himself to those guiding him into the next life.

“Congratulations Mrs. Sanders.  It’s a boy,” the doctor said as he placed the newborn baby in his mother’s arms.

For other blog chain submissions, see the following:

Bettedra direct link to post.
FreshHell direct link to post
CScottMorris direct link to post
AuburnAssassin direct link to post
Aheila direct link to post
Bibbo direct link to post Hilaryjacques direct link to post.
Orion_mk3 direct link to post
Proach direct link to post
jonbon.benjamin direct link to post
You Are Here
Madelein.Erwein http://madeleineirwen.blogspot.com/
PASeasholtz http://paseasholtz.com/