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ost_uid0]I would also like to add a short treatment on the usage of music. Music is a powerful tool many authors seem to ignore; but for action stories, which already have that cinematic flair, a virtual "soundtrack" helps immensely. You don't even need to specifically note which music is supposed to be used (though you can, of course!), but it helps the have it playing in the background when you write. Good music sparks your imagination. Imagine a scene set to your chosen song. The music gives the scene rhythm, reference; the action flows and ebbs together with the drums, beats and guitars. Lyrics may even become a description of your scene or the involved characters. For example, take these three songs:
Crystal Method + Filter: Trip like I do (Spawn Soundtrack)
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This fast-pace electronica piece is perfect for an action scene. After the second stanza, there's a short segue where the song grows nearly quiet, then explodes into a furious, even high speed. This is the moment where your hero has aimed his weapon in a standoff, where your camera stares down the barrel. He pulls the trigger, and the music explodes together with the bullet tearing out of the gun. Good starting points for action music are Crystal Method, Filter, Apollo 440, a lot of metal and punk rock too.
Max Payne 2 Theme (available from maxpayne.com)
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This instrumental theme from a computer game is dark and sad, a character piece for your brooding hero. Despite it's total lack of lyrics, it moves you, conjures images. Death, the last escape for a mortally hurt hero who has only one goal left to do before he can lie down. Music like this helps the reader connect emotionally to your characters. (And in terms of "feel the pain" is more effective than most emo you'd care to find.) Check out E.S. Posthumus for some great classical/electronica fusion, Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings or Lux Aeterna from Reqiuem for a Dream. It's not the classical music you heard in school. (Indeed, I've been meaning to compile a 'Dark Side of Classical' CD and send it to my old music teacher, just for fun.)
Seal - Kiss from a rose (Batman Forever Soundtrack)
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Not all pop music is bad. Sometimes, fluff like this can be used to illustrate romance, positive emotion, hope. (Leave the boybands out of it, however.) Nobody is above using some pop, but you need to choose carefully. A lot of 80s music is good in this department - check out Foreigner's "I want to know what love is" or The Eagles' "Desperado".
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That's it. Music can be a great companion to your story, and having a "theme" for characters and events make them memorizeable. Soundtracking your stories adds a more movie-like, epic feel to them, and is a technique that shouldn't be overlooked.
Gatac[/color
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