Action.
Which, believe it or not, my novels have been sadly lacking in lately.
Usually, I have actions scenes coming out of my ears. I love fight scenes, so there are plenty of those, plus my characters running to rescue someone or running away from someone, etc, etc. My typical problem is trying to get my characters to slow down long enough to exchange information and make a plan to defeat the villain.
Not so much lately. And again, Darkglass has been the problem child. I suppose when you start out with a character who is an underdog and a bit of a wimp, he’s going to prefer talking things out rather than bashing someone over the head. Or maybe it’s just that I’ve read him wrong the last few months–now he’s telling me that he really is a fighter, just not against certain people at first. So I have a couple of ideas on how to go back and revamp the beginning of the book, and it should not only create a little more sympathy for the character, but should introduce the world and its magic system a bit better.
But I don’t like going back and reworking a book until I have the first draft done, which circles me back around to action. It’s been like pulling teeth to get my character to do anything other than sit around and talk for the past few days. And while I enjoy writing snarky, subtext-laden, plot-enhancing dialogue as much as the next writer…at some point, someone has to throw a punch.
So there you go. That was the first writing-related word I could come up with. 🙂
Do you like your novels full of action or dialogue?
The New Authors Fellowship 
I like both action and dialogue! But, yes, I love fast-paced adventures that feel like you’re in constant motion. Otherwise, I’m easily distracted. 😛
D is for Dialogue. Alain Harper would have his head implode if he didn’t talk. Besides, everybody knows that when he *does throw a punch (or worse), you’ve already passed the point of no return with him.
His two chief lieutenants, however, are of a completely different temperament – their impulse, indeed their overriding need, is to “ACT NOW!!!” So this time around, I want to give them the chance to do just that.
Just to clarify in light of Teddi’s comments: I like both but my *preference leans toward dialogue. I’m much better at conveying people’s thoughts and words than their actions.
Both, for sure. I like to see things happening. And I love how dialogue can reveal characters and their relationships. I love a book with a good balance between the two. When writing, I find dialogue more challenging than action. I can see the action clearly enough, but imagining what two people would say to each other? Sometimes it flows and sometimes it feels like pulling teeth.
Oh, and here’s an interesting thought: When I write first-person, as I have been lately, the narration is constant dialogue, of a sort.
As just noted, I’m the opposite. Dialogue is easy for me. Action? Not so much. 🙂 Every time I watch trailers of action movies I quail at the thought of describing that degree and kind of action accurately in print.
I don’t enjoy writing action, I’d much rather work on dialog, but unfortunately my storyworld is not cooperating with me. Books three and four are like war zones. I kind of don’t want to go there.