Welcome to Action August! I find action scenes to be some of the most challenging scenes to write because I have to include enough description to allow readers to visualize what’s happening in their heads without overloading them with details that slow down the fast pace. That means I can’t be too wordy, which is a challenge in itself at times for me. So when I do manage to find that perfect balance and construct a well-paced, cinematic, action-packed scene, I feel proud of myself. That’s why, this week, I’m counting down my five favorite action scenes!
5. Backstreet Boy vs. Black Bear
The Road to Bethlehem is fast-paced enough to feel like an action story, even though four-fifths of the Backstreet Boys are confined to one place for most of it. The exception is Nick, who spends the middle of the story running up and down a mountainside, trying to find help for his missing and injured bandmates. In Chapter 13, Nick’s plans are thwarted when he crosses paths with a black bear. The bear follows him, forcing him to retreat in a brief but tense scene that ends with Nick throwing a rock at the bear and scaring it away. Although I was tempted to take this scene a step further and have the bear actually attack Nick, I needed him to escape unharmed so that he could continue to play the hero for a couple more chapters. Realizing how far he’s backtracked, Nick decides to return to the Boys’ rented cabin to gather supplies to protect himself and Kevin, who has been seriously hurt in a fall. Nick’s new plan is to build a stretcher, so he and Howie can carry Kevin to safety. This part of the story was inspired by a scene from one of my favorite horror novels/movies, The Ruins, in which the main characters build a backboard to rescue a character who fell down a shaft and broke his back. Spoiler alert: It does not go well. The same is true in Bethlehem, where the guys’ circumstances go from bad to worse as Nick races back to Kevin’s side with the supplies he collected from the cabin – and faces Howie’s wrath when he’s forced to admit that he didn’t manage to find any other help. Emotions run high as Nick and Howie try to construct a stretcher to carry Kevin, bickering the entire time. I like this chapter because it mixes up the Boys’ usual fanfic roles. For once, Nick gets to play the hero rather than the victim. Instead, the victim role goes to Kevin, who’s typically cast as the fearless leader. Meanwhile, Howie, who’s known as the chill peacekeeper of the group, becomes more of an antagonist as he berates Nick for making bad decisions. It’s a tense, anxiety-inducing chapter that raises the stakes for its characters.
4. Bomb on Zamboni
In Episode 9 of 00Carter, “Wreckage in a Winter Wonderland,” the terrorist league known as FANS captures the attention of the world by targeting the Winter Olympic Games. The inspiration for this episode came from the James Bond-themed short program that South Korean figure skating star (and eventual gold medalist) Kim Yuna competed that season. We wanted to incorporate it into the story somehow, and that’s how the idea to have FANS strike at the Olympics was born. This episode includes multiple action scenes, including a bobsled chase down a mountainside that was inspired by the James Bond movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. But my personal favorite is the Speed parody involving a Zamboni instead of a bus, which starts in Part 4. As part of his nefarious plan, Dr. Rough has his Canadian minions, The Moffatts, plant a bomb on the ice rink’s Zamboni just before the women’s figure skating competition kicks off with the short program. Once engaged, the bomb will blow if the Zamboni drops below five miles per hour. It’s up to Diamond Divine and Mr. Lancybassy to disarm it before it decimates the ice rink and everyone in it. Speed is one of my favorite movies, so I had a lot of fun spoofing it. The idea of all the action and drama taking place aboard a Zamboni that’s slowly circling the ice cracked me up. To add to the humor, we put effeminate Lancybassy (a caricature of Lance Bass) in the macho Keanu Reeves role. It makes for a really fun – and funny – action sequence!
3. Stuck in Traffic (With Zombies!)
As you’d expect from a zombie apocalypse fic, Song for the Undead is full of action scenes, so I had a hard time choosing a favorite for this list. But one scene that stood out to me occurs in Chapter 37, in which Brian and Gretchen try to find their way out of a traffic jam while being chased by zombies. I love this chapter for a few reasons. It’s the first time we see these two characters actually talk to each other, outside of their brief interaction at the end of Chapter 33, when Gretchen rescues Brian from the side of the road. It also includes the first spark of attraction between them, when Gretchen sees a shirtless Brian, fresh out of the shower, and realizes how hot he is. But the middle of the chapter is where most of the action is, as Brian and Gretchen escape through the moonroof of her car, climb over stalled cars, and impale a zombie with a road sign pole. Besides being exciting and scary, this particular scene is memorable to me because of the way I “researched” for it. At the time, I was driving a Chevy Cobalt coupe, the same kind of car I gave Gretchen. I wasn’t sure how hard it would be to climb through the moonroof, so I decided to try it myself to make sure it was possible. I didn’t want to be seen attempting this in the parking lot of my apartment complex, so I drove out to a cornfield late one summer night and tried it there. I don’t often get the chance to “act out” my fics, so it was kinda fun! That’s why this scene will always put a smile on my face.
2. Attack of the Misfit Fans
The Pandaskunk Saga also includes a lot of action, but my favorite action sequence from that series comes in the second story, Return of the Pandaskunk, as the Backstreet Boys battle the Misfit Fans at Disneyland. The battle starts in Part IX and directly parodies Independence Day, as Kevin and Nick launch an air attack against the invaders’ spacecraft – but, instead of fighter jets, they’re flying Dumbos that can shoot missiles out of their trunks (which makes total sense in the context of the story). I love Independence Day and had fun spoofing it in this story, but that meant rewatching certain scenes over and over again to capture the dialogue. At the time, the movie wasn’t streaming anywhere for free, so I had to use my old VHS copy of it. Thank goodness I still have a working VCR! I would literally watch a few seconds at a time, write down the dialogue, rewind, and watch it again until I had what I needed. I think I eventually found a copy of the screenplay online, which made the whole process much easier. Prior to that, it was very time-consuming! Anyway, the battle continues in Part X, in which it becomes a parody of Stephen King’s Cujo as Princess Kujo, the leader of the Misfit Fans, emerges from the wreckage of one of the alien spaceships and nearly kills Nick. This is one of my favorite chapters of this story, as it’s actually quite dramatic (but with plenty of comic relief). Besides Brian saving Nick’s life, I love how it combines Cujo and Signs, which is another one of my favorite movies. I had a lot of fun weaving together various pop culture references to create multilayered parodies throughout this series, and this scene is a great example of that.
1. It’s a Small World
For my favorite action scene, I’m returning to the most action-packed story I’ve ever had a hand in writing: 00Carter! In Episode 6, “It’s a Small World,” Dr. Rough sets his lazy eye on the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. This was our first episode to feature almost the full cast on a mission, HimTak agents and FANS minions alike. As a result, it’s full of action scenes, from a fistfight in the Enchanted Tiki Room to a shootout on Big Thunder Mountain. But the part I’m most proud of (because it’s the one I wrote) is the golf cart chase through the underground Utilidors in Part 6, in which a gun-wielding Dr. Rough pursues Brian and Emerald – dressed as Donald and Daisy Duck – all the way to the It’s a Small World ride. The action continues in Part 7 as Dr. Rough follows the agents into the dark ride, where he becomes disoriented by all the dancing dolls and incessant singing, leading to a full-blown panic attack. The mental image of Dr. Rough curled up in the fetal position on the floor, clutching his ears and chanting, “It’s not a small world! It’s not a small world! I’m… not… small!” still amuses me greatly. But I also enjoy the action that builds up to that moment and the unlikely partnership of Brian and Emerald. That is why this episode will always be one of my favorites and why this particular sequence takes the top spot.
Thanks for revisiting some of my favorite action scenes with me! It’s a busy time of year for me with school starting next week, but I’ll be back in a couple of weeks with my next blog, which will feature our favorite August birthday boy!