In a comment on my post “A Little Less Conversation. A Little More Action Please,” Audrey Driscoll pointed out that novels that throw in a whole lot of combat and running from danger can be boring, too.

She was absolutely right. In my response to her comment, I tried to explain what we mean when we talk about “action” in writing, but I didn’t have enough room.

Because it’s complicated.

So I decided I’d write about it in another blogpost. This is a problem I see many, many new — and not so new — writers struggle with.

The truth is, action can mean any kind of movement. It can involve a character taking someone’s hand, petting a dog, or eating a muffin. It’s what we call “business” in the theater. It’s what a character does besides talk and think.

In the extreme, it can also mean combat, running from danger, or slaying dragons. What’s important for a writer to remember is that all action doesn’t need to be negative or violent.