Writing Excuses 21.11: The Cold Open- Action
18 snips
Mar 15, 2026 They debate when kicking off with explosions or fights actually hooks a reader and when it just dazzles. The conversation covers how action must carry voice, worldbuilding, and real stakes beneath the spectacle. They compare film and prose openings and show how POV, small human details, and timing can turn action into meaningful tension.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Action Open Shows Competence
- A strong action cold open demonstrates a character's competence and earns reader investment.
- Aaron uses Pierce Brosnan's GoldenEye dam jump to show how spectacle proves a character can be awesome and worth following.
Don't Use Survival As The Only Stake
- Avoid relying on mere survival as stakes in a cold open; survival alone rarely creates emotional investment.
- Aaron warns writers who think a cool gunfight is sufficient should instead embed reasons to care beyond 'they might die.'
Skating And Hockey Opening Humanizes Stakes
- DongWon describes The Cutting Edge opening that alternates a figure skater and hockey player to build micro-tension and humanize characters.
- A protagonist glances at the stands to see a missing parent and scouts, giving immediate emotional stakes tied to performance.