Show Don't Tell
One of the most used phrases heard in every writing class or conference is "Show Don't Tell". What this means is that the writer should show the reader who the character is rather than telling. Take this example:
Telling the reader how the character feels:
The girl was very unhappy.
Showing the reader how the character feels:
The girl reached for her third box of tissues, piling them up like a blizzard in Minnesota.
You can determine from the second sentence that the girl is unhappy. In neither instance do you know why she is unhappy but at least you are able to come to that conclusion without the author spelling it out.
Another way to Show the character is to describe a place or setting. Using the character's home or office you can illustrate much about her:
Telling:
She likes to read
Showing:
The well-worn chair sat in the corner where the sunlight would dance across the words of her favorite book.
The reader can surmise that the woman enjoys reading and she has a particular place that she likes to do it in. Which of the two gives a better visual?
Another way to show rather than tell is to use the senses. When the character walks into a room what does it smell like, is it cold or hot, are the lights bright or dim? Depending on the scene the writer is trying to set the senses can have a great impact. If the room is dark and chilly and it smells like burnt flesh that certainly gives a strong visual. If the room is toasty and smells of freshly baked bread it has a completely different impact.
When you focus on showing and not telling it seems pathetically easy. However, when you are trying to churn out 1,000 words and your week feels like it's lasted a month, it becomes something on which you have to focus and be purposeful.
No matter how many times I have heard someone speak about this topic I seem to never hear it enough. It's a great reminder for me to look back on my work and make sure I am not telling a story but showing my reader the door into another life.
Leslie
Telling the reader how the character feels:
The girl was very unhappy.
Showing the reader how the character feels:
The girl reached for her third box of tissues, piling them up like a blizzard in Minnesota.
You can determine from the second sentence that the girl is unhappy. In neither instance do you know why she is unhappy but at least you are able to come to that conclusion without the author spelling it out.
Another way to Show the character is to describe a place or setting. Using the character's home or office you can illustrate much about her:
Telling:
She likes to read
Showing:
The well-worn chair sat in the corner where the sunlight would dance across the words of her favorite book.
The reader can surmise that the woman enjoys reading and she has a particular place that she likes to do it in. Which of the two gives a better visual?
Another way to show rather than tell is to use the senses. When the character walks into a room what does it smell like, is it cold or hot, are the lights bright or dim? Depending on the scene the writer is trying to set the senses can have a great impact. If the room is dark and chilly and it smells like burnt flesh that certainly gives a strong visual. If the room is toasty and smells of freshly baked bread it has a completely different impact.
When you focus on showing and not telling it seems pathetically easy. However, when you are trying to churn out 1,000 words and your week feels like it's lasted a month, it becomes something on which you have to focus and be purposeful.
No matter how many times I have heard someone speak about this topic I seem to never hear it enough. It's a great reminder for me to look back on my work and make sure I am not telling a story but showing my reader the door into another life.
Leslie
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