Show And Don’t Tell.

Although there is a place for both showing and not telling, the general rule in Creative Writing is “Show, Don’t tell.”

Showing:

-Is human-centred

-Is a slower, richer, more expansive way to communicate

-Loves detail, can often stir the heart

Telling:

-Is factual and brief

-An efficient way to communicate data

-Is not human-centred and as a result doesn’t generally stir the heart

Show and Don’t tell exercise:

Develop these from Telling to Showing..

-Johnny was a good musician — Music ran through Johnny’s body like the blood through his veins.

-Sally was happy — The smile on Sally’s face brightened the whole room

-He was angry — Red was all he could see, vengeance was all he could think of, rage was all he felt

-It was hot — The sun shone down onto the people taking no prisoners, the air was thicker than meat loaf

–Agnes was impatient — The hands on the clock seemed to be moving slower than an old person with a walking stick, my leg shaking from the nerves of the wait