Thoughts on "Show, Dont Tell" from a professional author
- Thread starter Sabruness
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gaylolis
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Stop Telling Writers to Show, Not Tell
How a well-meaning piece of advice gets twisted around
writingcooperative.com
i like this article
i feel every writing advice had its grey area and some authors can work around these 'rules' because that's how their writing work best. like just focus on telling, but they can really convey the emotions and bring the stories to life.
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TheTrinary
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What a stupid take.
Show don't tell is told so often because that's what people struggle with. As someone's who's read a lot of beginner authors, A LOT, the inability to describe and be specific is an epidemic.
Sure, she's right in some regards, but most people don't arrive at the point where they have to trim down their prose and "Tell don't show" more. If you're competent enough to be at that level, you're also competent enough to not be taking advise from twitter.
To put it another way, learn the skill and THEN learn how to moderate yourself. And maybe take writing advice from the greats, not someone who's entire career is a bunch of pity publishings as payment for writing crappy children's star wars books. Like, masters of the craft have written books on writing.
Armored99
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show don't tell exist in two forms in my opinion when it comes to writing.
First is don't tell the reader the exact events like a robotic recording stating facts. You don't just say the emotion a character is feeling, You show them the character exhibiting the signs that would lead you to believe the character is feeling that emotion. It's the difference between saying "Bobs arm was broken" and "Bob heard a loud snap followed by the feeling of immense pain radiating from his arm." Perhaps later on in reference you would simplify it as matter of fact, but not as the event happens.
The second form is story telling. You don't tell people the gun on the fireplace is Chekhov's gun. You show the reader the puzzle pieces, but not which ones go where to form a picture. Of course when you reach the conclusion you can show a glimpse of the completed puzzle, but its best to leave it partially obscured or incomplete. People like the satisfying 'that's how everything fits' but it's considered condescending to not let the reader think of a conclusion themselves. There are many exceptions to this and many different ways it's implemented, and there is much more to it then my oversimplification.
First is don't tell the reader the exact events like a robotic recording stating facts. You don't just say the emotion a character is feeling, You show them the character exhibiting the signs that would lead you to believe the character is feeling that emotion. It's the difference between saying "Bobs arm was broken" and "Bob heard a loud snap followed by the feeling of immense pain radiating from his arm." Perhaps later on in reference you would simplify it as matter of fact, but not as the event happens.
The second form is story telling. You don't tell people the gun on the fireplace is Chekhov's gun. You show the reader the puzzle pieces, but not which ones go where to form a picture. Of course when you reach the conclusion you can show a glimpse of the completed puzzle, but its best to leave it partially obscured or incomplete. People like the satisfying 'that's how everything fits' but it's considered condescending to not let the reader think of a conclusion themselves. There are many exceptions to this and many different ways it's implemented, and there is much more to it then my oversimplification.
D
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Show don't tell still exists because some info dump. Or unnecessary info. Sometimes it doesn't feel like am in the story but outside the story listening to a narrator about the story. Want to be immersed in a story, and that does not make one feel immersed. Spoon fed info.
But sometimes its good to tell a bit more to reveal more bout certain things like backstory or myths or something about that universe the story is built in.
Lots of grey. Depends how one is written.
The thing is figuring out how much to describe. If you basically summarize what happened, dumping unnecessary info, or just dumping info that could be better explained through dialogue and actions, then yes maybe a little less telling.
Some writers when looking through their stuff sounds like this:
Ex: He was heading out to defeat the demon beast today. It was part of his quest. He got up and ate his breakfast. He had three eggs and three waffles from the dining inn hall. He proceeded to slurp it all down. Then he got up to walk to the dish returned place. He dumped it there and walked to the door. He exited the inn.
I don't need to read many short sentences that sound choppy or extra long sentences telling me a paragraph worth of info. This may be better.
Ex: He was gonna head out on a quest to defeat the demon beast today. He took his breakfast, knowing that he needed every little bit of energy for today's menancing task.
If you don't describe something much that is really important and central to plot or character and readers kinda get confused where its supposed go, maybe need bit tell.
But sometimes its good to tell a bit more to reveal more bout certain things like backstory or myths or something about that universe the story is built in.
Lots of grey. Depends how one is written.
The thing is figuring out how much to describe. If you basically summarize what happened, dumping unnecessary info, or just dumping info that could be better explained through dialogue and actions, then yes maybe a little less telling.
Some writers when looking through their stuff sounds like this:
Ex: He was heading out to defeat the demon beast today. It was part of his quest. He got up and ate his breakfast. He had three eggs and three waffles from the dining inn hall. He proceeded to slurp it all down. Then he got up to walk to the dish returned place. He dumped it there and walked to the door. He exited the inn.
I don't need to read many short sentences that sound choppy or extra long sentences telling me a paragraph worth of info. This may be better.
Ex: He was gonna head out on a quest to defeat the demon beast today. He took his breakfast, knowing that he needed every little bit of energy for today's menancing task.
If you don't describe something much that is really important and central to plot or character and readers kinda get confused where its supposed go, maybe need bit tell.