– At long last, it is finally here; The long awaited guide to showing instead of telling. This is obviously a very divisive subject in the writing community, so if there’s something you disagree with, that’s totally fine. These are simply my tips based on my own experience and you can take or leave whatever is useful to you. I hope this is helpful. Happy writing!
It is important to note that showing is mainly about conveying exactly what you mean to your reader. Telling is so dangerous in writing because it’s very easy for readers to interpret information that is told to them in a way that throws off any one of the elements of your scene. The best way to catch these instances of telling is to identify moments in which a reader could ask “what do they mean?”
Take those moments, for instance, if you were to write, “the woman was pretty”, and clarify what pretty is in the context of your story, or your perspective as the author. People have different definitions and associations to words, and your job, when it comes to showing, is to make your definitions and associations as clear as possible.
Use Strong Verbs
Showing does not mean telling in a more roundabout way. It means taking a bland description without any imagery and rewriting it in a way that paints a picture in your reader’s mind. You do this by using strong verbs and powerful words. For instance, instead of saying “hit, looked, walked”, you’d say “struck, peered, trudged”. See what I mean?
Balance
As a writer, you need to understand that there are no hard rules. There must be balance to everything, and despite how universal this “rule” may seem, you should know that it’s not that black and white. Here are two tips to help you keep balance between showing and telling.
Don’t overwhelm your reader with information that is unnecessary. If your reader can continue without knowing a detail, don’t include it, and don’t justify keeping it to yourself because you want to bulk up the word count or sound fancy.
When you’re telling, be brief about it and make sure that the inclusion of the detail is imperative to your reader advancing in the story.
Showing Through Dialogue
Dialogue is a really great way to show a reader character traits that showing through description never could. The way a person speaks, the words they choose, the manner in which they respond to things, are all great ways to give your reader information about that character. Use this to your advantage so that you don’t have to spend extra time describing it later.
When You Should “Tell”
When the number of words it would take to show instead of tell a piece of information isn’t worth your reader’s time
When you’re essentially repeating information the reader already knows. In this case, you’d say “so-and-so explained what she had said” instead of reiterating what she said and reaching a point where your writing is redundant.
When you want the reader to form their own emotions around the events in a scene, rather than planting them in their mind. Telling allows for the reader to have some emotional freedom, but this should come in little bits. Approach this excuse to tell with caution.
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In a few weeks I will be uploading some posts on common problems for eil writers when using English. These are some of the topics that will be covered:
– Common sentence structures
– Types of clauses
– Problem Words
– How to give texture to a piece of writing
If there’s any topic that you would like us to tackle, do not hesitate to send an ask. Additionally, if you have any questions about a particular topic/structure/construction/item of vocabulary/etc that is giving you issues, drop us a few lines, we’ll be glad to be of assistance!
Anonymous asked: Aaaaugh I’m really sorry to ask this and I know you answer questions like this all the time but I haven’t been able to find a straight answer anywhere else. Is there any possibility that you might know whether it’s considered offensive to describe people as having wood-colored skin? I know it’s considered offensive to compare skin color to food, but if it was said that someone had mahogany or pinewood skin or something, do you think that would be okay? Again, I’m really sorry.
This question is one not only of style but also of knowing and relating to your intended audience. There are no hard and fast rules on which descriptive words for skin color will be offensive to everyone every time. Though many descriptors for skin color have been identified as offensive or acceptable by large groups of people in the past, the reality is that every reader has their own preferences.
Similarly, there is no word choice that will fit perfectly in every stylistic circumstance. Tone, pacing, genre, character development, theme, and desired voice must all be taken into account.
So, you can understand that is difficult to advise you in any specific way. We cannot tell you yes or no. The best answer is that it depends.
The trick, I believe, is to think critically about the denotation and connotation of the word in question and use your best judgement. That judgement is born of experience and research, which means writing people with skin tones other than yours and learning about representing people who do not look like you from people who do not look like you. You may not have the experience or have done the research, and that’s okay, but the only person who can answer your question is you. You know your style and level of experience. You know the circumstances. You are the one who knows your intended audience and interacts with your readers.
This is a situation where the answer cannot just be given to you. You need to do the research and gain the experience, then you can decide these things for yourself.
Here are a few resources to speed you on your way:
Guide to Human Types Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 and the Catalogue of Human Features, all by majnouna IMPORTANT: If you’re thinking of using these guides, it’s definitely worth it to read this “thoughts on skintones” discussion. Be advised that it is focused more on drawing than on writing. Still worth it.
A blog to help all non-native English users with writing in general and creative writing in particular, including original works and fanfiction.
♦ You’ll find guides, references and resources to make your whole writing process easier, a chance to clear up your doubts and request beta-readers for proof-reading.
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