An Adventure Through Writing

SHOWING is for making the reader feel they’re in there…

Ever since we started learning to read and write it has been engraved in our brains to show not tell. When reading books, our teachers would always point out the showing of the story and compare it to how boring it would be if it was simply told. Eventually when we would start writing our own stories, we would have a standard of some many showings instead of telling in whatever masterpiece we were creating. Just like in volleyball, when learning something new, the coaches and mentors can tell us to do certain things as much as they want. For most people though, it won’t be stuck in our brains and become a natural reflex until we see it, until it is demonstrated and shown to us.

TELLING ~ What exactly is it?

When “telling” in writing, you are more than likely narrating, explaining or informing your readers. It is a part of story telling and covering the ground of basic information. To put it simply, telling is boring to read. It is giving essential information but lacking the ability to pull the readers in and keep them wanting to know more. Telling lays the foundation of a piece of work but does not allow the readers to picture it.

SHOWING ~ What is it and why is it more important?

Showing is what you think. It allows the readers to picture what is going on through the words you have written. Showing is being so detailed in thought and translating those thoughts and words to paper that your reader is able to see and imagine what they are reading. Showing also allows the reader to better understand your writing the way you want them to because you are putting in to words what was your perspective. The best way to show something instead of telling it is to use your five senses. When trying to describe a moment or a series of events, the best thing to do is to use your five senses to describe what is happening so that your readers can depict what is going on. Not only are they just reading your thoughts and words on paper but they are able to picture them too.

Different Ways of Showing/Telling

• Telling/informing
• Showing/evoking
• Dialogue
• Straight physical description
• Psychic distance, and showing and telling
• Bad Telling
• Good Telling
• Character’s Telling