Showing vs. Telling
Showing is about using description and action to help the reader experience the story. Telling is when the author summarizes or uses exposition to simply tell the reader what’s happening.
This was the hardest thing for me to master when writing my book. And it is an on-going effort!
Rather than telling that your character is angry, show it by describing his face flushing, his throat tightening, his voice rising, his slamming a fist on the table. When you show, you don’t have to tell.
Here are some examples:
Telling: I was a nervous wreck. Showing: My weak legs could barely hold me up as I approached the judge’s desk.
Telling: Sophie was blind. Showing: Sophie’s white cane moved back and forth in front of her as she crossed the street, until it finally tapped the curb on the far side of the street.
Telling: My dog was big. Showing: When Pearl stood on her hind legs, her front paws rested on my shoulders and she looked me in the eye.
If you paid attention, you’ll notice that all the telling examples used the word ‘was’. Watch for ‘was’ popping up in your writing – that’s a sure signal that you are telling instead of showing!
Edit your first paragraph,
