You’ll only improve!

I believe that one of the, if not THE most difficult part of novel writing is mastering “show, don’t tell.” If you’re not sure of what that is, a quick way to explain it is this:

“It was sunny, so Mary grabbed her sunglasses on her way out.” <—- Tell “As Mary stepped outside, she squinted as her hand fumbled around her bag for her sunglasses.”<– Show

You don’t want to tell your readers what’s happening; you want to show them. In my simple second example, I didn’t have to tell you that it was sunny. You could tell by Mary’s actions.

Something said last night again brought this skill to the forefront of my thoughts. On Monday nights, my husband and I go to a restaurant that has trivia. We met another couple with whom we played as a team.

Between rounds, I talked to the older gentlemen with whom we’d become friends. He was talking about his favorite author. I asked him what made this person their favorite author. His response was immediate. He said, “The way he writes, you are transported inside the book and become part of the novel. The author paints such a clear picture of the scene, characters, emotions, and action that you forget about everything around you but the story in which you’re immersed.

He had just described in so many words why show, don’t tell, was so important. This author brought every scene, detail, and emotion to life in such a way that this man could not put the book down. He devoured it.

I know that’s what every single writer wants someone to say about their writing. But how to do it?

PUT YOURSELF IN YOUR SCENES SILENTLY.

As you write your scenes, pretend you’re an invisible, silent character involved in each scene. What do you witness, smell, see, feel, experience? WRITE THAT! Keep working with each line and each scene you write to surround your reader with all the sights, sounds, smells, and emotions taking part in that scene. Don’t stop until you’re able to immerse your reader in the experience in such a way that they’re saying what this gentleman said about his favorite author. After all, isn’t that what we all want?

Give it a try. Happy writing! Gina