Hello Wordsmiths,
This is such an important part of writing, yet it’s in my opinion, the most difficult part.
Sometimes when I’m done writing, I don’t realize that I made a statement instead of painting a picture. The more books and stories I write, the more I realize the difficulty of not only “showing” emotions, scenes, feelings, weather, but constantly coming up with unique ways of doing so.
Even my favorite authors, who have found literary success, I’ve noticed, repetitively use the same way of describing (showing) over and over again. For example, a sunset, throughout their books, or someone angry, is described the exact same way.
How Can We Get Better at Show, Don’t Tell?
By practicing the skill every chance you get. Every time you see a person, or a change in weather for example, look with fresh eyes. Watch mannerisms, facial expressions, muscle movements, everything a person does.
Show vs. Tell Exercise:
Whenever you have the opportunity to people watch, pay attention to their body language.
- While you watch the body language of as many people (and animals) as you can, pull out a notebook and describe the body language with out using words that end in -ly. Compare it to things: yellow shirt the color of the sunrise, just as the sun is coming over the horizon. You get the idea.
- Assign a mood, feeling, emotion to your description. Here are two examples of what I mean.
Show vs. Tell, Example One:
A woman in the park as her child continually runs away from her. I notice her sigh, throw her head back, and clap her palm to her forehead. (frustration, overwhelm)
Show vs. Tell, Example Two:
Man, glued to his phone while walking through that same park. He stops, his shoulders stiffen, the corners of his mouth turn down. He continues walking, yet each step becoming more determined as he weaves his way through people without noticing their presence. (anxious, worried)
Keep observing people as much as you can. Notice how the elderly, for example, walk, move, interact with their surroundings. Describe that on paper. Look at your description and see how even more uniquely you can describe it.
- Do those mannerisms remind you of anything?
- How are those people slightly more unique in what they’re doing than others?
- How can you capture that by using all your senses in your writing?
- Can you compare what is happening or relate it to anything, such as: The old man, when he stopped to wait for his wife to catch up, showed more love in the slow smile that spread as he gazed at her, similar to turning a dimmer switch, slowly adding brightness to a dull place.
Cheesy, I know, but I did that on purpose to exaggerate the point I’m making. It’s about looking at everything you see with fresh eyes and capturing it in your own unique way.
Every person is unique. Therefore, no two emotions, feelings, mannerisms are alike. Capture that whenever you can and save your descriptions for when you need to describe that very thing your character is doing.
Do the same as above with everything you can, not just people. The weather, the inside of a building, a park, a room. Find something that sets it apart and capture that on paper.
TIP:
If you decide to give this exercise a try, I encourage you to read what you’ve written out loud to yourself and others.
I’m a strong believer in reading aloud. You’ll hear what it sounds like, as opposed to reading it to yourself, which doesn’t always give you the best perspective.
Give this exercise a try and let me know what you think and if you’d care to share what you’ve written, even better.
Have a fantastic weekend and Happy Writing!
Gina
