Hov did that so hopey u dont have1/19/2024 As a reader, you can almost hear Cheryl’s fight with her fears.Įmotions like fear, nervousness, anger, and happiness remain abstract unless we show readers how such emotions manifest themselves in body language, dialogues, or actions. Note how many sensory words are used in the above paragraph, like screaming, humming, panting, thudding, clattering, clamor, drowning out. And also for mountain lions and wilderness-savvy serial killers. The landscape was made for them, it seemed. I expected one around every bend, ready to strike. The only possible distraction was my vigilant search for rattlesnakes. The clamor of What have I gotten myself into? was a mighty shout. So then I tried to simply concentrate on what I heard-my feet thudding against the dry and rocky trail, the brittle leaves and branches of the low-lying bushes I passed clattering in the hot wind-but it could not be done. Within forty minutes, the voice inside my head was screaming, What have I gotten myself into? I tried to ignore it, to hum as I hiked, though humming proved too difficult to do while also panting and moaning in agony and trying to remain hunched in that remotely upright position while also propelling myself forward when I felt like a building with legs. Showing means using sensory details and describing actions to direct a mental movie in your reader’s mind.Telling means giving a brief, factual statement.To let readers experience your story, show rather than tell: When a writer hasn’t painted vivid imagery, readers can’t picture what’s happening. How come? Sometimes stories are too short rather than too long With a sigh of relief, she treats herself to Jasmine tea with carrot cake. After crossing out words for over 20 minutes, she’s reduced her word count almost by half. She removes a few sentences here, scraps a whole paragraph there, shortens another sentence. She purses her lips, and wonders, Why does the story feel flat? Why does it seem to drag on? Where has the drama gone? Is it too long? Helen frowns while reading her draft story. What is “Show Don’t Tell?” A “Show Don’t Tell” exercise 21 “Show Don’t Tell” examples How to show AND tell How to apply “Show Don’t Tell”
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