Nearly every writer has heard the dictum--"Show, don't tell." (Do you want a $1 for every time you've heard it? I sure do!) The challenge is learning how to show. But there's a caveat with it--sometimes you need to tell. Narrative has its place for bridging and transition. In two recent exercises on the B&W Forum, we've worked on learning how to show and when to tell.
Here's an example from my March exercise. I needed to get from Friday night to Monday morning while conveying my MC's feelings, but not showing every move she made.
I had to wait until Monday to talk to Connie.
It would be the first time the Samantha and Madison would be at school. And
Terrence would be at the bank. I didn’t think I could stand to look at him. Not
yet. Not with the image Samantha’s fears had put in my head.
It was all I could do to hold my breath and
count to ten. Or somewhere in the vicinity of ten million.
Connie’s flippant comment at church
kept playing in my head accompanied by her smirking look—“The sleepover sure
turned out to be more exciting than I had expected.”
Exciting? How dare she allow
children to see a sacred act made profane! I was ready to wipe her smug face
clean after my daughter’s three crying jags and the monster of all nightmares
last night.
Samantha’s face had fallen when I
sent her to school this morning. But I couldn’t pack her away in cotton
batting—even if I wanted to. She had to deal with the real world. And I hated
it to the core of my being.
Here's some links you might want to explore:
*What has helped you learn how to show?
*When do you use telling to advance the story?
The kitchen is about halfway done, and I'm still cooking in the dining room. What a peek? ; )
Cherry Hill, GA, Laura Grace's hometown, is know for its many namesake cherry trees.
