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This week I've got a question for you all. I'd like you to tell me your worries or things you'd like to work on in your stories. Basically, what would you like to see in Question of the Week?
Is there something that I haven't discussed before that you'd like to know more about? Or maybe something about critiques you've heard before, but don't exactly know what they mean. Tell me all 'bout it ;)
Is the author showing or telling throughout their prose? Are there parts where things could be shown instead of placing exposition? Did the "telling" negatively affect your immersion?
Ahh, showing vs. telling. The age-old critique and the first piece of advice I ever got on my writing. I bet you guys have seen this critique time and time again, but do we really know what it means?
The website I've linked today explains it quite well. Basically:
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 is happening.
"Showing" the readers your scene creates a much more immersive experience, where the reader can feel what the characters feel and see what the see.
On the contrary, when you're "telling", although it's a totally valid way of writing, it might not cause the effect we're looking for with our story. Exposition is good, but it might not impact the readers as effectively.
Here's two examples:
This is telling: Liann was frustrated while writing her new chapter.
This is showing: Liann let out a groan while her head drooped on her laptop's keyboard. No matter how much she worked and re-worked the description, she couldn't figure out how to show and not tell. With her shoulders slumped, she dragged herself out of her chair and went to prepare her fifth cup of coffee tonight.
Try to find ways to express what the characters are feeling without plainly stating it.
If you want to get more in depth on how to show and not tell, I'll leave a link to an article where you can learn all about it: https://www.autocrit.com/editing/support/showing-vs-telling-indicators/
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Remember that after reading and commenting on the 3 chapters of your fellow bookworm, you have to let me know you're finished, in the comment section of THIS chapter.
