Show Me Your Ways

In a time when actions don't speak louder than words, we tend to overlook many important reasons why description is so important to our existence. Of course, our thoughts portray so much more than what we say. Now a days people prefer electronic communication (phone, email, etc.) instead of writing a letter. Although, I'm not going to go into the history of written correspondence, I will tell you that we are not as challenged as we were then. Now all it takes is a laugh or a smiley face to know someone is happy.

Click on the picture to watch a quick writing lesson!

Today, I watched a silent movie. The Phantom of the Opera (1925) to be exact. I think watching these types of movies are great for actors and writers a like. Not only are you required to read something on screen, but it's really hard to be a terrible performer when you don't have dialogue to back you up. Without it, you know exactly what the actor is thinking and feeling through their...you guessed right...actions!

My favorite ways to SHOW are:
-Through dialogue.
-Through setting or character description.
-Through using all five senses.

My favorite ways to TELL are:
-Transitions through scenes.
-Interspersed back story.
-Through dialogue.

The great thing about dialogue is that you could use it for both telling and showing. In a sense, writing a narrative is telling a story, but don't bore the reader. Remember, we want our characters to be memorable. Show your readers their world.

Thank you for reading! How do you use show vs. tell in your novels?






Happy writing!
Diva J.