Table of Contents
Why it’s challenging to show rather than tell…
‘Show, don’t tell’ is one of those pieces of writing advice that’s been quoted so many times that the words have almost faded into the background for many writers. But useful they are. And they are also more challenging to follow than some writers may be aware of. Just pick up most bestselling books, and you’ll often find blatant examples of over-telling at the expense of the reader’s experience. Most writers start writing their novels with the intention of showing rather than telling, so why is it so hard to maintain this approach throughout an entire novel? I’ve been giving this some thought and have come up with a theory.
If you step back and think about what you’re doing as a writer, you’re creating an entire world for readers to hopefully enter and enjoy. To do this well, you need to know your characters better than anyone else, including their backstories, values, motivations, and inner voices. So when you start writing your novel, this entire world of unsaid information is lying silent beneath the surface of the words you’re showing the reader. The process is a bit like a magician standing on a stage who’s working hard not to show how his or her tricks work to the audience.
However, the further the story progresses, the harder it is for many writers to keep this vast world of unsaid information between them, themselves, and their dogs. So why is this? I believe there are two main reasons…Firstly, we may forget how much more we know about the characters than the typical reader does at various points in the story, leading to unwittingly revealing a little bit too much on occasion. By doing so, we risk eroding the reader’s interest in trying to figure it out for themselves. It’s the equivalent of unintentionally revealing too much evidence on the witness stand during a court case, which could go either way. We need to remember that the interviewing lawyer is particularly detail-focused.
And secondly, because we’ve probably grown to love our own characters, or at least some of them, like old friends, we may feel an overwhelming desire to broadcast fascinating facts about these lovely characters to the reading world, once again committing the same cardinal sin of over-telling. Both are such easy mistakes to make, and over the course of eighty or ninety thousand words of novel, there’s more than ample opportunity for them to regularly rear their ugly heads.
So how can a writer ensure they really do show rather than tell throughout an entire novel? Well, I’m as much a work in progress on this front as the next writer, but I’m finding growing awareness of the issue to be the key to dealing with it. Whenever I find myself giving away just a little bit too much information about why a character is behaving as they are, I’ve started addressing it on the spot, usually with my old friend the delete key, who is far wiser than I am. However, no matter how focused I am during the writing process, a few over-tellings always seem to slip through the cracks. So, as a back-up strategy, I’m always on the lookout for over-telling during the editing process.
Hopefully, one day, I’ll become pre-programmed to only show, although I suspect holding back the urge to over-tell will always be a natural challenge within the beautiful and challenging creative writing process.
(Cover image credit: SS Turner)
More about SS Turner
About “BREW Brilliance”
Our ‘BREW Brilliance’ series is your gateway to the brilliant world of The Chrysalis Books, Reviews, and Everything Written (BREW) Project’s talented award winners. Find a treasure trove of insights, articles, announcements, and exclusive interviews showcasing the stellar qualities of BREW book, blog, and poetry award recipients. From illuminating behind-the-scenes glimpses into their creative processes to thought-provoking discussions on literary themes, ‘BREW Brilliance’ invites you to explore the diverse voices and innovative works that define the forefront of contemporary literature. Join us as we celebrate the passion, dedication, and sheer brilliance of the BREW community, where every page turned, every word penned, reveals a new dimension of literary excellence.
Useful Links
- A Calendar of BREW Events
- Book Reviews and Recommendations
- BREW Book, Blog, and Poetry Awards
- BREW Book Awards
- BREW International Blog Award
- BREW Poetry Award
- General Award Nomination Policies
- BREW Award Winners
- Become a BREW Awards Judge
- BREW Book Awards Judging Criteria
- BREW Brilliance: Insights and Updates from BREW Awardees
- Policy for Self-reporting, Reporting on Awardees, and Minimum Nominee Criteria
- From the BREW Community
- Get Featured: Showcase Your Work Through The Chrysalis BREW Project
- Giving Back
- Our Free Services for You
- What You Can Also Do
- Partner With Us
- Our Offers
- About
Announcements
Welcome to The Chrysalis BREW Project! We’re excited to offer new service slots to shine a spotlight on your masterpiece—place your order while spots last! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out through our Contact Form and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. All the best, now and always—keep shining!
Congratulations to our latest BREW award winners!
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
Share this:
Discover more from The Chrysalis BREW Project
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.