Comments on: How to Show and Tell in Your Creative Writing http://capturingfantasy.com/how-to-show-and-tell-in-your-creative-writing Creative Writing and Role Playing Game Tips for Collaborative Storytelling Adventures in a Play by Post New World of Darkness Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:07:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Dark Fantasy Writer http://capturingfantasy.com/how-to-show-and-tell-in-your-creative-writing/comment-page-1#comment-1103 Dark Fantasy Writer Thu, 29 Apr 2010 03:45:41 +0000 http://capturingfantasy.com/?p=728#comment-1103 Show events that advance or serve the plot. If an important event is summarized, readers feel cheated. Sometimes showing is important for revealing characterization, but nearly all descriptive (shown) scenes contain some characterization. The important thing is to check your ego; be certain you're not protecting the darlings. Characterization alone shouldn't justify a flat event. Instead, a synergy of factors should work in an event (advancing the plot, characters, adjusting pace, tension, backstory, etc.). Don't show flat events as fully written scenes. That doesn't mean flat events don't belong. Sometimes flat events are worth mentioning briefly to infer passing time or a shift in setting or season. Know the distinction and use it to your advantage as a writer (improves with experience). .-= Dark Fantasy Writer´s last blog ..<a href="http://www.hrmorgan.com/writing/writing-power/" rel="nofollow">Writing Power</a> =-. Show events that advance or serve the plot. If an important event is summarized, readers feel cheated. Sometimes showing is important for revealing characterization, but nearly all descriptive (shown) scenes contain some characterization. The important thing is to check your ego; be certain you’re not protecting the darlings. Characterization alone shouldn’t justify a flat event. Instead, a synergy of factors should work in an event (advancing the plot, characters, adjusting pace, tension, backstory, etc.).

Don’t show flat events as fully written scenes. That doesn’t mean flat events don’t belong. Sometimes flat events are worth mentioning briefly to infer passing time or a shift in setting or season. Know the distinction and use it to your advantage as a writer (improves with experience).
Dark Fantasy Writer´s last blog ..Writing Power My ComLuv Profile

]]> By: Jenn http://capturingfantasy.com/how-to-show-and-tell-in-your-creative-writing/comment-page-1#comment-1016 Jenn Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:20:32 +0000 http://capturingfantasy.com/?p=728#comment-1016 A great post! Even though I understood *why* my teachers were telling me to show and not tell, it was still frustrating. They were so insistent I forgot that you have to summarize just as often, especially in fantasy. Who wants to read about every single step from the Shire to The Prancing Pony? Descriptions will always remain a heady obstacle for me, but your post gives me a good process to follow when I create them. Thanks! .-= Jenn´s last blog ..<a href="http://asinglebell.lorsini.com/2010/02/19/officially-in-the-middle/" rel="nofollow">Officially in the Middle</a> =-. A great post! Even though I understood *why* my teachers were telling me to show and not tell, it was still frustrating. They were so insistent I forgot that you have to summarize just as often, especially in fantasy. Who wants to read about every single step from the Shire to The Prancing Pony? Descriptions will always remain a heady obstacle for me, but your post gives me a good process to follow when I create them. Thanks!
Jenn´s last blog ..Officially in the Middle My ComLuv Profile

]]> By: Nicole http://capturingfantasy.com/how-to-show-and-tell-in-your-creative-writing/comment-page-1#comment-863 Nicole Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:36:17 +0000 http://capturingfantasy.com/?p=728#comment-863 @Marc Very nice. I've been trying to <i>show</i> more lately myself. Yes me. The queen of synonymic adjectives and LY is attempting to avoid both! It's... a challenge. :) .-= Nicole´s last blog ..<a href="http://audeo.wordpress.com/2008/11/23/a-place-in-my-mind/" rel="nofollow">A Place in My Mind</a> =-. @Marc Very nice.

I’ve been trying to show more lately myself. Yes me. The queen of synonymic adjectives and LY is attempting to avoid both! It’s… a challenge. :)
Nicole´s last blog ..A Place in My Mind My ComLuv Profile

]]> By: Marc http://capturingfantasy.com/how-to-show-and-tell-in-your-creative-writing/comment-page-1#comment-857 Marc Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:32:20 +0000 http://capturingfantasy.com/?p=728#comment-857 Does this quote sum it up? "Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass" Anton Chekov Does this quote sum it up?

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass” Anton Chekov

]]> By: Rose http://capturingfantasy.com/how-to-show-and-tell-in-your-creative-writing/comment-page-1#comment-854 Rose Mon, 21 Sep 2009 22:07:23 +0000 http://capturingfantasy.com/?p=728#comment-854 @Tracy: Thanks for reading, Tracy! It's nice to know that my humble spoutings aren't entirely unappreciated. :D Here's one way to tell if you're showing or not: when you use a verb, adjective, or adverb, ask yourself if there's a better way to say it. The concise way to say something is to use the word that refers to the emotion or action or intent you want to portray, but the best way to show is to take your time and sit in the word for a bit. @ Marc: Longingly yearning? You certainly know how to make a girl blush. ;) What's interesting about what you wrote is that it's metaphoric. Very easy to visualize, but at the same time it distances us from your suffering. To what extent does metaphor show rather than tell? Maybe it depends on the metaphor? @Tracy: Thanks for reading, Tracy! It’s nice to know that my humble spoutings aren’t entirely unappreciated. :D

Here’s one way to tell if you’re showing or not: when you use a verb, adjective, or adverb, ask yourself if there’s a better way to say it. The concise way to say something is to use the word that refers to the emotion or action or intent you want to portray, but the best way to show is to take your time and sit in the word for a bit.

@ Marc: Longingly yearning? You certainly know how to make a girl blush. ;)

What’s interesting about what you wrote is that it’s metaphoric. Very easy to visualize, but at the same time it distances us from your suffering. To what extent does metaphor show rather than tell? Maybe it depends on the metaphor?

]]> By: Marc http://capturingfantasy.com/how-to-show-and-tell-in-your-creative-writing/comment-page-1#comment-852 Marc Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:39:43 +0000 http://capturingfantasy.com/?p=728#comment-852 This is the post I have longingly yearned for. The thirst for knowledge on this topic has long gone unquenched. It has left my characters parched and coarse. Rough around the edges like a ragged piece of sandpaper. Was that showing? I truly cannot tell (no pun intended). Tracy, for a quick study on body language, check out the TV show Lie to Me. It's informational in nature, mostly focused around lying/deception but you will also pick up other little bits of information. You may also learn a thing or two about a certain Englishman ;) This is the post I have longingly yearned for. The thirst for knowledge on this topic has long gone unquenched. It has left my characters parched and coarse. Rough around the edges like a ragged piece of sandpaper.

Was that showing? I truly cannot tell (no pun intended).

Tracy, for a quick study on body language, check out the TV show Lie to Me. It’s informational in nature, mostly focused around lying/deception but you will also pick up other little bits of information.

You may also learn a thing or two about a certain Englishman ;)

]]> By: Tracy (aka spiritwolf32) http://capturingfantasy.com/how-to-show-and-tell-in-your-creative-writing/comment-page-1#comment-851 Tracy (aka spiritwolf32) Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:50:15 +0000 http://capturingfantasy.com/?p=728#comment-851 As always, a great post on CF. I liked this one too and it is helping me think of better ways to write. I also love the examples. I am a sucker for examples because it helps me to understand so that I don't misunderstand something. I am having tons of trouble showing. I think I have telling down pretty well cause that is how a lot of my writing seems to me. I was talking to a fellow ER player about body language and such so that I can better show how my character is taking things rather than just say she thought this or that. I haven't gotten that down well enough yet, but it's posts like this that seem to help. Thanks for writing it up. As always, a great post on CF. I liked this one too and it is helping me think of better ways to write.

I also love the examples. I am a sucker for examples because it helps me to understand so that I don’t misunderstand something.

I am having tons of trouble showing. I think I have telling down pretty well cause that is how a lot of my writing seems to me. I was talking to a fellow ER player about body language and such so that I can better show how my character is taking things rather than just say she thought this or that.

I haven’t gotten that down well enough yet, but it’s posts like this that seem to help. Thanks for writing it up.

]]>