Show not Tell can be a plague to writers if we don’t understand what it means. As writers, we can forget that when writing stories we need to be visual. In this blog, I’m going to share three tips to make your writing more visual and to avoid telling instead of showing.
What Is “Show Not Tell” About?
The phrase “show not tell” trips up writers. Myself included, so don’t panic. This phrase essentially means we need to build pictures in our audience’s heads. I can bet a few of you are thinking you already know that. I get that. What I’m meaning is you don’t infodump on your audience.
When we watch or read anything, we want to see the information instead of having this really, really, really long monologue. Well, you could just about get away with it in theatre plays where monologues thrive. Doesn’t mean it helps drive your story forward.
Tip 1: Don’t Use Dialogue
At this one, I’m probably getting a few puzzled looks. That or you’re shouting at the screen “how can I not use dialogue?”. By this, all I’m asking for is what people might know as prose or just action. What we’re asking for here is to find a visual way of showing the information we want to get across.
Say you’re writing a crime story and you’re wanting to highlight a specific item. Try focusing on it, even if it’s just a flicker, for a brief time. This will set it up for use later so you can bring it in as a pay off later when you need it.
Tip 2: Trim That Dialogue
There are some points in writing where you have to have some kind of dialogue. We’re not working in mime, unless your story is about mimes. Then it’s just complicated gestures. The point is, if you have dialogue in your scene you need to make it meaningful. If you have an important bit of information that needs to be said and it comes out at three sentences, cut it to a sentence and a half. It’s that old adage why use ten words when you can use one?
As writers, we can really get hung up on dialogue. I know I do. We can use it as a crutch for our work. It does neither you the writer or your readers any good. See how many words you can shrink your dialogue down to. Cut it right down. But remember, your dialogue must make sense.
Tip 3: Think In Word Pictures
Being able to show your audience using description is dynamite. If you can show them a character, a setting, a feeling, an environment without excess words, you’ve nailed it. Giving a sense of where the drama is happening is what we want.
If you can describe what we’re seeing by using specific words to help us visualise it, you’ve nailed “Show not Tell”. You can get a better sense of danger if someone is “staggering down the corridor, their hand wet with blood as they cling to their thigh”. Use words to describe their actions in a menacing way if they’re a threat. Use softer words if they’re trying to express their love using touch.
I hope this little blog helps you to understand what “show not tell” means and how to navigate it. It takes practice, so don’t worry if you don’t get it right away. As the saying goes, if you fail, try, try again.
Happy writing!