How to Write Teen Fiction

04 | Show Vs Tell

"Plot is people. Human emotions and desires founded on the realities of life, working at cross purposes, getting hotter and fiercer as they strike against each other until finally there's an explosion—that's Plot."

—Leigh Brackett, WD

One of the most important rules when it comes to writing is to show the audience something, not just tell them. It is important that readers feel what is going on as if they are in the scene.

Acts VS Description

An act is when you simply tell the audience how someone is behaving or feeling in a scene.

For example, Lily cried because she was sad to see her boyfriend go.

Descriptions are shown when you describe to your audience the emotions and weight of those emotions.

For example, Lily wiped her tears away as she hugged James goodbye. The pit in her stomach seemed to grow with the thought that this would be the last time she would see him for quite some time.

The first sentence tells you how the character is feeling but the second shows you her emotions. With the second sentence, you don't need to have it spelled out that the character is sad, you can see that she is.

How to Fix a Tell Into a Show

Using strong verbs, instead of writing the character smiled you can write that they beamed or grinned.

Paint a clear picture for the reader with some specific nouns and clear adjectives. Don't say that Lucy went dancing with friends. Instead say that Lucy was thrilled to go to the new nightclub in Manhattan with her best friends from work, Sarah, Cameron, and Jane.

Describe sensory details. This is important to make the reader feel as though they are inside of the story. Describing how something smells, feels, sounds, tastes and looks can really make a difference in a scene.

Using dialogue makes your scenes feel more alive. "I can't believe you would do this for me," Jordan exclaimed' is better than Jordan was surprised. Read more

Things to Keep in Mind

The use of too many details can clog your writing and drive your readers away. Something to remember is that writing is all about pulling off a balancing act between dialogue and description. When there is too much dialogue, your reader can feel lost in the conversion. We have conversations in real life and they are not just flushed with words. There is a thought process in between. Your characters will be doing things and thinking of what to say in the middle of the dialogue. If there is too much description, then your reader might feel like your book is not alive enough. People tend to connect to people so if there is little interaction between characters then the words can feel dead. Read more about this

"Making people believe the unbelievable is no trick; it's work. ... Belief and reader absorption come in the details: An overturned tricycle in the gutter of an abandoned neighborhood can stand for everything."—Stephen King