writing tips

show, don't tell

You've all heard of this at some point, but sometimes you lay in bed at three in the morning and ask yourself: okay wtf does "show, don't tell," mean?

I'mma bless you with the best explanation I've ever read.

Whenever I'd read my writing I always thought I was showing and not telling with my uses of adverbs and adjectives. And sometimes, adverbs and adjectives can work, but you use them in moderation.

So then, I thought to myself, what the heck do I do to "show not tell"?

And the answer is simple:

Take whatever modifier you're using—mostly adverbs—and think of ways to convey your message to the readers that THIS is what your character is feeling.

Instead of saying "she said shyly," look up body language that shows bashfulness and use it for your story. It'll paint a more accurate picture in the readers' heads. Let them say "she's shy" rather than telling them "she's shy."

C.S. Lewis said something about this which actually helped me a lot. Don't say it was "delightful"; make us say "delightful" when we've read the description.

Normally I ask myself, "what could show that what's happening is _____" and it works. If you're having trouble once again look up body language, describe the scenery, make the reader smile or frown or cry.

"Coco, when am I allowed to use adjectives and adverbs, then?"

Adverbs can help when you're portraying contrast—example:

When you say, "she smiled happily," then the adverb (happily) is useless. Why? Because smiles are already happy, duh.

But "she smiled sadly," is contrast. It's not just a smile. It's not your run-of-the-mill smile. It's a sad smile. It gives a description to that action, which gives it a new meaning.

For adjectives, you can sill use them—but you have to remember that action is better than telling someone "the dress is pretty."

Example:

Instead of,
The blue dress was pretty, complimenting her body.

you can have,
The blue dress hugged her curves tightly. It cinched at the waist, before flowing into a loose skirt.

It helps describe both the person and the thing, overall painting a better image in your readers' minds.