Member-only story
Show Me the Road to Show Don’t Tell
It took me a long time to understand the difference between show and tell. I write the ideas as they come to my mind. Most of the ideas tell something that happened. Later, I go back and rewrite the sentences to show what happened. In the rewrite process, I look for the following clues:
1. Some form of the verb feel like in the girl felt horrible when the teacher laughed after she answered.
How do I show feel horrible? Is it something the girl thought about herself? Some part of her body that hurt or had a sensation?
Suggestions to show feel horrible:
I am so dumb; I wish the earth would swallow me right now. The girl thought when the teacher laughed after she answered.
The girl looked down as her cheeks turned red when the teacher laughed after she answered.
The teacher’s laugh punched the girl in the face after she answered.
2. Some form of the verb be like in it was raining very strong when I got out the car.
What did I see, hear, feel when I got off the car?
A suggestion to show raining very strong:
As soon as I opened the car door, my umbrella turned inside out. By the time I crossed the street, my hair and dress were soaked, and my body was…
