Showing, Not Telling

Showing, Not Telling.

I am not talking about playing doctor either!

What I am referring to is a writing tip. Books work much better when something is shown, not told. While that might not make much sense to some of you, considering it's all words, so it's told in words, not shown in pictures (at least in books I write.)

Here is an example:

Telling: 1. "I don't understand said," Tiffany with a confused look on her face.

Versus.

Showing: 2. Tiffany cocked her head to one side and drew her eyebrows together.

While 1. is just fine and tells you information you need to know, it keeps the reader on a superficial level. 2. on the other hand makes you start visualizing things in your head and thinking... I wonder what that character means by that movement. If I made that movement what would I be thinking? It draws the reader in much more effectively and helps the reader sympathize with your characters.

I was doing my... *insert music full of dread* rewrites yesterday and was reading a scene I had written quite a few weeks ago. It is one of my favorite scenes. It's funny, it plays out well, it flows, it's exciting. I looked at it with what I like to think of as a fresh eye and tried to figure out what I did there that was so much better than the others. Not that the others are bad mind you... they aren't I swear! Seriously, in that scene, I did a helluva lot more showing than telling. It made a huge difference! This may not seem like a big deal to seasoned writers or even to people who don't write at all. But for me it is. I've only been writing for 7 months now, only 3 of which on this book. I am learning so much everyday about the craft of writing. I am becoming able to look at my work almost objectively and spot things that could use a little polishing. I think this shows that I am headed on the right path. Man it feels good!