Show, Not Tell

Show, not tell are common words in the world of fiction. It's important to show the reader by actions, dialog, body language, and setting rather than telling them what happened. For example:

The angry dog chased me down the street.

I heard a growl emerge from behind twenty sharp teeth. My feet were frozen to the concrete. "grrrr" The spell was broken. All I could see were brown tree trunks as I pounded down the street.

I'm know this is not a perfect sample, but I think you get the idea.

When critiquing your work, be sure to ask yourself if someone is telling you the story or if you're living the story with your characters. This is important even if you are writing from an omniscient point of view it's important to make your story come alive in the minds of your readers.

So, remember to show, not tell.

Children's Writers Critique Group

We've just begun a new critique group in Nampa, Idaho. Our next meeting will be on Saturday, February 21 from 2:00-4:00 at the "Coffee Garage" in Nampa. We will be upstairs at the big table .

We hope to see you there!