Write on, Wednesday: Show, Don’t Tell
By Leslie Lindsay One of my “big things” in writer’s group is, “Show, don’t tell.” If you’re a writer, then I am sure you have heard this before. Not-so into writing? Well, then let me explain what this adage really means: show us [the reader] what your character or scene is like. Don’t just say, “She wore a pink dress.” That would be telling. Instead, spice it up a bit by saying something like, “Her dress sparkled in the sunshine, like a candy-coated pink gumball.” See the difference? What else might you be able to liken the color pink to? A bunny’s nose? A rose or carnation? What feels like pink? What smells like pink? Go on…get creative. But I am victim to the criticism of telling versus showing, too. In fact, the other night at writer’s group, I was full as a tick with my “show me more!” comments on my fellow writer’s pages. Alas, they had similar comments coming my way as well. I took a look at what they were suggesting and …