Tips For "Show, Don't Tell."

Tips For "Show, Don't Tell."

Tips For "Show, Don't Tell."
Tips For "Show, Don't Tell."

Honestly, show don't tell is something I feel even I struggle with and I'm pretty sure anyone who writes faces it. Finding a balance is hard. When to show and when to tell can become an inherent feeling though. However, there are some things I've learnt and I hope they help you!

❥︎Emphasise Sensory Detailing: Not only does packing a scene with sensory details help readers imagine the setting, it also gives your characters a distinct physical world to interact with. Rather than simply saying that a character is in New York, describe the light reflecting off the Hudson River, or the towering colossus of the Statue of Liberty.

❥︎Describe body language and avoid emotional explanation when showing.

❥︎Like I said, focus on describing senses and lean more on the usage of imagery too, it'll help if you understand that literary device. I have a post on how to use imagery in writing which helps a lot when showing and not telling. Pick adjectives that you use to describe and replace them with sensory descriptions. Eg:

+ He was scared when he saw the lion at the exit.

+ His heart raced when he saw the lion looming at the end of his escape route.

See what I did here?

Did you feel the difference?

❥︎ learn from examples of 'Show, Don't tell' by reading. The most basic.

❥︎ Use of Dialogue: can also teach readers about characters through word choice, tone, and POV. For instance:

The tray flipped and drenched her in wine. She shrieked and jumped out of her seat, glaring at the waiter.

And

The tray flipped and drenched her in wine but all she did was sigh and smile in understanding.

The scene is the same but the character's approach was different in each case. The former seems kind while the latter seems to be a temperamental character.

❥︎Make your character do something out of ordinary, something that breaks the routine or would make a heavier impact. For eg:

If a character speaks in long-winded, erudite sentences, readers might gather that they are pompous and well-educated. If this same character suddenly begins speaking in terse, short bursts later in the novel, readers might note that something in that character has shifted.

If they're described as someone who never cooks say and then at some time they cook for the live interest, it'll pique the reader’s Interest because it was uncharacteristic of them to do.

❥︎Having a diverse vocabulary, imagination and the ability to use literary devices like metaphors will greatly aid in Show don't tell.

❥︎And lastly, It's fine if you don't get it right the first time because that's how writing works. The more you read, attempt and err, the more you learn. But having an idea of what to do will go a great way in guiding and saving time.

Hope it helps! Follow for more, like and share! <3

More Posts from Detectiveruebennett and Others

4 years ago

This is my take on some marvel characters and pronouns so here me out

Wanda goes by she/they pronouns

I feel like Natasha would go by she/her BUT she also wouldn't really mind going by they/them either

Loki wouldn't mind what you call him since he's genderfluid

I feel like Peter Parker might go by he/they but idk

Michelle fucking Jones goes by she/they for sure

This is all I have atm


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3 years ago

Have Mercy | natasha romanoff x black!fem!oc

Have Mercy | Natasha Romanoff X Black!fem!oc
Have Mercy | Natasha Romanoff X Black!fem!oc

Chapter Two: why not me?

warning(s): contains flashbacks of past traumatic events

pairing(s): sam wilson x jaslyn wilson (oc)

natasha romanoff x jaslyn wilson (oc)

a/n: this chapter is just a short flashback and stuff. next chapter is about her time in hydra & meeting the winter soldier. don't worry, we'll get to natasha x jaslyn soon. i'm just tryna have a build-up for her. should their ship name be jastasha? idk

have mercy masterlist chapter one

Have Mercy | Natasha Romanoff X Black!fem!oc

"Something is off. We should head back for now." Riley speaks into the comms. Something bad is about to happen. He could feel it in his gut as he soared through the sky alongside the two Wilson's.

"Copy that." Sam responds.

The trio turns around and make their way back to base. The plan was that once they make it back, they'd get in touch with the higher-ups and wait for the next instruction.

The sound of a faint whistle meets Jaslyn's ears but she doesn't pay any mind to it.

Big mistake.

Suddenly, Riley's left wing is hit, causing him to lose control and fall through the air.

"No! Riley!"

"Sam! Get help!" Jaslyn yells to her brother. Adrenaline coursing through her blood, Jaslyn shoots down behind a falling Riley. She gains speed and reaches her hands out in hopes of catching him before he meets the ground.

Unfortunately, Riley lands first. "No. Please, no," she pleads.

She didn't make it.

"Don't do this to me, Riles," she whimpers. The sound of her cries reach deaf ears as she cradles his lifeless body. She hears the sound of footsteps coming from behind her.

Before Jaslyn can speak another word everything around her goes dark.

----

It's been five days since the passing of his friend, Riley. And today was the day of the funeral. Sam and many others were seated in the congregation, and Jaslyn was nowhere to be found. Or anywhere for that matter. Sam doesn't know where she is. By the time he came back with the medical team and his other men, all that was left was Riley's body. No Jaslyn in range. At first, Sam assumed that she was heading back to base. But if that were the case, he would've seen her fly past him since they take the same path.

After Riley's body was taken back by airlift, the commander had another group finish the mission while the rest of them packed up to head home. It was supposed to be a simple mission. The three of them were to scan the area in search for any signs of their targets. Then head back and report what they'd seen. Both Sam and Jaslyn hadn't spotted anything unusual, but the air had felt sort of uneasy.

He waited precisely forty-eight hours before reporting Jaslyn's disappearance to the police. It would've been earlier, but Sarah had told him to stay in case she'd showed up. "You have to wait for at least twenty-four before filing a missing person report," Sarah reminded him three days earlier. "Maybe she needed time to deal with the grief on her own. You know how distant she can be when it comes to situations like this." Sarah had a point. After the death of their parents, Jaslyn had disappeared for a few weeks before returning. With that, Sam's distress slightly lessened for the time being.

There was a tiny detail that they seemed to have forgotten. Jaslyn Wilson would always leave them a note or a call to tell them she was safe. No matter what.


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4 years ago

Grace: Let me see what you have.

Diego: *running with a knife in his hand* A knife!

Grace: No!!


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1 year ago

you know that warm feeling you get in your chest when you’re drinking hot chocolate on a snowy winter night while bundled up in the warmest clothing you have in front of the fireplace listening to jazz music while watching snow fall gently from the sky?

i think that’s what having a girl crush feels like. it’s like you’re insides are filled with heat every time she smiles softly at you. but not in a way that’s scolding hot to the touch and you’re burning from the inside. no, it’s more in a way that the heat is practically hugging you. her smile is trapping you in her embrace. the way her lips curve up to show her bright teeth in your direction is rich with flavor.

warm and sweet.


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3 years ago

can you link some black fan fic writers? I'm looking for mainly Steve Rogers but I just wanna support anyone I can lol

I’ll try my best!

I know for sure that @honeychicana writes amazing stories and that includes steve! @stillevansbae writes for him as well and they’re really good stories! @great-neckpectations writes for steve too but on a different blog I think

and then some black fic writers I know and love (who writes amazing stories! and tbh I have so much catching up to do with most of their stories lol)

@princessstevens @muse-of-mbaku @killmongersgurl @wakanda-inspired @pocmarvelworks @oceanscorazon @killmoncoochie

there’s honestly sooo many more people and I always draw a blank but! @chaneajoyyy has read so many stories and I think she’d be much much better at recommending black fic writers than me 

also shameless plug… me lol @blackgirlimaginesmarvel

I’m pissed! why can’t I rihmember everyone else… bye 🙄

3 years ago

childhood best friends to enemies to lovers has got to be the best trope to ever exist idccc


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4 years ago

Is there rly any softer scene than when o'malley sees duchess and falls in love with her at first sight in the aristocats, complimenting her at every turn and climbing into a cherry blossom tree to make the flower petals snow gracefully down on her? How dreamy 🥀💕

3 years ago

*Natasha arguing with Y/N*

Y/N, cutting her off: Every time you talk, I hear that sound that plays when pac-man dies.

Natasha, shocked: Do you want to be single?

2 years ago

i loooove being delusional. catch me ignoring reality altogether. catch me never being reasonable ever. catch me straight up making up things in my head to cope. delusion is my best friend

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