Loadingā¦
4
I got into a big argument at a writer's group in Portland about the 'show, don't tell' rule.
It was last fall, and someone said my draft was weak because I 'told' the main character was sad. I argued that sometimes, a flat 'he was sad' is the right choice for pacing and tone. The group leader, a guy named Carl, said I was missing a fundamental tool. Now I actively look for places where 'telling' works better than a long, drawn-out scene. Has anyone else found a spot where breaking that classic rule actually improved a piece?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
riley9566mo ago
But that's just lazy writing (sorry). The whole point is to make the reader feel it, not just be told about it.
9
the_jesse5mo ago
Why does every bit of writing need to wring emotion out of the reader? Sometimes you just need to state a fact and move the story along without trying to make every single sentence a masterpiece of feeling. Calling it lazy ignores that different scenes have different pacing needs and a flat statement can be exactly what works.
2
the_amy6mo ago
Carl sounds like he runs a tight ship. In my own writing, a flat "she was tired" after a long action scene works better than describing droopy eyes for the tenth time. It gives the reader a quick breath before the next thing happens. Sometimes you need that blunt tool to keep things moving. Calling it lazy misses how pacing actually works on the page.
6