Need clarification on "Show don't tell."

[Caged Maiden]

I think perhaps rather than "show", don't "tell" ,the advice ought to go: "Give your reader a deep POV, one they can really sink their teeth into. And while you're doing that, pace well. We don't want to see everything your character does in his day, but neither do we want it dictated by a narrator." Haha, that probably wouldn't make as much sense to a new writer. But I think this thread is full of sound advice.

@ Scribble. Good examples of exactly how to use "telling" to good effect.

 

[Chessie]

Every day it seems another writing rule comes out. Show, don't tell. Don't use "as" so often or "had", "was", passive voice, limit the "ly"...UGH so annoying can we just write our stories already? That's like...a good portion of the English language already. I have a hard time applying all these rules at once. I just want to tell a story. Narrate in a voice that is natural for you. The right readers will find your work.

 

[Steerpike]

Narrate in a voice that is natural for you.

That's exactly what you should do. There's no reason every writer should strive for a generic voice that matches so much of the other stuff out there.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

That's exactly what you should do. There's no reason every writer should strive for a generic voice that matches so much of the other stuff out there.

I agree completely - the idea of the generic cookie-cutter voice that's touted these days drives me nuts since I was raised to believe in the unique quality each writer voice has.

On the other hand, there is such a thing as craft and artistry. Anything worth doing is worth doing well - especially something as time/life/soul consuming as writing. So, yeah, you can go ahead and "write your stories already." But isn't it better to write them well? Why build a doghouse out of mismatched lumber just because you were in a rush to "get it done already," when you have inside you the gift to create a cathedral, if only you take the time to learn your craft and meticulously build it by noun and verb and active voice and lyric descriptions?

We are artists, wordsmiths. We each have our own unique voices, but those voices will only be heard if we speak clearly.

 

[Chessie]

Of course we should write them well and words should be spoken clearly. That wasn't what my comment was about. I was referring more to the fact that we should do what is comfortable for us and let the art develop a unique feel. Trying to write a good story at the same time you're trying to follow all the rules can be overwhelming. We should just write the way we want to get the story out first.

 

[C Hollis]

Trying to write a good story at the same time you're trying to follow all the rules can be overwhelming.

In my opinion, that is the trap we fall into when we first begin to take our art seriously; we think these cute little sayings (show don't tell) are rules. Then after we've toiled at the page for a few years we start to realized one thing:

THEY ARE NOT RULES!

Writing is an art. There are no rules in art. We don't have blueprints to go by, nor can we jump on YouTube and watch an instructional video on how to apply a coat of emotion to ensure reality doesn't seep in and rot the perspective.

What we have with these cute little sayings that fail to communicate what needs to be heard. By definition, we could call these cliche' at this point.

Don't use adverbs! Don't write passive! Always find a better word for was! Don't use had! Comma splice! Don't use silly dialog tags! Don't use said as a dialog tag! Don't use dialog tags excessively!

SHOW DON'T TELL!

In that format, every last one of those sayings are cliche'. If you follow them as "rules", your story will most likely fall into the pit of bland lifeless tales that catch the attention of tiny little flies that like the taste of paper.

That is not to say they don't have some sprinkle of merit. They are guidelines that can't be communicated with a cute little saying, they need chapters upon chapters to explain their true purpose.

I think we can see from this thread the "Show don't Tell" is more than three words. Yes, it has merit, but you can't view it as a rule. You have to see it in the context of a guideline. By its full meaning (which would take a book, not three words), it is something we should all consider in our writing. It should be in the back of our head with each scene, but not in that cute little three word context.

Would this scene have a more appropriate impact if I showed it? Or would the reader be better served if I just told it to them?

"Show don't Tell" is crap on its own. Meaningless in its bare form, and misleading to beginners.

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

"Show don't Tell" is crap on its own. Meaningless in its bare form, and misleading to beginners.

I just can't agree with this statement. I understand what everyone is trying to say & yes, I agree that there is a place for telling as much as there is for showing and that an absolute adherence to any rule is ridiculous. However....

Call them rules, guidelines, whatever...they exist for a reason. A large part of learning the craft is learning how to employ these principles. Once we have a firm grasp on them, then we can bend or break these rules for effect. It's just too easy to say that any principle of craft is wrong and that each of us should just write, ignoring any method that we aren't already accustomed too or that doesn't come naturally. Stretching yourself to learn to adopt new techniques or truly understand old, often-quoted principles is essential to improving as a writer.

Show don't tell is a solid principle that a lot of people don't understand. Like anything in art, it doesn't have to be adhered to strictly, yet it is a foundational technique of fiction writing. Ignoring writing fundamentals, or never gaining a full understanding, only does disservice to ourselves as artists. Make it's use be a choice in your craft...not an easy way out of learning fundamentals.

 

[C Hollis]

Show don't tell is a solid principle that a lot of people don't understand.

I don't think you are understanding what I am saying. I agree with you, but beginning often don't hear the principle, they hear the cutesy three word phrase and take that phrase as the guideline and not the principle.

And, actually, the OP backs up what I am saying because the question revolves around the three word phrase that:

is crap on its own. Meaningless in its bare form, and misleading to beginners.

I completely agree that these guidelines exist for a reason, but when someone uses a cute little three word phrase in a critique, if the writer doesn't know the meaning, it could cause more damage than good.

Of course, it is the responsibility of the new writer to find out what it means, but sometimes when the phrase comes from someone of good repute, they take it at face value.

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

I understand what you mean & I agree with you.

On the other side of the coin though, it can be equally dangerous for beginners (or writers at any level for that matter) to be told "You don't need to worry about show don't tell. Don't worry about rules!" I've seen that touted a lot and I think it can do harm. A beginner who believes in SDT (or any fundamental, like limiting adverbs, active voice, etc) and learns to put it in practice will probably adhere too strictly at first, but they'll eventually strike a balance when they start finding their voice. A writer who shuns fundamentals like these just won't grow because they'll never stretch themselves or struggle. They'll just tell...tell...tell.

 

[Jamber]

I almost think 'show don't tell' shouldn't be called a 'rule' but a 'technique' or 'device'. It's a powerful one, to be sure, and jettisoning it can be risky unless you're extremely effective with other devices, but a lot of colourful writing wouldn't exist if it obeyed rules. Terry Pratchett's writing is a good example of material in which the author sometimes intrudes and there can be quite a lot of telling (e.g. background information, footnotes).

On the other hand, in genres like fantasy, reader expectations are generally geared to the book seeming a 'window on the world', with a high degree of uninterrupted immersion. It's much harder to create a believable world unless you consciously show it.

I'd argue it comes down to what a writer wants to do, and what kind of voice she or he would like to create.

 

[Ankari]

Show, Don't Tell is ingrained into amateur writers as a counterbalance to the natural way people communicate. When a friend tells another about the fight he had with his girlfriend, he doesn't describe how her nostrils flair, or how the tendons on her neck threatened to rip through the skin, he tells her "She was mad, almost psychotic."

So, Show, Don't Tell has to break years and years of instinct. Once a writer understand the power of Showing, and the power of Telling, then he has free reign to write as he wishes.

 

[Svrtnsse]

Thanks to everyone who's contributed in the thread. As a writer just really starting out it's great both to get some practical advice on the "rule" and some comments about how it's to be "enforced". Much appreciated.