Did I finally figure something out? If not, please let me know. I've been trying for years to totally understand what my creative writing teachers meant by "Show. Don't tell." They've explained it in many ways and maybe my brain is stubborn, but last night something my son did might have shed light on it?
He built a huge maze out of stuff he piled in the living room. He proceeded to tell me for the next 2 minutes what he was going to do with the maze now it was built. I stood there and listened to him rattle on but I really wanted him to just get on with it so I could get back to making dinner. Finally he dropped to his little mouse knees and crawled through his maze and did all the stuff he said he was going to do, and we all thought it was very cool.
So! I'm not supposed to tell the reader "my character is going to do this and then he's going to do that, and then later he's going to ...." etc. That's boring! SHOW US WHAT HE DID instead!!
Is this what it finally means?
He built a huge maze out of stuff he piled in the living room. He proceeded to tell me for the next 2 minutes what he was going to do with the maze now it was built. I stood there and listened to him rattle on but I really wanted him to just get on with it so I could get back to making dinner. Finally he dropped to his little mouse knees and crawled through his maze and did all the stuff he said he was going to do, and we all thought it was very cool.
So! I'm not supposed to tell the reader "my character is going to do this and then he's going to do that, and then later he's going to ...." etc. That's boring! SHOW US WHAT HE DID instead!!
Is this what it finally means?
Comment