Free ebook on writing by Sandra Gerth

Highlights of Show, Don’t Tell by Sandra Gerth, a free ebook that has won awards.

Red flags for telling:

1.      Conclusions

2.      Abstract language

3.      Summaries

4.      Backstory (there’s right place for this in the novel, generally later and spread in small pieces)

5.      Adverbs

6.      Adjectives

7.      Linking verbs (i.e was/were/is/are/felt/appeared/seemed/looked etc.)

8.      Emotion words (angry/surprised/amazement/confusion etc.)

9.      Filters (saw/smelled/heard/felt/watched/noticed/realized/wondered/knew etc)

To turn telling into showing:

1.      Use the five senses

2.      Use strong dynamic verbs

3.      Use concrete nouns

4.      Break activities into smaller parts

5.      Use figurative language

6.      Write in real time

7.      Use dialogue

8.      Use internal monologue

9.      Focus on actions and reactions

Avoid: Redundancies. Telling Backstory (use iceberg theory). Flashbacks/Prologues/character descriptions/feelings (don’t describe your characters all at once)—Reveal the character of a character.

Danger areas are large blocks of description. Make them dynamic. Describe only what your POV character would notice given his/her background, personality, and situation.

Avoid clichés. Naming emotions instead of describing.

ABC Always be clear.

Eight ways to reveal emotion without telling:

1.      Physical responses

2.      Body language

3.      Facial expressions

4.      Dialogue

5.      Internal monologue

6.      Setting descriptions

7.      The five senses in moments of heightened emotion

8.      Figurative language. BE UNIQUE and AVOID AMBIGUITY

Telling in dialogue.

Avoid:

1.      “As you know” dialogue

2.      Creative dialogue tags

3.      Adverbs in dialogue tags

4.      Reported dialogue

Don’t overshow either on a macro or micro level.

Sometimes use telling for unimportant details, transitions, repeated info, repeated events, pacing, context, suspense, first drafts.