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Writing Craft: Show-Don’t-Tell*

The Rich Writer: Writing Craft: Show-Don’t-Tell*

The Rich Writer

How to Thrive on the Writer's Road

Monday, February 7, 2011

Writing Craft: Show-Don’t-Tell*

iStock_000009339689LargeCranking through the rewrite of my current WIP, I found a lot of “telling” that I needed to replace with better writing. In the spirit of show-don’t-tell, I attempted to come up with five ways to show that it’s cold without saying “it’s cold.”

1. Let the character experience the cold: Gooseflesh prickles up my bare arms as soon as I push off the covers.

2. Let her observe the cold: Ice filmed the inside of the cabin windows. I started shivering even before my feet touched the frozen floorboards.

3. Let her think about the cold: I didn’t expect the day’s chill, not in June. If I’d bothered to check the weather, I might have brought along a sweatshirt or jacket. Instead, I’m here in shorts and a tank top, resisting the urge to curl into a ball or warmth.

4. Let her worry about the cold: As the sun drops beyond the mountains, shadows lengthen, bringing with them the sharp-edged chill of the coming night. It pierces through my thin sweater and I wonder how long it will take before I turn into a human icicle. I have to find the cabin. Quickly.

5. Let her discuss the cold: Brrr!” I tuck my hands into the sleeves of my rain slicker, drawing deeper into the sheltering overhang. “My fingers won’t bend, they’re so frozen.”

Not masterful prose, perhaps, but the exercise helped to get my brain moving in the right direction.

Do you have a technique you’re trying to master? A bit of concentrated practice can help you learn incorporate a new technique smoothly into your writing, the way a batter might practice hitting a hundred balls before the actual game. Pretty soon, the technique becomes second nature. Give it a try!

:-) Cheryl

*This post was originally published Jan 2010

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3 Comments:

At February 7, 2011 at 3:41 PM , Blogger Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I'm doing the same thing on a second draft of a manuscript. Great suggestions on what you did with the cold. I feel like I need some hot tea after reading them.

 
At February 7, 2011 at 8:29 PM , Blogger Julie Hedlund said...

These are all very apt examples as I'm listing to the wind trying to huff and puff my house down. Brrr indeed!

 
At February 8, 2011 at 7:25 PM , Blogger Cheryl Reif said...

Susan: Thank you! I might need some hot tea now, too...altho that could also because I *have* a cold. Sounds good, though!

Julie: And no doubt your writing brain is saving that image for the next time you need to evoke a shiver with your words :`)

 

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