Create a captivating read!
In many writing guides, you will see the instructions to, “Show, don’t tell.” But what does that really mean and how does a writer go about it?
When I’m writing a novel or short story, I do so in layers. Many layers. It’s like painting a picture, you start with one layer and add more paint, then more, and soon, you add the details, and you keep working on it until you have a finished product.
Each layer is essentially a draft. When I write the first draft (or layer), I write out the story in narration. I am “telling” the story by laying the foundation. But of course, you don’t want to “tell” a story, you want to “show” it.
But at this point, I’m not concerned about that; I want to get the outline of the story down. In this initial draft, I do not worry about details. I get the story down in a broad sense. I know that I will later go back and add the descriptives, similes, all the details that create characters and dialogue that bring the story alive.
In the second draft, I go through and add details. A character’s eye colors whereas I initially wrote as “blue” becomes “as blue as the Caribbean Sea.” Or something like that.
The key to show, don’t tell, is changing the narration into dialogue. In the second draft, I take the narration and convert it to dialogue. This is where the characters and story comes to life and visualizes the details for the reader.
Once I have the dialogue down, I go back and put in more details. I try to convert as much narration as possible and make the details very specific to create an atmosphere where the reader feels like they are part of the story.
How many layers or drafts do I do? I am always tweaking. I always read the story out loud because then you can catch the way the dialogue sounds, and you want the dialogue to sound as natural as possible.
Remember the process of “show, don’t tell” is pretty simple. Convert your narration into dialogue and you’ll have an active story that shows, not tells.
About the Author: Catherine Burr is a bestselling author of over 15 books. She has served as publisher, publishing 115 books. She is currently writing her next novel. Tweet to her @catherineburr.com.
Oh my goodness, this is so on time! The way you explain the process is awesome. I need to print this out and tape it over my desk. I’ve never heard “Show, don’t tell” explained this way….your way makes a lot of sense and it is so clear. I have read a lot of manuscripts that have read like a narration, which is totally wrong. What I read must have been the first draft of the writer and when they had finish the storyline, they thought they were ready to submit because they came to the conclusion. This blog proves how wrong writers can be when constructing their stories. Drafts are a writer’s best friend. Don’t be afraid to use them. Hey, that’s another blog topic….Drafts” don’t be afraid to use them.
You are absolutely so right on about that, drafts are a writer’s best friend and they shouldn’t be afraid to use them. It takes many drafts to make a book. I think writers get anxious to call a book finished before they’ve removed much of the narration. This is especially the case in fiction. If someone is writing a complete narrative story, say a memoir, then that’s an entirely different thing, but generally speaking, I find to narrate, then swap for dialogue, a helpful one to follow.
Thanks for reading and for your input!
[...] Here’s How to “Show, Don’t Tell” (catherineburr.com) [...]