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Show, don’t tell; show don’t tell, let me turn that up…SHOW DON’T TELL.
Anyone else going to hurl if they hear or read this again? I’m not angry, I’m just a baby boomer. I mean come on—. Does anyone remember that calm, lazy voice of the narrator on the Disney show on Sunday nights? He jumped into everyone’s mind, even the animals, and told us the setup of the story, and once in a while—intervened to make sure the viewers understood what was going on. 
I used to launch myself onto the sofa at six o’clock Sunday night, sitting on my haunches and stuffing my toes deep between the cushions, waiting for Tinker Bell to whisk her wand filled with fairy dust across the screen.
Or—I could have said, as a kid I watched Disney on Sunday nights. Show don’t tell.
Times have changed, and so has the writing industry. No matter how it’s evolved, telling a story is about creating a picture in your readers mind, and if you’re a good writer an emotion as well. Whether it’s the squeezing of anticipation in your heart, a warm fuzzy connection to a memory, or the jerk of jealousy in your guts when the hero gazes at his old flame and your heroine feels the pang; so should your readers. But it seems to me that the statement is a little overused, and everybody wants an opportunity to say it. Personally I like to dig deep into the mind of the characters, and many times that means “tell”.
Using “show” takes more words and paper space, and if used in strategic places it works well, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But using “tell” is a hurry-up offense to get needed background information to readers without wasting a lot of time. The struggle is all in the balance.
For me personally, it can be a huge struggle. My profession, which dominates my life, requires direct, no-guesswork-type statements. But when I switch to fiction writing, I have to illicit an emotion and a picture, back off, get out of your face, and let you, the reader, think for yourself. Hard for me to do sometimes.
Yet, I’m learning, and so will you as your writing evolves. You know when it works, and you groan when it doesn’t. When your editor hits you over the head with the statement, “this is mostly told not shown” take a breath, and back away from your story. Take a break, and look at it again as if you’ve never read the words before. She/he might be right, or they might not, evaluate, evaluate, evaluate and never become too connected to your words because like your
mind, they can always change.
Faith, hope and love to you all.
Natasza.
