It's "show" time!How a novelist learned the whole truth of writing's most famous adage
Published:
July 27, 2005 My heart fluttered. Cradling the beginning pages of a first novel, I
walked into the house where my critique group met. The regulars, seated
around a large round table, looked up and greeted me, and the group
leader announced, "Now we can begin!"
How would they react to my story? This was the first time I had brought fiction to the group.
As
we spent the next hour silently reviewing each other's submissions, our
blue pencils danced over manuscript pages, marking and scribbling. Then
the time came to give and receive feedback, and the atmosphere grew
somber. As fellow critics turned to my manuscript, I poised a pen over
a pad of paper and leaned forward.
"Meena," one man declared,
"she is what you would call a 'plucky heroine.' "I tipped back in my
chair and smiled. This fiction stuff was a cakewalk. "Keep going," said
another critic. His voice carried a note of dissatisfaction. The third
critic glanced at me, then looked down at a page. "Show us!" she'd
written in big blue letters in the margin. This, of course, was a
reference to writing's most famous adage: Show, don't tell. "But," I
mumbled, "I thought I was showing." "No, you're telling, pure and
simple." "Good advice," murmured the "plucky heroine" man. I sat there,
stiff and puzzled. What did they mean?
By now, the clock on
the side table read 10 p.m. One person yawned and the meeting was
adjourned. My hands slow and tentative, I collected the manuscript
pages. Before reaching home, I had made a resolution: I'd demystify
this "Show, don't tell" imperative, pure and simple. And over time, I
did. I pored over reference books and novels looking for examples. I
discovered there's more to this craft element than meets the novice's
eyes. And, acting on my new knowledge, I found ways to improve my first
novel, Shiva Dancing, which eventually found a publisher. Following is some of what I learned:
|
To gain complete access to our Web site and the many available writing resources,
subscribe today.
|
|
Subscribe today and get 12 issues of The Writer magazine PLUS these great
online benefits:
- Research more than 3,000 markets for your work
- Read timeless articles on writing from 120+ years of The Writer
- Access links to hundreds of top-rated literary publications
- Read exclusive online-only articles on craft and freelancing
- Post your work for critique by other Writer subscribers in our forums
- Make friends and discuss writing issues in the Writer community
- Receive our informative biweekly e-mail newsletters
- Manage your account
|
|