Show, Dont Tell The Simple Guide for Writers

Show, Dont Tell The Simple Guide for Writers Show, Dont Tell: What You Need to Know You’ve heard it a thousand times from writing mentors, and you’ll hear it a thousand times more: Show, don’t tell. But what does it mean? If you struggle with the difference between showing vs. telling, you’re not alone. Once you’ve got it, it seems simple. But until you do, this maxim causes as many questions as anything in the writing world.    Is it really that important? You bet it is. If you want your writing noticed by a publisher or an agent- and for the right reasons- it’s vital you master the art of showing. So let’s see if I can solidify the concept in your mind right here, right now. I want to supercharge your showing vs. telling radar- and make it simple. Need help fine-tuning your writing?  Click here to download my free self-editing checklist. The Difference Between Showing vs. Telling When you tell rather than show, you simply inform your reader of information rather than allowing him to deduce anything. You’re supplying information by simply stating it. You might report that a character is â€Å"tall,† or â€Å"angry,† or â€Å"cold,† or â€Å"tired.† That’s telling. Showing would paint a picture the reader could see in her mind’s eye. If your character is tall, your reader can deduce that because you mention others looking up when they talk with him. Or he has to duck to get through a door. Or when posing for a photo, he has to bend his knees to keep his head in proximity of others. Rather than telling that your character is angry, show it by describing his face flushing, his throat tightening, his voice rising, his slamming a fist on the table. When you show, you don’t have to tell. Cold? Don’t tell me; show me. Your character pulls her collar up, tightens her scarf, shoves her hands deep into her pockets, turns her face away from the biting wind. Tired? He can yawn, groan, stretch. His eyes can look puffy. His shoulders could slump. Another character might say, â€Å"Didn’t you sleep last night? You look shot.† When you show rather than tell, you make the reader part of the experience. Rather than having everything simply imparted to him, he sees it in his mind and comes to the conclusions you want. What could be better than engaging your reader- giving him an active role in the storytelling- or should I say the story-showing? Show, Dont Tell Examples Telling: When they embraced she could tell he had been smoking and was scared. Showing: When she wrapped her arms around him, the sweet staleness of tobacco enveloped her, and he was shivering. Telling: The temperature fell and the ice reflected the sun. Showing: Bills nose burned in the frigid air, and he squinted against the sun reflecting off the street. Telling: Suzie was blind. Showing: Suzie felt for the bench with a white cane. Telling: It was late fall. Showing: Leaves crunched beneath his feet. Telling: She was a plumber and asked where the bathroom was. Showing: She wore coveralls carried a plunger and metal toolbox, and wrenches of various sizes hung from a leather belt around her waist. â€Å"Point me to the head,† she said. Telling: I had a great conversation with Tim over dinner and loved hearing his stories. Showing: I barely touched my food, riveted by Tim. â€Å"Let me tell you another story,† he said. Is Telling Ever Acceptable? Yes, it’s a mistake to take show, don’t tell as inviolable. While summary narrative is largely frowned upon, sometimes it’s a prudent choice. If there’s no value to the plot/tension/conflict/character arc by showing some mundane but necessary information, telling is preferable. For instance, say you have to get your character to an important meeting and back, before the real action happens. Maybe he has to get clearance from his superiors before he can lead a secret raid. Rather than investing several pages showing every aspect of the trip from packing, dressing, getting a cab to the airport, going through security, boarding the plane, arriving at his destination- you quickly tell that this way: Three days later, after a trip to Washington to get the operation sanctioned by his superiors, Casey packed his weapons and camo clothes and set out to recruit his crew. Then you immediately return to showing mode, describing his visits to trusted compatriots and getting them on board. Why the Book Is Usually Better Than the Movie    The theater of the reader’s mind is more powerful than anything Hollywood can put on the screen. Well-written books trigger the theater of the mind and allow readers to create their own visual. Your writing can do the same if you master showing rather than telling. Need help fine-tuning your writing?  Click here to download my free self-editing checklist. Have another question about showing vs. telling? Ask me in the comments.

Personal Subject Pronouns in Spanish

Personal Subject Pronouns in Spanish Spanish pronouns are usually used much like their English counterparts. The biggest difference is that subject pronouns (ones used to tell who or what is performing the action of the main verb in a sentence) can be omitted where theyre required in English. In other words, subject pronouns in Spanish are used primarily for clarity or emphasis. The 12 Personal Subject Pronouns of Spanish yo - Ità º - you (singular familiar)usted - you (singular formal)à ©l, ella - he, shenosotros, nosotras - wevosotros, vosotras - you (plural familiar)ustedes - you (plural formal)ellos, ellas - they These are called personal subject pronouns to distinguish them from the demonstrative pronouns, the equivalent of words such as this and those. There is also a subject pronoun ello, which can be the rough equivalent of it, but it is rarely used. Note that even though à ©l, ella, ellos, and ellas usually refer to people or animals, they can on occasion refer to inanimate objects, with the pronoun matching the grammatical gender of the object or objects being referred to. Vosotros and vosotras are seldom used in most of Latin America, where ustedes can be used even when talking with close friends or children. How To Use or Omit Subject Pronouns Because verb conjugation often suggests who or what the subject of a sentence is, one can properly leave out the subject pronoun or put it at various places in the sentence. Voy a la escuela, yo voy a la escuela, voy yo a la escuela, and voy a la escuela yo are all grammatically correct ways of saying I am going to the school (although the final option would be highly uncommon except if said for poetic effect). But the placement of the pronoun can make a difference in how the sentence is understood. To see how these pronouns are used, examine the sentences below. Subject pronouns, where used, are in boldface: Mi hermano es muy inteligente. Es doctor. (My brother is intelligent. He  is a doctor.) - No subject pronoun is needed in the second sentence, because the subject of the sentence is made clear by the context and the verb form.Mis mejores amigos se llaman Roberto, Ahmad y Suzanne. Son estudiantes. (My best friends are Roberto, Ahmad, and Suzanne. They are students.) - The pronoun is unnecessary in the second Spanish sentence and normally wouldnt be used becauses it is clear who is being referred to.Es fcil comprender el libro. (It is easy to understand the book.) - No pronoun is used to translate an impersonal use of it.Mi hermano y su esposa son inteligentes. Él es doctor, y ella es abogada. (My brother and his wife are intelligent. He is a doctor, and she is a lawyer.) - In this case, the subject pronouns à ©l and ella are used  for clarity.Tà º, ella y yo vamos al cine. (You, she,  and I are going to the movies.) - Note that in this construction the first-person pl ural form of the verb (the one that would be used with the equivalent of we) is used. Thus it is possible to use that verb form without using the pronoun nosotros. Hazlo. (Do it.) Hazlo tà º. (You do it.) - In a command such as this, the addition of the subject often has a similar effect to its use in English. Although grammatically not necessary, the addition of the subject serves to place additional emphasis on the subject.Ella canta bien. (She sings well.) Canta bien ella. She sings well. - The pronoun would be used in the first sentence if theres no context to clearly indicate who is being talked about. By placing ella at the end of the second sentence, the speaker is placing a strong emphasis on the pronoun. The emphasis in the second sentence is on the singer and not the singing. ¿Vas a salir? (Are you leaving?)  ¿Vas a salir tà º? (Are you leaving?) - The first sentence is a simple, uninflected question. But the second one, by adding the subject at the end of sentence, is placing a strong emphasis on the person leaving. One possible translation might be Are even you leaving? Or one might render the English as Are you leaving? wi th a stress or emphasis on you. Nunca va ella al centro. (She never goes downtown.) Ya ha salido à ©l. (He has already left.) - It is common when certain adverbs start a sentence to immediately follow the adverb with the verb, followed by the subject. No special emphasis on the subject is intended. Adverbs often used this way include nunca, ya, bastante, and quizs.- Te amo, dijo à ©l. - Tambià ©n te amo, respondià ³ ella. (I love you, he said. I love you too, she responded.) - When reporting what people have said, it is common to use the subject pronoun after verbs such as decir (to say), preguntar (to ask), and responder (to reply). No special emphasis on the speaker is intended. (Note: The dashes in the Spanish sentences are a type of quotation mark.)