tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-804362225532927635.post7028270228567035165..comments2023-10-28T03:56:55.493-07:00Comments on Ghost Girl: Evoke, Don’t Bludgeon, Or Show Don’t TellBeth Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13494316048252190314noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-804362225532927635.post-72830926328368603412013-02-09T08:40:56.981-08:002013-02-09T08:40:56.981-08:00Great examples here Catherine! I love learning abo...Great examples here Catherine! I love learning about a character from another character. I think its especially artful when the book is in the first person and I learn about the narrator from the dialogue of other characters. DonnaGalantihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16936331145444649588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-804362225532927635.post-75889374515214576402013-01-30T19:24:00.119-08:002013-01-30T19:24:00.119-08:00Stina, your reply made me chuckle. You make a good...Stina, your reply made me chuckle. You make a good point. Sometimes earnest yet newbie critics are so focused on criticizing any amount of "telling" they don't see the beauty and "showing" in the "telling". Catherine Stinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08131569196977321229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-804362225532927635.post-34923962607589678102013-01-30T16:42:09.027-08:002013-01-30T16:42:09.027-08:00This is a great post. It's shows that it's...This is a great post. It's shows that it's okay to tell, as long as the telling is showing. A lot of writers forget this. And critters too. I had someone tell me I was telling, but she was so focused on that, she missed what I was actually showing. Stinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11415189347501942340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-804362225532927635.post-54252445537759619332013-01-30T13:31:29.100-08:002013-01-30T13:31:29.100-08:00Lexa, that's exactly why I made sure to say th...Lexa, that's exactly why I made sure to say that some exposition is GOOD. You really shouldn't write an entire novel only using dialog. Helen, Chekhov is totally a writer's go-to guide. JA, yes, it so so important not to "tell" your readers how they should feel about characters. let them come to their own conclusions! There are some villains I happen to love.Catherine Stinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08131569196977321229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-804362225532927635.post-47327769777111380972013-01-30T10:56:36.145-08:002013-01-30T10:56:36.145-08:00I remember being "bludgeoned" (to borrow...I remember being "bludgeoned" (to borrow your word, lol) by the show-don't-tell rule when I was first learning to write. After a while, I found that by only showing, my writing felt dry. I finally learned you have to show what the character is doing and feeling, but then tell WHY they're feeling this way. Many current novelists still "tell" way too much and don't seem to have a problem getting published. But I get turned off by the backstory overloads, info-dumps or copious introspection when I'm browsing the first few pages, and I don't buy those books. <br /><br />BTW, I love Helen's quote from Chekov! :-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07735576044552810103noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-804362225532927635.post-91706051426163389832013-01-30T09:42:48.893-08:002013-01-30T09:42:48.893-08:00The only thing I would add is to make sure you'...The only thing I would add is to make sure you're never telling the reader how they should feel. That's a huge no-no. Great post!Jennie Bennetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17331827076858223497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-804362225532927635.post-36500699014885359142013-01-30T09:27:29.798-08:002013-01-30T09:27:29.798-08:00My favorite guide is a bit of advice from Chekov:
...My favorite guide is a bit of advice from Chekov:<br /><br />"Don't tell me the moon is out. Show me the glint of light on broken glass."<br /><br />It says that the way to show and evoke an emotion, a mood, a threat, a change is through concrete imagery.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-804362225532927635.post-69036964630280850582013-01-30T08:26:15.634-08:002013-01-30T08:26:15.634-08:00Yes, thanks Beth and fellow writers. I almost call...Yes, thanks Beth and fellow writers. I almost called it Embed don't Bludgeon, because the idea is to sort of implant the clues and forcast plot points without being too obvious.Catherine Stinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08131569196977321229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-804362225532927635.post-52643796525393133672013-01-30T08:21:34.304-08:002013-01-30T08:21:34.304-08:00"Evoke, don't bludgeon" - love it! G..."Evoke, don't bludgeon" - love it! Great examples, too.Alison DeLucahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06979026382091362305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-804362225532927635.post-89516285190128187952013-01-30T08:03:25.567-08:002013-01-30T08:03:25.567-08:00Telling definitely feels like a bludgeoning. Dialo...Telling definitely feels like a bludgeoning. Dialogue is a good way to avoid it. "But as you know, you can tell in dialogue, too." :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01052604405996474436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-804362225532927635.post-64894001077667802752013-01-30T06:44:42.064-08:002013-01-30T06:44:42.064-08:00I love using dialogue to show instead of the dread...I love using dialogue to show instead of the dreaded telling. It's a very effective technique.Kelly Hashwayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13936313159809041986noreply@blogger.com