One thing I've been seeing a lot of lately is more telling in manuscripts than showing. When you tell the reader what is happening, you're not drawing them into the story, making them visualize everything and urging them to read forward. I know if I get a book from the library or I'm standing in the store looking for a book to buy, I'll read the first chapter. If it doesn't catch me, I don't buy the book. To catch me requires two things: a good hook and good storytelling. If you don't manage to do both of those things, you're not getting my money in your pocket. And if you're submitting to me, you're probably not getting me to buy your story, either.
Don't just write "She was sad." You've got to give me...and your readers...more than that. Was she crying? Were her cheeks red? Or, maybe she wasn't crying yet, but you could see the tears glistening in her eyes, ready to roll down her cheeks as soon as she blinked. Paint the picture for me.
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1 comment:
Great tip!
"Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass."
Anton Chekhov said this, not me :-)
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