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The "show don't tell" rule is killing more stories than it saves
I keep seeing writing prompts that demand "show don't tell" like it's a law, but every story I read on here that follows it strictly reads like a slow motion security camera feed. Last month I critiqued 12 entries for a local contest in Austin, and the 3 that ignored that rule and just told us what happened had actual emotional punch. Telling isn't lazy, it's direct, and sometimes a paragraph of body language can't beat a simple line like "she was terrified." Anyone else feel like the rule gets misused as a blunt instrument?
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clairem4724d ago
Sixty percent of the entries I judged last month tried to follow that rule too hard, and they all felt like they were holding the reader at arm's length. I really get where you're coming from, @jessicac28, because I used to be the same way until a friend read me a line that just said "he never forgave her" and I felt it in my chest. There's something honest about telling that lets the reader fill in their own picture, and that's not lazy at all. It's about knowing when the direct hit works better than the slow burn, and most folks on here don't give themselves that choice.
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Wait, is this the take that finally gets me to admit I was wrong about show don't tell? I used to be all in on that rule, like hardcore, but then I read a piece where the guy just flat out said "she was terrified" and I got chills. All that time I spent describing sweaty palms and shaky breaths, and the direct hit just lands way harder sometimes. I'm still gonna use showing when it fits, but I'm done acting like telling is some kind of writing sin.
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