Love and Romance, etc.
A Free Newsletter for romance novel lovers
By Bonnie Williams
FREE REPORT: How to write your book FAST!!
Show Me - Don't Tell Me:
Three Techniques to Entice Your Reader
By Bonnie Williams
As romance writers, we've all heard the phrase "show, don't tell." But what does that really mean? And how can you tell the difference between the two?
Think about a movie you've seen recently. Is it mostly narration telling you what is happening, or are the characters' actions and interactions showing you what's happening? Most movies don't have narrators. There are exceptions, but rarely does a movie have narration simply because a movie can't "tell" you what's happening - a movie must "show" you!
Remember - a scene is action, something happening. That is "showing." "Telling" is simply exposition - and BORING!
Three of the best techniques for showing:
1. Dialogue - letting your characters do the telling
2. Action - building tension as the events unfold
3. Using the senses - drawing the reader in with taste, touch, and smell, as well as sight and sound.
There are several other ways of showing but for romance novel writing, these three seem to be the most effective.
Here are examples of each. See if you can tell the difference.
1) Dialogue:
Telling:
Mac seemed to have a knack for cutting through her layers of self-doubt and inadequacies. He made her feel like a sexual being with just the touch of his hand.
Showing:
Anna's head fell back and her eyelids went heavy as she looked up. Mac was standing behind her.
"You have the most incredible sensual energy surrounding you," he whispered as he gently rubbed his hands again her sore shoulders. "There's nothing sexier than a woman with fire in her eyes to get a man aroused."
A sigh escaped her lips. "It's you," she said. "No one else has ever made me feel this way."
"How do I make you feel, Anna?"
Her senses became electric when he lightly kissed her neck. "Desired."
2) Action:
Telling:
Anna was frightened and aroused.
Showing:
The footsteps tapped closer to her bedroom door. Anna felt her stomach clench and her heart pound against her ribs as that familiar musty scent of sweat reached her senses.
She pulled the bed sheets tightly around herself. It did nothing to stop the sweat from trickling down her chest, or the tingling heat between her legs.
There was no doubt in her mind - it was him.
3) Using the Senses:
Telling:
Anna felt loved and comforted as Mac held her in his arms.
Showing:
Mac reached for Anna and captured her by the shoulders, pulling her close, then tucked her head under his chin. She felt comforted by the heat of his body as his strong arms held her tight against him. She breathed in the musky scent of his cologne and the smell of his leather jacket as he squeezed her tighter. Her heart swelled and she felt loved.
The telling examples merely give you information. You can't "see" what is happening.
In the showing examples, you are right there with Anna on an emotional level. You can feel her fear. You can imagine her sexual excitement.
Both showing and telling convey the same information. But what's the difference between the two?
Telling simply states the facts.
Showing may or may not actually state the facts at all, yet it still leaves no doubt in your reader's mind what's happening. Showing creates a mental picture for your reader by conveying information through the use of action, dialogue, and all five senses. But most importantly, showing is interactive and participatory - it forces your reader to become involved in your story, allowing her to deduce the facts for herself, rather than just taking information in passively.
Showing gives your reader specific details to stimulate her imagination so she can project herself into the scene and become a part of it. And isn't that what sensual writing is all about?
Love and Romance, etc.
By Bonnie Williams
Copyright © 2008
