There can’t be many fiction writers who haven’t been told how important it is to show readers what’s going on in people’s heads instead of telling them. I deal with Show, Don’t Tell daily, as ghost writer and as editor. This is what the founder and CEO of one American publishing company said about my work as an editor:
“What can I say about John? One of the biggest issues we find in the manuscripts we receive from authors is Show, Don’t Tell. For a book to have any chance at all to bring readers in and engage them, it needs to show the story and not tell the story. John is an expert at this. He’s the best editor we have worked with when it comes to Show, Don’t Tell and his work has allowed us to accept manuscripts that would otherwise not have been accepted. He does great work and I highly recommend him.”
And a writer who signed up to my Show, Don’t Tell webinar had this to say about it:
“Show Don’t Tell was a fantastic Masterclass. The examples were illuminating. How will I ever stop “telling” like a journalist? Now I have an idea of how much “telling” is in my first 2 drafts. TOO MUCH. My first sentence is “telling”, for God’s sake.”
I see a lot of nonsense on the Web by people claiming to explain how to show instead of telling. If you want the real lowdown on practical ways to make Show, Don’t Tell an instinctive feature of your writing, try my webinar. It will cost you $29.99. Quite possibly the best value you will ever see in your writing life.