tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post1754509537535991552..comments2024-02-12T15:15:51.364+02:00Comments on The Five Year Project: A to Z Challenge: TellingMisha Gerrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06364173848456424521noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-91446517344561684062012-06-05T07:17:22.876+02:002012-06-05T07:17:22.876+02:00I liked the way you expressed for the phrases and ...I liked the way you expressed for the phrases and over narrate. Keep up the good workpublish a bookhttp://www.bonzoi.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-46677484278751268802012-05-20T02:35:22.600+02:002012-05-20T02:35:22.600+02:00Good post, Misha. I had such struggles with the c...Good post, Misha. I had such struggles with the concept of POV. I always appreciate a well-written post that shares ideas, tips, and techniques. Thanks :-)Teresa Cypherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08940430996766842518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-89230138901962923742012-04-27T05:04:56.330+02:002012-04-27T05:04:56.330+02:00I still have to find the fine line between telling...I still have to find the fine line between telling too much and telling too little. These tips will be a great help as I search for that balance. :)Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08131822804248899680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-6026177133336282462012-04-24T21:57:44.795+02:002012-04-24T21:57:44.795+02:00I still have to go through and remind myself not t...I still have to go through and remind myself not to tell so much. Showing is hard to do consistently, but it makes the story so much better.J.L. Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05666634455836834179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-82127019251769717512012-04-24T21:29:50.902+02:002012-04-24T21:29:50.902+02:00"Telling" can pull readers out of a stor..."Telling" can pull readers out of a story. I'd much rather be shown. :)Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10680066584646789184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-16059991378089796232012-04-24T19:25:28.241+02:002012-04-24T19:25:28.241+02:00These are great tips, Misha! Thanks for sharing. H...These are great tips, Misha! Thanks for sharing. Have a great week!!Laura S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13934230198562773803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-65966926455505157212012-04-24T08:19:22.385+02:002012-04-24T08:19:22.385+02:00I've mostly read older books my whole life, so...I've mostly read older books my whole life, so I prefer telling to showing in many cases. I think a lot of modern-day writers have forgotten that sometimes, it's more effective or to the point, esp. early on in a book, to just directly tell the reader establishing information instead of making him or her guess or have to wade through five or more chapters to know something vital to understanding a character or the storyline. <br /><br />I'm working more on showing emotional reactions, body language, and such (I didn't do enough of that in the old days), but I'd much rather just directly be told a character is scared, aroused, nervous, etc. in a few words instead of having to guess in 20 or 30 words. It can be more telling to say, for example, that someone said something nervously, or that it's cold, or that someone's excited, and then leave it up to the reader to paint the picture in his or her mind. Having everything spelt out for me takes away some of the fun of reading and bringing my own interpretation to the material.Carrie-Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05810154378449825641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-10267717245131975502012-04-24T05:55:27.386+02:002012-04-24T05:55:27.386+02:00Great post! I work so hard at this in my own writi...Great post! I work so hard at this in my own writing, it is positively annoying to read books that do a lot of telling when they could be showing. <br /><br />Thanks for stopping by my blog!<br /><br />Christine<br /><a href="http://coffeeinthegarden.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow"> Coffee in the Garden </a><br /><a href="http://careofthegreatphysician.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow"> In the Care of the Great Physician </a>Christinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15320818402752231412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-46647464924600577462012-04-24T04:36:22.429+02:002012-04-24T04:36:22.429+02:00Action is the way to go. I wish my stories knew th...Action is the way to go. I wish my stories knew that! Thanks for the info.Bethiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08984884363991238225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-86480449560508153982012-04-24T03:34:43.587+02:002012-04-24T03:34:43.587+02:00Awesome tips! I like showing through action.Awesome tips! I like showing through action.Christine Rainshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08263694662585963900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-84533356090843981382012-04-24T03:00:46.278+02:002012-04-24T03:00:46.278+02:00Showing is always more interesting to read, but so...Showing is always more interesting to read, but sometimes though, to move a story along, I think it's OK to tell. GReat post.Karen Baldwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01522178275164058849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-82252509565878113702012-04-24T02:05:54.964+02:002012-04-24T02:05:54.964+02:00Awesome post!!Awesome post!!Bonniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01265154793887852606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-91286547214553736922012-04-24T01:27:08.190+02:002012-04-24T01:27:08.190+02:00#3 - back story - will put me off a book faster th...#3 - back story - will put me off a book faster than anything. I try and keep the show not tell maxim in mind when editing and slash a lot of flowery prose which looks really pleasing on paper but doesn't necessarily add to the story. My tip (of course!)- use flash fiction as an exercise! A restricted word count forces you to try and make every word/scene/character count. :-)Lihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08831231531918915804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-5005742022357544802012-04-24T01:22:57.020+02:002012-04-24T01:22:57.020+02:00Love this post! Telling is one of those things tha...Love this post! Telling is one of those things that tend to creep in all too easily when us writer's aren't paying enough attention to the details. :)Kristihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08188460633615049191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-37471410200978443432012-04-24T01:05:51.321+02:002012-04-24T01:05:51.321+02:00Hey Misha,
Some very useful and interesting perspe...Hey Misha,<br />Some very useful and interesting perspectives you have noted. I think the reader should feel that the narrator is ambiguous enough to let them ascertain what may be transpiring. Of course, in my writing style, or lack thereof, anything goes...<br />Take care Misha and happy writing.<br />In kindness, Garyklahaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08613505424843475639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-15139456300079225362012-04-24T01:00:48.745+02:002012-04-24T01:00:48.745+02:00Great post. I agree the first telling is bad, but ...Great post. I agree the first telling is bad, but I'm on the fence about the second telling. For my writing style, the second telling doesn't work, but I've been at conferences where best sellers recommend giving the info as soon as possible, because the reader needs to know.Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09962862566388212238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-55082904936150376262012-04-23T23:50:22.342+02:002012-04-23T23:50:22.342+02:00Good tips. I like to dribble backstory in here and...Good tips. I like to dribble backstory in here and there as the story progresses and in a place that makes sense.Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-2973520639193475732012-04-23T23:06:17.000+02:002012-04-23T23:06:17.000+02:00I find reading out loud helps to point out those b...I find reading out loud helps to point out those bits of prose that don't belong.Annalisa Crawfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14943610814274794998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5190412120537448720.post-52469274724680045842012-04-23T22:55:43.145+02:002012-04-23T22:55:43.145+02:00Very good! The "don't tell, show" m...Very good! The "don't tell, show" method works in so many areas of life! Loving these helpful snippets!Donna Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13738281869266957726noreply@blogger.com