Show, don’t tell is the most common writing advice there is, but what does it mean? Scene, summary, and exposition are three key tools in fiction that are used to advance a story and create a believable and engaging world for the reader. These elements work together to create a pace and rhythm in a story and can be used in different ways to achieve different effects.
Tag: writing advice
Writing Advice for Burned Out Writers
I know a lot of creatives with full-time jobs, families, and other responsibilities. Writers can be really hard on themselves (and others), and a lot of common writing advice is unsympathetic to the struggles of busy writers, with an unhelpful get-through-it mentality that doesn’t address the issue at hand. “Write every day”- and “ass in chair”-style writing advice isn’t harmful in itself, but like all writing advice, it shouldn’t be applied universally or without a handy saltshaker nearby. And it can become part of toxic positivity culture when used to determine who is and is not a real writer, or who truly cares about their craft.
Crafting a Literary Image: Identifying Linguistic Cliches (Part 1)
How are some writers able to create a breathtaking, evocative setting or description that stays with you long afterwards? And why is this so difficult to replicate in your own work?
You’re a writer, so you know the feeling of staring at your computer screen, wanting the words to be powerful, create a vivid scene in the reader’s head, evoke an emotion. Instead, they feel shallow. They’re setting out, but not quite arriving at the intended destination.