A lot of writers—especially new ones—tend to rush their stories because they are anxious to tell the tale, but in doing so, they fail to give their readers what they came for—to be transported. Good writers are also avid readers. Think about it, what do you love most about your favorite books? There may be a number of things, but in all likelihood, the author’s ability to draw you into the story, to walk you through the neighborhood, meet its residents and learn what makes them tick, and to have an almost tangible connection to the characters and setting will be pretty high on your list. When you’re writing, you need to provide that experience for your readers, and that requires you to put yourself into the story to look around, describe what you see, and introduce your characters through their appearance, words, actions, and the little nuances that make them three-dimensional. You need to breathe life into all of it.
The other day, I got a call from someone looking for childcare. I answered the woman’s questions and set up a time for her to come and see the daycare. When I asked her why she was switching providers, she said, “Lately, it’s the same every morning. As soon as we pull into the lot, Lily starts wailing. It’s a fight to get her out of her carseat because she pushes my hands away and after I finally get the buckle unfastened, she holds onto the straps of the seat and I’m forced to peel her hands off of them a finger at a time. By the time that I get her inside, Lily is red-faced and screaming, her hair is a wild mess from thrashing in the seat, and she’s wrapped her arms and legs so tightly around me that I could let go and she wouldn’t slip an inch. She’s miserable there and I need to respect that. Plus, I’m tired of going to work with baby snot all over the front of my shirt.”
The woman is a number-cruncher, not a writer, but she did a pretty good job of showing, not telling. She could have simply said that her daughter had an extreme case of separation anxiety or that her daughter wasn’t happy at her current daycare, but instead, she painted a picture of their mornings that was so descriptive that although we’ve yet to meet, I have a definite picture in my mind of both Lily’s drop-off experience and her mother’s frustration. And while that mom wasn’t necessarily trying to write an engaging paragraph, she certainly did.
Some people can definitely paint a story and not even realize it. I've seen some poetry from people who never in a million years think or claim to be a poet. I think it's just a natural thing that you're born with and that the talent can be developed but not learned. You've got it or you don't.
ReplyDeleteI'm also glad the mom is listening to her child.
@DWV: "You've either got it or you don't." I agree. Passable writing can be achieved from anyone with a desire to put pen to paper, but magic is inherent.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm glad, too, that the mom respects her kid's reaction to her current daycare situation. She may not be using words yet, but she's definitely communicating her discomfort.
I know I should be impressed with the 'lesson' here and I am on some level, but mostly I am impressed with this mom who cares that her daughter isn't doing well and is looking for an answer. It gives me hope.........
ReplyDeleteWonderful story Beth! I wish she finds a way ...
ReplyDeleteGreat example showing how effective showing can be.
ReplyDeletemood
Moody Writing
@mooderino
@Jo: Me too. I'll be meeting her next week, but I pretty much already know that I like her. :O)
ReplyDelete@Claudia: Thank you! I think she'll do just fine. :O)
@mood: Thanks! :O)
Yes I agree, this is a lot of the reason I am not writing much anymore a little intimidated by all the wonderful writing in the group don't think I do the same with mine. As a child I wasn't allowed out to play with the other kids because of problems with my health, I turned to book, I have read thousand's of books in my life some of them over and over again, so I can walk down the streets and go into the pubs in faraway Ireland, sail the seas, explore the pyramids, walk along the Nile river and climb those mountains that I wasn't even allowed to see. I could do this from the safety of my room or the chair in the living room, sitting there I was never really there I was off exploring and seeing new things in the stories that were weaved in all these books.
ReplyDeleteAwesome write my friend
♥ ya
@Jul: You have nothing to be intimidated about! I love reading your stuff because every time I do, I'm reminded of what a sweet, kind soul you are.
ReplyDeleteAnd as far as going on adventures through reading, I'd have to say that that's probably about my favorite way to travel. :O)
I just want to add, that I'm in favour of a happy mixture of show & tell in fiction. That is, there are times where some telling is mandatory, but you shouldn't overdo it. A good example of too much showing and not enough telling is that classic Science Fiction film "Dune" (1984). When this movie premiered, they had to issue movie viewers a little pamphlet about "what was going on in the film", because the movie director (David Lynch) did almost nothing but show. Hence the public reaction was "What the heck is going on?" Lynch had to even add in a lead-in preliminary telling some background story, after the film had been already been released because of this "problem". Lynch's strong point is focusing on graphic visual showing, with little or absolutely no telling. It almost backfired in this film because too many people weren't "getting it", when he omitted all of Frank Herbert's (the author's) background story (telling) and the majority of his character's internal dialogue (also a form of telling). There has to a balance between show & tell, although at the moment it's in fashion to put emphasis on showing. But I still think if you over-focus on showing and completely ignore or sacrifice telling then at some point readers might think "What's this got to do with the story?". Most stories tell us something - sometimes by showing us something and sometimes by telling us something.
ReplyDelete@Celeste: Thanks for adding your take. Yep, too much of anything is never good and like everything else in life, good writing comes from finding the right balance. :O)
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