Show and Tell

I feel this class has helped me to grow as a writer. From poetry to creative essays, I have discovered new and unique aspects of creative writing. However, the one piece of advice I have found most valuable is to show details in my writing rather than tell.

In fact, an English instructor once said to me, “Show, don’t tell.” That phrase captured my attention, but I always struggled to execute the concept. There seemed no concrete method to replace telling with showing. This class has helped me to discover ways to move in that direction.

Through the many creative writing assignments, I finally comprehend that showing is a way to evoke an emotion in your reader by using words. The writing is meant to appeal to the five senses and make a person feel like they are actually there, experiencing what the character is experiencing. Showing draws the reader into the story. Reflecting on the many pieces I have read, my favorites are always the ones with vivid descriptions: the stories that conjure an image in my mind. The pieces that “tell” me details in a cut-and-dry manner are the ones I put down; they do not engage.

In writing, it is my goal to entertain others. I do not want to be the author whose work is dry and uninspired. Now, I feel I can one day reach this goal, because, each time I pick up a pencil or set my fingers to the keyboard, I remind myself: “Show, don’t tell.”