18. Simplifying “show, don’t tell”
10/25/22 • 11 min
We’ve always been told to “show, don’t tell.” As such, we’ve become predisposed to want to show more, which is understandable because too much telling can feel dull and one-dimensional. But this predisposition is where writers can get lost.
While showing feels like an intimate experience with the reader, sometimes it can also cause a scene to feel long and drawn out when it has little to do with the overall story. On the other hand, telling can feel too abrupt and possibly be a missed opportunity to expand on the plot or character development.
I know how confusing this can be.
That’s why I—your host, Erin P.T. Canning, a writer, editor, and mom of two—want to show you how to maximize these methods to elevate your writing.
In this episode, you will learn exactly what showing and telling are, when to use them, and how to transition between the two. You will hear concrete yet simple examples of best-use cases, a detailed list of different ways to use telling, and a list of different types of showing.
Making the distinction between showing and telling is the foundation to guiding your reader’s imagination into your world and eliciting the emotions needed for your reader to sink into the story.
So tune in to this quick yet informative episode to learn about these methods and how to use them.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- The difference between showing and telling
- Should you show more than you tell?
- Examples of transitions between telling and showing
- When to use time in telling and showing
- When to show vs. tell in various scenarios with examples
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
Looking for an editor or book coach?
As an indie author, editor, and book coach, I teach authors how to untangle their jumbled ideas and tackle each writing stage one at a time.
With my 20 years’ experience and my master’s in writing, I have a 4-stage process that takes authors from struggling with overwhelm to finishing their manuscripts with confidence and direction in 6 months.
As such, I love spending time with my clients and watching them grow into strong, knowledgeable authors. Read more here, and schedule a call to see if we're a good fit: https://calendly.com/erinptcanning/30min-meeting.
We’ve always been told to “show, don’t tell.” As such, we’ve become predisposed to want to show more, which is understandable because too much telling can feel dull and one-dimensional. But this predisposition is where writers can get lost.
While showing feels like an intimate experience with the reader, sometimes it can also cause a scene to feel long and drawn out when it has little to do with the overall story. On the other hand, telling can feel too abrupt and possibly be a missed opportunity to expand on the plot or character development.
I know how confusing this can be.
That’s why I—your host, Erin P.T. Canning, a writer, editor, and mom of two—want to show you how to maximize these methods to elevate your writing.
In this episode, you will learn exactly what showing and telling are, when to use them, and how to transition between the two. You will hear concrete yet simple examples of best-use cases, a detailed list of different ways to use telling, and a list of different types of showing.
Making the distinction between showing and telling is the foundation to guiding your reader’s imagination into your world and eliciting the emotions needed for your reader to sink into the story.
So tune in to this quick yet informative episode to learn about these methods and how to use them.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- The difference between showing and telling
- Should you show more than you tell?
- Examples of transitions between telling and showing
- When to use time in telling and showing
- When to show vs. tell in various scenarios with examples
Connect with Erin:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning
Looking for an editor or book coach?
As an indie author, editor, and book coach, I teach authors how to untangle their jumbled ideas and tackle each writing stage one at a time.
With my 20 years’ experience and my master’s in writing, I have a 4-stage process that takes authors from struggling with overwhelm to finishing their manuscripts with confidence and direction in 6 months.
As such, I love spending time with my clients and watching them grow into strong, knowledgeable authors. Read more here, and schedule a call to see if we're a good fit: https://calendly.com/erinptcanning/30min-meeting.
Previous Episode
17. Shaping a life around writing w/ Nancy McCabe
The process of writing can be joyful, freeing, and nourishing to the soul. But when you become a parent, everything changes. The love for writing does not waiver, but the time to dedicate to your writing does.
Joining today’s conversation is Nancy McCabe, a single mom and accomplished professor who has published several books. She grew up loving stories but didn't think she could make a career out of writing.
With an intrinsic desire to write, Nancy had to intentionally carve out time to write her numerous books. She found fun ways to integrate her love of writing into motherhood, thus enabling Nancy to find a balance that worked and inspired her writing.
Erin speaks to Nancy about her writing projects, the writing process, and important female authors. They also discuss how many films and television shows miss the mark on capturing the spirit of a novel’s story, and they touch on the lack of diversity in classic children’s books.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Learning to love teaching
- Shaping a life around writing
- Deciding to be a single parent through adoption
- Folding our kids into our writing lives
- Rereading children’s books from an adult perspective
- Nancy’s book, Little Houses to Little Women: Revisiting a Literary Childhood
- Female authors and characters who love to write
- Joe’s new ending in the Little Women film
- Embracing the messy first draft as part of the writing process
- Erin details her current WIP fantasy book
- Advice on revision techniques and feedback
- Missing the mark from book to screen
About Nancy:
Nancy McCabe, an author and a Pushcart winner, directs the creative and professional writing program at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford and teaches in the Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing at Spalding University.
She became a single parent by choice when she adopted her daughter from China in 1999, writing two memoirs about China adoption and homeland travel while her daughter was growing up and dragging her along on research trips and book tours.
Get her books:
- Can This Marriage Be Saved? A Memoir
- Following Disasters: A Novel
- From Little Houses to Little Women: Revisiting a Literary Childhood
- Crossing the Blue Willow Bridge: A Journey to My Daughter’s Birthplace in China
- Meeting Sophie: A Memoir of Adoption
- After the Flashlight Man: A Memoir of Awakening
- Vaulting through Time (forthcoming)
- AMAZON PAGE: https://www.amazon.com/Nancy-McCabe/e/B001K8OBBA
Connect with Nancy:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nancy.mccabe.92
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/nancygmccabe
- Website: https://www.nancymccabe.net/
Books discussed during the show:
- Betsy Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace
- Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud
Looking for an editor or book coach?
As an indie author, editor, and book coach, I teach authors how to untangle their jumbled ideas and tackle each writing stage one at a time.
With my 20 years’ experience and my master’s in writing, I have a 4-stage process that takes authors from struggling with overwhelm to finishing their manuscripts with confidence and direction in 6 months.
As such, I love spending time with my clients and watching them grow into strong, knowledgeable authors. Read more here, and schedule a call to see if we're a good fit: https://calendly.com/erinptcanning/30min-meeting.
Next Episode
19. Writing and parenting simultaneously w/ Sara Burnett
For parents, the responsibility for our kids plus the rest of life’s challenges can be overwhelming. But the people we were before don’t completely disappear. So how do you nurture these different parts of yourself and fulfill the responsibilities of parenthood?
Joining today’s show is Sara Burnett, an author, former English teacher, and mom of two little ones. After a traumatic event, she discovered that writing poetry helped her process her emotions. This encouraged her to make writing a focus in her life—even through motherhood.
Sara challenged her assumptions about parenting and writing and implemented habits that supported letting these two identities exist simultaneously. By attending writing-related events, she found a supportive community and gained the confidence to push past rejection letters and finally publish her book of poems.
Get valuable advice on learning to believe in yourself and tips on submitting your work in this episode. Plus, you’ll hear two special readings from Sara’s new poetry book, Seed Celestial.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Sara’s writing journey
- How she fell into poetry to process trauma
- Learning to write as a parent
- Defining a close reading
- Sara’s first poem reading
- Advice on sharing or submitting your poetry
- Embracing the spirit of rejection
- Finding community at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference
- Erin’s experience attending the Dodge Poetry Festival
- Inspiring quotes from female writers who are also moms
- What Sara is working on now
- Books she loves and books she reads to her kids
- Sara’s second poem reading
About Sara:
Sara Burnett is the author of Seed Celestial, winner of the 2021 Autumn House Press Poetry Prize. She has published in Barrow Street, Copper Nickel, Matter, PANK, and elsewhere. In addition to writing poetry and essays, she also writes picture books.
Sara also worked as a public high school English teacher. She holds an MFA from the University of Maryland and an MA in English Literature from the University of Vermont. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two kids, ages 5 and 2.
Get her book:
Connect with Sara:
- Website: https://www.sararburnett.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sara.burnett.52
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sararburnett
Books discussed during the show:
- Stephanie Burt
- Natasha Trethewey
- Mark Doty
- Naomi Shihab Nye
- Emily Dickinson
- Shell Silverstein
- The Baby on the Fire Escape: Creat
Looking for an editor or book coach?
As an indie author, editor, and book coach, I teach authors how to untangle their jumbled ideas and tackle each writing stage one at a time.
With my 20 years’ experience and my master’s in writing, I have a 4-stage process that takes authors from struggling with overwhelm to finishing their manuscripts with confidence and direction in 6 months.
As such, I love spending time with my clients and watching them grow into strong, knowledgeable authors. Read more here, and schedule a call to see if we're a good fit: https://calendly.com/erinptcanning/30min-meeting.
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