Category Archives: Showing versus telling

What Exactly is Imagery?

Posted on December 8, 2025 by knlistman

What is the difference between describing details and creating imagery? Perhaps I should ask what is the difference in describing details that are exquisite and those full of boring minutia. The concept is difficult to explain because it does depend … Continue reading →

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The Physiology of Love and Fear

Posted on May 19, 2025 by knlistman

The demand for writing from the character’s point of viewpoint is increasing. Sights, sounds, textures and tastes should reflect the perception of the character. But, what about physiological reactions? These descriptions capture the racing heart and euphoria, or the rise … Continue reading →

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Why Don’t They Like My Writing?

Posted on January 26, 2024 by knlistman

Beta reviewers or the local literary critique group may not be fond of what an author has written. However, they often don’t know how to explain what they dislike. The problem could be based on style. Perhaps, the language sounds … Continue reading →

Posted in author feuds, Creativity, Ideas for writing, Showing versus telling, Teaching writing skills | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

How Can Writing Not Be “Telling?”

Posted on December 6, 2023 by knlistman

I find the “show don’t tell” adage for writers a curious contradiction. Unless you are writing a movie script that will be produced, everything that you record is actually told to the reader. Writing is very abstract, so providing this … Continue reading →

Posted in Drama and movies, Ideas for writing, Literary devices, Literature, Novels, romance, Showing versus telling, Trends in books, Writing trends | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Traveling Swan Roads in Books

Posted on April 27, 2023 by knlistman

While reading Beowulf in a modern translation I encountered a person called a breaker of rings. In my mind I could see a burly man hacking gold rings apart, possibly a thief destroying the identity of his latest heist. As … Continue reading →

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Buying into a Binary

Posted on September 22, 2022 by knlistman

Writing which shows is almost always touted as superior to writing that tells. Examples of this are filled with intriguing dialog, exciting actions accompanied by descriptive detail filled with aromas, colors, and noises. On the other hand, telling explains who … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Literature, Showing versus telling, Story structure, Style and voice | 1 Comment

The Lead-footed Writer

Posted on September 15, 2022 by knlistman

In movies when an event is crucial to survival (such as disarming a bomb) the clock keeps ticking away on until the last minute as the hero tries to figure out which wire to cut. He wipes the sweat off … Continue reading →

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