Category Archives: Showing versus telling

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 →

Posted in allusions, Creativity, Literature, Poetry, Showing versus telling, Style and voice, Trends in books | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Creativity, Literary devices, Showing versus telling, Story structure, Style and voice, Writing trends | Tagged , , | Leave a comment