Saturday, July 6, 2013

Show, not tell

Here's an old rule in the writing business - show, don't tell. The problem with adjectives is that they don't show us anything. In other words, they rarely if ever evoke visual images in readers' minds, and are just a lazy substitute for writing good, effective description.
Look at the following two examples:
The man was fat.
The man's belly hung over his belt buckle and there was sweat on his forehead as he climbed the stairs.
See the difference? The first sentence is vague and lifeless. It doesn't really create a picture in your mind.
The second sentence, on the other hand, evokes images through just a few descriptive phrases - the belly hanging over the belt, the sweaty forehead. Notice that the word "fat" isn't used. It isn't needed. We get the picture.

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