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That writing advice about 'show don't tell' I always rolled my eyes at...
My critique partner pointed out in a scene where I wrote 'she was sad' that I could just describe her staring at the rain for 3 pages. Tried it on a story last week and got my first acceptance from a lit mag. Has anyone else found a specific writing rule that actually clicked after you ignored it for years?
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ramirez.vera19d ago
The rain thing is real. I wrote a scene where my guy just sat on his porch watching cracks in the sidewalk instead of saying he was frustrated. Editor said it was the best part. Sometimes showing means letting readers do the work.
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thomasgonzalez19d ago
I had a scene where a kid is trying to figure out if his dad is coming home for dinner. Instead of saying he was nervous, I wrote him rearranging the salt and pepper shakers four times over ten minutes. Then he starts counting the seconds between cars passing by the window. My writing group told me that specific bit made them feel the tension. Sometimes it's about picking one tiny action and letting it carry the whole mood.
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brooket4319d ago
That's a good lesson but man it's hard to trust the reader like that. I once wrote three pages describing a character making coffee just to show he was lonely. My beta reader thought I was pitching a coffee commercial.
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