Writing A First Novel - Show, Don't Tell

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Writing A First Novel – Show Not Tell: The Art Of Dramatization

When writing a first novel, we often come across the axiom “show don’t tell” in the how to books and courses we read. But what does that mean? Or, more importantly, how do we do that?

“One of the chief reasons novels are rejected is that the writer, consciously or not, is reporting a story instead of showing it.” (Solutions For Writers)

The mark of a good novel is the depth of experience the writer creates from her story. So, writing a first novel that is good is as much about a writer’s handle on her craft, as much as it is about the idea itself. This encompasses not only how we handle language, but also the decisions we make along the way – what we leave in, what we leave out, the way we structure the novel, the viewpoint (or viewpoints) we choose. And, of course, the art of dramatization – how we use the bag of tricks available to us as writers to create the world, the story, and its’ inhabitants.

So, what is in this bag of tricks?

Fundamentally, it is detail. Specifics. So, instead of mentioning a car, write instead of a blue BMW convertible. Not a flower, but gerberas. Not a dog but a cattle dog cross.

“… realistic detail, corroborative or circumstantial detail, concrete detail, specifics. Rendering, showing, vivid dramatization, depends upon the concrete rather than the abstract.” (How To Write A Million)

Detail should preferably be presented in action, or broken up with dialogue to give the novel a sense of pace. It’s important not to simply present a lot of detail just shoved into a long paragraph, as it can read like a list. Readers will skip over that as it gets monotonous. Only present to the reader the detail that is important.

And when writing detail, try to appeal to more than just the visual sense of the reader. Appeal to taste, touch, smell, and hearing as well. This helps create a more evocative, powerful prose.

Danger Spots When Writing A First Novel

According to Sol Stein, there are principally three areas where a beginning author tends to slip into telling rather than showing. These are “when he tells what happened before the story began; when he tells what a character looks like; and when he tells what a character senses, that is, what he sees, hears, smells, touches, and tastes.” (Solutions For Writers)

A possible solution to dealing with the backstory of the novel is to show it in narrative summary of flashback.

For the second, when relating what a character sees, feels, tastes, etc, show the reader through action. This also applies to showing feelings too. Stein offers many examples. I will quote one here.

Telling: “Helen was a wonderful woman, always concerned about her children, Charlie and Ginny.”

Showing: “When Helen drive her kids ti school, instead of dropping them off at the curb, she parked the car and, one hand for each of them, accompanied Charlie and Ginny to the door of the school.” (Solutions For Writers)

Writing a first novel is exciting. Use these tips and others to bring out your best work.

References: Sol Stein, Solutions For Writers: Practical Craft Techniques For Fiction And Non-Fiction