Show and Tell Cheat Sheet

From Writer’s Digest

July – August 2018 Issue

 

Creating characters can be a pleasure or the bane of writers everywhere. Below is a terrific aid from Writers Digest. While we’re talking about characters. do you keep a file of names? I’ve gotten names from:

• license plates
• street signs
• newspapers
• product names
• misspellings at the keyboard – Ufudi, is from a tangle of typing. He’s an Egyptian in my historical novel.
• from words that pop into my mind
• anywhere is fare game
• be sure to carry some paper and a pen.

 

A character’s emotional response	Show	Don’t tell readers a character was ashamed or joyful; show them reactions
A characters Attitude	Show	Rather than explain a character is uptight or judgmental, show them acting that way or reveal it through lines of dialogue.
A character’s special skills of abilities	Show	Don’t tell readers what a great fighter the character is; render a fight scene in which something meaningful is at stake.
Status (dominance / submission)	Show	Instead of telling readers which character is in charge of who has the highest status, reveal it through stillness, self-control, confidence and self-assurance.
Tension and suspense	Show	The more you claim that something is suspenseful of tense, the less it will be. Instead, build tension through engendering reader empathy and concern for characters in peril.
Desire (a character’s goal or intention within a scene)	Show or Tell	If you show, do so quickly and clearly. Otherwise, just have the character state what she’s trying to accomplish.
A progression of events that doesn’t change the character’s attitude, status or situation.	Tell	If nothing tilts the core scenes of your book. Play them out. Show your characters facing struggles, taking action, meeting setbacks and recalibrating before moving forward again toward their ursuit.
Stakes	Tell	Tell readers what will happen if the characters are unsuccessful. Be as specific as possible, calling attention to deadlines when appropriate.
A character’s appearance	Show by Telling	Tell readers the details of a character’s hair and clothing, but keep it relevant; the details you include should demonstrate to readers something about the character’s culture, class or individual style.
Decisions	Show or Tell	Often, it’s best to just tell readers what your characters have decided to do; however, context might provide you unobtrusive ways to show them.