Narrative Story: Tips (Show, don't tell)
Thursday, October 8, 2009
How do you bring the reader into your story? How do you create a vivid picture with words? You could consider showing the reader instead of telling. What's the difference between showing and telling?
Consider these two simple examples:
• I grew tired after dinner.
• As I leaned back and rested my head against the top of the chair, my eyelids began to feel heavy, and the edges of the empty plate in front of me blurred with the white tablecloth.
The first sentence tells readers that you grew tired after dinner. The second sentence shows readers that you grew tired. An effective narrative essay will have such 'shows' because they enable readers to imagine or experience something for themselves.
The best way to create a vivid experience for your readers is to focus on the five senses.
• sight
• sound
• smell
• touch
• taste
When you focus your descriptions on the senses, you provide vivid and specific details that show your readers rather than tell your readers what you are describing.
(adapted from How to Write a Descriptive Essay by Jesse Seldess, Professional Writer)
