Book description
Write vibrant scenes and essential summaries
"ShowÂ-don't tell." How many times have you heard this
standard bit of writing advice? It's so common in writing courses and
critiques that it has become a cliche. Writers are often told to write
scenes, dramatize, cut exposition, cut summaryÂ-but it's misguided
advice. The truth is good writing almost always requires both showing
and telling. The trick is finding the right balance of scene and
summaryÂ-the two basic components of creative prose.
Showing and Telling shows you how to employ each of these
essential techniques in the appropriate places within a narrative.
You'll learn how to:
- Write scenes and cut exposition
- Compress time and summarize background information
- Create graceful transitions
- Effectively inject
interpretation
- And more!
Complete with examples
from bestsellers and interactive exercises, this comprehensive guide
offers an in-depth look at scene development, the role of reflection
in storytelling, the art of summarizing, and how to bring it all together.
Laurie Alberts is the author of 6 books including 3 novels:
The Price of Land in Shelby, Lost Daughters and
Tempting Fate. She has won several awards, including a Jame
Michener Award. She teaches in the MFA in Writing Program at Vermont
College of Fine Arts.
