My Tips For Writing

Showing VS. Telling

Some of you may be asking yourselves "What is she trying to say?" I'll show you. (Get it? Show you?)
Amateurs tend to tell the reader what is happening. Example:
We walked to class, and I could tell Amy was sad because of what I did to her.
That would be telling. I am telling you that Amy was sad.
Now compare that example to this one:
Tears streamed down Amy's face as we walked to class, and I thought I could guess why. It was because of what I did to her.
Now, that's showing. Tell me, which one is better? And the second example shows you much more than the first one. It shows you that the narrator knows that Amy is sad because of what she did to her, and that it must have been something very bad for Amy to be crying in school. And it also gets you wondering what the narrator did to Amy. It's much better to show that Amy was sad by saying that there were tears streaming down her face than telling the reader that she was sad. But even sometimes it is okay to tell the reader some things - if there is no other option or you feel that you need to tell them.

Hope his helped and that you understand. If you don't, PM me or comment, and I'll try to help you.
Juli.