11
I'm starting to think 'show don't tell' is ruining some stories
Everyone preaches it like gospel but I've read three submissions this week where the writer avoided every inner thought just to force a physical reaction. Getting hit with 'she felt a lump in her throat' for the fifth time isn't deep-it's repetitive. Does anyone else feel like we've taken this rule too far?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
jakejones1mo ago
Yeah, the "she felt a lump in her throat" thing is exactly what got me. I used to be all in on show don't tell. Thought it was the only way to write good. But seeing it over and over made me realize you need inner thoughts too. Reads fake when every emotion has a physical tic. Mixing it up feels more real. Sometimes just saying "she was sad" works fine.
8