Number One Concept to Stop Showing Confusion

Author: Sandy Vaile
Previously published on the Romance Writers of Australia blog 23/08/22
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‘Show don’t tell’ is one of the most worrisome writing guidelines ever created, but it’s also essential to modern authors. Finding the right balance of showing and telling in your story is like patting your head and rubbing your belly while balancing on one leg at the top of a pole in a river full of crocodiles. (And I never exaggerate.)

Authors get themselves tied up in knots over how much to show and where to tell. It's painful to watch. But there is good news. Take a deep breath, let go of the minutiae that is bogging you down and remember one simple and liberating concept, and you’ll be on your way to mastering this tricky business. 

The One Showing Concept You Need to Know

ACTIVE STORYTELLING
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This concept is so simple you’ll wonder why the ultimatum of ‘show don’t tell’ was ever given. 

It’s usually telling that worries authors the most, but in reality, unfettered showing has drawbacks too like:

• An over-reliance on body language and emotional cues, which don’t always convey how a character is feeling.
• A tendency to show everything in a room and what every character is doing, instead of selecting the most relevant details.
• Repetitive emotional cues, like sighing or raising eyebrows.

Showing demonstrates what’s going on through the perspective of the Point of View character, while telling states what the author can see happening and provides readers with preconceived conclusions. Both of these techniques are valuable and should exist harmoniously.

​That’s where active storytelling comes into it. 

What is Active Storytelling? 

There are so many techniques writers need to master in order to write high-quality books that engage readers, it can be as panic-inducing. But Sandy Vaile's Active Storytelling Method is a revolutionary way of learning story craft without the overwhelm. 

It focuses on making all aspects of storytelling as active as possible, which means: 

• Putting characters in motion, so they're not constantly sitting in a room talking to themselves. 
• Using active words and narration that helps readers feel a part of the story. 
• Mastering active fiction techniques that draw readers through the story with the characters. 

Now, I’m not saying it’s a magic pill — you still have to practise the skills — but I truly believe this simple, commonsense approach will cut through the overwhelm and bring the joy of creativity back to your process.  

How to Apply Active Storytelling 

To practise active storytelling, you only need to embrace two beliefs:

1. Writing is storytelling and you will be doing it continually.
2. Each sentence, paragraph and page needs to be assessed to make sure information is conveyed in the most interesting and active ways possible.

What does this mean for you?

Put telling out of your mind once and for all, because you are continually storytelling. Then, you only have to focus on finding the most active and engaging way to get your point across. Once you get used to this mindset, it will relieve the stress of ‘show don’t tell’ forever. 

Each time I look at a chapter I consider if characters are in motion:

• Where they can interact with the setting and converse with other characters; and/or
• Are doing something if they do need to think through a situation on their own.

Each time I look at a paragraph I consider if I am:

• Explaining what readers should see and feel, and if so, can I cut out the middle-man and just show them what's happening as it happens, leaving them to draw their own conclusions about the actions. (Keeping in mind that you don’t want to leave interpretation so open that readers accidentally draw a wrong conclusion.)
• Describing the setting when I could have characters interact with it, enabling readers to catch glimpses of the location and where characters are situated.

Each time I look at a sentence I consider if I have:

• Used an active sentence structure;
• Chosen active verbs; and
• Applied vivid and specific details that add depth to the plot and characters, rather than random details.  

Examples of Active Storytelling

Now, let's take a look at what each of these things looks like in a manuscript, so you can see how simple active storytelling is to apply to your own book. 

At the chapter level 
When planning or editing a chapter in your novel, look for opportunities to put characters together. Instead of having Jane sitting in a room alone, thinking about a problem, get her talking about it with another character. 

At the paragraph level 
Authors often use pre-emptive phrases to explain what's going on, like started to or became aware of. In most cases you can remove them and the only effect on the paragraph will be that readers get to feel like they're a part of the story, rather than it being told to them by a third party. 

While there's nothing wrong with some eloquent description, instead of having a character enter a room and describe what they see, show them moving through the room and interacting with their environment. 

• Describing a room - Mary opened the kitchen door and stepped inside. It was a cheerful room, painted yellow with matching canisters on the wooden benchtop and sparkling stainless steel appliances. 
• Exploring a room - Mary pushed the door open and stepped into a cheerful room. It was like it had its own sun with a warm glow eminating from yellow walls. She filled the stainless steel kettle and placed a flowery tea cup on the wooden benchtop.  

At the sentence level 
Scour your manuscript for distancing words (you will find a list of them in the free guide above) and, where practicable, rewrite the sentence to remove them.

• With a distancing word - She saw an eagle circling overhead.
• Without - An eagle circled overhead. 

When our prose is succinct it's easier for readers to focus on the important parts. 

Here's another example.

• With distancing words - He thought her skin felt like the smoothest cream he'd ever seen. 
• Without - Her skin was like the smoothest cream he'd ever seen. 

No More Showing Confusion

As you can see, there is no need to worry about ‘show don’t tell’ anymore. Each time you write, all you have to do is remember the simple concept of making your words and characters active whenever possible, and you’ll forge ahead as an active storyteller. Your eloquent prose will be succinct and engaging, drawing readers through the story because they feel a part of it.

If you are tired of feeling overwhelmed by showing and telling and want to put it to bed once and for all, become an active storyteller by grabbing a a copy of the free Distancing Words to Avoid guide.