Quote:
Originally Posted by Catlady
Yes and no. There should be a balance between showing and telling. Sometimes an author has so clearly been advised to "show not tell" that he or she overdoes it. Sometimes it's fine to say, "John was angry"--maybe what's important is why he was angry, and not how angry he was. Maybe there've been too many scenes of smashed glasses and cursing already. Maybe the character is hiding his anger behind a facade of amiability. Maybe he's only a little bit angry. I think it can be just as annoying to read endless overwrought scenes of "showing" as it is to read sentence after sentence of tedious telling.
|
I don't think anyone was suggesting a potboiler. Just...some evidence of writing craft.
Hitch