No doubt you’ve heard the old writing advice, “Show, don’t tell.” But how do you do it, and how do you balance the showing versus the telling?
Today I’m going to share with you a simple strategy for deciding what you should show in your writing and how to approach it.
This summer, I’ve been binge-watching my way through the television show Dexter. For those of you unfamiliar (don’t worry, no spoilers here): Dexter is a serial killer. He is also the protagonist of the show.
As writers and storytellers our heads are often filled with a number of plotlines, characters, and conversations. But there are still times when we struggle to think of story ideas that get us excited; ideas that sees us racing to grab a pen and paper and jot it down before it slips away.
In these moments it feels like you’ll never have a good story idea ever again, right?
I’ll gladly tell you you’re wrong. You just have to look around to see that you’re surrounded by inspiration everywhere you go.
Do you remember The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein?
I picked it up for the first time in decades (literally) while visiting my friend’s baby at her house. She asked me what I thought the book meant. I told her. She was surprised by my answer and then told me that every other person she asks interprets it differently.
I was fascinated.
What exactly is a Beta Reader, and why should you care? The term ‘beta’ is borrowed from the software industry, meaning the beta ‘tests’ (reads) your full, finished manuscript to help you eliminate ‘bugs’ (problems) before it’s published. Here’s a more official online definition I like: “An alpha reader or beta reader, also a pre-reader or critiquer, is a non-professional reader who reads a written work, generally fiction, with the intent of looking over material to find and improve elements such as grammar and spelling, as well as suggestion to improve the story, its characters, or its setting.”
All true, but they left out the most important benefit.
Beta readers are invaluable to your writing. Here’s why…
