If I showed more and told less, my writing would become much stronger. After reading the examples in the book, I realized how much better the showing sentences sound. Simply stating something isn't as interesting as using description. In one of my classes my teacher said, "You tell what happened, and then the reader can decide the conclusion." If we describe the scene, the reader can get a mental image of the situation and make a judgment call. Instead of stating that a woman looked elegant, you could write a description of what she was wearing and how she was acting. When your writing shows the reader the story, it means the writing is strong.
Another important writing tip is to use quotations. Whenever I write a broadcast story, I always try to have people tell the story. A strong quote adds power and credibility to a story. Some quotes are boring and don't make sense, so you need to be careful which quotes you decide to use.
The editing mistake I found this week was on the news. One of the anchors said that a drunk man had been arrested. According to the AP style book, they should have said the drunken man. Although the sentence the anchor said was not grammatical, I think it sounded better because drunken would sound awkward.
I agree that showing creates stronger writing. It encourages the reader to dive into the writer’s world and thus the writer’s imagination. Telling has its uses, but it remains a weak literary technique. Good post.
ReplyDeleteThose are two good topics that you mentioned. I definitely agree that showing the reader what you are describing adds strength to your writing. You also made a good point in your post. Sometimes the proper grammar does not sound good when actually spoken such as in a broadcast.
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