Show Me the Way

 

                                                                                           Photo credit: Rafael Pires via Pexels

"Description begins in the writer's imagination, but should finish in the reader's." – Stephen King

"Show, don’t tell" is advice often given to aspiring writers. It certainly makes sense, as the writer wants to paint a picture in her readers' minds. But when you sit down to write, to tell your story, it's easy to fall into just that—telling.

What's an aspiring writer to do? Learn from the pros. I've mentioned Master Class in this space before, and am still of the opinion that it's worth every penny. I just finished David Baldacci's class on writing mysteries and thrillers, and am once again walking the line between being incredibly inspired and convinced I have no idea what I'm doing. At least I'm consistent.

I do take some solace in the fact that even my favorite author, Robert Crais, often faces a blank page with uncertainty. I recently reread an interview in which he said that every time he sits down to write a new book he thinks, "Can I pull this off?" And that's after numerous awards and more than twenty novels. Some days I wonder if I can pull off a blog post.

But back to showing. In his class, Baldacci walks would-be thriller writers through his outlining process—emphasizing that it's ever-evolving, creating compelling characters, crafting dialogue, writing action scenes, and much more. Good stuff. His readers definitely see his stories unfold. And while it's clear how hard he works at his craft, it's also clear how much he enjoys it, simply stating that "he can't not write."

So where does that leave me? Starting to play with an idea for a new story, coming up with new ways to summon my muse, and knowing I'm not alone when I think I can't possibly write another book. But I think I can. I'll show you.