Show Don't Tell: A Reminder...

I've been critiquing a lot of manuscripts lately, including a batch that's currently on my desk. By far the most common issue I see when I read manuscripts is writers breaking one of the Golden Rules: Show, don't tell. It can seem tough to get all the details of your story across without loads of description--but it can be done. (Pay attention to how this is accomplished in the books you read.) Don't tell readers how the characters feel--show them through action and dialogue.

Readers don't need an explanation of what's about to happen right before they read what's happening. They don't need excruciating details about the setting. And they especially don't need the whole story summarized before it begins. Let details be organic to the story. Reveal them on an as-needed basis as the plot progresses. Give readers action, and dialogue that both moves that action along and reveals the characters. Give them a reason to keep turning the pages.

And all you aspiring writers out there: Read, read, read, and read some more.