Show & Tell with Jessica Bell

Dude, that rhymes! I swear I didn't do that on purpose. But today, I'm hosting a friend of mine, Jessica Bell, as she talks about her new novella, SHOW, DON'T TELL. It's a pocket-guide, and everyone who writes needs it in their back pocket.

Jessica's here to talk about her new book, so let's leave her to it!

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When I first started writing, the SHOW, DON'T TELL rule was something I often tried to ignore. "What do they know?" I thought. They don't write the kinds of stories I write. And take a look at all the telling in Great Expectations, in Pride & Prejudice, in Wuthering Heights!

But it didn't take long for me to realize that literature has evolved. And continues to evolve. Nowadays, readers want to be a part of the stories they read, not spectators. So who are we to rob them of this experience? Let's give them what they want.

When you show, rather than tell, this is exactly what you give them. An experience. Through Show & Tell in a Nutshell, I will help you accomplish this.

I wrote this book because when I started out I didn't understand the concept very well. I craved real examples. "How can you not see what's happening when I'm telling you it's happening?" I thought. Every writing craft book and blog would explain what it meant, but rarely would I see an actual example that showed me a transition from telling to showing that clearly demonstrated the difference. There still aren't any resources out there that focus only on this very important writing skill. Of course, there are writing craft books that include it, but the issue is more often than not bogged down with technical jargon, and other aspects of the craft that take away from its importance. I believe this book will allow an aspiring writer to block out all the "rules" and focus on this one thing that will teach them how to give their writing the colour it deserves.

Of course, you can't show everything. Sometimes you need to tell in order to move the necessary, but not so important, moments of your story forward. So when someone suggests you to "show" something, you need to evaluate whether this moment in your story deserves such undivided attention. It's something you will learn with practice.

How did you respond to the SHOW, DON'T TELL rule when you first started writing? If you are a beginner, have you completely understood the difference? If so, what brought about your AHA moment?

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She's a genius, right? I mean, what a focused little guide -- a gem! -- to have in your writing repertoire.

Purchase the paperback:

• $4.40 on Amazon US
• £3.99 on Amazon UK

Purchase the e-book:

• $1.99 on Amazon US
• £1.99 on Amazon UK
• $1.99 on Kobo

About Jessica Bell:

An Australian-native contemporary fiction author and poet, who also makes a living as an editor and writer for global ELT publishers (English Language Teaching), such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, Macmillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.

She is the Co-Publishing Editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, and co-hosts the Homeric Writers’ Retreat & Workshop on the Greek Isle of Ithaca, with Chuck Sambuchino of Writer’s Digest.

For more information about Jessica, please visit: 

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