Whether you’re enrolled in Creative Writing 101 or you’re working on your tenth novel, you’ve probably been told to “show, don’t tell.” But what does your teacher/editor/agent/critique group actually mean when advising you to show rather than tell?
What is “Reflection” in Creative Nonfiction?
For the most part, novelists and memoirists use the same set of tools to tell their stories. They both create vivid scenes, develop three-dimensional characters, and evoke a strong sense of place. They rely on dialogue, effective pacing, and themes. But there is one tool that is used almost exclusively…
A Plot Is Not Enough
I’m re-reading Vivian Gornick’s The Situation and the Story for my writing group. I’ve only made it to page 26 so far, but already I’m reminded of why this book is so highly regarded in creative nonfiction circles. It’s because Gornick is able to explain what essayists do in a way that…
Crappy Endings
As an editor, there are few things that I hate more than reading fifteen pages of an excellent story or essay, only to have the writer blow it in the last page or two with an unsatisfying (or downright awful) ending. I wish I could say this was a rare…
The Importance of First Lines
Compare: Gregor Samsa was a cockroach when he woke up one morning. vs. As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect. Same idea, but a world of difference. Read them out loud. (Go ahead — nobody’s listening.)…