Me, at fictional characters: THIS WOULDN’T BE A PROBLEM IF YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS
Me, in real life: if i give even the vaguest notion of my feelings to anybody i would die
anyways, sam wilson is captain america
Does anyone else find it completely ridiculous that we're just on a floating fucking rock in the middle of nothing?
Wanda, welcome home.
*Natasha arguing with Y/N*
Y/N, cutting her off: Every time you talk, I hear that sound that plays when pac-man dies.
Natasha, shocked: Do you want to be single?
Tips For "Show, Don't Tell."
Honestly, show don't tell is something I feel even I struggle with and I'm pretty sure anyone who writes faces it. Finding a balance is hard. When to show and when to tell can become an inherent feeling though. However, there are some things I've learnt and I hope they help you!
❥︎Emphasise Sensory Detailing: Not only does packing a scene with sensory details help readers imagine the setting, it also gives your characters a distinct physical world to interact with. Rather than simply saying that a character is in New York, describe the light reflecting off the Hudson River, or the towering colossus of the Statue of Liberty.
❥︎Describe body language and avoid emotional explanation when showing.
❥︎Like I said, focus on describing senses and lean more on the usage of imagery too, it'll help if you understand that literary device. I have a post on how to use imagery in writing which helps a lot when showing and not telling. Pick adjectives that you use to describe and replace them with sensory descriptions. Eg:
+ He was scared when he saw the lion at the exit.
+ His heart raced when he saw the lion looming at the end of his escape route.
See what I did here?
Did you feel the difference?
❥︎ learn from examples of 'Show, Don't tell' by reading. The most basic.
❥︎ Use of Dialogue: can also teach readers about characters through word choice, tone, and POV. For instance:
The tray flipped and drenched her in wine. She shrieked and jumped out of her seat, glaring at the waiter.
And
The tray flipped and drenched her in wine but all she did was sigh and smile in understanding.
The scene is the same but the character's approach was different in each case. The former seems kind while the latter seems to be a temperamental character.
❥︎Make your character do something out of ordinary, something that breaks the routine or would make a heavier impact. For eg:
If a character speaks in long-winded, erudite sentences, readers might gather that they are pompous and well-educated. If this same character suddenly begins speaking in terse, short bursts later in the novel, readers might note that something in that character has shifted.
If they're described as someone who never cooks say and then at some time they cook for the live interest, it'll pique the reader’s Interest because it was uncharacteristic of them to do.
❥︎Having a diverse vocabulary, imagination and the ability to use literary devices like metaphors will greatly aid in Show don't tell.
❥︎And lastly, It's fine if you don't get it right the first time because that's how writing works. The more you read, attempt and err, the more you learn. But having an idea of what to do will go a great way in guiding and saving time.
Hope it helps! Follow for more, like and share! <3
these pictures of natasha live rent free in my head
sighhhhh
Ain't nothin worse than being a hopeless romantic AND a lesbian
show, don't tell:
anticipation - bouncing legs - darting eyes - breathing deeply - useless / mindless tasks - eyes on the clock - checking and re-checking
frustration - grumbling - heavy footsteps - hot flush - narrowed eyes - pointing fingers - pacing / stomping
sadness - eyes filling up with tears - blinking quickly - hiccuped breaths - face turned away - red / burning cheeks - short sentences with gulps
happiness - smiling / cheeks hurting - animated - chest hurts from laughing - rapid movements - eye contact - quick speaking
boredom - complaining - sighing - grumbling - pacing - leg bouncing - picking at nails
fear - quick heartbeat - shaking / clammy hands - pinching self - tuck away - closing eyes - clenched hands
disappointment - no eye contact - hard swallow - clenched hands - tears, occasionally - mhm-hmm
tiredness - spacing out - eyes closing - nodding head absently - long sighs - no eye contact - grim smile
confidence - prolonged eye contact - appreciates instead of apologizing - active listening - shoulders back - micro reactions
Drivers license by Olivia Rodrigo is a motherfucking masterpiece
Grace: Let me see what you have.
Diego: *running with a knife in his hand* A knife!
Grace: No!!