If you don’t know by now, I am a fifty-three year old student – just about half way to an Associates Degree. It both excites me, and embarrasses me a little for having the excitement – when I learn something new, or a new way of looking at things. I’m not at all ashamed, and hope I can show others that it’s never too late. It’s just that I recognize I’m not the average student, and instead of having the experience as a woman cruising into adulthood, as is more common – I’m having it while plunging into menopause.
So, the new concept I learned this month, is a writing technique referred to as “Show, Don’t Tell.” And, if you’re one of the people, like me, who has never heard of this,(or perhaps forgot about it soon after learning it) I’ll try to break it down. Whether writing about a character or a scene, the idea is that you use vivid imagery to create a picture of the thing, without explaining about the thing. And, for me, while the challenge can be fun and exciting – especially after creating a really awesome sentence or paragraph -make no mistake, it can also be quite difficult.
I noticed straight away, that the instructional reading and videos ALWAYS used fiction pieces as examples. This was another clue to the fact that not only is creating ways to “show, don’t tell” really, hard – but it’s even more so when writing non-fiction. Because, for me, the core idea is trying to avoid giving information away, so the reader can be involved in creating a picture in their mind, and figure out what’s going on themself. As a good co-dependent, I have historically over-given information. LOL. Because of this, I resisted the idea at first, until I realized it totally has it’s place in non-fiction creative writing. After I got it, I started to notice it everywhere, and though I’ve never really loved Jimmy Buffet’s anthem pop song, after realizing what a great job he did with the “show, don’t tell” technique, I kinda do now. Actually I really do, now. And I don’t even like margaritas.
Probably my favorite is the second verse- where he shows us he’s having a pretty bad day, but at least he’ll have alcohol to cope, soon enough.
“I blew out my flip flop
Stepped on a pop top
Cut my heel, had to cruise on back home
But there’s booze in the blender
And soon it will render
That frozen concoction that helps me hang on“
When I first heard this song as a kid, I had no idea what he was referring to when he sang about “flip-flops” or “a pop top.” (in my family, we called them thongs and soda tabs) so I ignored it. When I was old enough to realize what he was singing about I thought, “Oh. That’s cute.” But, now, as a writer/student, I’m like “Wow. So clever… Amazing use of vivid imagery!” And, though I’ve always obsessed over the lyrics of sentimental favorites – from Jackson Browne to Kris Kristofferson to Carole King – I now find myself looking for the very writing techniques I’m trying to learn in all writing, and in all genres, and it’s a whole new experience.
If all goes well, someday I’ll write something that compels, not just anyone, but a fellow writer to say, “Wow!”
Let’s just hope it doesn’t take them forty years to reach that conclusion.
Bikini Soul 