jacquelynn's review
4.0
At the very start I was a bit disappointed because I felt the foundations for what show, don't tell was confusing and less organized than I wanted. Specifically, the "I reached over to pick up the cup" versus "I reached over and picked up the cup" example. I realized later that this was a reasonable lesson, but I wasn't there yet and a bit lost and bored.
HOWEVER, then came these examples:
Tell
“Bob was around thirty, but he felt older from constantly running from zombies. He left the rundown hotel room he and his wife Sally had been staying in and lofted a pair of worn duffel bags into the back of an old pickup truck. He sighed and stared at what was left of their supplies. I wish I had a few more boxes of ammunition, he thought. They were headed to Amarillo, which he knew was overrun with the undead, and he didn’t want to be caught unprepared. Sally had begged him to take another route since it was so dangerous, but the distress call they’d picked up last week had come from an Amarillo radio station. Bob also knew you didn’t ignore other survivors.”
Show
“I guess thirty’s the new eighty. I sighed and rubbed my knee, hoping we had some ice in the cooler, but no such luck. I left yet another crappy hotel room and lofted my duffel bags into the back of a pickup that probably was nearly eighty. It would need parts soon, and we could use a few more boxes of ammo before we hit Amarillo. Reports said it was overrun with undead, and with our luck, we’d sure as spit break down there. Sally begged me to go round south, but that distress call we’d picked up last week had come from an Amarillo radio station. Nobody ignored survivors, not even us.”
And it blew my mind. Like, a little (!!!) popped up over my head. This was the first time in a long time that I felt really challenged by something in terms of writing and it renewed this fire in me. I flew through the rest of the book as I wanted to take this idea apart and fully GET it. I need to do a lot more practice I think before I internalize these ideas, but I am thrilled overall to have my love of writing re-vamped by this book.
HOWEVER, then came these examples:
Tell
“Bob was around thirty, but he felt older from constantly running from zombies. He left the rundown hotel room he and his wife Sally had been staying in and lofted a pair of worn duffel bags into the back of an old pickup truck. He sighed and stared at what was left of their supplies. I wish I had a few more boxes of ammunition, he thought. They were headed to Amarillo, which he knew was overrun with the undead, and he didn’t want to be caught unprepared. Sally had begged him to take another route since it was so dangerous, but the distress call they’d picked up last week had come from an Amarillo radio station. Bob also knew you didn’t ignore other survivors.”
Show
“I guess thirty’s the new eighty. I sighed and rubbed my knee, hoping we had some ice in the cooler, but no such luck. I left yet another crappy hotel room and lofted my duffel bags into the back of a pickup that probably was nearly eighty. It would need parts soon, and we could use a few more boxes of ammo before we hit Amarillo. Reports said it was overrun with undead, and with our luck, we’d sure as spit break down there. Sally begged me to go round south, but that distress call we’d picked up last week had come from an Amarillo radio station. Nobody ignored survivors, not even us.”
And it blew my mind. Like, a little (!!!) popped up over my head. This was the first time in a long time that I felt really challenged by something in terms of writing and it renewed this fire in me. I flew through the rest of the book as I wanted to take this idea apart and fully GET it. I need to do a lot more practice I think before I internalize these ideas, but I am thrilled overall to have my love of writing re-vamped by this book.
2legit410's review
4.0
Extremely helpful guide
This guide is such an incredible tool to teach writers how to show and not tell. As a freelance editor, I recommend it to every single one of my clients. My only complaint is that there were a handful of grammatical errors and comma placement errors, and Hardy's obvious expertise as a writer might lead other authors to believe everything is properly edited and learn bad habits. So, everyone looking to write should absolutely read this book for the message and should find other resources to teach them about proper grammar and punctuation.
This guide is such an incredible tool to teach writers how to show and not tell. As a freelance editor, I recommend it to every single one of my clients. My only complaint is that there were a handful of grammatical errors and comma placement errors, and Hardy's obvious expertise as a writer might lead other authors to believe everything is properly edited and learn bad habits. So, everyone looking to write should absolutely read this book for the message and should find other resources to teach them about proper grammar and punctuation.
vinjii's review
4.0
This book is a great tool for any writer trying to understand the much heard advice, show don’t tell. Armed with ample examples, this is a book that really takes this advice apart, making it easy to understand for new writers.
jennyrbaker's review
4.0
A Must-Read For Writers
This is very well written. I loved the explanations and examples. I read this on Kindle Unlimited, but I highlighted so many areas that I know I'm going to need to refer back to this as a reference. I'm just going to buy the print version and mark it up. It's eye-opening.
This is very well written. I loved the explanations and examples. I read this on Kindle Unlimited, but I highlighted so many areas that I know I'm going to need to refer back to this as a reference. I'm just going to buy the print version and mark it up. It's eye-opening.
hayleymorgan548's review
5.0
REally great! lots of explanations and examples and really easy to understand
davykent's review
5.0
An excellent craft book that I would highly recommend to any developmental or line editor, as well as any author. While sometimes I feel Hardy is too severe, and perhaps too attached to "red flag words," the information inside this book should be considered essential to anyone who feels their prose can be improved on.
lunasgathering's review
4.0
It's a book I intend to keep at hand as I write. I only have part of a first draft so this will be more helpful once I have something to revise. I like that she mentions telling is natural for a first draft in order to get the story on the page. And explains where telling can work. Her thorough instructions will help me remove the excess tells from my story in revision. There are times that the information is repeated but that works well in this book. She expanded on what was said earlier using repetition to help with memorization.
The best thing about this book is her use of examples. She takes a basic, serviceable passage and explains how it's told instead of shown and then includes the passage rewritten to illustrate the explanation. The result is tighter storytelling that propels the reader forward.
The best thing about this book is her use of examples. She takes a basic, serviceable passage and explains how it's told instead of shown and then includes the passage rewritten to illustrate the explanation. The result is tighter storytelling that propels the reader forward.