Show, Don't Tell...

I can't speak for everyone on this, but it appears to be a common problem, "telling instead of showing" in your writing. At least for me, I definitely will admit to this. Having been a journalism major for years, this is actually my biggest problem in writing fiction. I have the tendency to just tell the facts as it is, get straight to the point with little to no imagery.

Scott was scared when the vampire attacked him.

So boring and bland when I should be writing something like this:

As Scott walked into the darkness, cold chills ran down his spine causing him to shiver in fear. He screamed louder than he had ever screamed in his life when the vampire jumped out of the shadows.

Ok, wasn't the best description, but you get what I'm saying. I have an awesome list of links for you guys to check out on this subject. Click!

Show, Don't Tell
When to Tell
Ways to Show
Use Specificity
Use Description
Eliminate your Filter*


* This one I liked the most because it talks about getting rid of filter words from your writing such as felt, heard, saw, looked, appeared, knew, realized. If anything, just check this one out! It's worth it!