Show, Don’t Tell…But Don’t Show Too Much

I am trying a new technique with my latest novel.  I am finding it to be a refreshing way to tell a story, and fun to create puzzles that the reader has to solve.  Let me give you an example.  The following is a chapter from my novel in which Ethan relates his struggle after

5 Questions Every Novelist Should Answer

Writing consumes me.  It consumes most of my time when I’m not playing with my kids, helping my wife out with all the chores necessary to run a household and working full time.  As a teacher, summers are great.  I get to spend more time writing, working on the novel, and generally futzing about with

Lazy Writing and How to Avoid It

I’ve been teaching writing for almost 14 years and have been writing fiction for 25.  It has been my experience that anyone can write well if given the proper tools and education.  Usually someone tip-toes into my classroom with their short story or poem or random work of fiction under their arm.  They hold it

Imagery: Beyond “Show Don’t Tell”

I am sure that if you have attended any creative writing courses at all , you have heard the old addage “Show, don’t tell.”  This is referring to the idea that amateur writers often tell us about the action in their narrative rather than “showing” events through imagery, figurative language and good description.  Over the