Show Don't Tell, the Technique That Will Instantly Improve Your Writing Skills

If there was anything I could share with writers that would enhance there ability to portray scenes, character, action and so on, it would be to "show" and not "tell."

What does this mean? Simply put, it means that instead of writing something like, "Arnold was angry. He wen inside his apartment and looked for his gun. He found it in the refrigerator." You would not even use the word angry at all but use specific words that show it:

"Arnold burst into his one-bedroom apartment without even closing the door behind him. After flinging his backpack on the ground, he marched over to the fridge and began rummaging through the shelves. 'Where are you!' he yelled. Bottles clanged as they were savagely thrown around, and an unsuspecting McDonalds ketchup package fell to the floor. 'Aha!' Arnold said, reaching into the vegetable bin and pulling out a Glock pistol. "

Ok, perhaps I added a little humor as well, but I hope that paragraph illustrates my point. If you are having trouble publishing a piece you've already written or are already in the middle of one, go back and polish your writing with this technique. Otherwise, start using it now.