Guidelines-action

1) Stories in the main should be told in-scene and not in narrative description (see Example 11).  Readers are engaged by in-scene writing.  But they are often denied the pleasure of being included in the writing because: (a) using narrative writing is easier, but the reader is quickly bored; and (b) narrative writing lends itself to complicated, over-extended prose that the author often enjoys writing, but that irritates the reader. (“She crashed the party like a freight train without brakes,” is almost always  less effective for a story than, “She entered the party through the back door of the apartment uninvited.”)

Example 11:  Narrative description versus in-scene writing.  Compare these examples (with exaggerated prose to make a point) that illustrate the differences.

Narrative description (telling):

Paul was jealous that Helen could sing with so much passion that others couldn’t take their eyes away from her as she performed.

In scene (showing):

Helen held the floor-stand microphone with both hands.  The piano player played the introduction hunched over the keyboard.  Helen took a deep breath and sang with a soft breathy voice, her eyes closed until the refrain, when her gaze swept the audience of strangers, all watching her.

She sang three verses and smiled at the end without a bow.  The crowd applauded.  Paul approached Helen as she climbed down off the stage.

“I wish I could sing like that,” Paul said.  “I don’t have your ear for perfection.”

Good writing requires:

1.  Exhaustive vocabulary.

2.  Egoless self-criticism.

3.  Perfect grammar.  Grammar in English is not just a set of irritating rules; it is the structure by which we write effective English.  If grammar is to be rejected as important in an author’s writing, it can only successfully be from a position of total understanding.  You must know the rule to break it.  You can’t say you don’t need it because you’re great without it.  Readers know instinctively what you’re up to.