Show, Don't Tell in Picture Books

Show, Don't Tell always applies
by: Steve B. (webmaster)

Penny, I worked for over a decade as a screenwriter (and I think we can agree movies are rather "illustrated"), and I can tell you that rule #1 there, too, is Show, Don't Tell.

Just because someone is providing images to go along with your words doesn't mean that the rule doesn't apply. Expository dialogue or expository narration remain expository. "Honey, remember how you gave birth to our son twelve years ago," is bad dialogue, regardless of whether there are pictures to support it. If you want to establish that a character is a mother of a twelve year old, you need to figure out a better way to do it. You can't rely on an illustrator to fix it for you!

Penny, instead of further telling you what telling is, I'm going to try to show you. As soon as I post this, I'm going to send you a copy of my The (Annotated) Tale of Peter Rabbit. It's part of a creative writing package that I'll be making available on this site by the end of 2009 (if it still costs a dollar, it doesn't include Peter Rabbit).

It is what it sounds like: an analysis from a writer's point of view of Beatrix Potter's classic. One of the things I do in it is catch at least one instance of telling. By the way, be very honored: you are the first person on the planet to read my new ebook!

Now I have a viewing recommendation for you. Go watch (and rewatch) some Austin Powers movies, and watch Wayne's World too.

One of the thing Mike Myers loves to do is make fun of bad exposition, which is what Telling, Not Showing, is. In the A.P. movies, there's even a character named Basil Exposition, whose job it is to provide necessary information in a completely unartful manner!

If after two writing groups you're still struggling with Show, Don't Tell, I can't recommend the Myers movies highly enough. Myers will explain it to you by providing extreme examples of it! My guess is that after watching his movies, you'll be able to better catch yourself committing bad exposition, and that Show, Don't Tell will finally make complete sense to you. You might even find yourself laughing at yourself as you look at some of your old work!

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Submitted by: Steve B. (webmaster)

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Penny, I worked for over a decade as a screenwriter (and I think we can agree movies are rather "illustrated"), and I can tell you that rule #1 there, too, is Show, Don't Tell. Just because someone is providing images to go along with your words doesn't mean that the rule doesn't apply. Expository dialogue or expository narration remain expository. "Honey, remember how you gave birth to our son twelve years ago," is bad dialogue, regardless of whether there are pictures to support it. If you want to establish that a character is a mother of a twelve year old, you need to figure out a better way to do it. You can't rely on an illustrator to fix it for you! Penny, instead of further telling you what telling is, I'm going to try to show you. As soon as I post this, I'm going to send you a copy of my The (Annotated) Tale of Peter Rabbit. It's part of a <A HREF="http://www.best-childrens-books.com/childrens-book-ideas.html">creative writing package</A> that I'll be making available on this site by the end of 2009 (if it still costs a dollar, it doesn't include Peter Rabbit). It is what it sounds like: an analysis from a writer's point of view of Beatrix Potter's classic. One of the things I do in it is catch at least one instance of telling. By the way, be very honored: you are the first person on the planet to read my new ebook! Now I have a viewing recommendation for you. Go watch (and rewatch) some <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006WUWQ?ie=UTF8&tag=bestchilsbook-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00006WUWQ" rel="nofollow">Austin Powers movies</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bestchilsbook-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00006WUWQ" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />, and watch <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005JH9J?ie=UTF8&tag=bestchilsbook-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00005JH9J" rel="nofollow">Wayne's World</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bestchilsbook-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00005JH9J" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> too. One of the thing Mike Myers loves to do is make fun of bad exposition, which is what Telling, Not Showing, is. In the A.P. movies, there's even a character named Basil Exposition, whose job it is to provide necessary information in a completely unartful manner! If after two writing groups you're still struggling with Show, Don't Tell, I can't recommend the Myers movies highly enough. Myers will explain it to you by providing extreme examples of it! My guess is that after watching his movies, you'll be able to better catch yourself committing bad exposition, and that Show, Don't Tell will finally make complete sense to you. You might even find yourself laughing at yourself as you look at some of your old work!

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Show, Don't Tell in Picture Books

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