What happens on a discovery call?

A discovery call is a thirty minute chat about what you need help with. It’s very informal, and is like having coffee with a friend.

What will we discuss on a coaching call?

We will talk about anything you like to do with your writing. I use my experience as a creative writing tutor to both offer possible solutions to issues, as well as coaching you to understand why you are experiencing the issue and how we can move forward. I also set tasks outside of our time together so that you can work toward your goals. All our conversations are confidential.

Can we meet in person?

During Covid I am happy to work with your time zone and meet you on Zoom.

July 2022 – Rachel Grosvenor Author

Investigating Creative Writing Advice: Show, Don’t Tell.

Here’s a new series of blog posts for you! I am excited to introduce: Investigating Creative Writing Advice. Throughout this series, I will break down all that classic and new Creative Writing advice we hear in both classrooms and online and get to grips with what that means. Through doing this, I hope to help you better understand the world of Creative Writing and choose the advice that suits you as a writer. It isn’t always easy to know which advice to pay attention to, and it is essential to remember that what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another. For example, I don’t write every day because it doesn’t work for me creatively. Writing and creativity do not have a set of instructions that work for every person, so let’s break down that advice and see what works for you.

Today, we will look at ‘Show, Don’t Tell.’ There’s a classic quote to share here, and that’s the following:

‘Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.’ (Anton Chekhov)

So, what does it mean? Essentially, this advice is telling you to paint a picture for your reader, using description and senses. Here’s an example:

Telling:

Sarah was late.

Showing:

Sarah twisted her hands together, now damp from sweat. She avoided looking at her watch – she didn’t need the reminder; the day was already running away from her. Her t-shirt was still stained from last night’s dinner.

What’s the difference here?

Well, apart from being wordier, we get more of an impression of the character, the situation and the scene. In the original, we don’t learn anything apart from someone called Sarah is late. In the rewrite, we learn that Sarah is nervous, distracted, avoiding the situation and worried. Showing, not telling, is a powerful tool for a writer and gives you the opportunity to create a scene that brings a world to life. You pull the reader in and get them involved in the story.

However, be wary of this advice: there is a place for telling too.

Telling is a great way to give information to your reader. If all you did was show, your book would be a dense read. So perhaps, instead of saying ‘Show, Don’t Tell’, we should say: Show and tell. Here’s a way to remember when to do what: If there’s a dramatic scenario, a scene you want to bring to life: Show. If there’s some information you need to get across (perhaps your character travels from A to B, and nothing happens during that time), you don’t need to show the reader the entire journey; that would be a waste of word count! Instead, tell them. In the book I am currently reading (The Bewitching by Jill Dawson), there are some fantastic examples of this. Dawson tells us what we need to know to drive the narrative forward, avoiding lengthy divergences into parts of the story that don’t impact the characters.

Want to have a go at writing your own ‘Show, don’t tell’ example? Here’s a prompt to help you. Rewrite:

Sophie was tired.

How can you rewrite this by showing us this? Consider how Sophie’s tiredness impacts how she moves and looks, and describe this to the reader.

So, there’s a breakdown of ‘Show, Don’t Tell.’ Is there a piece of Creative Writing advice you have heard that you want to be broken down? Let me know here! I would love to write a post about it and help you understand how to use it.

Want to read something similar? Check out the following:

5 Things I Wish I Had Known before Writing My First Novel
Why My Writing Routine Won’t Work For You
Reasons Not To Write Every Day

5 Tips for Writing Trilogies by Carly Bennett

So you want to write a trilogy. You’ve had a flash of inspiration for a story so vast, so packed full of adventure that it can’t possibly be contained in a single novel. Excellent. Then reality sets in…to tell your story you’re going to have to write not one but three books. Where do you even begin to plot? How are you going to wrangle enough subplots and character arcs and motifs to keep your readers engaged for such a sustained period of time?

Before you decide to consign your trilogy to the dusty graveyard of abandoned ideas in the back of your mind, I’ve got five tips to share that I’ve learned while plotting and writing my own contemporary fantasy trilogy.

1. Develop story arcs on both a book level and a series level:

I thought it was only fitting to start with advice Rachel gave me during The Writing Week Retreat. I wasn’t sure how best to tackle this when plotting my own trilogy – should I plan one act for each book or should each book have its own three-act structure? The answer? Both! You want to ensure your trilogy has an overarching three-act structure but each book should have its own ebbs and flows, with a satisfying ending for the reader.

2. Fall in love with your characters:

Whether your trilogy is plot-driven or character-driven, make sure you’re head over heels for your primary characters. You’re going to be spending a lot of time with them, after all! From compelling backstories to fun personality quirks that might never even make their way into the story itself, spending time getting to know your characters until they feel like old friends is a staple of any fiction project but it’s even more key when writing a series.

3. Give your characters room to grow over the trilogy:

Building on my second point, your readers also need to love your characters enough to follow them on a journey that will likely take place over a number of years. A great way to keep your characters engaging is to give them room to grow and evolve over the entire series, not just the first book.

This is a trap I definitely fell into when writing the first draft of my series – my two protagonists overcame all of their internal obstacles during the climax of book one, leaving them very few lessons to learn throughout the rest of the story. In reality, we never stop growing and learning so neither should our characters.

4. Find your plotting sweet spot:

The long-running debate between plotting and pantsing is never-ending but I think plantsing (the midpoint between the two) is the way to go when writing a trilogy. It’s imperative that you know where your story is going so you won’t run out of steam halfway through book two but I think it’s just as important to leave yourself space to explore new ideas as you write. Writing three books is no easy feat and plotting so intricately that there are no surprises to keep you entertained can make writing a trilogy feel like a slog.

5. Keep something back:

One of the joys of writing a trilogy is having the space to unfurl exciting twists and character developments that you’ve spent many a writing session dreaming up. There can be a real temptation to show your hand too early, pouring so much into book one that the final two books can be left a little dry in comparison. Keeping some cards close to your chest and spreading out those jaw-dropping moments throughout the three books will ensure your readers are entertained from the first page to the last.

I hope you found the above tips helpful and can apply some of what you’ve learned to your work in progress. You’ve got this! I want to give a huge thank you to Rachel for inviting me onto her blog and, if you want to keep up with my own trilogy writing journey, I blog over at www.carlybennettbooks.co.uk.