Writers are taught "show, don't tell."  If we tell the readers they are simply being informed, but if we show our readers by painting a picture then their imagination is piqued and they become emotionally invested.  

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Emotional investment is what keeps the pages turning.

Telling is easy. "He was understandably angry. He left the room in a hurry and she could hear him breaking things in a rage."

Showing takes a bit more effort. " He glared at her, his face unreadable except for the flare in his nostrils.  He turned away and strode into the other room. She watched his reflection in the window, his shoulders tight. There was a sudden crash and she watched the debris of his attack fly into view."

~ Notice how I didn't use the word "angry" or "mad".

Both ways portray the same thing, but showing draws you in and almost makes you a part of the scene.

Showing makes your characters more vivid, which adds depth to the story.

Showing brings your characters to life.
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Thoughtshots are a smart way to show the story.  A thoughtshot is simply a look into what the character is (or was) feeling or thinking.  They can be used in either fiction or non fiction, and place events in context.

Thoughtshots give the reader a reason to be interested and allow an emotional investment to grow.

Thoughtshots are flashbacks, memories, flashaheads, and internal dialog.  

**Internal Dialogue** is the speech the character has with himself.  He hears it, the reader hears it, but the other characters have no idea what is going on.

**Flashbacks** are images of an event that play out so we can know the history of the character.

**Flashaheads** show readers something in the future- it has not happened yet.  It can also be the daydreams of the character.

Thoughtshots raise the emotional level of a scene and let us into the characters thoughts so we know the truth.

They can also be used together- flashaheads with internal dialogue.

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The thoughtshots should be from the viewpoint of the main character, and should only be used to move the story forward- it should not be filled with fluff- only put the good stuff.  They should reveal the inner workings of the character and have an impact on the plot.

Use italics * * to show thoughtshots.  

Thoughtshots should be considered a piece to the whole story puzzle.  And use them sporadically.

Write on Steemmates!



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