I am going through all of my projects and trying to decide which to do next. I have read several of them. As a result, I can see how much my writing style has changed in just the last few months.
Showing vs Telling
Ack. I got a lot of scenes where, just as an example: “MC goes to the dresser, opens the drawer, takes out a shirt. She then closes the drawer and turns toward the wall.” Yuck! Like, who cares!? Details are good but not like this! That is telling, not showing. “MC crosses the room, taking a shirt from the dresser.” There, we all know that to get a shirt from a dresser, you have to open the drawer. Shutting it is optional, but also assumed.
Sentence structure
Next to it was an honest to goodness shoe repair shop. The streets were far too crowded with pedestrians to allow for motorized transportation. People must therefor go through a lot of shoes.
Yucky. How many times did you have to read it? I wrote the damn thing and it took me three times to understand that sentence. Sometimes, writing ‘on the fly’ can make for some interesting sentences.
I can easily see how I have changed in writing style. I am doing much more showing (I think) than I am telling. And my sentences are much more betterer understoodable.