I've never heard of Marcy Kennedy before picking up this book, but this has to be THE BEST book I've ever read on this particular subject. For writers, new and experienced, I cannot recommend this book enough. I'm a slow learner. I have been all my life. I've always gotten good grades and made honor rolls, etc., but I've had to work very hard and long to achieve them. I am the type of learner who needs a lot of examples. This book delivers and how! Not only does Marcy give a ton of examples, along with how to FIX them, she also put in word searches so you can look for 'tell' places in your own work. I was so thrilled with her approach that halfway through the ebook I ordered the paperback version. I'll be ordering her dialogue book next.

Other than reading 55 books this year, I'd planned to delve deep into craft. This book will definitely help me achieve my goal. ( )

This is a very short book but very useful. It gives clear definitions, examples and rectification of telling versus showing. It provides a process by which you can check your writing easily. It gives options for further reading that will help a writer improve their showing skill. I will be using this quick and easy guide whenever I am editing my writing until I feel confident enough not to fall into the telling trap. ( )

This book is very helpful, with direct and goal oriented tips for finding balance between showing and telling in your writing. I will use it while revising my first draft and I definitely recommend it. ( )

I finished reading Showing and Telling in Fiction by by Marcy Kennedy a month ago, and have been meaning to review this excellent how-to guide since I put it down. Eliminating 'telling' is an issue I needed a lot of help with to fully understand and overcome in my own writing, and this book has helped set me in the right direction. In a nutshell, the classic argument states that writing that shows the reader what is happening is more compelling, engaging, and descriptive than writing that tells the reader what is happening (or has already happened).

Showing and Telling in Fiction begins by clearly explaining what defines showing and telling, the differences between them, and why showing is (usually) the preferred choice for exciting, engaging prose. If you like to know the reason behind the rule, you'll find this part satisfying.

Understanding the differences between showing and telling is just the first step in addressing the problem. Chapter Two provides practical techniques to easily spot weak writing in your own manuscript. By identifying the 'red flags' of telling, the book teaches you to recognize the signs in your manuscript.

Kennedy states that using telling to write your first draft may help you capture your story, which can then be edited in the ensuing drafts to turn telling sections into showing. If you're struggling to write your draft by 'showing' everything, using 'telling' to get the words out of your head may be a useful technique.

Obviously, writing that is 100% showing is not the goal of this book. In certain situations, telling can be more effective and appropriate than showing. Chapter Four shows you opportunities for using telling effectively to make your story flow cohesively.

An apt finish to Showing and Telling in Fiction provides you methods to attack your manuscript efficiently, and offers a link to print versions of the revision checklists.

In summary, this concise (88 pages) instructional tome is full of examples and techniques, light on fluff and filler, and currently has a 4.8 star rating on Amazon (48 reviews). I'd definitely recommend this book if you struggle with any part of the showing versus telling battle. ( )