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a defense of efficient prose
You spent four paragraphs showing the room was cold. You could have written 'the room was cold' and moved on with your life.
Showing is a tool for moments that matter. Telling is the conveyor belt that gets us between them. Both are necessary. Neither is morally superior. The problem isn't that writers tell too much — most writers tell too little, then bloat the showing to compensate. We talk about pacing, the four scenes where telling wins, and the reader fatigue that bloated showing creates. Sometimes a sentence is enough. Sometimes the elegant move is to summarize. Sometimes the reader is grateful you didn't make them feel every blade of grass.
Four scenes where telling wins
| Scene type | Why telling wins |
|---|---|
| Time-jumps | Showing would slow the whole book |
| Routine activities | Reader doesn't need every breath |
| Travel between scenes | Texture isn't the point |
| Recurring information | Summary respects the reader |
The pace audit (do it this weekend)
- Read a chapter aloud. Notice where you skim.
- The skim spots are usually over-showed.
- Replace the showed paragraphs with one efficient sentence each.
- Re-read. Notice the pace improve.
- Reserve showing for the scenes that earn it.
Showing every blade of grass is not artistry. It's the reader's least favorite spa retreat. Spare them. Summarize the grass.
— L.A. Walton, The Book Maven
From the Maven Catalog
- Master Course — Pace by Telling
- eBook — The Conveyor Belt
- Toolkit — Pacing Diagnostic
- Planner — Pace Audit Planner
Run the pace audit. Find the skim spots. Replace bloat with efficient summary. Save showing for the scenes that need it. Your reader will thank you silently and keep reading.