Another Writing Tip: Show Things Through Dialog

To file away with the previous tip about showing things with senses other than sight (I would call these "craft" tips but there's so much emphasis on "craft" in the writing world nowadays it makes me crazy!): try to show a few things with dialog. The effect of showing nothing through dialog is sometimes a certain sense of distance from the characters, as though you (and your reader) are watching them through a window. The effect of showing something through dialog is often to bring the reader through that window, so to speak. Look over your work and see if there are one or two things that you have stated as a narrator (first or third person, whatever) and see if you can find a way to put the information into the mouth of a character. This works best with smaller chunks of info (although they may have big emotional importance); that is, you don't want that end-of-bad-movie effect where the entire plot is explained by one character at the end. But even if that's what you get when you first try this experiment, don't worry - you can cut it back later. The important thing is to relax and try.

Like showing things with senses other than sight, even a few instances of this technique in a piece can make it richer and more attention-grabbing.

Good luck!

Hmm . . . haven't put new flash fiction on here in a while . . . will have to write some tonight! (And why don't you try writing one page of what you're currently working on tonight? Just one!)