In college, one of my creative writing professors regularly gave us this advice: Show, don’t tell.
That is, don’t tell the reader that your character is in grief—talk the gray clouds overhead and lines furrowing her brow. Don’t tell your reader that it was a beautiful day—describe what you saw, the way the sunlight felt on your skin, the scents that wafted through the air. Don’t write a poem telling the reader how joyful you felt on your first date—paint a picture of the candle-lit restaurant and the glint in your crush’s eyes.
Images invite the reader into the meaning. The more vividly their imagination is sparked, the more deeply what you are communicating will go.
Let your life illustrate your belief. Let your actions manifest your faith.
Don’t tell others that God is loving—be a loving presence. Don’t tell others that Jesus died for their sins—be a forgiving person. Don’t tell others that the Holy Spirit can live inside of them—be joyful and patient and kind. Don’t tell others that the ultimate Christian hope is resurrection—renew and recreate the world around you today. ‘
In the words of the early Christians: don’t speak great things, live great things. Like Jesus, let your works bear your testimony. Show, don’t tell.
