1.) Write IMAGES instead of GENERALIZATIONS, ABSTRACTIONS, or JUDGMENTS.
Example: I will do all I can to fight this ruling. VS "I will fall like an ocean on this court." -
Arthur Miller The Crucible (Feeling deja vu? You are not crazy, I quoted this two posts ago. If it works why change it? This quote was my teachers favorite example.)
2.) Value SCENE over SUMMARY.
A scene is in real time while a summary is review. A balance of both is good to have in any piece of literature, but when it comes to showing something, scenes are always better.
3.) Write images that are CONCRETE (use the 5 senses) and SIGNIFICANT (show emotion).
Example A: "She has a face of a cabbage."
This carries specific details with a significant emotion. How would you feel about someone who had the face of a cabbage?
Example B: "350lb man" (concrete) VS "350lb man chasing me" (concrete/significant)
4.) Remove FILTERS.
A filter is anything that blocks the readers ability to experience a scene or emotion with the focus character.
Beginning authors often make the mistake of telling the story "at" the character as apposed to telling a story "through" the character. Audiences love to BE the character. So let them. Don't write phrases that put the audiences at arms length from the characters. Watching people kiss is no fun. Kissing, however; very fun.
Example: "John walked faster. He could sense someone was behind him." VS "John walked faster. Someone was behind him."
5.) Emphasize ACTIVE over PASSIVE.
This is where grammar becomes the writers best friend. Linking verbs have a habit of being very passive. Be verbs make it too easy to use non-discriptive words.
Example: "Tina was angry." VS "Tina's face turned red."
VERBS TO AVOID IN CREATIVE WORKS
am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been, have, has, had, can, could, shall, should, may, might, must, etc, etc, etc.
6.) Use SPECIFIC words over GENERAL.
Not just for "images" anymore. (Fighting that deja vu again huh?)
This is where the Thesaurus becomes your best friend.
Eating = garble, devour, munch, num, num, num
Danced = leaped, cha-cha'd, waltzed
Walk = march, canter, wander, strut
Remember, the mind goes to the laziest place first. Try to use the most specific words possible. Some slight variance in the definition makes each of these examples perfect for unique situations. This is where just writing a scene, becomes writing craft.
FINALLY
7.) We control the SPEED of our prose.
This is more of a "how to write a good scene" tip. Generally in writing you want to carry the suspense or tension for as long as possible (a.k.a the moment before the train hits.) but once you hit a certain point it's much better to speed things along (a.k.a. the moment after the train hits.)
RECAP
Slow = before impact Fast = after impact
before the kiss after the kiss
Cinema Example : Inception
Slow = before the van hits the water Fast = after the van hits the water
My Bonus Rule
This should be common sense, but if you bother to show it (scene it), it needs to have some kind of significance. Some bearing on the overall plot. If a scene doesn't move the story forward, it's not worth anyone's time. And no, simply adding to a character's ...well...character is not enough reason to write a scene.
Example: A chance encounter leads a detective to a key clue/observation that helps to solve the murder. This happens a lot in Agatha Christie novels.
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