When it comes to writing any story or essay, there are 2 things you can do. Either tell them or show them. The difference might seem small, but can have a huge effect on what comes across to your reader and their reading experience.
I usually relate this difference to feeling a paper. When someone is showing you in their paper you can feel them in the paper and the paper becomes more realistic to you. But when someone is just telling you stuff, well it just seems like information you must now try and remember.
When you tell someone you are cool, they are not just going to start believing you. They will need to experience who you are and what you do for them to truly know how cool you are. So how would you do this? Show them, share experiences of things that happened and that you did. You can even show them by using some imaginary or description.
When it comes to describing something, use your words in such a way that it paints a picture not just describes the picture. Example: It was cold outside. Well this sentence is boring, but change it up a bit. The frost crystallised the windows as we sat inside, curled up in your warm thick blankets.
The human brain is amazing at remembering feelings, so is the reader can't feel your writing, the chances are that they will forget a lot of what you said in your writing.
Thought provoking questions, this is one of the best things to use in a paper. Instead of you painting the picture with words, you guild the reader to what you want them to create in their own mind using these questions.
Combine all of this together and your reader will feel you and love what you wrote. Leave that impression that will last a life time on your readers. Make them feel your writing and who knows you might of just change their life just by helping them feel your writing.
Link: for more examples.
Just on a little side note for self improvement. I will be doing pushups, situps and squats for the amount of $$$ (ratio;$1:1) I earn on this post and will give a short feedback every day at the end of each post. This will be split in equally between all 3. Any not done will carry onto the next day.
Thanks for all of this info
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This comment has received a 0.15 % upvote from @booster thanks to: @hamzaoui.
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Thanks, love the "cold outside example".
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Thanks, it is actually quite cold outside today that is why I wrote that :P
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Your helping a lot of people on Steemit with this !
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You hit me again! 🙂
And again it's not that I didn't know, as well not using it (even most likely unconsciously), but I apparently needed that conscious reminder.
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this is one maxim in writing that i really love, particularly for your distinction that "telling is just giving someone information to remember" and conveys really very little on an emotional level to the reader. it's when you start adding those phrases that connect people to the moment more fully that the writing gets really good.
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Good writers like Victor Hugo master this. They leave you with such a vivid memory of the story in the book one almost is tricked into believing it to be real-life
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Yes very true
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You've hit the nail on the head. I teach GAMSAT essay writing (essays for entry into medical school) and the key is to write from the heart - tell them a story from your experience, and not only 'the story', but also how you feel or felt about the events in the story. This is how to connect through the written word.
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Thank you, and yes if it is not from the heart do not write it, there must be a passion for what you write.
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Reading is about imagination. You need to stimulate readers to create a world of their own rather than creating a rigid one yourself.
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I think using metaphors to tell your story is a great way of showing what your real message is. e.g. "it's raining cats and dogs outside!"
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Yes metaphors work really well :)
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Great piece of advice indeed dear! Me when I write my post, I always put myself in the reader's place to see if he will understand the writing or not!
If not, got to change!
Cheers
@progressivechef
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Mmm that is a great idea :)
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this is a very useful piece
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Nice quote from Charles de Lint
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wow.. very helpful article.. I need to improve myself.. thank for the advise.
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very healthy tips imparted. I admired your work.
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Nicely written article. I also enjoyed the images and quote. It's true, a written work has no value if you can't feel it and relate to what's being said!
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Very helpful article specially the wisdom in the end. No one can replace your work is the best thing I have ever heard. Human beings are unique and but they don't know their worth. They dont realise their potential and the potential the writing offers to an individual. Writing has the power to change the world. It's time people should realise that.
Anyways @dragonslayer109 , you have been doing hell lot of job to educate people about the significance of writing. A great thumbs up for you.
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Your last part which you wrote is something I spoke about just this morning. Writing can change the world!
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One example really isn't enough. You could have done better. 👎
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Very informative, thanks dragon slayer :D
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Even though you are probably smoking a cigarette instead of doing pushups I support your effort in helping others by upvoting and resteeming even before reading because I have to help get my husband ready for work. You have never let me down before. :)
...
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Hahaha I don't smoke and lol I have already done all the pushups for this post :P
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Yes indeed, I can feel when the story is there just to fill the blank pages and when the writer is commited to put his feelings (even in SF stories) Great reminder :)
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Very helpful article. thx
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Nice post!!
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Good advice! Breathe life into your posts.
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Thanks for the tips!
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Great Tips thanks this is a great perspective to look at when writing almost any piece of content.
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Good post. Thanks for sharing. resteemed and followed ya
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Amazing article, great writing tips yet again...Thank you for sharing :)
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I need all the help I can get my writing is not good. Cheers mike
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Excellent. Well done.
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As Maya Angelou put it, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
Thanks for sharing.
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Yes very true nice quote.
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Por lo general, relaciono esta diferencia con sentir un papel. Cuando alguien le está mostrando en su papel usted puede sentirlos en el papel y el papel llega a ser más realista a usted. Pero cuando alguien está diciendo cosas, así que sólo parece que la información que ahora debe tratar de recordar.
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Yes I agree, it is also a lot nicer when you are persuaded by feelings to remember than to be told to remember.
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What's the real difference between showing and telling
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Very interesting read! I have a lot to learn when it comes to my writing clearly!
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Thank you, great advice also very inspired to go write!
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Good one LOL .. I am huge Yoda fan..he is my uncle in my mind...not sure what that means.. run with it I have to get off here.
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Amazing thought! Writing with qualifying parts of speech brings readers into tangible experience.
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Awesome quote at the end. I sometimes feel like people already know about this or explained this before, but it's always worth mentioning the way you explain something might be the difference of someone understanding it or not.
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I felt my stomach rumble and started to get concerned. A few minutes later the rumble was loud enough for others in the room to take notice. As Jane, seated in the desk next to mine, leaned over to ask me if I was okay, another groan came from my tummy immediately followed by that involuntary clench that signals you that you have about 16 seconds to make it to the toilet before all hell breaks loose!
(Wrote this to ensure I remembered your excellent points! Don't worry, I washed my hands first.) Followed
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Excellent post!
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Wow this post is very valuable and well done!
I liked it so much I included it in my "MUST READ" article.
Check it out if you like.
SteemON!
https://steemit.com/community/@quinneaker/quinn-s-quality-content-curation-q2c2-episode-3
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This is very helpful :D
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Great post
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Love this creative writing advice. Learned a lot from a couple of previous posts and applied accordingly. Results are slowly manifesting.
Thanks
-ch @globocop
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Very good sharing! I from poetry, but I'd like to reading and make a stroty by my self. I appreciate your post very much
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