In Part 1, we looked at an example using The Great Gatsby to demonstrate how much more captivating prose is when it "shows" us things instead of merely "telling." That's not only a good realization for writers, but also for readers.
As readers, what if we tuned in to the prose a little and asked ourselves if the writer in a particular section is doing more showing or more telling. Sometimes we can look at brush strokes in more detail and develop a greater appreciation for the artist. What looks easy at first glance might actually be some previously undetected bits of genius coming from the keystrokes of a particular writer.
And whenever we find ourselves riveted, we might notice the difference in prose technique compared to times our chin drops to our chest, our eyes glaze over, and our minds feel numb. Is there a correlation between the methodology in the engaging parts versus the dreary ones? It might be worth asking if the writer is boring us by accident or on purpose! Perhaps it could be a strategy to make a particular conflict more enthralling by leading us in bored and then delighting us with action and dialogue that bring back our wonder at the story.
We might also reflect on characters, plots, themes, and endings that seem a tad ambiguous. I don't know about you, but as a child, movies with ambiguous endings bothered me. Did the protagonist live happily ever after? I wanted to know!
But art is supposed to imitate life. And we all know life doesn't come with a narrator. An English professor cannot find some hidden theme and suddenly everything about life and the universe is explained to our satisfaction. We don't know the bottom line about characters we meet or events that overtake us.
We observe life, deriving our own conclusions. Should fiction be any different?
In truth, the writer has plenty of tools to "narrate" without narrating. Even when fiction has a certain vagueness to it, chances are its less opaque than our real life experiences.
So perhaps as readers, recognizing the "showing vs. telling" dynamic in prose will help us appreciate being intrigued without always getting firm answers and tidy resolutions.
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