Stage Directions

Today on Monday Blogs we’re talking about showing not telling a reader a story. Or rather the stage directions that are creeping into new books.
Show don’t tell. Authors can’t hear this enough. We aren’t supposed to tell a reader a story; we show them the story. That makes our books more memorable, a better adventure for the reader. And we all want to give the reader a better experience, so they’ll buy more of our books.
However, I’ve noticed recently that new authors are using stage directions to point the reader in the right direction. Just what are stage directions?
Imagine reading a story. It’s pretty good. You’re more than mildly interested, until you hit a point where the author pops out “Then they turned north onto Summer Street, followed by a turn into Main Street. Now, the driver pointed at the edifice at the other end of the street. “That’s where you’re going. Are you sure?”
Yup, you just told the reader what’s happening rather than showing them. This is like an irresistible urge. Some authors can’t resist that moment, when instead of painting a picture showing the reader what’s happening, they tell them. After all, this is just a short moment, not even really a major plot point. We’ll just get it over with.
A better way to show the reader would be something like: The cab meandered along Summer Street. We checked out the houses on both sides of the road. All of them were modern versions of the same design, with very few differences. A screech of brakes turned our attention toward the red light keeping us from moving forward. Once the light turned to green, the cabbie raced around the corner and drove along Main Street. His shaky finger pinpointed a monstrosity sitting on a hill about a mile ahead of us. My brother and I glanced at each other. Dread rose within me. That house, if one could call it a house, towered over the town. Instead of a modern, clean exterior, the windows were cracked, a door under a portico hung on only one hinge. The grass was at least waist high behind a rusty iron fence and gate. “That be Marley Manor,” the driver said in a fearful voice. “Are you sure you want to go there?”
The difference in the two paragraphs stands out. In the first, you aren’t creating any tension. The reader is being told where they’re traveling and that they see a house. Nothing else. In the second paragraph, you are treated to a visual journey to a place that holds secrets, but what kind of secrets and why is that house still standing when it’s so very different from every other home in the area?
Remember this when you are tempted to use stage directions to tell your reader what’s happening. With just a few more words, you can paint a vivid picture of a scene that will take them further into your book. 

 
About K.C. Sprayberry
Born and raised in Southern California’s Los Angeles basin, K.C. Sprayberry spent years traveling the United States and Europe while in the Air Force before settling in northwest Georgia. A new empty nester with her husband of more than twenty years, she spends her days figuring out new ways to torment her characters and coming up with innovative tales from the South and beyond.
She’s a multi-genre author who comes up with ideas from the strangest sources. Those who know her best will tell you that nothing is safe or sacred when she is observing real life. In fact, she considers any situation she witnesses as fair game when plotting a new story. 
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