Sometimes it’s Okay to Tell, not Show

Show, Don’t Tell. We’ve all heard it. But is telling really all that bad?

Narrative exposition can be an efficient way to get information to the readers. The “trick” is to make sure that the telling remains true to the character. His opinions, his observations, his experiences. What you don’t want is author intrusion. Anything “told” should be from the characters point of view.

I think Michael Connelly does this very well. He rarely pulls me out of the story when his characters relate...