Folly of the Faithful Canine

Do Tell

2023-08-28T03:38:10Z

I’m sure you’ve heard of “Show, don’t tell,”
A writing tip we all know well
From Anton Chekhov, though he said
A longer phrase, from what I’ve read.
It’s meant for use in not just plays
But writing in all kinds of ways.
The point is to describe the scene
So readers sense just what you mean.
For instance, you had best avoid
Declaring someone was annoyed
When you can say they rolled their eyes
Or heard a crowd as buzzing flies.
That said, plain telling has its place,
If only to increase the pace.
The duller details can be skipped
Or covered in a briefer script
With exposition, which would leave
The better parts to image-weave.
Like any other writing rule,
It’s not a law but more a tool.
Decide yourself what’s best to show
And what to tell; I hope you know.

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Superman Stories

2023-05-01T02:50:01Z

From what I can tell, there are five different kinds
Of Superman stories all told.
In one, he is weakened by kryptonite shards
Or whatnot; that quickly gets old.

At times, he contends with a villain whose might
Surpasses or equals his own.
Perhaps he’s quite safe but must rescue a friend
And barely can do it alone.

On rarer occasions, a character learns
His secret identity, oops!
Just how will he stop them from spreading the word
When killing’s a no-no for Supes?

The last kind will focus on somebody else,
With Superman lending support.
I’m not a big fan of the old Man of Steel,
So that one’s my favorite sort.

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In General

2022-03-21T01:54:02Z

Some characters accused of having zero personality
Are really just inclined toward expressional neutrality.
They’re tolerant of many flaws and bear aggression stoic’ly,
Or else they stand by principles, defending them heroic’ly.

They can be quite emotional and talkative and sociable,
But something in their attitude is strictly nonnegotiable.
Perhaps you think consistency makes people one-dimensional.
It doesn’t, least of all when they are highly unconventional.

They have a set of int’rests if you watch them more attentively.
They even sometimes find a way to pass the time inventively.
In short, if you like criticisms based in actuality,
Think hard before you say that someone lacks a personality.

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So It's Been Said

2021-06-06T02:23:29Z

In element’ry school, I learned to do away with “said”
In writing; I would choose among the stronger verbs instead.
I later learned that that was but a single school of thought.
Another would respond to this with “Absolutely not.”
The thinking is that dialog well written will suffice
To show how things are put, and “said” simplicity is nice,
So synonyms and variants are nothing but distractions
Or purple prose that ought to be omitted in redactions.
At this point, I would cultivate a style between the schools:
These verbs all have a reason to exist; they’re handy tools,
And adverbs have their place as well when verbs are not enough.
I’ll choose whatever fits, although deciding can be tough.

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