Today, I offered a guideline for how to tell if you are “showing” or “telling” in your memoir. Showing involves four things:
- Action: I leaned over the railing and puked.
- Sensory detail: The smell that wafted up reminded me of moo-shu pork.
- Dialogue: “Lisa!” my friend said. “That’s my mom’s favorite rug.”
- Thought: I didn’t mean to, I thought.
If it’s not in one of those categories, it’s telling.
Creative Writing 