Along with facial expressions and voice inflection,
the storyteller can also use movement to his or her advantage. Consider telling
a group of children a frightening story in which the protagonist tiptoes around
a corner to see what's around the corner. As a storyteller, you can actually
walk on tiptoe, hunched over; and exaggerating your movements adds to the
suspense. Visual aids are simple to employ and are expressive powerhouses.
Another possibility is that you're telling a young boy
a pirate story. While limping with a pretend wooden leg, you can use toy props
such as a toy sword or pirate's hat. Without the storyteller having to create
the imagery with words, these visuals enhance the child's story experience.
Writing
On the other hand, writing is entirely dependent on
the writer's interpretation of the characters' facial expressions, voice,
mannerisms, appearance, and body movement. And, more importantly, that
interpretation must be conveyed through words that ‘show' rather than 'tell.'
Consider how much easier storytelling is than writing
a story. However, the majority of authors are writers, not storytellers, and as
such, we must demonstrate emotions and activity.
How might you, as an author, write the scene in the
storytelling examples above?
One possible scenario for the opening of a frightening
story is as follows:
Lucas took his younger brother's hand in his and drew
him in. "Shhh. Make no sound at all. It may pick up on our
conversation." They crept along the wall, barely able to breathe, until
they came to...
While this passage lacks the visual aids used by the
storyteller, it does convey an atmosphere of suspense and fear.
As an author, you might write the following about a
pirate story:
Captain Sebastian snatched his sword from his belt and
raised it above his head. "Men, proceed to the ship."
Pirates swung onto the ship using the ropes. They
overtook their adversary in under an hour, swords and knives clanking.
This brief passage depicts a pirate scene in which
Captain Sebastian leads his men into battle aboard another ship. While there
are no visual aids, the message is conveyed.
Additionally, you should keep an eye out for weak
verbs, adjectives, and a variety of other no-no’s as you attempt to write your story
through showing. The phrase "barely breathing" would almost certainly
have to be changed in the sentence above if it reached the hands of a
publisher. Why? Because the use of the words "ly" and "ing"
is also discouraged.
