Happy Friday!!! 🤪 Karen Rock does a guest post on my blog today. She shares some valuable information for all aspiring writers about showing vs telling a story. Check out her response.
Thanks Karen for taking the time to do this.
Deadly Games
Karen Rock
(Dallas After Dark)
Publication date: July 17th 2018
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense
ONE NIGHT ONLY
Special Agent Katherine Bowden doesn’t do girls’ nights out. She doesn’t do blazing hot dances with male strippers or unbelievable, uninhibited one-night-stands. If you ask her ex, all she does is work: study evidence, profile criminals, track them down. And now Katherine’s back home in Dallas, with a new set of all-male colleagues second-guessing her every move, and a possible serial killer hunting women just like her. But just this once, Katherine is going to try all those things she doesn’t do . . .
Growing up on the Reservation led Nash Hawkins down paths he’d rather forget. When his dream of joining the police force was crushed, he turned his hard body and wicked imagination into a meal ticket. His chemistry with Katherine is like nothing he’s ever felt. And though he’s sure a woman like her won’t want to get seriously involved with him, Nash knows things—things that might help catch a killer.
Nash and Katherine can save lives, if they put aside the desire that torments them both. But the closer they get, the more they have to lose . . .
“A highly entertaining and cohesive suspense novel with an emotionally satisfying romance that will keep readers glued to the page.”
—RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars on Dangerous Moves
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Karen Guest Post
Q: For aspiring why is it important to show instead of tell a story?
It’s important for aspiring writers to show, not tell, as readers who experience stories through the senses become immersed in the world you create for your characters. They must see, hear, taste, smell and feel what the heroes and heroines experience to truly feel as though they are in their point of view.
Here’s one way it applies to romance. Most feel it’s not enough to tell someone you love them; you have to show others you love them through your actions.
Romance authors apply the same concept to writing.
If you simply tell your readers that two characters meet and are instantly attracted to each other, the reader will feel less connected to the experience. However, if you show the characters meeting, making eye contact, having a hard time looking away, bodies swaying closer…readers can picture it. When you show, you’re using words to create a scene that readers instantly visualize. Instead of intellectually registering what you’re telling them, they fully imagine what you’re showing them.
I also work on the principal of three when it comes to showing not telling. I show a physical response (His eyes lingered on her lips before rising to stare her boldly in the eye) a visceral response (Her breath quickened and a fine line of perspiration broke out across her brow) an internal thought (She needed to focus on her case, but gorgeous Nash was stealing too much of her attention)
Readers can’t escape into your story unless you give them a virtual reality that engages all five of their senses. Once you master that skill, you’ll have stronger stories readers can’t put down! Good luck 😊
Author Bio:
Award-winning author Karen Rock is both sweet & spicy—at least when it comes to her writing! The author of YA and adult contemporary books writes spicy suspense and small-town romances. A big believer in Happily-Ever-After, Karen loves creating unforgettable stories that leave her readers smiling. Karen is an avid reader and baker who loves having the Adirondack Park as her backyard, where she lives with her husband and daughter who make her life complete.
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