Of everything I’ve learned on my journey, and there’s been a lot, Action does not equate to showing. I was dinged early in my writing because I seemed to have a love affair with telling versus showing.

In my mind, if the character was moving or doing something active, I was showing. While that’s partially true, and you do want your character moving, Action isn’t always equated to showing.

Here’s an example.

*She raced through the street with her adversary in hot pursuit. Capture was not an option.

This sentence does paint a picture in your head, but you’re on the outside watching. (Telling) You need to be walking this out through your character’s eyes. Get into their head. Use those senses. How is this chase impacting him/her?

**Her heart nearly beat out of her chest, and she struggled to breath as her footsteps quickened. The sound of her pursuers grew louder with each passing second. She glanced back and forth looking for a way of escape. Capture was not an option.

Not sure if this is the greatest of examples, but it is enough to give you an idea of the point I’m trying to convey.

By using senses and getting into the character’s head, you become a part of the scene, walking it out with them.

Another plus is you just doubled or tripled your word count 🙂

Something to think about.

-Jan R