I was talking with one of my editors on the telephone recently. At one point during the conversation, she sighed and said that she was having a difficult time finding a manuscript that she could publish.

I was surprised. I pointed out that I knew she received hundreds of manuscripts a year, and it seemed impossible that she couldn't find good writing amongst that collection of submissions.

That's when she gave me the most common complaint editors have. And once you know that complaint and how to overcome it, you'll be ahead of 95% of writers-including adult writers-who try to get their work published.

Her complaint? In all of the manuscripts she had read recently, the writers didn't show what was happening. Instead, they told about it.

In other words, a good writer will follow these three words: Show, don't tell.

What kind of woman is Mrs. Smith? Don't tell us that. Show it. In order to illustrate this point, compare the following two descriptions:

1. Mrs. Smith was a grumpy old lady who didn't like children.
   
   
2. The doorbell rang. Mrs. Smith, who had been waiting all week for the paper boy to collect his money, reached for the broom that stood beside the front door. She stepped outside, and used a two-handed grip to swing the broom at Mike's head. "You little jerk," she screeched, "cut across my lawn again, and I'll burn your newspapers!"

I hope these descriptions give you an idea of how much better it works to show the reader something. After reading the second paragraph above, I think you will agree that Mrs. Smith is certainly grumpy, but it was something you could figure out for yourself without explicitly being told.

So next time you want to tell your reader something, stop. Think of an example that will show what you want your reader to know.

It may be extra work, but you'll discover it makes you the type of writer who gets great grades (and maybe even a writing pay cheque some day!)