Magic & Sci-fi Writing: Show, Don't Tell - VERBS

Magic & Sci-fi Writing: Show, Don't Tell - VERBS

When it comes to to writing magic & sci-fi, the rule is SHOW, don't TELL.

To make your descriptions pop, you need sensory details and motion.

Sensory details are things you can "know" with your five senses.

VERBS are the keys to writing motion that "moves" and sensory details that feel real.

Skip the adjectives and go for action verbs. Let's look at an example sentence that "tells" what we really want to "show":

It is scary.

The verb here is "is," which doesn't show any action. The adjective, "scary" can mean a lot of things. It doesn't give us anything to picture.

EXAMPLE: It is scary

Here's an example revision:

Its red eyes dart through the night.

DART is an action verb that shows motion. Now we have something to picture.

Multiple Choice

Here's a TELLING sentence: It was weird. Which revision turns it into a SHOWING sentence?

• It was really super weird because it had so much gross stuff.

• A cloud of sparkly dust spread through the air.

Sometimes new fantasy and sci-fi writers use verbs that don't show any sensory details or action, like these:

beam, teleport, cast a spell, become, turn into, magically appear, use, do

Avoid these verbs and go for verbs that show ACTION.

Multiple Choice

Choose the strongest revision of this sentence: She teleported to her mom's house.

• She magically went very fast to her mom's house.

• A swirling pink tunnel opened in her wall and sucked her inside.

Open Ended

Revise this sentence with an action verb:

She cast a spell on him.

Your revision should NOT include the words "cast a spell."

Open Ended

Revise this sentence with an action verb:

She beamed to her school

Your revision should NOT include the words "beamed" or "teleported" or any word like this. SHOW how she moves, what her body does.

Open Ended

Write a sentence with an action verb to describe any part of this image. Add sound if you want!