Craft of Writing - Show and Tell Continuum

How abstract is that?

This is at best half a tip, but it's worth considering as a writer.

As an aspiring author, you are always told to show and not tell. It's ingrained and makes perfect sense as a tip.

Yet sometimes, telling is inevitable and is certainly allowable. The question is are there any rules that determine what is acceptable or necessary to show?

The best advice I have gleaned is to consider abstraction on a continuum. And the best way to imagine this continuum is stretching from the ground, way into the sky.

At the bottom of the continuum you have earth, grass, plants, worms and stuff like that. Half way up you have the sky and at the very top you would have heaven.

When you consider these words, you can consider how, as you rise, you gain increasing abstractness. Now imagine explaining them to a six-year old.

Grass is tangible. We expect it to be green. Six year olds know what it looks and tastes like and what smell it makes when it's cut.

Sky can be difficult to explain to a six year-old. Heaven can be impossible.

The whole point of this is that the higher up the continuum you go, the harder it is to tell. You have to show in some way - otherwise the reader simply won't get it.

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