HEARTICLES: Articles with Heart

Back in 1989, I had the pleasure of attending one of Mr. Vonnegut's lectures. It's been more than twenty years now so I don't remember the whole lecture. But I do remember where I was, where I was sitting, and the feeling Mr. Vonnegut gave me as I listened to him pour out his innermost thoughts and secrets. He talked about his life, his work and what inspired him. I learned the truth behind Slaughterhouse Five and why he chose to write Breakfast of Champions. It was an incredible experience that would have been made even more incredible had I the chance to actually speak with him. Sadly, he passed away in 2007, at the peak of his 85th year. Gone in the physical form he may be, but he left a lasting legacy behind him. Not just with his Humanistic involvements, but mainly with his writings and his advice to would be writers. To that end, one of his most famous pieces of advice comes from his book, Bagombo Snuff Box: Uncollected Short Fiction , in which Mr. Vonnegut listed ei...

I'm sure I'm not the only one whose editor has said, "This is telling. SHOW your reader . . . ". Here's an example — Telling: Mary showered before dressing. Showing: Mary stepped from the steaming shower and wrapped herself in a thick white terrycloth towel. Her hair was bound to keep it dry, but now she let it down. She watched the coppery curls fall about her bare shoulders in the foggy mirror, her reflection an apparition in the haze. In the showing example, the reader is in the bathroom with Mary. While her actual features are blurred in the foggy mirror, we know she has coppery hair and it's long enough that if falls about her shoulders. Here's another one — Telling: John played the guitar. Showing: The sound was as gentle as a pleasured woman’s moan yet seemed almost too big for the tiny room. John closed his eyes, enjoying the erotic sensation of the hum of the cords reverberating through his belly. He let his fingers slide over th...