The art of showing and not telling

As a lover of poetry and literature, it's been an eye-opener for me to learn just how much the rule of "show, don't tell" permeates both fiction and journalism. For fans of sportswriting, the masterpiece of "show, don't tell" writing is WC Heinz's "Death of a Racehorse", which was published in 1949 in the New York Sun. It was a deadline piece, written immediately after a race in which an injured horse had to be put down.

Heinz's prose is almost bare-bones. Color is added by quotes from various characters around the track. Consider the lede:

"They were going to the post for the sixth race at Jamaica, two year olds, some making their first starts, to go five and a half furlongs for a purse of four thousand dollars. They were moving slowly down the backstretch toward the gate, some of them cantering, others walking, and in the press box they had stopped their working or their kidding to watch, most of them interested in one horse.

"Air Lift," Jim Roach said. "Full brother of Assault."

Assault, who won the triple crown ... making this one too, by Bold Venture, himself a Derby winner, out of Igual, herself by the great Equipoise ... Great names in the breeding line ... and now the little guy making his first start, perhaps the start of another great career."

It's remarkable how easily he builds tension and creates a sense of scope. It soon all comes crashing down for Air Lift:

"They were off well, although Air Lift was fifth. They were moving toward the first turn, and now Air Lift was fourth. They were going into the turn, and now Air Lift was starting to go, third perhaps, when suddenly he slowed, a horse stopping, and below in the stands you could hear a sudden cry, as the rest left him, still trying to run but limping, his jockey -- Dave Gorman -- half falling, half sliding off.

"He broke a leg!" somebody, holding binoculars to his eyes, shouted in the press box. "He broke a leg!""

The entire piece is like this. No telling the audience what to feel. Prose that describes and little more. Very spare use of adjectives and adverbs. I'd like to write about the end, but I don't want to spoil it. I'll just say that it's some of the most haunting writing I've ever read. of course, not once does Heinz tell me that the scene is haunting.

Read the article here: http://www.gangrey.com/66