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Every prompt these says "show don't tell" but nobody explains how
I've been reading this sub for about 4 years now and I swear half the feedback on any story is just that same phrase. Last week someone posted a prompt about a lighthouse keeper finding a door that wasn't there before. The top comment just said "show don't tell" and nothing else. I get the idea on the surface, you know, describe the rust instead of saying it's old. But nobody ever talks about how to actually pick which details matter. I've burned through three writing books and two online workshops trying to figure this out. Turns out the trick for me was writing the same scene five times, each time cutting one sense or one object, then seeing what breaks. Has anyone else found a better way to teach this to new writers, or is it just one of those things you gotta trip over yourself?
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