“Instead of telling us a thing was 'terrible,' describe it so that we'll be terrified. Don't say it was 'delightful'; make us say 'delightful' when we've read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers "Please will you do my job for me.”

~C. S. Lewis

This is one of the top weaknesses in Christian Fiction writing today. I say, “weaknesses,” not, “mistakes,” because, especially in writing, rules are made to be broken, and every great writer breaks rules. There are times when Telling IS appropriate, but in general, it's just not as powerful as Showing. Some people say, “Show, don't Tell.” How about this for a change: “Don't Tell until you know how to Show.”

You can't break a rule until you know how to obey it.

So instead of saying, “The lady was kind to me,” say, “the lady's wrinkles melted into a smile, and she handed me a plate of chocolate-chip cookies.”

Instead of saying, “He hated me,” say, “And without so much as a blink of his ice-blue eyes, he dropped my thousand-dollar camera into the depths of the canyon.”

Make sense? Try it out, and let me know how it works for you.