For movies show, don’t tell is common Knowledge, but the same goes for writing. You can just tell your reader that Alexander is feeling lonely and scared, but that won’t create the feeling of lonely and scared in the reader and won’t help us engage in the story. Instead describe the situation Alexander finds himself in so that the reader can experience his feelings with him.

This exercise is to practice describing instead of explaining.

Take some time to think about a house you know or remember from your past that always gives you a certain feeling. You can also start with making a list of such houses and then pick one.

Now start describing this house without using any words that indicate feeling. So, no eerie, rundown, stuffy, glamorous, impressive, ordinary et cetera.  Just picture the house on your mind’s eye and describe what you see. Think about the five senses: SEEING, HEARING, TOUCHING, SMELLING AND TASTING.

We will start outside. We are not on the property yet. What does the entrance look like? Is there a sidewalk, a gate, a garden, a porch. Describe the pavement, the materials used, the plants in the garden. Are there sounds? Are there people or animals? Do you see anything else? Cars maybe or a garden hose, toys?

Let us know what season it is by describing the colour of the sky, are there clouds, do you sweat, do you shiver?

Now you can start describing the house as you are coming closer. Try to write down as many details as you can about the house. Remember any ‘feeling’ words are forbidden.

Then you go inside. Is there someone there to greet you? What do they look like, what do they say, what do you say? Describe the interior, the smells and sounds. Do you sit down somewhere? How does your seat look and feel. Think about lamps, curtains, wallpaper. The food you get served and anything else you can think of.

At some stage you leave again. This could be very soon after you arrived or days or even years later. Did anything change?

Describing instead of explaining is one of the most important skills you will have as writer. This is the way you will make readers feel something and get them hooked into your story.