For those who are old enough (my fellow GenXrs), remember how exciting it was when your teacher rolled the projector into class? Especially if the reel was a big one. The big reel not only meant a longer film, but also increased the odds that the film would jam up in the machine, taking further time away from academic pursuits. Today, let’s roll out the projector. Short reel.
It is well known (or should be) that a good writer leads the reader to a conclusion by showing, not telling. As C.S. Lewis explained, “Don’t say it was ‘delightful’; make me say ‘delightful’ when we’ve read the description.” The clip below, from the TV show The West Wing, is a great example of this. In the scene, Leo McGarry (played brilliantly by the late great John Spencer) is an alcoholic who had a relapse. He is about to endure questioning in front of a congressional subcommittee and is explaining his relapse to his attorney. But instead of writing simple dialogue in which McGarry tells his lawyer, effectively, “I’m an alcoholic and couldn’t help myself,” the writers lead us there by putting the glass in our hands. This is how you show…