Every writer eventually faces the same question: Should I plan my story before I write it, or should I discover the story as I go? This debate has created two groups of writers: plotters and pantsers.

If you've spent any time reading writing advice, you've almost certainly heard one phrase repeated over and over: "Show, don't tell." It's often presented as one of the fundamental rules of fiction writing. Unfortunately, it's also one of the most misunderstood. Many beginning writers interpret this advice to mean they should never tell the reader anything directly. They begin describing every smile, every footstep, every glance, and every emotion in painstaking detail. The r