Example One - Tell

 

Finn was perpetually late. Today he was late for work, but even on days he didn’t work he was running late – he had missed his last three hairdressing appointments, which is why his dark brown hair curled right down to his shoulders. It was also why he frequently changed jobs, making him all the more late to the next one as he attempted to track down the bus fare. Of course, it didn’t help that his hair was always messy, his shirts never ironed, and his clothes falling apart. Fortunately for Finn, however, he was also undeniably charming. He easily explained away his multitude of jobs during his interviews, and no one could say no to his reassuring smile and puppy dog eyes. It was also the only reason he ever got to his jobs at all – the bus driver, Minnie, had a soft spot for him, and had often cited engine troubles to her passengers to explain why they sat at the bus stop for up to twenty minutes after they were supposed to have departed.

 

 

Example Two - Show

 

“Aha!”

      The shout of triumph came from Finn, who had just discovered a ten cent piece down the back of his couch. Granted, he actually needed fifty cents, but his apartment was so small that even being able to find a ten cent coin was a miracle.

      He shoved the coin into his pocket and pulled his shirt on the rest of the way, buttoning it up as he ran out the door. He just made the lift, and inspected himself in the mirror on the way down. Was it this boss who got mad when his shirt was crinkled? Or the last one? No, this was the one who kept making him hairdressing appointments. He attempted to tie his dark brown hair back with some loose string from his shirt sleeve, to no avail.

      Fortunately, Finn’s bus was still waiting at the stop. He sprinted across the lawn, flung himself up the bus stairs, and deposited a pile of silver coins into the bus driver’s waiting hand.

      “Only ten minutes late today,” the driver, Minnie, said quietly with a smile. “And forty cents short.”

      “Pay day is tomorrow,” Finn told her with an apologetic grin. “I’ll give you the full ten I owe you.”

      Minnie nodded and dropped the coins into their slots. As he took his seat, Finn suddenly remembered that he owed her fifteen. She was far too kind to him.

      “Let’s try it again, shall we?” Minnie called out. The engine sputtered pitifully, if predictably, a few times before turning on properly. “There we go! On our way then!”