About
Recorded live at San Diego Comic-Con in 2024, this free class explores one of the most familiar and frequently misunderstood pieces of writing advice: Show, don’t tell. Drake shows you the practical tools that make prose feel immediate, vivid, and personal, including filtering, strong verbs, adverbs, active versus passive voice, and the choices that bring readers closer to a character’s experience. I’m making this class available for free so you can get a genuine look at how I teach, how I break down writing concepts, and how I approach the craft. It’s a chance to spend a class with me before deciding whether my writing courses are the right fit for you. Because this was recorded during a live convention presentation, there are a few things to know before you begin. The class took place in a large room with several hundred attendees, so the audio has more room sound than the other videos inside DrakeU.com. The camera was also positioned near the back of the room, which means I’m often seen from a distance, and much of the recording focuses on the large screen displaying the presentation. This was also filmed while I was still recovering from throat cancer treatment. At the time, my mouth and speech had not yet fully returned to normal. The production may not be as polished or intimate as the rest of the DrakeU.com library, but the full class and its lessons are here. I hope it gives you useful tools, a clearer understanding of Show, Don’t Tell, as well as a good sense of how I teach.