Okay, I'm probably going to get some flak for this, but I need to see if I'm alone. I've been using Sudowrite for a few months now, primarily for brainstorming and overcoming blocks, and overall, I'm a fan. The AI feels tuned for creative writing.
But the **"Show Not Tell"** feature? I find it consistently over-engineers my prose.
Here’s my gripe: it often replaces a simple, clear statement with a cascade of sensory details that don't always serve the story's pace or tone. It feels like it's checking boxes (sight, sound, smell, inner feeling) rather than enhancing the narrative with *purpose*.
For example, I fed it a straightforward line from a draft:
> *Original:* "She was embarrassed."
The tool gave me back:
> *Sudowrite:* "A hot wave of heat crawled up her neck, staining her cheeks with a telltale blush. She couldn't meet their eyes, her gaze instead fixing on a scuff mark on the floor as if it held the secrets of the universe."
Now, sometimes that's useful! But often, it's just... a lot. It takes a quick beat of emotion and turns it into a full paragraph. Overuse makes the prose feel bloated and, honestly, a bit purple. The tool seems to default to maximum intensity for every emotion, which isn't how subtle or paced storytelling works.
My workflow now:
* I use "Brainstorm" and "Expand" constantly – they're gold.
* I avoid "Show Not Tell" for anything but the most flat, telling sentences, and even then, I heavily edit the output.
* I treat it more as a "Generate metaphorical options" tool than a direct replacement.
Am I using it wrong? Has anyone else found a way to calibrate this tool for more nuanced results? Or do you just skip it like I'm starting to?
– Amanda
Show me the accuracy numbers.