If you spend enough time learning the craft of writing, you'll inevitably come across one piece of advice more than any other: "Show, Don't Tell." But what does this actually mean?
It's the difference between being a reporter and being a storyteller. "Telling" is stating a fact directly. "Showing" is painting a picture with words, using sensory details and actions to allow the reader to experience the story for themselves. It's the key to pulling your reader out of their world and dropping them directly into yours.
Showing Emotion
Instead of telling the reader what a character is feeling, show it through their body language, actions, and dialogue.
Telling: "She was terrified."
Showing: "Her breath caught in her throat. A tremor ran down her arm, and she clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle a scream. The floorboards creaked behind her, and every muscle in her body went rigid."
Showing Character Traits
Don't just label your characters with adjectives. Reveal their personalities through how they behave and interact with the world.
Telling: "He was an angry and impatient man."
Showing: "He slammed his fist on the counter, the coffee cups rattling. 'I've been waiting for ten minutes,' he growled, his eyes fixed on the young barista. He tapped his foot, a frantic, percussive rhythm on the worn linoleum floor."
Showing Setting
Bring your world to life by appealing to the reader's senses. What does the place look, sound, and smell like?
Telling: "The room was old and abandoned."
Showing: "Dust motes danced in the single beam of light slanting through a grimy, cracked window. The air hung thick and heavy with the smell of damp decay and forgotten things. A thick layer of grey dust covered every surface, muffling any sound from the world outside."
How to Practice "Showing"
- Focus on the Five Senses: What can your character see, hear, smell, taste, and touch? Engaging the senses is the fastest way to immerse your reader in a scene.
- Use Strong Verbs: Strong, active verbs do a lot of heavy lifting. Instead of "He walked tiredly," try "He shuffled," "He trudged," or "He plodded." Each one paints a different picture.
- Look for Adverbs: Adverbs (words ending in "-ly") can often be a sign that you're telling instead of showing. If you write "she said angrily," try to rewrite the scene to show her anger in her actions or the tone of her voice instead.
"Show, Don't Tell" isn't a rigid rule; sometimes, a simple "telling" sentence is the most efficient way to move the story along. But by learning to show the crucial moments—the emotional beats, the character reveals, the atmospheric scenes—you will transform your writing from a simple report into a living, breathing experience.