Guide to Writing

Writing Tip 12: Show, Don't Tell

Chapter written by Sara91Helal

"Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass." ~ Anton Chekhov

As a writer, you can either turn your words into dull gibberish or paint picturesque scenes that takes your readers' breath away. The trick is simple: "Show, don't tell." And it works like magic!

Acts rather than facts

There are two ways to describe a zombie apocalypse:

(1) "There was a zombie apocalypse." Fact. Lifeless. Boring.

(2) "Corpses crept out, shuffling through the graveyard." Act. Vivid. Creepy.

Unless you're writing a fact book, (2) is always better.

Plunge deep into the scene

Draw your readers in, make them connect and relate. Helping readers imagine gives a depth to your scenes; readers want to dive in, explore your story and unveil it one mystery at a time. Don't dictate what readers should feel; don't tell them "the monster was scary", let them see its red eyes and bloody fangs for themselves.

"Fiction can only involve and convince and excite readers if it let's them experience the story world in the way they experience real life: by taking in stimuli and drawing their own conclusions." ~ The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing

Avoid adverbs

Emotions are better shown in actions rather than adverbs.

(1) "How dare you!" she said angrily. - Tell.

(2) "How dare you!" she said, stamping her foot. - Show.

"The road to hell is paved with adverbs." ~ Stephen King

Balance your details

Keep in mind that too much telling could be excruciating. Like we discussed in an earlier tip, it's all about balance!

"Look—here's a table covered with a red cloth. On it is a cage the size of a small fish aquarium. In the cage is a white rabbit with a pink nose and pink-rimmed eyes. In its front paws is a carrot-stub upon which it is contentedly munching. On its back, clearly marked in blue ink, is the numeral 8.

Do we see the same thing? We'd have to get together and compare notes to make absolutely sure, but I think we do. The paragraph doesn't tell us what sort of material the cage is made of—wire mesh? Steel rods? Glass?—but does it really matter? We all understand the cage is a see- through medium; beyond that, we don't care. The most interesting thing here is the number on its back. Not a six, not a four, not nineteen-point-five. It's an eight. This is what we're looking at, and we all see it." ~Stephen King

To conclude, just remember that "actions always speak louder."

What others have had to say

sweetpotato-"I like it when the author makes me feel like I am the main chatacter. So when writing a story make the reader feel as if they are the main character. I garantee people will love your books more . When the reader adds your book to their library, they expect you to take them to an amazing journey. A journey filled with tears and laughs. Here's a tip, use metaphors and similes to show your ideas because using metaphors and similies provides the reader with an interesting way of imagining the scene." 

drwhogivesadamn " I think the 'show not tell' also says a lot about human nature, how we don't want to be dictated and told what to do. It feeds into man's insatiable desire to be free (at least, in theory). Imposing what a scene looks like on readers instead of immersing them in it is so limiting that they feel smothered and disinterested.

By showing, you allow readers some stake (or freedom) in the story, making your work feel more like a dialogue where they can relate and reference their own emotions in relation to what you showed."

xFakingaSmilex "I want to get lost in the tiny details that make a story a masterpiece." 

KatherineArlene "If you have information that can be given in a conversation, do that rather than telling the reader that information."

Ammelia11 "Nobody likes characters that sit around doing nothing, letting events happen to them. Show that your characters do more than that by using action words, which helps take us into the story."

Thank you all for reading! What's your advice on showing, not telling?