â At long last, it is finally here; The long awaited guide to showing instead of telling. This is obviously a very divisive subject in the writing community, so if thereâs something you disagree with, thatâs totally fine. These are simply my tips based on my own experience and you can take or leave whatever is useful to you. I hope this is helpful. Happy writing!
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It is important to note that showing is mainly about conveying exactly what you mean to your reader. Telling is so dangerous in writing because itâs very easy for readers to interpret information that is told to them in a way that throws off any one of the elements of your scene. The best way to catch these instances of telling is to identify moments in which a reader could ask âwhat do they mean?â
Take those moments, for instance, if you were to write, âthe woman was prettyâ, and clarify what pretty is in the context of your story, or your perspective as the author. People have different definitions and associations to words, and your job, when it comes to showing, is to make your definitions and associations as clear as possible.
Showing does not mean telling in a more roundabout way. It means taking a bland description without any imagery and rewriting it in a way that paints a picture in your readerâs mind. You do this by using strong verbs and powerful words. For instance, instead of saying âhit, looked, walkedâ, youâd say âstruck, peered, trudgedâ. See what I mean?
As a writer, you need to understand that there are no hard rules. There must be balance to everything, and despite how universal this âruleâ may seem, you should know that itâs not that black and white. Here are two tips to help you keep balance between showing and telling.
Donât overwhelm your reader with information that is unnecessary. If your reader can continue without knowing a detail, donât include it, and donât justify keeping it to yourself because you want to bulk up the word count or sound fancy.
When youâre telling, be brief about it and make sure that the inclusion of the detail is imperative to your reader advancing in the story.
Dialogue is a really great way to show a reader character traits that showing through description never could. The way a person speaks, the words they choose, the manner in which they respond to things, are all great ways to give your reader information about that character. Use this to your advantage so that you donât have to spend extra time describing it later.
When You Should âTellâ
When the number of words it would take to show instead of tell a piece of information isnât worth your readerâs time
When youâre essentially repeating information the reader already knows. In this case, youâd say âso-and-so explained what she had saidâ instead of reiterating what she said and reaching a point where your writing is redundant.
When you want the reader to form their own emotions around the events in a scene, rather than planting them in their mind. Telling allows for the reader to have some emotional freedom, but this should come in little bits. Approach this excuse to tell with caution.
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