Show & Tell8/3/2022 One of the first pieces of advice that you will receive when entering the writing community is “show, don’t tell”. But, what exactly do these terms mean? This is a practical guide to showing and telling, which will hopefully help you recognize when to use each one, and how to do so correctly. If you tell us what is going on in the scene, you use direct descriptions. This means that you write down exactly the character’s feelings, their manners, and the room’s ambiance, among others. Notice that telling often has an abundance of adjectives. Since it is straightforward, it does not leave space for readers to draw their own conclusions. In consequence, when overused, telling can make a piece less engaging. But, if you use it wisely, it will help you make a point clear. Examples of telling:
Use it when:
Meanwhile, showing focuses on the how of a scene. It describes the ways characters act, speak, and think. Readers will infer how these relate and will understand the ideas and emotions to a deeper level. Showing involves describing more senses too, so they will be able to connect with the characters. This method gives you the opportunity to develop character traits and relationships. Feel free to add subtext when showing, but be careful not to go into too much detail in descriptions and lose the bigger picture. Examples of showing:
Use it when:
Writing exercise: In one paragraph, try describing a scene using only telling mechanism. Rewrite the paragraph using only showing. After understanding both of these techniques separately, you can experiment by combining them to form a stronger message. Emotions in particular have the potential to be told and then used to show a wider perspective. For example, you can have a character describe their impression of a place directly (telling), in dialogue. Then, they can interact with the people and things in this place (showing), and discover that they were completely mistaken. Note: To avoid redundancy, try not to show something that has already been told or vice versa. While both techniques are important, remember that every writer can experiment with different proportions of each to reach one that suits their writing style better. So, contrary to the popular writing advice, I think that you do not need to avoid telling at all costs, but rather learn to recognize when it will suit your story better. Paula Argudois a young planster with too much passion and too little time on a day. She has been telling stories for as long as she can remember, whether they are thoroughly researched flash fiction pieces or improvised bedtime stories.
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