What is Show, Don't Tell?

What is Show, Don't Tell?

What is Show, Don't Tell? The first time I heard of Show, Don't Tell, my first thoughts were, show what, and don't tell what? This is an advanced technique that takes considerable time to learn, so be patient, but start learning now.

All stories must have a certain amount of telling in them. You can't get around it. The idea, however, is to show as much as you can.

Instead of writing this flat statement, “He works out at the gym and he has a great physique,” we can show the man has awesome form with dialogue. One woman could say to another, "He came out of the gym wearing one of those tight muscle shirts. Wow!"

What is Show, Don't Tell? Let's take another example - that of a woman in the kitchen, piping mad. We could say, "Mom was as mad as I have ever seen her," or we could SHOW that she is mad like this:

"She stood stock still, right hand on hip, and one foot patting the floor. I was used to the pink neck and crimson red face, but when I saw the blood pulsing in her temples, I knew it was time to get out of Dodge."

More ways to learn showing:

* Read literature and pick out telling sentences
* Review your own work and look for telling sentences
* Observe people and make a telling statement about them, then change it to showing

Learning Show, Don't Tell will turn you into a professional writer. Whole books are devoted to this subject, so don't expect to learn it overnight.

Do you have questions? Would you like to see a certain topic discussed? Just write to deborahowen@cwinst.com and make your request. And may I invite you to stop in at http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com and take a look at what Creative Writing Institute, the only tutored writing school, has to offer you! Stop in today.