Show Vs Tell

It's the age-old battle. Show vs Tell. You should always show and never tell. But is this always the case?

In this blog, we will explore what showing and telling are, and how/when to use them.

Showing is when you allow the reader to deduce the information from the context given.

Telling is when you inform the reader of what is going on or how a character is feeling.

I.e.

Tell - Rokka was a locksmith and placed his tools by the door.

Show - Rokka placed his tools beside him as he knelt to inspect the lock.

Tell - It was cold and she shivered.

Show - She shivered, nose turning pink as snowflakes melted upon her cheeks.

In these examples, it is easy to see why showing is better in most cases.

"Showing Dramatises, Telling Summarises"

K.M.Weiland

This is a great and basic rule to follow. If you are trying to skim over time or summarise something, then telling is fine. But if you want the section to feel real and have life, then show.

In Andrew Stanton's TED Talk he recommends:

"Make the audience put things together. Give them 2+2, not 4."

Andrew Stanton

But how do you show? And how do you know when something needs dramatising?

There are three situations in which you should always show.

Emotions - Your character is upset, angry, happy, nervous.

Opinions - They think someone is an idiot, they're in love.

Sensations - It's cold, they're hot, something feels wrong.

Now that we know when to show and when to tell, let's get into the nitty-gritty on how to show.

Action - Use body language to replace the abstract with the concrete. Convince the audience of what is happening. But do not overuse this.

Dialogue - Stuttering, whispering. Show the emotion of a situation through the dialogue. Have other characters cut your protagonist off or finish a sentence.

Thoughts - Internal thoughts are a huge part of our lives. Have your character work through some sticky situations in their head or react to another character's speech with internal monologue.

Senses - Use the five senses, and not always the obvious one! If they're scared, choose something other than their heart racing.

Feelings.- Convey feelings of unease, anxiety, or happiness. Describe the world differently depending on what mood your character is in. Give evidence for these feelings to the reader.

Observations - Filter observations through narrative voice. Don't say they are rude, show them being rude.

"As long as it feels like the character is thinking it, you're usually okay. But as soon as it sounds like the author butting in to explain things, you've probably fallen into telling."

Janice Hardy

But don't try and show everything. The reader does not need to know every little detail. They can fill in the gaps. So use telling to skip over daily routines or everyday greetings rather than telling them about each and every one. That way your story keeps moving forward.

I hope you found this helpful, if you would like to see this information in video format please head to my YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/user/Robynblond09

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Sources:

Sources Diana Callahan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAKcbvioxFk TED Talk - Andrew Stanton https://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_stanton_the_clues_to_a_great_story#t-393892 Janice Hardy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0BE4UP/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1