The Writer's Toolkit: Show, Don't Tell
Crafting Vivid and Entertaining Descriptions
What Does "Show, Don't Tell" Mean?
"Show, Don't Tell" is one of the most powerful rules in creative writing. Instead of simply telling the reader something is true (e.g., "The man was angry"), a good writer shows it through actions, dialogue, and sensory details, allowing the reader to experience the scene for themselves. Telling is direct and informative, but showing is immersive and entertaining. It invites the reader to become a detective, drawing their own conclusions from the evidence you provide. This technique is essential for creating a world that feels real and characters that come alive.
Telling vs. Showing: An Example
Telling 😴
The room was messy.
This gives us the basic information, but it's boring. The reader has no connection to the space.
Showing 😎
Week-old pizza boxes teetered on a stack of textbooks, and clothes were strewn across the floor like a colourful, fabric avalanche. The air was thick with the smell of stale coffee and dust.
This uses specific details (pizza boxes, clothes) and sensory information (smell of coffee) to create a vivid picture of the mess.
Deconstruction & Application
1. Deconstruction: Read the "Telling" sentence below. How could you "Show" this instead? Brainstorm sensory details (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste) and specific actions.
Telling Sentence:
The girl was nervous about her speech.
2. Application: Rewrite the following short paragraph. Your goal is to replace the "Telling" parts with "Showing" details to make the scene more entertaining and immersive.
It was a very cold day. The old man walked down the street. He was poor but happy. He went into the warm bakery.
3. (Critical Thinking) Is "Telling" always bad? Can you think of a situation where a writer might deliberately choose to "Tell" instead of "Show"?