Operation: Show Don't Tell (Creative Writing Seeds)

Operation: Show, Don’t Tell

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass” – Anton Chekhov

Images make up your writing. You create images using the words you write so that your reader creates the idea in their imagination. A really good image will make the reader forget they are reading words and only think about what they see in their mind’s eye.

Many writers have heard someone say, “Show, Don’t Tell!” about a piece of their writing. But what does that really mean?

The best way to show you how to “show, don’t tell” is by showing you! Here are some examples:

Tell:	Show:
Kate was tired.	Kate rubbed her eyes and willed herself to keep them open.
It was early spring.	New buds were pushing through the frost.
Charlie was blind.	Charlie wore dark glasses and was accompanied by a seeing-eye dog.
Sheena is a punk rocker.	Sheena has three piercings in her face and wears her hair in a purple mohawk.
James was the captain.	“At ease,” James called out before relaxing into the captain’s chair.
The girls were excited.	Giggles and screams filled the arena. The soft curls were now damp with perspiration and the anticipation of the event. They held tight to each other in a mock effort to contain themselves. Arms flailed upward, and voices echoed in varying tones. The moment was here.

You can see from the examples on the right that they are more interesting to read than the examples on the left, even though they mean the same thing. The “Show” examples use more of your senses, like sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. Think about how you learn from movies; movies don’t tell you, but they show you. How do you know someone is upset, angry, happy, sad, frustrated, and so on? People don’t often say “I am angry,” but they do act angry! (They are very mature and communicative humans, indeed, if they know when they are angry and can then communicate that to someone else!)

For the following “Tells,” practice writing a “Show”! Show your reader what it looks like, whether it’s an emotion, an action, a place, or a thing.

The lawn was covered with leaves.
The room was perfect. She saw it and was immediately transported back to her childhood.
The house was old.
The fire is burning.
The cat’s fur is soft.
My head hurts.

Once you have finished these examples, you should get the hang of showing rather than telling. When you are done, write a short story or poem (about whatever you like!) where you show how things are rather than telling your audience.