“Don’t say it was delightful; make us say delightful when we’ve read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers Please will you do the job for me.”
– C. S. Lewis
I’m sure every writer has heard the phrase ‘show, don’t tell’ at some point in their life. It’s one of the most common pieces of advice we get, and for good reason: the act of showing, instead of telling, is one that breathes life into any piece of creative writing, whatever the genre. Think of it this way: an academic essay exists to ‘tell’ the reader about a piece of information, in a neat, concise, and practical way, whereas a piece of creative writing exists to ‘show’ the reader something by conveying specific thoughts, emotions, and environments. In this article, I explain the technique, as well as give you some examples of how to use it in your own writing.
The above quote by C. S. Lewis sums up the method pretty well, and many other classical writers used it. Mary Shelley could have simply said that Frankenstein’s monster was ugly, and therefore terrifying. Instead, she described the pallor of the monster’s skin, the yellow of his eyes, and the ghoulish smile on his lips as he reached his hands out to his creator. By doing this, she didn’t just tell us that the creature was scary; she made us experience the fear itself. ‘Showing’, at its most basic, is a way to make the reader experience the circumstances as the character experiences them, which, in turn, makes the events and emotions feel that much more real to the reader. ‘Showing’ often has more description and action than ‘telling’ does. This can make a piece of writing feel less static, and give the reader more detail to hold onto. Here is an example of a ‘tell’ sentence versus a ‘show’ sentence:
Tell: He looked at the sea.
Show: He looked across the dull, rock-strewn sand towards the rough sea. The depth of its blue was shocking: a rich navy, which bled into cerulean as it neared the shore.
In this example, we don’t just think that the character is at any random beach; we see the exact type of beach. If you’re writing a piece about an important memory you hold of a day at the beach with your family, then you don’t want the reader to imagine a random beach. You want them to imagine your beach, and everything you saw that day that makes the memory truly unique and special to you. In this way, the act of ‘showing’ instead of ‘telling’ can make your writing more personal, and give it a much clearer voice.
The ‘show’ example above uses very flowery and active language. We can infer then that the writer (myself) is one who tries to convey a detailed sensory experience with their writing. But the technique doesn’t have to be used to this degree. It can be as simple as saying: He gazed across the beach at the vibrant, blue water. Even this sentence is ‘showing’ a lot more than the ‘tell’ sentence did. It won’t be the right technique for every piece of writing, but it’s up to you to know what style you’re aiming for, and just how useful a method like this is to your project. There is definitely a balance to be struck between ‘showing’ and ‘telling’, one that only you can find. But that’s the beauty of this technique, and why it’s pushed so often: it’s a way of coaxing out a writer’s own perspective, making the writing less generic and more uniquely you.
“Show, don’t tell” is a writing method that can inspire curiosity and convey deeper meaning to a reader. Though this article is just a brief overview of the technique, I hope that it gives you some insight into the differences between the two actions as well as the uses for them. Maybe it’ll give you a bit of inspiration to try it out for yourself. Happy writing!
Tatianna Kalb, Drama Editor
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