While I was writing my Master’s thesis, my professors drilled one lesson into my mind: show don’t tell. Any time spent seeking writing help will turn you in the same direction, so how do we master this most basic of principles?

In this article, we will learn the importance of showing the reader rather than telling. I’ll also provide some helpful tips on how to break the habit of telling our reader everything they don’t need to know.

Key Takeaways:

• Exposition is exhausting.

• Respect our reader’s intuition.

• Showing can improve all aspects of writing.

• Use the active voice every chance we get.

Telling Problems:

Before starting a story, some writers may already have ideas in mind for characters, settings, and themes. Many authors write towards a message, or at least have some takeaway they want the reader to leave with.

The natural instinct is to tell the reader everything they need to know. If a character is feeling sad, it is within our power as author to tell the reader directly. If it is a windy day in the park, we can simply state so. If a battle left the town ravaged, it is only a matter of words to make it true in our story. However, we may notice a pattern: these sentences are dull. They are informative, but lack the substance that keeps a reader’s attention.

Self-scrutinizing writers will notice that their active scenes lack motion if they fail to show rather than tell. Telling is appropriate in moderation for use in contextualization character interactions. Too much results in a problem familiar to many science-fiction and fantasy fans: over-exposition.

Exposition is the comprehensive description of an idea or theory. In terms of writing, think of it as a form of acceptable telling. Exposition is what authors use to keep the reader on track. Short detective fiction without expository dialogue can be hard to follow, while a fantasy novel that lacks exposition might confuse a reader with unmentioned rules.

Over-exposition becomes an issue when telling becomes the primary mode of characterization. A fantasy novel that’s more exposition than action is a bore. An over-exposed mystery is predictable. A telling author becomes a barrier between the reader and the action of the story.

Showing Solutions:

If telling is an effective means of communicating information, showing is an effective means of communicating emotion. We do so by the careful selection of images that we show to the reader, and how we show them.

Word choice gives us ultimate authority over how much we show the reader. If we want to build an emotional connection to the reader, show them a scene with the active voice.

Take a look at these two sentences:

The top sentence utilizes the active voice, while the bottom sentence uses the passive voice. An active sentence places the character at the center of the action, while a passive sentence places the object as the subject. The active voice makes it clear who is doing what.

Go through your draft and select all the passive sentences you can find. By switching the construction of some of these sentences, we should be able to place our reader firmly in the body of our characters. From there, we can build a strong foundation for further showing. Choose scenes that you felt were too passive, and zoom in on a character. By bringing the perspective closer and placing the reader in a body, we make it easier for them to experience the story. Remember to use sensory descriptions of all five senses. The smallest details are often what readers latch onto the hardest.

Conclusion:

Just with all the tools of writing, never forget that all things flourish with moderation. Showing is an excellent way to communicate emotion and action, but without enough context the reader will forget the why behind it all. Showing and telling are not mutually exclusive, nor can they exist without one another.

Read my article about perspective for more tips about how to get the most out of our scenes.

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