Plainly put, to show is to cause or allow to be seen. To tell is to narrate. The ‘Show, don’t tell’ technique allows readers to experience information through a character’s actions, dialogue, senses, body language and thoughts, rather than narrating it. Since literary works invented by the imagination, such as novels or short stories, readers expect an otherworldly level of entertainment and experience. The ‘Show, don’t tell’ technique helps meet this standard by giving the reader an opportunity to ‘participate’ in the story rather than simply being narrated to.
Example:
Tell: Layla was angry, but mostly hurt following her friend’s betrayal.
Show: Layla’s hands hang at her sides, trembling as she stood face to face with her best friend, Jonathan. She opened her mouth to say something but her voice couldn’t seem to make its way past the aching lump in her throat. Jonathan watched, his once firm expression melting into worry. “Is it true?” She finally managed to croak. Sensing the indignation laced in her voice, Jonathan stepped forward, his right hand reaching out for her trembling one. However, just before he could reach it, Layla’s legs gave way and she sank down heavily to the floor. “I trusted you,” she whispered painfully. “I actually trusted you.”
Notice, in the second version, that showing lets the reader fully experience and recognize the emotions of the character.
1. Use dialogue
A characters’ speech is absolutely necessary in giving the reader a feel of a particular character or the scene. What they say reveals a lot about the character and what is going on in their surroundings.
2. Be specific with sensory details
By sensory details, this means what the character sees, hears, smells, touches, or tastes. In order to engage the reader, they must fully understand what the character is experiencing internally and in their surroundings.
3. Apply actions and body language
Fiction writers need to understand how to relay an emotion or a certain piece of information without necessarily stating it. What characters do when they feel a certain way can be what guides the reader to understand what the character is feeling or experiencing.
It is important to note that telling is important too in fiction writing especially when the writer is relaying inessential information. However, showing is critical and should be utilized well since the objective of fiction is to make the reader’s experience memorable.
When editing your fiction, ask yourself: Am I telling the reader what to feel, or am I giving them enough detail to experience it for themselves? If the answer is the latter then your story is bound to be a memorable one.
Happy Writing!
