If you’re struggling with this, Well-Storied’s guide to show vs. tell offers useful breakdowns and examples.
✨ More Tips & Tricks for Mastering Showing vs. Telling
🎭 Use the Five Senses to Bring Scenes to Life
One of the quickest ways to show instead of tell is to engage the reader’s senses:
- Sight: What does the character notice or focus on?
- Sound: What background noise or dialogue sets the mood?
- Touch: How does the environment feel—rough, cold, sticky?
- Taste and Smell: These are underused but powerful. A familiar scent can trigger memory or emotion.
Example: Telling: “The house was old.” Showing: “The floorboards creaked with every step, and a musty scent lingered in the air like forgotten memories.”
💬 Leverage Dialogue for Character Emotion
Sometimes what a character says—or avoids saying—can convey more than a descriptive paragraph.
- Use subtext: Let readers read between the lines.
- Include interruptions, hesitations, or unfinished sentences to show emotional tension.
Example: Instead of “He was nervous,” show it in speech: “I, uh… I just thought maybe you’d want to—never mind.”
🧠 Internal Monologue Can Be Showing, Too
While internal thoughts may feel like telling, if written well, they can show the character’s mindset and emotional landscape.
Example: Telling: “She felt guilty.” Showing (Internal): “What kind of sister forgets her brother’s birthday? She stared at the blinking cursor, unsure of how to begin the apology text.”
🧱 Use Setting as a Reflection of Emotion
Show how a character interacts with their environment to mirror internal states.
Example:
- A cheerful character might: “Swing the door open and inhale the scent of fresh rain.”
- A nervous character might: “Fumble with the key, her hand slick with sweat.”
🔄 Balance Is Key: Use Telling Strategically
Telling is not the enemy—it’s a tool. Use it when:
- You need to transition quickly
- Background details aren’t emotionally significant
- You want to summarize routine actions
Quick Tip: Combine the two! Start with a brief telling line, then show for emotional depth:
“It had been a long day. He dropped his bag by the door and sank into the couch like it might swallow him whole.”
🛠 Writing Exercises to Practice
✏️ Exercise 1: Emotion Rewrite
Pick 5 basic emotions (joy, anger, fear, sadness, love) and write two versions of each:
- 1 sentence of telling
- 1 paragraph of showing
✏️ Exercise 2: Show, Don’t Tell Challenge
Rewrite the following telling sentences using only showing:
- “He was bored.”
- “She hated her job.”
- “They were in love.”
🔗 Additional Resources
Want to dive deeper? These resources are packed with examples and insights:
- The Write Practice – How to Show Not Tell
- Helping Writers Become Authors – When to Tell Instead of Show
Looking for a handy guide? Download our free PDF cheat sheet for quick reference anytime you write!
Unlocking the 6 Secrets of Showing vs. Telling in Writing
Showing vs. telling, the struggle is real. I’ll often find myself writing up a storm to realize that all it is, is me telling what happened. This results in frustration and small bouts of crankiness as I have to go back and edit and make my characters to the work, and not my narrator. Understanding the difference between showing vs. telling is crucial to mastering your storytelling craft. In this post, we’ll break down the difference, explore when to use each technique, and offer practical tips for finding the right balance.
What Is Telling?
Telling is when the author gives the reader information directly. It’s a straightforward way to explain a character’s emotions, the setting, or important background facts. It’s efficient, but can feel flat or emotionally distant if overused.
Example of Telling: “Sarah was sad.”
This sentence gets the job done,but it doesn’t evoke much feeling. The reader is informed of Sarah’s emotional state without experiencing it alongside her.
What Is Showing?
Showing invites the reader into the scene by using sensory details, action, and dialogue. Rather than stating facts, it immerses the reader in the character’s experience.
Example of Showing: “Sarah stared at the untouched coffee in front of her. Her shoulders slumped, and she blinked back tears.”
This paints a clearer emotional picture and draws the reader into Sarah’s experience.
When to Show vs. When to Tell
- Show when you want to immerse readers in the moment, build tension, or deepen emotional resonance.
- Tell when you need to move the story forward quickly, transition between scenes, or convey non-dramatic information.
Great writing uses both. As author and editor Beth Hill puts it, “Use telling to speed up time, summarize, or offer a narrator’s insight” — but don’t shy away from showing when it counts.
Tips for Balancing Both
- Use telling in exposition, time skips, or background info.
- Use showing for emotional moments, key decisions, and character development.
- Revise telling-heavy scenes by asking: “Can I show this instead?”
- Use body language and specific details instead of naming emotions.
If you’re struggling with this, Well-Storied’s guide to show vs. tell offers useful breakdowns and examples.
✨ More Tips & Tricks for Mastering Showing vs. Telling
🎭 Use the Five Senses to Bring Scenes to Life
One of the quickest ways to show instead of tell is to engage the reader’s senses:
- Sight: What does the character notice or focus on?
- Sound: What background noise or dialogue sets the mood?
- Touch: How does the environment feel—rough, cold, sticky?
- Taste and Smell: These are underused but powerful. A familiar scent can trigger memory or emotion.
Example: Telling: “The house was old.” Showing: “The floorboards creaked with every step, and a musty scent lingered in the air like forgotten memories.”
💬 Leverage Dialogue for Character Emotion
Sometimes what a character says—or avoids saying—can convey more than a descriptive paragraph.
- Use subtext: Let readers read between the lines.
- Include interruptions, hesitations, or unfinished sentences to show emotional tension.
Example: Instead of “He was nervous,” show it in speech: “I, uh… I just thought maybe you’d want to—never mind.”
🧠 Internal Monologue Can Be Showing, Too
While internal thoughts may feel like telling, if written well, they can show the character’s mindset and emotional landscape.
Example: Telling: “She felt guilty.” Showing (Internal): “What kind of sister forgets her brother’s birthday? She stared at the blinking cursor, unsure of how to begin the apology text.”
🧱 Use Setting as a Reflection of Emotion
Show how a character interacts with their environment to mirror internal states.
Example:
- A cheerful character might: “Swing the door open and inhale the scent of fresh rain.”
- A nervous character might: “Fumble with the key, her hand slick with sweat.”
🔄 Balance Is Key: Use Telling Strategically
Telling is not the enemy—it’s a tool. Use it when:
- You need to transition quickly
- Background details aren’t emotionally significant
- You want to summarize routine actions
Quick Tip: Combine the two! Start with a brief telling line, then show for emotional depth:
“It had been a long day. He dropped his bag by the door and sank into the couch like it might swallow him whole.”
🛠 Writing Exercises to Practice
✏️ Exercise 1: Emotion Rewrite
Pick 5 basic emotions (joy, anger, fear, sadness, love) and write two versions of each:
- 1 sentence of telling
- 1 paragraph of showing
✏️ Exercise 2: Show, Don’t Tell Challenge
Rewrite the following telling sentences using only showing:
- “He was bored.”
- “She hated her job.”
- “They were in love.”
🔗 Additional Resources
Want to dive deeper? These resources are packed with examples and insights:
- The Write Practice – How to Show Not Tell
- Helping Writers Become Authors – When to Tell Instead of Show
Looking for a handy guide? Download our free PDF cheat sheet for quick reference anytime you write!
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