![]() ![]() It’s why many readers prefer the book version to a movie version. It makes your writing more memorable, because the writer has invoked their own imagination and sentiments to feel what happened. When your reader is shown what happens with literary devices rather than told with statements, they’ll remember your story. When you can show, not tell with your words, you can strengthen your craft immensely. And it’s because it’s one of the fundamentals of strong writing. The show, don’t tell concept isn’t new, and is probably the most common strategy you hear about when it comes to improving your writing. Your writing should make it easy for the reader to jump right in to your story, where they’re able to imagine the scenes, feel the emotion, and interact with your words. When the reader is invited to actively participate in your writing, the overall reading experience will be more powerful. When you simply tell, it can allow the reader to be passive. The reader has to use some of their own devices, like their own imagination and perspective, to experience what is happening in your story. ![]() When you show, don’t tell in your own writing, the reader is subtly invited to become active in your text. Benefits of showing, not telling in your writing: It impacts the reader in a unique way that makes your story memorable. ![]() It makes reading what you’ve written that much more enjoyable. Think of yourself as a facilitator in your book’s adventure: you want to show your reader the way, not directly tell them the obvious. And this is true not only for fiction, but for nonfiction, too. But the key is to say what you need to say without directly telling your reader what’s happening with statements. #Storywriting showing not telling how to##2 – Understand why showing and not telling is important in your writingįrom learning how to craft an essay in language arts class to reading books from experts on writing development, you’ve likely been told to “show, not tell” in your writing more times than you can count.Īs anyone who has written even a few words knows, there are many different ways of saying the same thing. This makes the process of reading more interactive, and memorable.Īuthors that employ the show, not tell writing technique are able to improve their writing craft and development, and essentially “paint a picture” with their words. To become an author, you’ll need to master the concept of show, not tell in your own writing. When an author shows instead of tells, they are able to engage the reader in the writing and improve the reader’s experience. By showing the reader what’s happening through words, the author is able to facilitate a reaction in the reader, by allowing them to use their imagination to conjure a mental image and invoke feelings of what they have read. ![]() When you show and don’t tell, you are showing your reader what is happening, instead of telling them what is happening through statements. To show, not tell is a writing technique that illustrates what is happening or being conveyed, which engages the reader by allowing them to visualize, imagine, or feel an event, concept, or emotion through reading. #1 – Know what it means to show, not tell Showing vs telling in writing: when to show, and when to tell.Employ writing strategies to show, don’t tell.Learn why our brains prefer to be shown, not told.Identify effective show, don’t tell writing examples.Understand why showing and not telling is important.Know what it means to show, not tell in writing.Here’s how to show, don’t tell in writing: In this article, we’ll explain what exactly it means to show not tell in writing, and how you can apply it to improve your own craft as an author. If you think about it, both Chekhov and Hemingway suggest a kind of respect for your reader: readers should be trusted to understand your point without you having to painfully lay it out for them. And that’s what the concept of “show, don’t tell” boils down to.Ī powerful reading experience is one that allows the reader to experience and visualize the written word using their own devices.Īnd that lays the foundation for some powerful writing when you set out to write a book. “The dignity of movement of an iceberg is due to only one-eighth of it being above water.” However, it was Ernest Hemingway, one of the best writers of his generation, who helped popularize this seemingly elusive technique.ĭrawing from his journalist background, Hemingway pointed out that writers can actually strengthen their prose by omitting, or leaving out, certain things. The “show, don’t tell” concept is credited to Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, who once said, “Don’t tell me the moon is shining show me the glint of light on broken glass.” ![]()
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