Assignment 5.4: Show Don't (Just) Tell

2. Showing vs. Telling

Showing vs. Telling

First, what's the difference between the two?

"Telling" is the reliance on simple exposition: Mary was an old woman.

"Showing," on the other hand, is the use of evocative description:

Mary moved slowly across the room, her hunched form supported by a polished wooden cane gripped in a gnarled, swollen- jointed hand that was covered by translucent, liver-spotted skin.

Why is showing better? Two reasons. First, it creates mental pictures for the reader. When reviewers use terms like "vivid," "evocative," or "cinematic" to describe a piece of prose, they really mean the writer has succeeded at showing, rather than merely telling.

Second, showing is interactive and participatory: it forces the reader to become involved in the story, deducing facts (such as Mary's age) for himself or herself, rather than just taking information in passively.   Source.

Telling

Showing

I was nervous.

My palms were sweaty. I popped my knuckles. I looked in my backpack three times for no reason. My leg kept shaking, and I turned my head to look at the clock every few seconds.

She was angry.

“She kicked open the screen door, letting it slam against the wall as she dashed outside. Down the steps and into the yard she flew. Grabbing the first rock in her path, she hurled it back toward the house. It crashed through the living room window with an explosion of shattered glass.” (Marion Dane Bauer, What’s Your Story)

My sister is talented.

My sister competes in weightlifting championships, sings lead vocals in a rock band, and speaks five languages.

The runner was exhausted

As the runner staggered across the finish line, chest heaving, sweat dripped from his body and he suddenly collapsed.