When I wrote my first novel, my editor bombarded with a lot of notes telling me show don’t tell. I didn’t know what that meant at first. Later on, I realized how vital it is to show and not tell when you write your novel. How do we do this? First, let’s understand the difference between the two.
The phrase “show don’t tell” confuses people in writing because all writing is telling… isn’t it?
C.S. Lewis
Tell
When we tell in a story, we are giving the reader facts about something that has already occurred. Basically, I am imposing what I know, and I’m providing the reader with information. The disadvantage is that it makes the reader feel like he is out of the plot. He is an outcast, someone who is witnessing the actions taking part in the novel from a distance.
That is why if a character cries, he will not share the unfortunate event with them, and will eventually not feel what they feel. That’s vital because the reader needs to partake in the activities that occur in the story. He must feel a part of the plot. So how do we do that?
We show.
Show
Show is a method used in writing that makes the reader feel that he belongs in the story. He will cheer for the protagonist with enthusiasm, and the reader might even fall in love with him/her. It is a genius way to engage the reader to flip through pages and make him eager to know what happens next.
When we show, the reader visualizes and builds up the scene with the use of his imagination. He will understand what the characters’ personalities are because he feels as if he just lived with them.
How Do We Show and Not Tell?
- Using Five Senses.
Including the character’s five senses in the novel will make the plot feel more realistic. The reader might subconsciously smell the coffee brewing that the protagonist is preparing in her apartment. If the character tasted lemon and cringed her face, the reader’s taste buds will make him remember what the sour taste feel like on his/her tongue.
- Show What You Describe
Lana is messy, she but she’s a kind person. That’s telling.
Lana shuffled through her clothes she scattered around in her apartment. She was looking for her candy pink shirt and never found it. Through her exasperation, her phone rang, and her smile stretched from ear to ear when she heard her friend’s voice. That’s showing.
We can deduce here that Lana is a messy person, without the need to say it. She showed her kindness in the way she smiled when she answered the phone.
- Dialogue
Dialogue is very reliable when you show what you write. Just adding the hand gestures and the facial expression of the characters gives the reader a basic understanding of how the characters are reacting to each other.
- Body Language
Omar was angry. That’s telling.
Omar’s nostrils flared, his eyes protruded, and his face turned red. He stomped on his way out and slammed the door. That’s showing.
The example above shows how Omar responded to being angry.
In a nutshell, show don’t tell is difficult to incorporate, and it needs lots of practice. Yet it’s a remarkable way to boost up your style of writing and spice up your novel. It gives the reader a satisfying specific that they can visualize and deduce by themselves. It’s a technique that guarantees the reader to feel as if he is part of the experience.